Well sadly, I haven't been able to play on my trumpet for a good year now...and tarnish has built up like crazy. Its a bach strad 72..so its silver with a lacquer finish. The problem is..I've had it for so long that the lacquer has worn off and since I haven't played, tarnish has just grown like wild on my horn. I've tried looking for the best way to clean it but I figured this would be my best shot! I'm trying to find a cloth or cream or both that will take the tarnish off, yet at the same time, not wear away any more lacquer. Thanks in advance for the help.

If it is silver, it was never laquered.

Take apart the horn, put all the silver pieces in a sink full of HOT salt water with a big piece of aluminum foil. The oxygen from the silver oxide tarnish goes to the aluminum, leaving you with a shiny horn and no wear. Make sure that you RINSE to get the salt out!

Originally Posted by rowuk

Take apart the horn, put all the silver pieces in a sink full of HOT salt water with a big piece of aluminum foil. The oxygen from the silver oxide tarnish goes to the aluminum, leaving you with a shiny horn and no wear. Make sure that you RINSE to get the salt out!

How long should you leave the pieces in the hot water?

Originally Posted by brassplayer

How long should you leave the pieces in the hot water?

Depends on how badly tarmished the horn is. I used baking soda instead of salt (1 cup per gallon of water) and it only took a couple of minutes on one horn, but on a badly tarnished one I had to do it twice. I think I have a picture somewhere...

Not the best pictures, but my Bb was juat as tarnished as the flugel:

Use baking soda AND salt - I've literally just finished doing it to my horn and the combination works better than baking soda on its own. I also wrapped strips of aluminum foil around the horn this time, rather than just laying it on a sheet. The difference is staggering.

Originally Posted by BenH

I also wrapped strips of aluminum foil around the horn this time, rather than just laying it on a sheet. The difference is staggering.

That's interesting. The second time I did this process (sans salt) I bunched up the foil so it contacted the horn in more places and like you I got a much better result...

The previous times I'd done it, I'd always been able to smell the sulfur (so it was working) and seen a bit of a difference, but nothing major. This time the foil turned black in places! Only problem is, it now shows all the little scratches in the silver... Anyone got suggestions for polishing them out?!

Tarnishield and a VERY soft rag.

second with rowuk...tarnishield it ! GENTLY !!!
Finally found it at ACE Hardware...turns out it IS the place.