GordonH

I had problems with this finish on a taylor trumpet. It got mildew (black dots all over) and they would not come off.
This has put me off this sort of finish or indeed the equivalent silver.
At least with Bright Silver Plate you can polish things out if all else fails.
You can also replate BSP quite easily, satin or scratched finishes i am not sure about refinishing.

So i am thinking through what finishes I would accept on a new instrument.
Brisht silver plate would be fine.
What about raw brass?
How durable is that?
Does it stain?

Just interested in starting a discussion and getting other peoples views.

I definitely don't like laquer, I like my instruments to be metal all the way through.

Tootsall

I have scratch gold finish on two different horns for a year now. No problems at all. The finish does a great job of hiding the inevitable greasy fingerprints and washes clean with soap and water. The bright gold bell & slides are equally easy to wipe clean with a microfiber cloth.

If you've got problems with a gold finish I would recommend getting in touch with the manufacturer and quizzing him: my discussion with Leigh at Eclipse have been to the effect that gold requires IMMACULATE preparation or it will "stain up" badly. Perhaps Andy Taylor uses a different plater than Leigh?

Heavens2kadonka

Raw Brass is an absolute pain in the rear end to take care of! Trust me on that one. I never want to mess with another "naked" trumpet again....

Lacquer or regular plate silver is the best to have. As long as you wipe a horn down after playing, and clean it regularly, it should hold up.

Van

__________________
Stage 1 California Light
'94 Bach Strad 37
1900 Eb Cornet

STORK Vacchiano 5C
LOUD Steve Patrick 10 1/2 C

ALLCHOPS

I would agree with the comment about Raw Brass being a pain in the arse, especially playing 3-4 times a week I have to clean it every week because it turns extremely dark!!!

I have found that a course sponge works well w/dish detergent... That ends up giving it a brushed look for about 3 days!!!


Never again!

Tony G

GordonH

Thanks for the comments.
The problem with the old horn was fungal.
I went to extreme lengths and treated it with an anti fungicidal and I burned the original case to destroy any spores.
I run lot so I know how to get rid of athletes foot!

Anyway, I will bear the comments here in mind.
I have to say that the old Besson matt silver finish never gave me any problems sp ot must have been something to do with the specifics of the way that instrument had been stored.