silver plating

flutegirl49 · Post by **flutegirl49** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 5:22 pm

As you may have read from my other topic I'm buying a new flute which may have only solid silver headjoint.

For those of you who have silver plated body and footjoint intermediate flutes, are the silver quality different? Did it change color at all through the years you've had it for?

My student model flute is all silver plated and I keep polishing and polishing and it gets dark/changes color really quickly. I'm just wondering if this happens to the body + footjoint of intermediate flutes as well, or if the quality or thickness of the plating is different so that it stays the pretty silver color

shylittleviolet6 · Post by **shylittleviolet6** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 5:38 pm

I have had my Emerson ELD for almost 9 years now. I'm pretty sure the body and footjoint are silver plated and except for a small spot where the plating has been scrated off (which was my own fault), the silver has stayed silver. I haven't noticed any color change at all.

Hope that helps!

Jim_P · Post by **Jim_P** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:26 pm

The best way to keep silver plate looking good is don't polish it, at least not with a polishing cloth or a polishing compound.

Silver polish actually removes metal--so everytime you polish, the plating gets that much thinner. You can actually break through to base metal pretty easily on some flutes.

Also silver polish can find its way into the mechanism, where it will cause rapid wear and can bind keys. It also often finds its way onto pads, abrading the surface and causing premature failure.

What is good is to keep a very soft, clean cloth, and after playing gently clean away the fingerprints. Also an occasional pass with a lightly dampened cloth will help keep things clean.

Special note: you should never polish around the embouchure hole, especially the far edge. It may not look it but it's actually one of the most delicate parts of the flute. Polishing here can significantly reduce your flutes responsiveness, especially on a fine flute with a hand-cut embouchure. Also when taking a fine flute for an overhaul, it's good to mention that you don't want the embouchure plate buffed.

--James

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 9:19 pm

I played a silver plated flute with a silver head through my undergraduate years. It served me very well. when I sold it (after 12 years of service and 2 overhauls) it looked as good as it did when it was new.