When most people think of brass instruments, they think of shiny, gold-colored horns. But, brass instruments can also be silver, rose, yellow, and other colors.
In an interview earlier this year we asked Peter Harper: Why are there so many colors of brass, and what techniques should be used to polish them?
All brass instruments are made of brass, but there are multiple different finishes: lacquer, silver plate, gold plate, raw brass, and nickel plate. These different finishes can have a very slight impact on the resonance of an instrument, but for most purposes it’s best to view them as either aesthetic, or as a layer of protection for the brass underneath.
LACQUER FINISH
Lacquer is by far the most common finish for student level instruments, which are instruments generally built with an eye towards durability over anything else. Although, it’s not uncommon to see lacquer on pro-level horns as well.
Lacquer is sprayed on, usually as an epoxy, and protects the brass from the oils of our skin. It’s an easy finish to keep looking nice, and a little furniture polish on a soft rag is a great way to polish it. Alternatively, you can buy a lacquer polishing cloth that has a light, non-abrasive polish “built in” to the fibers.
SILVER PLATING
Silver plating is another common finish for brass instruments. A thin layer of silver is applied to the brass using electroplating, and this silver protects the brass underneath.
Silver plated instruments can be polished like any other piece of silver, but it’s important to use some restraint. Silver plating is not a particularly thick layer of silver, and most commercially sold silver polishes are abrasive; they work by taking away a tiny layer of silver.
For this reason, it’s important to wipe your silver instrument down after each use, and to keep it in its case to prevent tarnish and reduce the number of times that you need to polish it. If you have any concerns about your silver plated instrument, it’s a good idea to bring it in to our shop, as we have a non-abrasive tarnish remover that’s very gentle on silver.
GOLD PLATING
Gold plating is just like silver. In fact, horns that are gold plated are plated in silver first! The same principles apply here, though it’s important to note that gold is much, much softer than silver. So, it will wear off faster, both when exposed to skin oils and when polished.
RAW BRASS
Raw brass is most often seen on professional horns, and requires a bit more care. It has no protection against the oils of our skin, so it’s a good idea to wipe the instrument down after playing.
Raw brass can be polished to a shine with common brass polish, or, if left unpolished, will develop a patina that some players find preferable.
NICKEL PLATING
Nickel plating is the least common finish today. Once popular, it has faded from prominence. Nickel doesn’t really tarnish, but it does cloud after prolonged contact, and once it has clouded there isn’t much that can be done to restore it, at least at home.
If you have an older nickel plated instrument, your best course of action is to wipe it down regularly to prevent clouding.
ROSE BRASS
It’s not uncommon to see tinted lacquers, but most of the time when we see a rose colored instrument we’re looking at rose brass that’s either raw or lacquered. Brass is an alloy consisting of copper and zinc. The ratio of copper to zinc is what determines whether the instrument will be yellow brass, gold brass, red/rose brass, or somewhere in between these.
For brass instrument repairs and cleaning, or to learn more about how brass instruments are made, stop by Harper's Horn Repair at 5434 Magazine Street.
Still have questions about maintaining (or playing) your brass instrument? Check out our other articles How to Maintain Your Brass Instrument, Everything You Need to Know About Trumpet Mutes, or sign up for lessons at NOLA School of Music!