TromboneChat

Can someone tell me if the silver (colored) tubes and tube connectors on the bell section are plated, or are they a different (silver colored) solid metal? From what I've seen so far (polishing some scratches), it seems that the metal is a solid silver and not just plated --unless the plating is really thick.

Bracing and ferrules etc. That appear silver in color are usually nickel on a trombone.

We call it nickel, however it's actually a brass alloy, 15% nickel, 70%(+-)copper, the rest zinc.

Harder than standard brass, more corrosian resistant, a bit more brittle.

I think at one time it also had tin mixed in.

But called nickel silver as it sounds more expensive to say "nickel silver" than "nickel zinc" or "nickel tin"...



Eric

If you put nickel silver and actual silver side-by-side, it's not quite the same color...

Nickel silver alloys are around 60% copper, 20% nickel, and 20% zinc.

It's pretty much the standard material for inner slide tubes, and you'll run into quite a few trombones with nickel silver outers, too. A lot of the more expensive trombones tend to have nickel silver parts at the grip points, both for looks and because it is more resistant to wear and corrosion.

Any part (or in some cases, all of the parts) can be made of nickel silver. In addition to what I've mentioned above, leadpipes and handslide crooks seem to be the most common. I know of no one currently making a trombone entirely out of nickel silver, but nickel silver French horns are still pretty common.

I think with Rath you can get an all nickel horn?  At least close, I know of someone with a nickel bell and tuning slide and obviously they do crooks and slides out of it.  Not sure about the neckpipe though.

Thank you so much! Very helpful next-level answers. I assumed it was a different (solid) alloy but didn't want to assume. And I didn't expect to learn so much about the metal composition.

I appreciate it!

I have a late model Olds Special that is all nickel, no brass anywhere.

Quote from: leec on Nov 12, 2017, 02:46PMI have a late model Olds Special that is all nickel, no brass anywhere.
NL-15 Specials are nickel plated.
http://itsabear.com/Olds_Docs/Olds1973.pdf

Nickel silver is also known as German silver.  As mentioned, it's a form of brass alloy with nickel in it so it has  different wear and hardness properties.

I have a Reynolds Argenta that I believe is all nickel-silver. 

Quote from: greenbean on Nov 12, 2017, 06:47PMI have a Reynolds Argenta that I believe is all nickel-silver. 
Argentas were solid nickel silver, as were Olds O-15 Operas. O-23 Operas have some yellow brass in the valve assembly but are otherwise all nickel silver.

Most post-WWII Olds pro horns had at least some major component (in addition to their inner slide tubes) made of nickel silver, and several models are all nickel silver except the bell.

Quote from: JohnL on Oct 19, 2017, 08:31AMIf you put nickel silver and actual silver side-by-side, it's not quite the same color...

Nickel silver alloys are around 60% copper, 20% nickel, and 20% zinc.

It's pretty much the standard material for inner slide tubes, and you'll run into quite a few trombones with nickel silver outers, too. A lot of the more expensive trombones tend to have nickel silver parts at the grip points, both for looks and because it is more resistant to wear and corrosion.

Any part (or in some cases, all of the parts) can be made of nickel silver. In addition to what I've mentioned above, leadpipes and handslide crooks seem to be the most common. I know of no one currently making a trombone entirely out of nickel silver, but nickel silver French horns are still pretty common.

I have a late model Olds Special that is all nickel. The Yamaha YSL354s in Canada anyway have n-s outer slides as well as slide crooks. Opps responded twice.

Quote from: Wasatch Oz on Oct 18, 2017, 09:57AMCan someone tell me if the silver (colored) tubes and tube connectors on the bell section are plated, or are they a different (silver colored) solid metal? From what I've seen so far (polishing some scratches), it seems that the metal is a solid silver and not just plated --unless the plating is really thick.
As someone else mentioned, on the Bach Strads the bracing and ferrules are solid nickel. As is the receiving (female/outer) tubes for the tuning slides. And on my 16M, the legs (inner) tubes of the tuning slide are nickel as well; I'm not sure if this is true of all the small bore tenors. However the tuning slide legs of my Bach 39 alto are yellow brass.

Quote from: leec on Jan 18, 2018, 03:20PMI have a late model Olds Special that is all nickel.
Late production Specials (model NL-15) are nickel plated.
http://itsabear.com/Olds_Docs/Olds1973.pdf
Page 18

The catalog lists the finish as "Nickel-plate brass; baked epoxy finish"; it's unclear whether any of the components are made of nickel silver - though it's probably safe to assume that there is at least as much nickel silver on a Special as on an Ambassador.

Quote from: leec on Jan 18, 2018, 03:20PMI have a late model Olds Special that is all nickel.
Late production Specials (model NL-15) are nickel plated.
http://itsabear.com/Olds_Docs/Olds1973.pdf
Page 18

The catalog lists the finish as "Nickel-plate brass; baked epoxy finish"; it's unclear whether any of the components are made of nickel silver - though it's probably safe to assume that there is at least as much nickel silver on a Special as on an Ambassador.