Posted by Joe S. on February 21, 2000 at 00:39:56:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Silver plating??? posted by Pete on February 20, 2000 at 23:47:05:
I have a 17-year-old B&S F that is raw brass. It had a really pretty lacquer job for about 6 months, but the lacquer wasn't very tough, and started flaking off and imbedding itself in the fibers of my black suit pants and tux pants.
Being one who believes lacquer/no lacquer/silver to be 99.99% mumbo-jumbo when it comes to something as big as a tuba (and the PLAYER being the 99.99% factor), I STILL found myself stripping off lacquer on my OWN tuba, but for preservation of my wardrobe and for no other reason. To this day the ugly discolorations from the lacquer stripper (did the job in '84) still faintly show on my instrument, and when I repair solder joints on it, I clean it up but do not polish it. I honesty do NOT care (unlike those who say they don't care about appearance, but ask that their raw brass instrument be buffed so that it will turn brown "evenly".)
Sorry for the preamble, but I wanted you to get my answer in context.
YES, your hands will harm the brass. My B&S has areas that are clearly worn from me holding it, and often I end a performance with green hands. The question is, "How FAST will it harm the brass". I am 43 years old. Once I am dead (or too sucky of a player to deserve to own this instrument anymore) I don't believe that the second and third owners combined will play it as much as I already have. However if they did, player #3 MIGHT wear a thin spot in it. (Sorry, but I wouldn't be around to G.A.S.) The ROTORS are another matter. Right now, I have played this instrument enough to have worn my #1 rotor down from, say, a AAAAA fit to a AAA+ fit. Once it deteriorates to a AA fit, I have another B&S F in the attic (with like-new rotors) saved to switch out the valvesets and sell the OTHER horn with this leaky-but-OK valveset. Condition-wise, as ugly as the surface of this instrument is, it has NO dents. All of the above are reflective of my attitudes, obviously.
As to the conductor and his complaints, unless he is paying you a significant portion of your living wage, hand him a can of Brasso and a rag after the dress rehearsals.
Enjoy your Holton! ;^)