Posted by Chuck(G) on February 26, 2003 at 12:33:01:
In Reply to: Silver vs. Laquer posted by Tyler's Dad on February 26, 2003 at 12:14:32:
This topic has come up many times and the consensus seems to be that there's no readily distinguishable difference in sound between the two finishes. A change in mouthpiece can result in a far greater change in sound.
Most piston-valved BBb instruments, such as the King 2341 and the Kanstul 5/4 are available in either shiny silverplate or a matte finish. Silverplate should wear better than lacquer and keep its good looks longer.
One difference from the horn community is that I know of only a couple of "one-off" tubas that have been built from nickel-silver, though it might be interesting to hear what sort of difference it would make on a tuba.