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I am temporarily playing a Yamayork. The finish is silver (fading, in some places). What would be the best way to shine up the horn (there's a lot of horn!)? It must be pretty old, because it has a couple of good sized dents and a small crack in the bottom bow. I say that it must be old, because of the fact the it is a college horn, and we all know that college players are VERY responsible with school-owned instruments (LOL).

Would tarnex just clean it, or would it be detrimental?

Suggestions, anyone?

jmerring wrote:I am temporarily playing a Yamayork. ... It must be pretty old, because it has a couple of good sized dents and a small crack in the bottom bow. I say that it must be old, because of the fact the it is a college horn, and we all know that college players are VERY responsible with school-owned instruments (LOL).

Most of the recommendations I see are for Hagerty's.

But, an old Yamayork? I thought the first prototypes were only made maybe five years ago, and they went far enough into production so that anyone with money could have one only last year. I'm having a hard time imagining one in a college situation.

You sure it's a Yamaha?

Rick "lucky students" Denney

Perhaps it's a Yorkaha... one of the new York's copies of a Yamaha

Maybe the poster means one of the large 4 valve/1 rotor CC Yamahas.

Well, I must confess, I was speaking out of the wrong end. The horn is a BAT, of at least a 5/4 size, piston valved and appears to be a Yamaha. The valves are so far apart, I almost can not depress the 4th one with my pinky (I have to sneak other fingers over, when possible). My thanks to those who have corrected me and appreciate the suggestion of Haggerty's.

Getcherself some Windex and a rag. Works great on silverplated instruments--Yamayorks and otherwise. Some folks swear by lemon Pledge, but it makes the horn too slippery for me.

Super Smooth wrote:Ah yeah the old lemon pledge. How could I have forgotten about that stuff? Seems like pledge would be safer than windex, since perhaps the alcohol in windex could be removing some of the finish along with the finger prints.

Metallic silver dissolves in alcohol?

Boy, wait'll Anderson Plating here's about this....

In truth, the very act of handling the horn removes finish.

Super Smooth wrote:Ah yeah the old lemon pledge. How could I have forgotten about that stuff? Seems like pledge would be safer than windex, since perhaps the alcohol in windex could be removing some of the finish along with the finger prints.

Pledge has a cleaner in it, too.

Whatever you use has to have enough of a solvent to remove skin oils, or you are not meeting the basic requirement of the exercise.

Windex is pretty mild stuff, and I suspect does a lot less damage than the cloth you wipe it off with. Or the hair arm that deposited the skin oils in the first place.

If we have to be that careful with silver, then I'm glad I have raw and lacquered brass instruments.

Rick "who uses Windex for a lot of things" Denney

Rick Denney wrote:Windex is pretty mild stuff, and I suspect does a lot less damage than the cloth you wipe it off with.

I thought Windex contained ammonia, which can lead to stress corrosion cracking in brass.

UncleBeer wrote:

Rick Denney wrote:Windex is pretty mild stuff, and I suspect does a lot less damage than the cloth you wipe it off with.

I thought Windex contained ammonia, which can lead to stress corrosion cracking in brass.

Maybe, but not much--and it's not like you're soaking in it. I doubt that after 20 or 50 years of daily cleaning with Windex as opposed to soap-and-water (now, there's an idea), one could tell the difference. ...And you're cleaning a silver-plated horn, not a bare brass one.

UncleBeer wrote:

Rick Denney wrote:Windex is pretty mild stuff, and I suspect does a lot less damage than the cloth you wipe it off with.

I thought Windex contained ammonia, which can lead to stress corrosion cracking in brass.

The ammonia content of Windex is negligible, something like .05% of a 28% solution, if I remember correctly. It's more there for advertising than because it's strong to actually clean anything. The real work of degreasing is done by surfactants, with a little alcohol to speed drying. There is even less of the volatiles like alcohol than there used to be.

But there are non-ammonianated window cleaners that will work fine, too, if the trace of ammonia in Windex concerns you.

Rick "whose wife buys non-ammonianated window cleaners to use in her stained-glass hobby" Denney