Instrument Re-plating

[tubaguy055]

Where can I take an instrument to get re-plated?
How much does it usually cost?
I am looking to get some slides re-plated and just want to get an idea of how much it will cost me.

Thanks in advance!

[tubamirum]

Are you looking for silver plating or re-lacquering?

[The Big Ben]

Where can I take an instrument to get re-plated?

Anderson Plating in Elkhart gets much of the contract business from repair shops.

How much does it usually cost?

Every dink and dent needs to be gone from your horn or else you are wasting your time. It's my understanding that Anderson just does the plating. All the prep work which makes the horn look good is done by a repair tech. Ask your favorite horn jockey. They will look at your horn and give you a price. Cost? A lot. Unless it's a really special horn, you probably won't want to pay it.

I am looking to get some slides re-plated and just want to get an idea of how much it will cost me.

That's a little bit different. How much? Only your repair tech knows for sure...

[Dan Schultz]

Where can I take an instrument to get re-plated?

Anderson Plating in Elkhart gets much of the contract business from repair shops.

How much does it usually cost?

Every dink and dent needs to be gone from your horn or else you are wasting your time. It's my understanding that Anderson just does the plating. All the prep work which makes the horn look good is done by a repair tech. Ask your favorite horn jockey. They will look at your horn and give you a price. Cost? A lot. Unless it's a really special horn, you probably won't want to pay it.

I am looking to get some slides re-plated and just want to get an idea of how much it will cost me.

That's a little bit different. How much? Only your repair tech knows for sure...

Good answers!

[druby]

A number of years ago I gave up my wonderful 1980 lacquered Besson Sovereign to the minions of Osmun music in Boston. The lacquer was only about 60-70% and it needed to be dedented, valve job and relacquered (or plated) after more than 20 years of use. I decided to have it plated. It came back about 4-5 months later and I was out about $1700 which was even then a lot less than a new horn. I originally puchased the horn in 1982 for $1500 and I sold it a year and half ago for $3000. Overall I considered the replating money a good investment. My horn was in very good condition, having relatively few dings and NO major dents or damage. The compression was good and it primarily needed new guides, felts, alignment and a minor hone job after the plating.

Doug

[tubaguy055]

Thanks for all the replies!

I am just purchasing the horn and the silver plating has almost completely worn off of the first valve slide and tuning slide. I was just looking into having those slides re-plated if the cost wasn't too high. Thanks again for all the help!

[mclaugh]

Where can I take an instrument to get re-plated?

Every dink and dent needs to be gone from your horn or else you are wasting your time. It's my understanding that Anderson just does the plating. All the prep work which makes the horn look good is done by a repair tech.

Um ... maybe check the website?

Band Instrument Services
Anderson Silver Plating offers musical instrument services including the repair, renovation and overhaul of musical instruments. Great care is taken to insure the highest standards of workmanship and customer satisfaction.

Plating and Finishing
Anderson Silver Plating offers silver, 24 karat gold, copper, nickel and stainless nickel and we can arrange for lacquer finishes. Please note: we do not offer black nickel or rose gold finishes.

We use an old-fashioned bright silver bath that is time proven and respected in many industries. It contains no metallic brighteners to co-deposit in the silver plate and produces a true silver color that does not go off color with age.

The quality controls on process and procedures that we are required to use for specification plating are also applied to our band instrument plating. Our 60 years of experience with the unique metals, configurations, and personalities of band instruments gives us a big advantage over jewelry and general industry platers.

Valve Piston Refit
We offer complete valve piston restoration to return the valve action to like-new condition for any horn. To repair shops only, we offer pistons honed to size.

Instrument Overhaul
Complete instrument overhaul from dent removal to final finish.

Polishing and Buffing
Polishing and buffing is offered to bring the instrument to its original luster.

Mouthpiece Refinishing
We offer refinishing and custom plating of mouthpieces. Mouthpiece plating options include pure silver and 24 karat gold.

I am just purchasing the horn and the silver plating has almost completely worn off of the first valve slide and tuning slide. I was just looking into having those slides re-plated if the cost wasn't too high.

Check with the jewelers in your area (actual jewelers as opposed to jewelry retail chain stores). A lot of jewelers are set up to do gold- and silverplating, though they may not have the equipment to do something as large as a tuning slide.

[Dan Schultz]

If all you want to do is do a little 'spot plating' on your horn where the silver has worn off... you can buy a small kit from Caswell that will do the job.
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/silver.htm
The silver that is deposited with a brush system is pretty thin but the nice thing about silver is that it can be plated over again and again without removing the original finish. Given a little time, you can build up silver plate. Most repair shops have these kits around to do touch-up work after repairs. Plating a whole horn would be next to impossible. Plating a slide crook would take a little time but it's a very good alternative to sending parts off for plating. Depending on Anderson's work load, you might be looking a several weeks to get your stuff back. Just a note.... the silver plating that is done these days is NOWHERE as thick as that which you will find on an older horn.

[The Big Ben]

Where can I take an instrument to get re-plated?

Every dink and dent needs to be gone from your horn or else you are wasting your time. It's my understanding that Anderson just does the plating. All the prep work which makes the horn look good is done by a repair tech.

Um ... maybe check the website?

Band Instrument Services
Anderson Silver Plating offers musical instrument services including the repair, renovation and overhaul of musical instruments. Great care is taken to insure the highest standards of workmanship and customer satisfaction.

Well, what do you know... However, Anderson's has no price list on their website so the fact remains: A tech needs to see the horn to tell how much it would cost- no matter who does the work.

[mclaugh]

Every dink and dent needs to be gone from your horn or else you are wasting your time. It's my understanding that Anderson just does the plating. All the prep work which makes the horn look good is done by a repair tech.

Um ... maybe check the website?

Band Instrument Services
Anderson Silver Plating offers musical instrument services including the repair, renovation and overhaul of musical instruments. Great care is taken to insure the highest standards of workmanship and customer satisfaction.

Well, what do you know... However, Anderson's has no price list on their website so the fact remains: A tech needs to see the horn to tell how much it would cost- no matter who does the work.

Um ... you think that maybe ... just MAYBE ... the reason that part of your post wasn't quoted was because it wasn't in dispute?

[The Big Ben]

Um ... you think that maybe ... just MAYBE ... the reason that part of your post wasn't quoted was because it wasn't in dispute?

Well, old chum....

The guy I know who rebuilds horns does all the prep work himself and then send 'em to Anderson for final plating. Other prominent repairmen have stated the same thing in this forum. So, my understanding based on my information was wrong. So what? Why is it so important to you that this little world called TubeNet knows I was wrong?
If you have a point, let's hear it. If you just want to start a pissing war, I'm not about to play along.

Jeff "With love and kisses" Benedict

[tubaguy9]

Band Instrument Services
Anderson Silver Plating offers musical instrument services including the repair, renovation and overhaul of musical instruments. Great care is taken to insure the highest standards of workmanship and customer satisfaction.

While they will do labor on an instrument, I've heard that if you have them do anything besides plating, it costs a lot...
I've also heard that their buffing room is super clean...so have your repairman do the prep work, and then send off to them.

[mclaugh]

Band Instrument Services
Anderson Silver Plating offers musical instrument services including the repair, renovation and overhaul of musical instruments. Great care is taken to insure the highest standards of workmanship and customer satisfaction.

While they will do labor on an instrument, I've heard that if you have them do anything besides plating, it costs a lot...

You've HEARD, but you haven't dealt with them directly so you don't KNOW.

I had the pistons on my Besson 767 New Standard euph rebuilt and the whole thing replated in Nov. 2007.

Tuba Exchange quoted me $2400 plus tax (6.75%) the job. Mike Morse, the repair tech, had a huge backlog of work at the time and told me it would be quicker to have it all done by Anderson and would probably be cheaper because TE charged a fee for brokering the transaction. It ended up costing me $1873 and change, including shipping and insurance both ways.

[The Big Ben]

[

You've HEARD, but you haven't dealt with them directly so you don't KNOW.

I had the pistons on my Besson 767 New Standard euph rebuilt and the whole thing replated in Nov. 2007.

Tuba Exchange quoted me $2400 plus tax (6.75%) the job. Mike Morse, the repair tech, had a huge backlog of work at the time and told me it would be quicker to have it all done by Anderson and would probably be cheaper because TE charged a fee for brokering the transaction. It ended up costing me $1873 and change, including shipping and insurance both ways.

OK. You knew something positive to add to the discussion. Why all the negative shucking and jiving to get that far? You berated me twice and started this last post with with negativity towards the poster and, the whole time, were holding back the information the OP was looking for.

TubeNet is about shared information. If individuals have info, they should share it.