Company Values:
- Excellence
- Trust
- Integrity
- Customer Satisfaction
|
Karl's View on Overhauling Instruments:
Overhauling an instrument gets a bad reputation from repair technicians who remove too much metal when buffing. In order to remove pits, scratches and stretch marks, some buffing is in order. A horn that has been buffed too much generally will have a weak and thin sound since the thickness of the metal has been reduced. this also causes the instrument to be physically weaker and much more susceptible to damage. The signs of too much buffing on a horn is evident in a loss of detail in engraving or on a brand stamp. This loss of detail is not due to the lacquer or plating filling in the engraving, but simply due to excessive buffing.
Another important consideration when overhauling an instrument is what type of finish to put on it. The least accoustically desireable finish for an instrument is lacquer. Think of it as a hard clear plastic coating that has a muffling effect on the horn's sound. Yes, there are different types of lacquer and hardness. Baked epoxy is the hardest and air-dry nitrocellulose is the softest. If you do not want to cover up contrasting metals, lacqueuring is the only option. Silver or gold plating are the most accoustically desireable and durable finishes. Raw brass is also a viable option for most instruments and will be closer, acoustically, to a plated horn than a lacquered one.
|
