The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

For those of us (many I'm sure) that have black & brass horns. Do you polish the bell??. I have one on a Vic 4 that is not too dark from abnormal element exposure. Just 100+ years of patina. So, do you polish a horn like this. What do other members think???.

I would say "No".

Polishing is a slippery-slope... once you polish it up, you will be a slave to keeping it shiny and bright.

It looks presentable the way it is; you will never replace that 100 year patina in our lifetime...


Just my humble opinion...

I say NO polishing.

I think polished ones look bad, knowing that's not the way they would naturally look.

Nice machines, by the way. I really like the cabinet on the left.

No polishing for me either. I like the look of age, plus I'm too lazy to polish, my elbows don't have that much grease left in them.

If it's nice and even like yours leave it as it is- maybe a light coat of wax to keep your fingerprints off it.
Polish is for when the brass is spotty and uneven.

It might be of some interest to folks with these brass horns that there has been a movement in recent years among professional brass (esp. trumpet and French horn) players to strip the factory lacquer off their instruments, on the theory that the lacquer coating somehow impedes or inhibits the resonance of the horn. Next time you attend a symphony concert, take notice of the brass players and look to see how many instruments have a dull appearance, especially the bell sections. Professionals always try to wring the maximum advantage out of their tools, and they will use any little mod if it will give them an edge in performing their tasks.

Unless you can do a superb job of polishing I'd suggest leaving it alone. I like the patina and it's a one way street once you start polishing. I like the cabinet on the right. Isn't it a matching cabinet for a Vic IV? Jerry

Henry wrote:It might be of some interest to folks with these brass horns that there has been a movement in recent years among professional brass (esp. trumpet and French horn) players to strip the factory lacquer off their instruments, on the theory that the lacquer coating somehow impedes or inhibits the resonance of the horn. Next time you attend a symphony concert, take notice of the brass players and look to see how many instruments have a dull appearance, especially the bell sections. Professionals always try to wring the maximum advantage out of their tools, and they will use any little mod if it will give them an edge in performing their tasks.

My brass teacher in college ( a trombonist) subscribed to this theory... not sure how much difference it made...

Most of the trombone majors were more interested in the new ( then ) axial-flow valve for F-attachments...

My Miraphone tuba turned-out to be "self-stripping" - the lacquer just kind of wore-off...

If the patina bothers you, just send them here!

Beautiful machines - don't mess with the finish!

Nat

I generally agree with everyone about leaving the original patina, but there have to be some exceptions. I have an otherwise nice and original Columbia AH, but when I bought it, the brass bell was nasty. I used my old dependable Simichrome polish and made the brass look... like new... yuk! Not only did it look terrible, but it magnified all the natural dings and imperfections way too clearly. I felt that I made a big mistake. But in time - probably at least 5 years - natural aging and oxidation has occurred, producing a nice, even, aged finish. So... sometimes a nice polishing is needed, and if it looks a little too overdone don't fret, nature and time will return things to normal.