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Benefits (if any) Of A Gold Plated Mouthpiece?


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fuzzyjon79
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was wondering if there are any benefits to playing on a gold plated mouthpiece? I know that Monette mouthpieces are gold plated and that you can have almost any mouthpiece gold plated. Are there any benefits to this, or is it just for looks?
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_Don Herman
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A gold plated rim has a lower coefficient of friction than silver. It's "slicker". Most people think a gold mpc feels warmer than a silver. I do, but am not really sure why that is.

Whether a "slicker" mpc is a "benefit" is up to you. I have several, and really like the feel, but by and large use my silver mpcs because I find I need the more secure "grip" they provide.

HTH, YMMV - Don
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JackD
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think they feel 'warmer' because gold conducts heat well, and so they warm up faster than a conventional mouthpiece.
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musiclifeline
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had only used silver for my entire trumpet career... just recently switched to gold on both cornet and trumpet. It's definitely a nicer, smoother, more comfortable feel (as long as you keep it clean, of course), and I don't find grip to be an issue at all.

Overall, I'd say it's not worth having your favorite piece gold plated, but if you get a copy of it in gol plate from the factory, you may find that you like the feel more than silver.

(Just make sure you're not allergic to gold... saw this happen to someone once--it was funny, but not to him!)

I agree on the warmth issue, FWIW.

[ This Message was edited by: musiclifeline on 2004-04-01 15:37 ]
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lonelyangel
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is warmer - because it conducts heat faster. It also does not corrode or tarnish like silver.

Noel.
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JackD
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So do they get cold faster too? (Would make sense)
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roynj
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Definately the Gold feels different than the silver, so its not just a question of looks. As said above the Gold tends to be less grippy than silver which to me is a benefit. Some people simply cannot play on a gold mp because they RELY on the silver to lock their chops in an open setting, and then they use pressure to play high. The gold finish doesn't allow this very easily. With gold, your lips have to do all the work. I like this, but you may not.
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_Japle
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 1:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gold feels better, slicker. After playing on gold MPs, silver feels sticky and (I know this is silly) it tastes funny.
I can't see how 0.0005" of gold can actually make a difference in how warm the MP feels, but it does.
I got a kit from Medallion and plated the rims and cups of all my MPs.
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maynard-46
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As a rule of thumb...players that prefer a "wet" embouchure find goldplated pieces to their liking with the reverse being true...players that play dry like silver. Gold is slicker feeling, i.e. wet....silver is sticky feeling, i.e. dry! Of course there are always exceptions to the rule!

BW
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trumpetmike
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have now got a matching set of Warburton tops in gold and silver. I primarily use the silver tops, but when playing cornet or flugel I use the gold. The perceived warmth seems to come across in my playing (according to those who listen). How much of this is due to the mouthpiece I am unable to say (I think some psychology might be to blame as well), but it is my experience.

The silver tops definitely grip more - I would never use any of the gold ones (even the shallow ones) for high register lead-style playing - they just don't feel right up there.
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tpetplyr
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 4:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-04-01 15:35, JackD wrote:
I think they feel 'warmer' because gold conducts heat well, and so they warm up faster than a conventional mouthpiece.


Silver is the best conductor of all metals. Therefore it conducts heat from your lips faster than gold creating a cooler feel to the mouthpiece.

Stuart
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badebop
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-04-01 16:17, Japle wrote:

I got a kit from Medallion and plated the rims and cups of all my MPs.



Where can you get this "Medallion liquid gold plating system?" I can't seem to find a source on the web.
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PH
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 7:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I find my gold mouthpiece does feel more comfortable to me. Best of all, chicks dig 'em.
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Tom LeCompte
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 7:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stuart,

I don't think that's quite the case.

F irst, a technical point. Silver is the best *electrical* conductor, but that doesn't make it the best *heat* conductor. There is an equation that governs heat transfer, called (perhaps not surprisingly) the heat conduction equation, and one of the pieces of it is a constant called the "thermal diffusivity". The higher the thermal diffusivity, the faster the material can remove heat. As it happens, silver is a good electrical conductor *and* a good thermal conductor, but it didn't have to be that way. Polycarbonate (Lexan) is a slightly better thermal conductor than many steels, but a much, much worse electrical conductor than steel.

More relevantly, though, a mouthpiece is made almost entirely of brass. The little bit of silver or gold plating makes much less difference to the thermal properties of the mouthpiece than the difference between varieties of brass, shape and size of the mouthpiece, and so on.

Cheers,

Tom
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maynard-46
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Took the words right out of my mouth, Tom (I wish!)! I guess my parents were correct when they told me I should have payed more attention in school!

BW
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_Japle
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 8:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Medallion can be contacted through http://www.medallionprod.com/metalcare.html

Two things:
Don't bother to order online. They don't seem to pay much attention to email.
They are in no hurry to ship anything. Repeated phone calls are necessary to get them off their butts.
And three, order an extra bottle of gold solution

The kit is designed for jewlery, not mouthpieces. A MP has far more mass than a locket. After cleaning with the enclosed jewlery cleaner, heat the MP in hot (HOT!!) water before dipping in the gold solution.
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camel lips
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~msc/typewriter/resource/

for gold electroplating kits scroll down until you Texas platers.They have the kits your looking for and they really work well for small jobs like a mouthpeice.
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badebop
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great, thanks! I'm always eager to learn a new skill!
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Ralph
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can gold plating a mouthpiece change the way it plays? I've been told by soom manufactures on this forum that it can. Anderson plating is the only place I've seen recommended by top mouthpiece makers for this sort of thing.
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fuzzyjon79
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just got my Warburton 3D and it is gold plated. I didn't notice any big differences in the playability/sound. The "grip" wasn't an issue either. It is very comfortable and seems to be softer on my chops.
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