Protecting my Euph
A couple of questions/requests for advice:
I've had my Yamaha 642 for about four years, and a few months ago (much to my dismay) the silver began to literally come off of the horn along the 3rd valve slide and outer tube where I hold it with my left hand. I found this odd for a couple of reasons: a) the silver is fine other places I touch my horn a lot (like the bar my right hand touches behind the valves and b) I've never had problems with plating before; I don't think my body chemistry is very acidic.
First of all, could this be a manufacturer's defect? I have always been "good" to my euph, I give it a bath it every few months, keep everything in good working order, etc. Is this a common problem or a rare occurrence?
Also, is there anything I can do to keep this from continuing and protect my horn? Usually after playing I now get a greenish discoloration on my left hand from being exposed to the raw brass, and every now and then I see another piece of silver flake off. Is there some kind of covering that will keep this from spreading and protect my hands?
Thanks,
JV
JACE VICKERS, DMA
Assistant Director of Bands
Assistant Professor of Low Brass
East Central University