Getting mouthpieces plated gold

[Tim Imlay]

How much does it cost and where would you have a mouthpiece plated gold
(when it's not normally available gold)?

Thanks,
Tim

[Dr. Trumpet]

Tim,

Try John Lynch. Fast work for under $30.

John Lynch & Son
4505 Argyle Terrace
Washington, DC 20011
<JLy...@DC.net>
202 722 4683

AL

[Stanton]

Tim,

The Brass Bow regularly gold plates my mouthpieces for me. They do it
quickly and I love the results. They are also conscious of color (for
aesthetics). Typically it can be done in a day or two (plus shipping).
Cost should be around $30. Also, John Lynch in the DC area does gold
plating.

For your convenience:
The Brass Bow
101 N. Hickory
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
847/253-7552

http://thebrassbow.com

Best regards,
Stanton

[Mark and Terry]

What would the benefit be of gold plating a mouthpiece? Comfort? I've
thought about doing it to mine, but I was just curious about the benefits.

Thanks in advance!

Terry FInley

[Corneterb]

Terry,

I had my mouthpieces gold plated last year, and I am very glad I did. I have
found that gold plating does a few things. First, it is a bit more comfortable
for me at least. Second, my lips do not dry out as quickly as they did before.
Third, the mouthpiece doesn't seem to take as long to warm up as silver plated
mouthpieces, and finally, my tone is a bit darker and rounder with a gold
plated mouthpiece. I have another mouthpiece that just has the rim and inner
cup gold plated. The shank is still silver. This achieved the same results as
having the entire mouthpiece plated, and it was much cheaper. Just something
to consider. Best wishes.

Andy Erb

Allegheny Brass Band
Pittsburgh, PA

[Stanton]

I have had several mouthpieces gold plated, and have been recently
debating having my current one plated as well. HOWEVER, I have decided
against it at this moment. I thought I would share the reason why I am
backing away from it.

I LOVE the tactile feel of the gold on my chops. It is so comfortable
compared to silver. However, this is the problem. The gold plating makes
the mouthpiece a bit slipperier, which in some circumstances is good,
but sometimes can cause a player to use excess pressure to maintain the
grip (seal). At this moment I am working to lessen pressure, so after
consulting several people that I respect I am going to postpone the gold
plating indefinitely.

Anyone else have some thought regarding the above?

Sincerely,
Stanton

[DHoff56012]

I had my mouthpieces plated gold a few years ago. My chops were swelling and I
was very frustrated about it. I was playing in a band with Roger Ingram and he
suggested that I have my piece gold plated to see if it helped. It did. It
solved the problem. It must have been an allergic reaction to the silver.
Before that I never liked the way gold felt. It felt soft or something, but
now I like it. I really don't think it affected sound at all, though. I
really don't see how it could

It is a totally different feel, and does take getting used to. To me silver
seems to grip, and to get that feeling of gripping you start to use a little
more pressure.