Posted by Joe S. on July 11, 2000 at 02:38:15:
In Reply to: Brass lacquer stains posted by Scott on July 10, 2000 at 23:58:07:
Let me guess. Your instrument is less than two years old?
Scott, lacquer is a thin coat of clear "paint". Nothing more. There are all sorts of different discolorations caused by wear, uneven original application, lurking soldering acid ("flux") leaching out from under brace flanges, slightly discolored areas from degreasing solutions (meant to remove polishing compound residue) acting on the surface, slow-acting processes from something in the air acting upon areas of the instrument moments before it was coated, shrinkage of the finish here and there... ????????
We of the post-automobile generations have put a LOT of "stock" in paint jobs, due to the fact that our metal transportation devices are either worth "something" or "nothing" depending on the condition of microscopically thin coatings of colored polyurethane applied to them.
The truth about the paint job on your tuba is that on a Tuesday morning around 8:30 after some guy stayed up too late watching television, he went in to work and did the best job that he could spraying a coating on your instrument. After that, he tried again on another one. A consolation to the realization of failing paint is to think of some of the ANCIENT UNlacquered brass musical instruments that you might have seen, and realize that they still "survive".