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I have an early Beuscher trombone. Gold plating or maybe gold wash inside the bell and on the engraving. I understand both these finishes are gold. When you polish these surfaces they are beautiful. Are there other types of finishes used to achieve the gold color that are not gold? My newly acquired Elkhart/Beuscher tuba has gold in the bell. As I attempted to polish I was not seeing a change on the surface. Seems like I was polishing a clear lacquer. Just wondering what is actually under the lacquer and if once the lacquer is removed, is it a polishable surface?

I am considering having my local shop dip and polish the instrument. Are there certain vintage gold finishes that might be damaged in this process?