TubaForum.net

I have an 1883? Boosey & Co Eb that needs replating. Can anyone recommend a service that will do the prep and plating? The instrument is in excellent playing condition. It was completely reconditioned (including valves replated) 2 years ago. Thanks jstraight

I am located in Western NY, but shipping or driving is possible.

BRS wrote: ↑Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:20 am The most common place with tanks large enough for a tuba is Anderson Silver Plating in Elkhart, Indiana. They have a long history of dealing with the band instrument industry.

https://andersonsilverplating.com/

Does Anderson do prep work or does it need to be sent in basically ready to plate?

I suspect that your chances of getting what you want done are quite a bit better if you send it ready to plate. I've been there in person over several decades. The first time I was there the operation took up about half the building. The next time, it took up the entire building, and some personal items and equipment that Mr Anderson had stored in the other half were moved out of there. The last time I was there, it appeared to me that their operation took up less than half the building. Competent/expert people get old and retire (as did their own likely-to-never-be-equaled piston rebuilder) and - in general, in the United States - those who've taken their place have tended to be less competent in many disciplines. My best guess would be that this has happened in Elkhart Indiana as well, regarding those who they may have subcontracted out in the past to do preparatory work.

Regarding piston rebuilding, Anderson did try to have their now-retired craftsman teach replacements, but it never worked out. For what I suspect are the same multiple/identical reasons, this is why I don't "teach" tuba lessons and nor do I take on apprentices in my repair shop. Life is finite. I waste enough of it already.

BRS wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 12:31 pm The most current Mr. Anderson is an avid pilot and looks for excuses to fly. He once offered to fly a tuba back to me when I dropped it off for plating, which I thought was pretty cool.

Here as well...I took him to a local barbecue joint.
He's more than a decade older now, and was not young at that time.

@BRS
I also believe that during that time period he was already not flying as much, and was doing those favors for customers as ways to log in hours to keep his license current.
I suspect that's more what his motivation was over "the love of flying".

I contacted Anderson and they do not do any prep work. That is way in my initial post I inquired about a company that will do the whole job.

If in the USA, most shops are going to ship it to Anderson - once polished and cleaned.

Is the original (or some later) finish bright silver, satin silver, lacquered brass, or no finish (brass with no lacquer which is tarnished) ?

If it's satin silver (a sandblast finish), not all that many shops do that finish, and - if you have it redone - it's going to look quite a bit different from an old-old worn version of that same finish.

Further, if it has an old/worn satin finish, you're also going to have a difficult time trying to find anyone (if you would prefer a gloss silver finish instead) being willing to do that much (difficult) polishing, to transform it from satin to gloss.

Further (just as - sadly - what happened to the Chigago Symphony's York tuba), a considerable quantity of the tuba itself would be lost in such a process.

Finally, a whole bunch (like "most all") tubas that people have represented to me as "all it needs are polishing and plating" need a good bit more...
...and it's really a shame to spend $XXXX (surely, at least a number which begins with a 3, if not higher) on a tuba's finish without repairing absolutely everything possible to repair prior to that process.

This is not-at-all intended to be any sort of "know-it-all" response, but is intended to be an informative post, hopefully to > help < you make an informed decision regarding going through with this, and what to expect that you might possibly encounter. ...I believe there are shops in the Kansas City area, maybe in Ohio, and maybe several others that could tackle this...but I would expect a considerable backlog (time). Others of us could do it, but just don't want to commit that much bench time to one instrument (along with the awkward/possible "this isn't ready to refinish" message that none of us really enjoys delivering to potential customers).