Nickle Tailpiece

[Darwin Gaston]

Nickel is used extensively to enhance the utility, value and appeal of manufactured products such as a tailpiece. In many important applications, the nickel coating serves the dual purpose of providing a bright, attractive finish as well as imparting improved corrosion resistances.

Which leads me to my question if you have a new tailpiece on a new instrument and it already discolored dull looking and the instrument has been kept in a case what causing this to happen? Could it be due to the material under the nickel plating or weather?

[MikeEdgerton]

Nickel is used extensively to enhance the utility, value and appeal of manufactured products such as a tailpiece. In many important applications, the nickel coating serves the dual purpose of providing a bright, attractive finish as well as imparting improved corrosion resistances.

Which leads me to my question if you have a new tailpiece on a new instrument and it already discolored dull looking and the instrument has been kept in a case what causing this to happen? Could it be due to the material under the nickel plating or weather?

It can turn from the air around it (the environment), from oil and sweat from a player, and a few other things. Get some Nevr-Dull and just wipe it off. It will be shiny again.

[sunburst]

Nickel tarnishes.
Old nickel plated parts do not show nearly the tarnish that modern pieces do, not sure why, perhaps a difference in plating procedure to avoid releasing as much poison into the environment.
I plate my tailpieces in either gold or rhodium. Rhodium "serves the dual purpose of providing a bright, attractive finish as well as imparting improved corrosion resistances" as well as avoids tarnish and contact dermatitis that some people get from nickel. (Rhodium also costs quite a bit more, unfortunately.)

[Darwin Gaston]

Mike,

Thanks for the tip on using Nevr-Dull polish on the nickel tailpiece.

[Darwin Gaston]

Sunburst,

I have to agree with you that old nickel plated parts do not show nearly the tarnish that modern pieces do for some reason. I'm sure once I polish the nickel tailpiece for the first time in will be a constant battle trying to keeping it nice and shiny.