Olds Register photo guide – Los Angeles

Question 4: Finish

Brass instruments can either have a lacquer or plated finish. A lacquer finish is a coat of clear lacquer applied to polished brass to protect the brass and keep the instrument shiny. Lacquer is the least expensive method to protect the brass is was used extensively by Olds and other brass manufacturers. A plated finish is a very thin layer of silver, nickel or gold that is electroplated onto polished brass.

Sometimes a person will see the “gold colored” appearance of a lacquered brass instrument and incorrectly think that it is gold plated. Gold plating is very expensive and very uncommon.

Lacquered Brass: May have some silver colored parts , but most of the instrument is brass.

Silver Plated: The entire instrument has been plated with a thin coating of silver.

Gold plating – rare and expensive. The entire instrument is silver plated and then a thin layer of gold is plated over the silver.