Trombone Restoration

[GuyTerry]

I have a King 2B+ from 1986 with some pitting/blotching in the lacquer and wear (through the lacquer and into the nickel) along the hand contact areas on the slide and brace on the bell. It also has small scratches and small dents, and they are more pronounced because it has the King gold lacquer.

I'd like to have it "restored" with clear lacquer, except for the bell. I'm going to leave the bell unlacquered, but I'm not sure (in terms of type of patina) what I'm going to do with it yet.

Everyone that I've spoken with locally kinda gives me the same story: they can remove the lacquer, take out the dents and scratches, but it seems that everyone's "lacquer guy" is not reliable with respect to time.

Anyone have any suggestions (can provide a testimonial/referral) for someone that could do a high quality job in a reasonable amount of time? I'd like to (if possible) just use someone local for the stripping, straightening, and buffing, and then send it off for lacquer, and just make sure that the bell could stay unlacquered.

I've read discussions here and elsewhere regarding putting a patina on an unlaquered bell. There was even a page I found somewhere with diferent formulas for different color ranges, but does anyone know of a place where I can see examples? This horn as a rose brass bell.