TromboneChat

This mp cost me under $10 delivered to my house. It is gold plated 6 1/5 AL, a size which I've not had before.  Although I have a few mps.  I believe the Yam 48 is close and was my favorite until this one showed up. Now in comparing these two the 6 1/5 has a thinner rim and slightly wider bowl with a sharper inner edge. Please make allowances for newby description. The ebay listing stated large shank, but it isn't.  Small shank for sure.  I'm a happy camper!

Real gold plate for under $10? I would be suspicious about what chemicals used.

Quote from: Eyedoc on Jan 21, 2018, 12:36PMReal gold plate for under $10? I would be suspicious about what chemicals used.
ditto

+1 isn't a good quality gold plating like 6-8× ($60-$80) the price more added to the original silver plating when asking for gold plating of said piece?

The cheapest gold-plated mouthpiece from a credible brand I have ever seen is $150. Bach and other western brands call for much higher, $200+. The difference in price is not just made up by the manufacturer, there are reasons behind. Just gold itself can cost more than $20 per gram (depending on the market).

If I were you I would avoid that mouthpiece at all cost, especially if you earned that $10 yourself.

I wish I was still working at the lab and could do an X-Ray Fluorescence of the gold coating.

There are a number of ways to get cheap gold plating:

1.  Use a low content alloy of gold, maybe 10 karat (used on some jewelry).
2.  Plate a very thin coating; maybe 5 microinches -- enough to color but not much more.

Or both of the above.

One caveat of 10 karat gold is that it often contains some nickel which could be a problem for some people.

Of course a thin layer means it will wear quickly.

Keep us informed.

I promise not to lick it.

Quote from: leec on Jan 21, 2018, 02:32PMI promise not to lick it.

I don’t think it will taste good, either...

Quote from: EWadie99 on Jan 21, 2018, 01:35PM+1 isn't a good quality gold plating like 6-8× ($60-$80) the price more added to the original silver plating when asking for gold plating of said piece?

THat includes a lot of overhead like two way shipping etc.  A raw, unplated brass piece done in-house probably costs a lot more. BUT that still seems cheap to me.  Hope it works out though.

Quote from: Matt K on Jan 21, 2018, 02:42PMTHat includes a lot of overhead like two way shipping etc.  A raw, unplated brass piece done in-house probably costs a lot more. BUT that still seems cheap to me.  Hope it works out though.
To be more specific, I meant adds to which the price of the silver plated mouthpieces normally cost by different brands.  Sorry for my not perfect English.

Quote from: EWadie99 on Jan 21, 2018, 03:28PMTo be more specific, I meant adds to which the price of the silver plated mouthpieces normally cost by different brands.  Sorry for my not perfect English.

Ah I see what you're saying. It can be, but it isn't always as simple as silver price + x. Restocking, different quantity batches, etc.  Its possible some of those inefficiencies can be overcame if you are a vertically integrated company but you're right, it isn't THAT much of a difference.

I had a Chinese made instrument come through the shop, and I am fairly certain the mouthpiece was coated with gold colored LACQUER, which I'm not sure is so good to get in your mouth. I would be very suspicious of a mouthpiece that cheap that is purported to be gold plated.

I've bought a few of these Chinese mouthpieces. I find that they're not too picky about the difference between the name of a metal and the color of a metal. I bought two that were listed as silver-plated but were actually nickel-plated. 

Other Chinese mouthpieces I've purchased seem to run on the same principle that makes people think that sticking a turbo sticker on your car makes it a turbo. Simply engraving a mouthpiece with a number and letter combination does not mean that it is the same dimensions as other mouthpieces with the same designation. Have you compared your new mouthpiece to other 6 1/2 ALs?

And no, you do not need to lick nickel to have it have an effect on you. I've ended up with very serious sores on my lip from using mouthpieces that had a high nickel content in the plating.

I never had a gold colored mouthpiece before and now I'm looking sideways at my new Giardinelli Symphony T.
 

I never had a gold colored mouthpiece before and now I'm looking sideways at my new Giardinelli Symphony T.