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The silver plate on my new Willson is brilliant and flawless... or was until playing summer gigs with short sleeves. Now it has smudges from my arms and a bit of slide grease her and there along with stains on the bell from lead-pipe dribbles.

I don't want to use an abrasive cloth or silver polish which is also invariably abrasive to some extent. I tried lamp oil but that didn't work very well so I thought I'd ask around before I continue. I have some chemical potions for aluminum that work pretty well and I wonder if there is something for silver plate.

What can you folks recommend?

When I had a silver horn, I used non-ammonia Windex and microfiber cloths to keep it shiny.

Leave it wrapped in the plastic and the white paper and never unpack it after buying it new.

It will probably turn black eventually, but you will never see it if you don't ever unpack it.

Never, ever allow anyone else to touch it.

And also never touch it yourself.

A friend of mine used to wrap his 1020s York in a bag made of jeweler’s cloth. Seemed to work for him.

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For summer gigs, or when the inside temperature is well above my comfort level, I bring a soft towel for my right forearm and a microfiber cloth for the top bow or slide crooks. Yes, it's obsessive but I don't have to clean up much after the gig.

My favorite silver polish has been Tarni-shield by (edited: someone else now). It does well over the long haul and makes spot cleanups easier with a damp microfiber.

Check your tuning slides and their lubrication frequently. The lower slides will collect lots of "player personality" and the heat cycles do a number on certain greases. Pull and clean them and reapply your favorite lubricant to keep everything moving properly. Tearing the whole horn down once a month for preventative maintenance is a good habit.

3M has discontinued their Tarni-Shield formula as of 2023, but the Tarni-Shield brand is being used by another company now. I have an old bottle of the 3M stuff and a bottle of the new stuff, and while I haven't had a chance to compare them side-by-side, they definitely look and smell the same!

https://www.amazon.com/Tarni-Shield-Tar ... JZXRP?th=1

Similar to Chris's response. I would always have a soft towel on the top bow (regardless of temperature, because my hands can get sweaty) that I would keep my hand on.

I've talked a lot about a tuba that I purchased used in new looking condition. I always play it with the bottom bow sitting on a hard rubber padded naugahide covered economy keyboard bench that I sit on the opposite direction as designed. I'm sort of proud of the fact that a little bit of the lacquer is already starting to wear off of the bottom bow where it contacts the vinyl.

This lacquer wear is sort of acting as a graphic record and demonstration of my mastery of this instrument.

Silver or silver plated musical instruments are always nuisances. The larger the silver plated instrument, the more of a nuisance it is.

Two thoughts immediately come to mind:
1) Wipe it down gently after each practice or rehearsal session;
2) Don't stand it on its bell just so it can fall over. Case in point: look at just about every Besson BBb tuba and other derived instruments and all the dents on the bottom bows from such neglectful treatment.

Thanks for the encouragement to keep playing. I know it will develop a pitena but it's so pretty my wife calls it a sculpture. It sits on its bell on the living room rug. The center of gravity is well away from the edge of the bell. My old Martin stands up well too. I haven't tried the Martin mammoth lest I strain myself. It sits on its stand.

I have used some silver polishes on my other silver tuba and even after I wipe it off it get all over my hands and arms if I have short sleeves. The Willson is not tarnished yet so I just need to get the finger prints and such off I'll try the anti tarnish product and see if that works but first the Windex.

Easy-Off heavy-duty oven cleaner with a rag. Just spray Easy-Off on the dirty/tarnished silver plate, and wipe with a rag or old t-shirt after a minute or so. Just try not to breathe the stuff while spraying. I find it works pretty well on cleaning silver plate