Nickel vs. Brass

stratochicnic · Post by **stratochicnic** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 5:43 pm

Is there a difference in sound between nickel and brass? So far I've only been using brass whistles and I've noticed first that because I have very oily skin, my brass whistle gets kind of erm...stained really fast. I do wipe down my whistles with a damp towel. Anyway, does that happen with nickel too?

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 6:16 pm

From a beginner:

I think the staining you see is more likely corrosion (tarnishing) caused by oxidation (by the oxygen in the air) which is catalyzed (hastened along) by the acidic components in your fingerprints. Even if you don't touch your whistle at all, the oxygen in the air will cause it to tarnish but it will be more gradual and more even since there aren't fingerprint acids there to hasten it along in certain spots.

My husband (from whom I am getting this info) says nickel is much more resistant to corrosion than brass is.

Possibly some people's fingerprints are more acidic than others---I think I turn nickel-plated needles black more quickly than other people.

I doubt that you need to worry about surface tarnishing of your whistle and I am sure it is nothing peculiar to you. I clean my whistle off religiously and it is gradually becoming a bit tarnished here and there. When you wipe your whistle off, make sure you don't get your fingerprints on it when you put it away. I know I am not going to be doing much polishing of my whistle. I want to keep it clean and not sticky, and I want the mouthpiece to not get anything building up in it, but some tarnish on the outside ----I can't see that it would cause trouble.

But, I don't have a nickel whistle so basically I cannot answer your question.

RHYTHM!

stratochicnic · Post by **stratochicnic** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 6:26 pm

*applauds* Isn't spelling fun?

Thanks for the scientific breakdown. It's certainly not new to me because I wear down nylon strings with my oily fingers like crazy (guitar). I am careful about not getting fingerprints on the whistle when I put it away and as long as I know I'm not eating the metal away and destroying it, I guess a little tarnish doesn't bother me. I will consider buying a nickel whistle in the future and see if that makes a difference.

Jennie · Post by **Jennie** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 6:33 pm

With brass whistles, you can either polish and shine your heart out, or simply decide you _like_ that tarnished look. I go back and forth. There's something alluring about a shiny new-looking whistle. But I feel so mature and worldly when I play something that is wearing my fingerprints. It took me a lot of playing, for example, to wear away the coating on my old Generation whistles. I'm proud to play something that looks like I've lived with it for a while.

Of course, I'm also proud of my grey hairs. :roll:
Pick your style and make no apologies.

Jennie

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 6:34 pm

For me, the nickle is too slippery. There are solutions, such as beeswax, but I'm not fond of them. I like that brass likes to be held.

stratochicnic · Post by **stratochicnic** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 6:49 pm

Hmm...nickel too slippery? I wonder how it'd hold up against my fingers

I guess I'll find out by trial and error so once I have a nice repertoire, I'll buy a bunch of inexpensive whistles and see which takes my fancy

KDMARTINKY · Post by **KDMARTINKY** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:27 pm

Great question and if it would have been asked several months ago, I wou ld have replied that "BRASS" is the only way to go.

1) In regards to sound, I still argue that brass has a better sound than aluminum. But this is beacuse for the longest time I played nothing but Chieftain Golds (Brass). Brass has a deeper tone and many articles have cited that brass holds a "true tone".

2) I shine my whistyles up after every play (I'm anal). I use a product I bout from Wal-mart called "Blue Magic". which can be found in the automotive dept. It doesn't have a strong smell like brasso, nor does it leave that awful black film. It does leave a great shine and a protective coat on the whistle.

3) I don't mean to put-down any aluminum whistle, I play the heck out of those too. My favorite aluminums are my Chieftain Kerry Songbird Low D and a Burke Aluminum Low A.

The above is only my opinion (except the anal part, which if asked everyone who knows me would state that its fact).

Darwin · Post by **Darwin** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:51 pm

I have one shiny nickel whistle, and it gets tarnished where I touch it while playing. My brass whistles are just the opposite. They darken everywhere except where my fingers go.

I don't mind the way the nickel looks, but I think the tarnished brass just looks grubby. (It seems likely that my view has been warped by 20 years in the Army--and calling tarnish "patina" doesn't make it look any better to me.)

I don't find nickel particularly slippery compared to polished brass or aluminum.

I use Wright's brass polish. It has no odor, and it takes only a tiny amount per whistle. It also works pretty well on the nickel.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 12:17 am

I think nickle sounds a little bit brighter than brass, given the choice betwen brass and nickle and equally well playing whistle I'd go for the nickle. Never understood what the slippery thing is about to be honest. For some(probably irrational) reason I never liked aluminium whistles.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 6:45 am

I'm beginning to think the sense of slipperiness of nickel may be a matter of individual body chemistry, just as the way a brass whistle takes finger marks is a matter of individual chemistry.

To me, a nickel whistle feels very slippery, and it takes attention away from the playing to the point that I have a clear preference for brass over nickel. However, I know of quite a few people who really like nickel whistles and, like Peter, don't notice any problem associated with slipperiness. So I'm thinking it's not just a matter of some people not minding a slippery whistle, but possibly that nickel whistles feel more slippery to some people's hands than to others.

Now that we've determined why some kernels of popcorn don't pop, maybe the scientific world can move on to investigating more important matters such as this.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:17 am

Nickel cheap bodies have always felt really slippery to me too...I like my nickel Generation F, but was always distracted when playing it. Same for the nickel Feadog Pro I've got.

That said, while my nickel Copeland feels a little slippery, it feels a lot more secure in my hands than the Generation and Feadog. I wonder if it's the weight and shape...

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:29 am

I like both brass and nickel. I also think that the nickel is a little brighter. I don't find nickel particularly slippery but sometimes I feel that the brass is a little sticky.

Ron

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:41 am

Now that is funny, Ron, because I too have sometimes felt my fingers were sticking on my brass whistle to the point that I couldn't get them up fast enough. I don't have a nickel one to compare with, but maybe my hand chemistry is like yours so that nickel might not feel slippery.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:44 am

Copeland "nickel" whistles are not nickel or nickel plated. They are "nickel silver," AKA "German silver," which is a form of white brass with a high nickel content. From the Copeland website:

Nickel silver, also known as German silver, an alloy of 18% nickel with brass, is a white brass which has a silver look.

Nickel silver is not slippery in the way nickel plated brass is.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:02 am

Until last week I would have said that I didn't find nickel slippery, but playing on a very humid 80 degree day on my Oak (not a light whistle), I found the darn thing slipping in my hands. I switched to a brass whistle, and the problem was gone.

Tone wise - I think design, including wall thickness, are what really changes the tone.

Eric