"I have played on the same Vincent Bach 1c mouth piece for 8 years it was great but very old and scratched. For some reason it was a tiny bit smaller than other 1c's this worked really well for me. HOWEVER when I had it Gold plated it was made even smaller and consequently I can't play on it. Does anyone have any answers, can I get the Gold plate removed? Please somebody help!"

GR's Response

When re-plating a mouthpiece they are usually buffed to remove the old plating, or acid stripped. This can destroy tolerances. Before the new plating is applied the mouthpiece is usually color buffed. Heavy buffing can destroy tolerances too. After that they are usually ultrasonically cleaned, electro-cleaned, activated, copper or silver strike, silver-plated, then gold-plated. Usually the gold is applied over the silver and not the brass. The thickness of silver can vary from less than .0001" or 100 millionths too as much as or more than .003".

At .003" per side that can change the size of the mouthpiece by .006" on a diameter. Silver is usually applied at a thickness of .0003" to .0005" or 300 to 500 millionths. Gold is applied over the Silver at a thickness of .000025" to .0002" or 25 to 200 millionths. Most Gold plating is less that 100 millionths thick.

If you measured the mouthpiece before and after plating you would know if it got smaller. If the mouthpiece was plated too heavily it could be smaller. They have machines that can detect the plating thickness.

The new plating is more slippery (especially when wet) and you may be pressing harder causing the cutting. Gold will slip around more when wet. It has been my experiences that dry embouchure players like gold for flexibility but not when it is hot and they sweat a lot. I know one great player that was using gold but went back to silver when playing under hot lights or in hot conditions due to the slipping.

Other factors to consider. The Knoop value of the plating is the hardness. Plating companies will have a different feel on the face due to the plating process and the bath they use.

Gold in not warmer. It may be perceived to the player as feeling warmer but most of that mouthpiece is brass. Only 50 millionths is gold so you have a piece of brass weighting about 3.6 to 4.2 ounces. It takes so many calories to heat that brass and the 50 millionths barrier of gold is not enough to change the laws of physics.

Do a test. Get a digital laser temperature gun, 4 mouthpieces the same blank design, one brass, one silver-plated, one gold-plated and one poly-carbon or plastic. Put them on a rack sitting with the rims up. Place them in the freezer for 1 hour. Open the door and point the laser at each rim and record the temperature. Now place them at room temperature and get a reading every one-minute until they reach room temperature. Which is warmer?

Gold Plating mouthpieces; is it worth it??? Acoustically, gold will not change the sound of your trumpet, as it is a very thin amount. The slippery feel can cause your lips to engage the mouthpiece differently and this could change the sound of the trumpet. Gold is not better than silver, it is different. Gold costs much more, won't last as long because it is usually softer, the application thickness is very small, and it is more slippery when wet. This is a personal choice and here is the real question. Is Gold Plating worth it to me?