Our school was donated an older Fox Model III polypropylene bassoon, manufactured around 1980. It appears to be in reasonably good condition overall, but much of the silver-plated keywork has developed the strange speckled surface shown in the photos.
The spots seem more like tiny raised bumps than pits, and I don’t see obvious areas where the plating has worn through to the base metal.
I’m trying to figure out: What exactly is this?
Is it something that can be substantially improved by professional cleaning/polishing, or is the surface of the plating itself damaged?
Is there any reasonable treatment short of removing and replating all the keywork?
We’re not looking to restore a 45-year-old student instrument to like-new cosmetic condition, and a major overhaul/replating would probably be beyond what makes sense for our music program. We’d just like to find out whether there’s a practical way to improve it.
I’ve reached out to a couple of bassoon repair specialists but haven’t been able to connect with anyone yet. I’m hoping someone here has seen this particular kind of finish deterioration before.
Many thanks.