Sterling Silver - Nickel Silver

[BrianJohnston]

I've been looking for a clear answer for the difference between these two materials and I haven't.

Can anyone explain the differences in these materials (Especially in a leadpipe). I've heard so many confusing mixed reactions towards them.

Thanks!

[BGuttman]

Sterling silver is 93% silver and balance probably copper.

Nickel silver is an alloy of nickel, zinc, and copper (don't know exact composition) and contains no silver at all.

Nickel silver is harder than sterling, and I'd expect crisper articulations and more overtones (brighter).

[LeTromboniste]

Nickel silver or German silver is typically around 55-60% copper, with 10-30% nickel and 10-30% zinc (more of one means less of the other). Basically it's brass with nickel added to it (some regard it as a form of or variation on brass).

Sterling is 92.5% silver, 8.5% copper.

[Posaunus]

I've been looking for a clear answer for the difference between these two materials and I haven't.

There is no metallic silver (Au) in "nickel-silver." This misleading name came about because of the shiny silvery color of this alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc.

[JohnL]

Nickel silver is harder than sterling, and I'd expect crisper articulations and more overtones (brighter).

Harder and stronger than brass, too, if that's of any significance. Sterling silver is usually only used for bells and leadpipes. Nickel silver is used for inner slide tubes on almost all trombones and in contact areas (like cork barrels, braces, and tuning slide legs) on a lot of them; not as common (but far from uncommon) are nickel silver outer slides and nickel end crooks on handslides.

As far as leadpipes, you pretty much have to try them.

[BrianJohnston]

Thank you for the replies so far. I meant mostly regarding sound which BGuttman mentioned a bit.

[Jmloudon]

I find “dense” is a good way to way to describe the sound from sterling leadpipes. For me, they help hold the sound together at both ends of the dynamic spectrum, but they’re not quite as flexible in timbre as yellow brass pipes. I find nickel pipes to be overly bright by comparison.