NOTE: People often ask how gold plating compares to other finishes. In my opinion, here's what I found. When I built this horn, I built basically two other identical horns, one was left in raw unlacquered brass, one I lacquered and the other was gold plated. The gold plated and lacquered horn are closest together in regards to tonal quality, resonance and response. The gold plated horn has potentially a slightly more clear sound than the lacquered version. The raw, unlacquered horn, on the other hand, is very much different than the gold and lacquered version. Its response is more immediate and is quite noticeable. Its tone is slightly more diffused - but possesses a very nice core to the tone. Up close, it's perhaps a more "intimate" horn with a sweeter sound, but it doesn't have the same projecting power as the other two horns.

Oh, one last comment on gold plating. It's incredibly durable. I highly recommend it over any finish. It always stays bright and shiny. If you really want it to shine, you can polish with 3M's Tarni-Shield maybe once or twice a year!