How a Tuba is Made
The Surface Finish
How are silver and gold finishes different?
Either nickel silver or gold-colored brass are used for the metal of a tuba and how it is finished determines the instrument's final color. Silver plating will make a silver tuba, whether the metal is nickel silver or brass, while a clear lacquer coating keeps the brass' golden shine.

On the left is a brass tuba with a clear lacquer finish; on the right is a brass tuba with silver plating.
There are also two-tone instruments

Fitting the valve section to a tuba. The greenish color of the bell is from the scratch resistant coating.
For high-end tubas, nickel silver is used for the slides because of its durability and sound quality. A brass tuba with a clear lacquer finish and nickel silver slides will be a two-tone, gold and silver instrument.
Musical Instrument Guide:Tuba Contents
Origins
Structure
How to Play
How the Instrument is Made
Choosing an Instrument
Trivia
- A Massive Tuba from 100 Years Ago
- Depending on the Country, a Baritone is Not a Baritone
- The Cinbasso-Popular in Italian Opera
- All Brass Instruments Have Marching Band Models
- Famous Musical Pieces for the Tuba (Bass)
- The Compensating System for the Euphonium
- There are Various Mutes for the Tuba
- Ease of Playing Pedal Tones
- Why Are Tubas So Expensive?
- Do Jazz Musicians Play the Tuba?
- Brass Band Songs Featuring the Tuba
- An Instrument in the Key of B♭, Yet the Music is Written in C