Base plate alloy composition?

[kevinT]

Does anyone know the alloy composition that is used for typical Nickel Silver base plates? How much nickel vs. copper. Is zinc is used in GJ and SM nickel silver base plates?

[David Schwab]

Does anyone know the alloy composition that is used for typical Nickel Silver base plates? How much nickel vs. copper. Is zinc is used in GJ and SM nickel silver base plates?

I don't have an answer for bass plates, but here's some info on Nickel Silver in general.

The only difference between nickel silver and brass is nickel.

There are many different formulations of alloys which fall within the general term of "Nickel Silver". All contain copper, nickel and zinc, while some formulations may additionally include antimony, tin, lead or cadmium. A representative industrial formulation (Alloy No.752) is 65% copper, 18% nickel, 17% zinc. In metallurgical science, such alloys would be more properly termed nickel brass.

Some nickel silver alloys, especially those containing high proportions of zinc, are stainless.

Nickel-silver alloys are commonly named by listing their percentages of copper and nickel, thus "Nickel Silver 55-18" would contain 55% copper, 18% nickel, and 27% other elements, most probably entirely zinc. A two-element alloy may be named for its nickel content alone, thus NS-12 is 88% copper and 12% nickel.

[kevinT]

This question came up before in an earlier post a few months back but I thought that i would pose the question again.

I don't know why it is such a mystery to find out what alloy is generally being used in base plates. SM, GJ, and AP either don't know or are tight-lipped about the material that is used for thier base plates.

Thanks for the info dave.

[David Schwab]

I don't think they know, or probably care all that much. It's not like they are manufacturing them... they just find a supplier, and as long as the parts aren't crap, they sell them.

[NightWinder]

FUnny, I thought N/S had some silver in it! Theres another thread hear on that......We should call it Copper/Nickle?

[David Schwab]

FUnny, I thought N/S had some silver in it! Theres another thread hear on that......We should call it Copper/Nickle?

Well it's classified as "nickel brass" or "white brass". I was looking at a web site yesterday they sold metal, and they had nickel silver listed under the brass category. It's also called German Silver.

It's the same metal fret wire is made from (unless it's stainless steel fret wire of course).

[NightWinder]

Yeah, they're professional as hell. I gotten material from them befor. Have since found a source better closer to home, with electrical Iron bars. Great place to start.