[lhoffman]

I'm starting to rebuild a Yamaha with silver plate. Part of this rebuild is going to be a thorough cleaning. Most spots on the body that are under a key or rod have a black gunk on them -- not tarnish, though there is tarnish under it when you remove it. I've tried to clean a small area with alcohol to test. It did an OK job, but it took too long to be effective for the whole body. What have you guys used to clean similar junk?

 

[bandmommy]

Have you tried using warm water and a little dish soap?
Dawn works pretty good for cutting through the greasy grime.

 

[Stephen Howard]

Go with Bandmommy's suggestion. You've dismantled the instrument so there won't be any concerns about water getting into the keywork, and the springs are stainless. A soft brush ( softer than a toothbrush, otherwise you'll scratch the silver ), warm water and some detergent. You could even brush it down with a solvent - cigarette lighter fluid is ideal.
Dry thoroughly ( use a hair drier ) then finish with a silver polish.
Don't forget to clean out the tone holes while you're about it.

It probably won't be a quick process.

Regards,