The Yamaha Z would be silver plated. They don't make a solid silver. I've had two silver alto Z's over the last few years and feel there is a slight sound difference if you compare a lacquered version vs. a silver plated version back-to-back. However, the difference was subtle. On the tenor, the difference is more noticable. Not really sure why, other than they say the silver plated version is richer in sound. I recently played a lacquered version and a silver plated version back-to-back and my wife, who is not musically inclined immediately looked up (sitting reading her romance novels) and said wow! She noticed the silver plated tenor had a more robust sound. So did I. Both were set-up well. Perhaps the silver plating?, perhaps the difference in each specific horn's characteristic? Although Yamaha's are perhaps the more consistant horns made, there are still slight differences between horns of a same model from my experience. Gotta play a few and find "the one."