Ibanez AS103 NT - pickup tarnish removal?

[jeremiahzellers]

Took a chance after reading many many many posts about this guitar. Really digging it so far. I’m quite impressed with the fit and finish and the neck is incredible. Not too thick, but thick enough that my fingers do not feel crowded.

it came with what I imagine are the lightest gauge strings you can possibly buy (or maybe I’m just used to my 13g thomastik flat wounds). Can’t wait to try it when the new strings arrive.

any idea how to clean some of that tarnish off the pickups? No big deal if it can’t be removed, but wanted to see if anyone has done it before.

[arnie65]

This is all you need, it will remove years of tarnish, and even rust. Inside there's a material like cotton with the magic ingredient. All you do is wipe as you need till you see a shine.


Arnie...

[Arnesto]

Wd40

[va3ux]

It will also remove the gold plating, which is barely molecules-thick to begin with. But they will be shiny after. Otherwise, Never Dull really is a great product.

This is all you need, it will remove years of tarnish, and even rust. Inside there's a material like cotton with the magic ingredient. All you do is wipe as you need till you see a shine.


Arnie...

[Sleeko]

I always had good luck with a soft piece of untreated Kleenex and a bit of breath. Repeat as necessary.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

The best and safest tarnish remover I’ve found is a clean, dry microfiber cloth. It has to be a high quality one because the cheap ones aren’t as “micro” and have edge binding with coarse thread that scratches if it accidentally rubs the surface. Use one finger to rub it over the surface, and shift it to a fresh spot after each pass. Any particles that come off are in the cloth and can scratch if rubbed over the surface.

The next step up in aggression is a jewelry polishing cloth, but they’re all more abrasive and may rub through the plating with very little pressure. The ones embedded with red material, which is a polishing compound called jewelers’ rouge, do a great job. But (as has been pointed out) that plating is very thin and easily rubbed off.

I wouldn’t use anything but microfiber, and I’d settle for the best I could get with light rubbing. Those pickups look to have a few areas of serious oxidation. I think the risk of revealing bare metal after removal is significant, but whether that would look better or worse is a matter of preference. The plating doesn’t seem to be as deep a gold color as many, so I think I’d prefer exposed metal to those brown spots and the cloudy plating. But it’s hard to tell from a picture.

I always had good luck with a soft piece of untreated Kleenex and a bit of breath. Repeat as necessary.

Tissues like Kleenex are slightly abrasive. If you look closely, you’ll see very fine crazing after wiping with one. It’s more noticeable on nitro, but even many polys will show it. It’s less noticeable on pickups after a single wipe, but using Kleenex on the OP’s pickups is not the best idea. Clean microfiber will not do this.

PS - after looking again at the picture, I suspect those dark spots may well be reflections of the photographer & camera.

[jeremiahzellers]

PS - after looking again at the picture, I suspect those dark spots may well be reflections of the photographer & camera.

they are quite hideous looking so it’s definitely a possibility that it’s me that you are seeing... :-)

[Jabberwocky]

The tarnish looks cool. People pay good money for fake tarnishing that looks like that.

If you'd really like to take it off, I use Autosol that takes off all tarnish and goldplating! I use Autosol to shine up frets to a slippery mirror shine. Don't get it on your fingers unknowingly and then touch goldplated anything; you'll regret it. Wash your hands thoroughly even when you are sure you haven't got any on your fingers because it stays in your fingers, not on them.

#1000 - Autosol Metal Polish - 75ml Tube

[Donnd]

Leave the tarnish. Have the same guitar, it will sound great with flats!

[jeremiahzellers]

Thanks all, will just leave the tarnish now and lightly polish what I can without removing any more plating. Flats arrive today.. very excited to get them on.