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Brasso? I don't know - anybody got any cool ways of shining or cleaning the "gold" hardware that's on so many jazz guitars? I guess it's actually brass.
Spit doesn't work - that much I've learned.
Anybody?
kj
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04-02-2012 10:33 AM
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I was cleaning my gold pickups and tailpiece this weekend for the first time in a while. I would start with a microfiber polish cloth and good old fashioned elbow grease. After that, if it doesn't looks clean enough, I would try a non abrasive polish of sorts...I tried a little Gibson pump polish and it worked ok.
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Gold is soft.
It does not tarnish.
It does not corrode.
It's also really expensive, so goldplating on guitar parts is hardly known for its thickness.
Almost all "polishes" will remove gold along with the dirt on top of the gold. Especially Brasso. You need a non-abrasive cloth, a little dishwashing detergent and a lot of patience. Otherwise, inevitably, you will rub away the plating itself.
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Thanks Hammer; nice summary.
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Yes - thanks Hammer - and to all of you, thanks.
The "gold" hardware though - it's brass, isn't it? If gold doesn't tarnish...
Maybe I should have noted that I'm talking about *cheap* guitars, mostly. Although I thought even the $10,000 boutique guitars had the same "not-really gold" hardware.
I'll try some dish-washing stuff. It's the pickups that cause me most of the trouble.
kj
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It's not brass. There was a brassomania wave of guitar parts in the late Carter Administration, it has passed like gas.
There are some rare clear-coated brass components, or brass tailpieces on D'Angelico repros, but mostly it is not brass.
Typically, "gold" guitar parts have nickel plating with a thin layer of gold plating over the nickel. Some of these parts are actually made from brass or "nickel silver" but that is not the surface finish.
It can sometimes be a "gold tone" finish, which is a gold tinted clear coat over almost anything: aluminum, chrome plating, nickel plating, zinc, etc..
Anyway, Hammer nails it above.
In my opinion.
ChrisLast edited by PTChristopher; 04-02-2012 at 11:58 AM.
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Agree with hammertone. Personally I dont use soap/water tho. I just use lighter fluid (naptha).
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Okay - Hammer is the man! I actually have some real gold in the house - dang. Now if I can find one of those "micro-fiber" cloths. Where ... hardware? Sewing supplies? Ha. I have no idea.
kj
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Microfiber polish cloth from Amazon: Amazon.com: Planet Waves Micro-Fiber Polish Cloth: Musical Instruments
Originally Posted by Kojo27
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Use a little naptha, then fold some newspaper or newsprint paper into a thick little "pad" and buff with this. Trust me--it works.
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Hi , I have just been looking at your forum and tried the soap and elbow grease . Good lashings of wd40 the spray / clean lubricant on a really fine green Scotch scourer to the affected areas did a much better job for myself on a Gretch Synchromatic from 1937. The Gold was left and the crap was gone . The mixture seemed to dissolve only the corrosion. Always do a little test some where not noticeable .
Hope this helps , Clyde .
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My grandmother used to clean silver and brass ornaments with a soft cloth and cigarette ash (really.) Reading this thread reminded me of it. I've never tried it on guitar metalwork.
Before the wisecracks start, she didn't smoke and had to use ash my grandfather left in ashtrays.
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if memory serves, i degreased my guitar with a bottle of naptha from stew mac and some of those little cotton squares/rounds you'd find in the supermarket, in the section with all the crap you put on your face. worked ok. gold is still there, nice and shiny. and the little squares were easier to maneuver and manipulate around all the weird little crevices and curves of a guitar.
never considered that it could possibly remove gold. that didn't seem to be the case, but i'd love confirmation now that we are discussing it again. i was told before that elbow grease was the only safe way to do it, possibly with some light soap and water.
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08-16-2015, 12:01 PM #14destinytot Guest
Is naptha the same as what is called 'white spirits' the UK?
Last edited by destinytot; 08-16-2015 at 12:02 PM. Reason: spelling
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no clue. i'm guessing no, but possibly? i think we think of it as lighter fluid here in the states. this is what i used, if that clears it up any:
Behlen Naphtha Solvent | stewmac.com
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Paper towels or old cotton t-shirts work OK too.
and Q-tips work great for rubbing around hard to get spots.
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It is basically lighter fluid. Originally Posted by destinytot
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What ever you do don't use the metal cleaner that comes in the Gibson Restoration Kit. Took the gold plate right off my L5 tailpiece. Funny thing is you can't feel any abrasives in the cleaner so it must have a mild acid base in the solution. The stuff does work great on nickel plate though.
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Joe D turned me on to this great stuff called Menzerna polishing compound. Works great on gold plate and won't remove it.
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Po85rd. Menzerna. Just used it tonight on the tail piece of a guitar. This one was nickel. The shine and perfect surface came back easily. The finest polish I've ever used. Afterward you must seal the paint/plating with a sealant. I use powerlock by Menzerna. I think virtuoso would work too..
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The Menzerna powerlock works great on your car too. Great tip Mr.D :-)
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Definitely don't use a jewelry polishing cloth... looks good for bit, but you will gradually lose the gold plating. My L5 tailpiece is more nickel looking now, than silver, by the time I realized what I was doing.
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Has anyone any experience of deliberately trying to polish off gold plating in order to reveal the nickel underneath? My 165 started life with some pretty tacky goldplating on the tailpiece which flaked off. I have now replaced it with a genuine Gibson nickel zig-zag one and wonder if polishing the gold off the humbucker and and tuners with Brasso would be effective or just result in a mess? I am not a fan of gold plate but don't want to go to unnecessary expense in order to convert the guitar to nickel plate.
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we just gotta face it. That Gold is gonna wear off whether you want it to or not.
Personally, I don't hate the look of gold hardware with some nickel showing through.
I don't hate scratches on my pickups either
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Wenol. a micro fiber cloth, and elbow grease will take the gold plating off while leaving as high a luster as one desires on the original metal beneath. I've used it for 30 years. It's what auto shows used back in the day to prep flat aluminum wheels to create a high luster finish to them. It'll make flat aluminum look nearly chrome if one is willing to put in the work. Originally Posted by stoneground
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