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Hi folks, I have a couple of mid-1990's Gibson archtops,both of which were purchased new.I noticed that within a few weeks of purchase the nickel hardware was dulling pretty dramatically.Now, I'm pretty cautious regarding polishes so basically the hardware has only ever had a wipe down with a cloth at the end of a session but I do feel that the surfaces are pretty unpleasant to the touch,especially tuners which seem to actually leave some sort of oxidised? particles on the fingers after adjustment.Can anybody advise me what sort of dulling is normal and if I should be using any kind of polish or cleaner on these parts.
Any comments or advice greatly appreciated!
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10-23-2013 12:45 PM
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I think it's pretty darn normal for Gibby nickel hardware (not chrome).
Take a look at photos of the original ES-335 dot reissues built from 1981-1985. The hardware on these specific guitars tends to dull completely and acquire a rough finish. It actually looks pretty cool to me, and maybe we're just now seeing the onset of a similar phenomenon from guitars made in the 1990s.
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Normal, and for most folks, desirable.
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That's part of the charm and for "historical accuracy". Fans won't have it any other way. You could look for chromed replacement parts or (take this information at your own risk) polish the tarnished nickel parts with Autosol. Autosol will remove the tarnish in a flash and then apply a good carnauba wax over the polished nickel parts. This will keep them shiny like a, uh, new nickel. Wax regularly.
Honestly, I won't touch them with any polish, if I were you. Just let them build up a nice aged patina. Aged nickel Gibson parts are actually worth more money on the market than shiny new parts. If they continue to bother you, remove them, sell them to the Les Paul crowd and then buy chromed replacements. But I would really not do that if I were you.
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I replaced all the chrome hardware on my 2010 Les Paul with nickel. I liked the softer yellow hewed colour vs the colder blue shine of the chrome. I also like the dull patina that has developed on it over the last few years.
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This is a 1980's ES355. The owner bought it new, changed the strings, put it back in its case and then didn't play it until last year. I guess they all do that even without playing.
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Normal.
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Great guitar! I had one just like it. Wish I never sold it. What's up with the humungus Phillips head screws in the pup rings?
Originally Posted by jazzbow
This is a 1980's ES355. The owner bought it new, changed the strings, put it back in its case and then didn't play it until last year. I guess they all do that even without playing.
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Yes, oxidated metal can be desirable. Artists have patinated their bronze sculptures with liver of suphur or other (awful smelling) fluids for decades. Among some watch freaks, wrist watch cases machined from various bronze alloys has been popular for the last 5-6 years because they gradually develops a brownish surface oxidation.
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I doubt that's true, there's a lot of usage wear there in addition to the oxidation. Originally Posted by jazzbow
This is a 1980's ES355. The owner bought it new, changed the strings, put it back in its case and then didn't play it until last year.
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All stock. As purchased! Originally Posted by Patrick2
Belongs to my friend.
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Totally true. My friend is a baroque piano restorer. It's taken him 10 months to make a porch for his house, it fits together like a jigsaw. Trouble is he's always tinkering and not playing. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
The Gibson was so under used the pickups didn't work due to oxidization and the pots were really scratchy
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The dulling of nickel plated parts is normal patina with time,due to oils and acids from sweaty hands. Originally Posted by pubylakeg
Gibson uses a satin or dull nickel finish, not high gloss chrome, so yes with the oxidation
of nickel will occur over time and the covers, generally are brass with plated nickel finish of some sort,
Nickel is one of four elements that are ferromagnetic around room temperature. Alnico permanent magnets based partly on nickel are of intermediate strength between iron-based permanent magnets and rare-earth magnets.
Now that being said, Gibson have come out with some "faded /pre-aged re-issue/vintage models" ...to simulate an older vintage guitar.
Gibson promo literature sez:
For full-throttle Les Paul thrills at a trimmed-down, no-nonsense price, look no further than the Les Paul Studio Satin. This guitar includes all the classic ingredients that have made the Les Paul Standard legendary since humbuckers first hit the scene in 1957, along with a familiar, played-in look and feel.
Attachment 9209
Also, while visiting the Gibson Showcase in Nashville back in 2007, I was given a pre-aged, worn look" ES-175
to try out. It had fake belt buckle scratches on the back, "worn out sunburst" on the edge, tarnish p_up
covers and TP piece hardware...cool looking but of course not exactly my cup of tea, because if I wanted
an "aged patina " ES-175, I would be looking elsewhere, not for a brand new "aged look" ES-175.
The patina of the years will mellow along with the lacquer finish, so just keep it clean and don't polish the covers or hardware too much. This believe it or not, is something that Gibson collectors treasure
as the guitar starts its own journey on it's way into "Gibson history" during the years you have it.Last edited by Daniel Kuryliak; 10-24-2013 at 06:18 PM.
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I've had this happen to my (2003 MIJ) Gretsch 'New Jet' 6114 pretty much right away back in that year. Unfortunately, the hardware on this guitar was made from a mixture of both chrome (the trapeze "G" tailpiece and tuners) and nickel (the knobs, pickup rings, toggle and pickguard support), so instead of looking somewhat cool and vintage, it just obviously looks kind of... randomly new and old. So I've been trying to replace the nickel parts with chrome ones over time (almost done). Personally, I'm not so much a fan of relic'ed/aged look and concept to begin with, and, since the rest of the guitar still looks so new, that's the direction I'm taking—rather than subbing with nickel parts.
For what it's worth, I've owned and played a LOT of guitars over the years, several with nickel parts, and never had this happen before. I don't think I have acidic skin, etc (that I know of), and I take really good care of all my gear, so this was somewhat disturbing to me. What I was thinking before this thread was: could this possibly be an instance of "toxic case syndrome"—kind of like an old celluloid pickguard out-gassing and eating away at a guitar's finish, etc. Could such a similar thing exist if a case was built with some kind of incorrectly-formulated glue, etc? (The case is a stock Gretsch case, with no odd odors or anything that would appear to be out of the ordinary.)
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LOL! no..the it's the poor quality nickel plating they use these days on the covers. A lot of guitar h/w is made in Originally Posted by ooglybong
Asia these days, and so are some of the Gretsch models..the "nickel" is not pure nickel as it use to be in olden
times but a mixture of nickel (expensive metal) and other cheaper alloys which causes the nickel to oxidize
just from the pollutants and moisture normally found in air. If you live in higher humidity areas, the metal
plating oxidizes faster.
How Electro Nickel Plating Works
To transfer nickel onto the surface of a product properly, a negative charge must be applied to the base material.
Once the initial steps have been completed, the base material is submerged in a solution that features a salt with a chemical makeup, including the electroplating metal. With electro nickel plating, this solution consists of water and nickel chloride salt. Due to the electric current present in the solution, the nickel chloride salt dissociates to negative chloride ions and positive nickel cat-ions. The negative charge of the base metal then attracts the positive nickel ions, while the positive charge of the nickel rod attracts the negative chloride anions. Through this chemical reaction, the nickel in the rod oxidizes and dissolves into the solution. From here, the oxidized nickel is attracted to the base material, and subsequently coats the product.
Same with "gold plating" at $1350 US per troy oz (12 troy oz in a pound, not 16), so
that metal has to be stretched..out further these days and very very thin layers where it's not plated as they
used to but molecule thickness electrically deposited.
Gone are the days where factories like Gibson used real 14k gold (which is only 58% gold and other alloys
being silver and copper, which is much cheaper. The gold colour depends on the remaining alloys used.
Asian made "gold hardware" has no gold in it at all.
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I had a late 70's Les Paul Deluxe wth nickel hardware. It held up pretty well had a pleasing cast to it. Not shiny like chrome, but a classy subdued appearance. It did not look like it had been left oceanside for days.
Some of these "pre-aged classics" being marketed today are really caricatures of the original. Just my opinion.
To clean it and protect you may want to try Never Dull. (Neverdul?) This is wadding that comes in a can and sold at automotive stores like AutoZone. Great on chrome and I used it on nickel hardware as well.Last edited by Alder Statesman; 10-26-2013 at 11:45 AM.
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