L-5 and Gibson metal cleaner

[skittles]

If only I had known.

I cleaned my 1997 L5 CES with the items in the Gibson "Restoration" kit a few months ago. The guitar hadn't seen much use since so the corrosion around the pickups escaped my attention until last night.

I am livid that Gibson sells this kit without so much as a warning to its possible detrimental impact. As we all know, this is not a throw-away instrument. It's a lifetime investment for me: the one and only L5 I will ever know.

But what's done is done. So my question is, how can I keep this from progressing further? Direct, easy, and economical solutions preferred.

[wintermoon]

the pickguard is offgassing, it's corroding the pickup cover and the guard screw.
you'll need a new one.

[rio]

Wow, I didn't know that modern pickguards gas out. Just an assumption my part that they must have changed the materials. So is that possible with any year?


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[vinnyv1k]

The Gibson metal cleaner will take the gold plate right off....DON'T USE IT. Took the gold right off my tailpiece.
The best stuff I have found believe or not for cleaning and restoring gold parts is made by Harley Davidson.

[skittles]

Too late on the metal cleaner. Argh.

Should I assume the metal cleaner has just revealed what was already happening w/re to offgassing?

Any links for replacement pickguards that are known to not offgas?

Thanks for the replies.


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[wintermoon]

I've noticed that some modern Gibson's offgas.
I saw an L-5 a couple years ago made in the 90's and the guard was completely shot, looked 50 yrs old.

different batches of celluloid break down @ different rates.
I have a Gibson from the 20s and the guard is still perfect save foa little warping.

[vinnyv1k]

You can go with a 5 ply black guard.

[plasticpigeon]

Which country are you in?

[skittles]

USA


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[Jabberwocky]

Bruce Forman had an ebony wood pickguard made for his 1970 L5CES.

Don't worry about the pickup covers tarnishing, turning green with verdigris, etc.. They have been doing that for ages. Adds to the mojo. The tailpiece will be the next to go...

I'd remove the pickguard and replace it with one of those wooden pickguards from...Heritage! Or use a black plasic ES-175 one...

Or maybe get used to it looking like this:

[pubylakeg]

"Guaranteed against faulty workmanship and materials?"

What is Gibson's "Lifetime Warranty" position on this ?.

[Jabberwocky]

Wabi-sabi is a concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics constituting a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete." Wikipedia

[lawson-stone]

So have we concluded that in fact, the Gibson "restoration kit" did not produce these effects? That was the original point.

[Greentone]

Yeah, that's off-gassing from the pickguard. The pickguard may not be obviously deteriorating, either. What's happening is that the plastic in the guard is giving off esters that are interacting chemically with the pickup cover (and the screw) and producing a reaction of the brass in the parts. Brass has copper and zinc in it. The copper is producing the green copper sulphate from this reaction. It looks like the patina on the Statue of Liberty.

The pickguard is probably perfectly usable, but if the guitar is left in the case for long periods of time, the production of a patina on the pickguard edges of the pickups will continue.

One thing is certain: the gold plating on the pickup covers and other parts is super thin. Using a cleaning product, or even repeated rubbing with a cloth, will remove the plating. I always figured that over time owning a guitar with gold-plated parts would result in a guitar with nickel-covered parts (with a few traces of gold).

Heritage Guitars uses wooden pickguards to avoid this problem. The gold-plated pickups on my 2001 Super Eagle still look basically new.

[Max405]

Lawson, the restoration kit didn't produce those effects.
The green corrosion is typical of the result of an outgassing pickguard.
Skittles, I feel for you. That is a guitar of a lifetime, for sure. The corrosion can be cleaned off with a little naptha and a clean cotton ball. After the green stuff is gone, use a new cotton ball to clean the rest. Once that green crap gets into the cotton ball it will scratch the hell out of the rest of the pickup.
If you don't change out the pickguard, this will continue to happen. Everything metal on the guitar will corrode. I see that its already started to tarnish your frets too.
I know it sucks, but this is very normal. Get yourself a new pickguard from allparts and you will stop the cycle.

Its still a beautiful guitar. Don't get discouraged.

Joe D

[skittles]

Thanks again for the supportive replies.

I do see some missing plating that was not gone before using the metal cleaner. I'll call this correlation and not causation given the degrading screws on the pickguard itself. Looks as though both should be avoided!

Can anyone confirm that the allparts pickguard will not offgas similarly?

Should I have any worries about the holes in the body from removing the current pickguard and replacing it?

I've had this guitar for 20 years. It's not been cosmetically perfect in about 20 years! I just want to protect it for my own use and one day to the benefit of one of my kids or for use by a deserving student.


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[Marty Grass]

Does outgassing affect the nitro? I have seen some old Gibson where the finish under the pickguard looks damaged.

Thank you.

[Max405]

Skittles, I looked for the same guarantee. I couldn't find a guarantee. But one thing is certain, You will probably be corrosion free for another 10+ years.
MG, Vinny can attest to the outgassing affecting the nitro. He had a Byrdland that had the finish damaged by the outgassing PG.
JD

[rio]

My finish is definitely darker and older looking under the pickguard and based on the metal parts of the L5 in proximity to the pickguard, I know that it is/was gassing out. Although I don't know how long - it has been out of the case since I bought it last year, but the previous owner had admittedly not played for a long time according to the store owner who ended up acquiring it. I was originally going to replace the pickguard and had taken it off which is when I noticed the finish underneath, but now I have the pickguard back on since I don't think I will have problems really since it is only in a case to transport it and is always on a stand or on the wall when I am at home.


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[wintermoon]

My finish is definitely darker and older looking under the pickguard and based on the metal parts of the L5 in proximity to the pickguard, I know that it is/was gassing out. Although I don't know how long - it has been out of the case since I bought it last year, but the previous owner had admittedly not played for a long time according to the store owner who ended up acquiring it. I was originally going to replace the pickguard and had taken it off which is when I noticed the finish underneath, but now I have the pickguard back on since I don't think I will have problems really since it is only in a case to transport it and is always on a stand or on the wall when I am at home.


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if it's the orig guard and dying I'd seriously recommend replacing it.

[wintermoon]

if a guitar gets stored for a long time you'll end up w/this....

[fws6]

Does outgassing affect the nitro? I have seen some old Gibson where the finish under the pickguard looks damaged.

Thank you.

yes it does ! It can eat through the nitro pretty aggressively

[fws6]

if a guitar gets stored for a long time you'll end up w/this....

[vinnyv1k]

It's just like battery acid on nitro.

[Greentone]

Holy cow! That Trini Lopez Custom is a mess!