How to polish gold plated tunners on my Sweet 16?

[LaVonne]

Hi Everyone,

 

A few months ago I bought a used (2004) Sweet 16 and I just love it.  I've noticed the tuner buttons are starting to look and feel a little rough to the touch and dull.  I don't know if this is tarnish or somehting else.  I would like to try cleaning and polishing them but I'm afraid of damaging the gold plating.  Any suggestions on what product or technique would be safe?

 

Thanks

LaVonne

[tulk1]

Hi LaVonne,

 

Before trying any polishes, I'd try just a very soft cotton cloth. That should be enough to remove any film built up by fingers touching the hardware. If it's starting to pit, well, not sure.

[yoslate]

I think that plating eventually goes away with much use at all.  The problem is one of slowing that process down.  Tulk's advice is good.  I think any abrasives, of course, and even the most benign of chemical cleaners hasten the process of plating loss.  I have a micro-fibre polishing cloth I got at the Pilgrimage.  I don't get the slightest swirling in the finish on my Super with that.  regular light wiping with that kind of cloth might do the trick.

[brentrocks]

MAKE SURE YOU SPIT ON THEM BEFORE YOU WIPE ;D

[GuitArtMan]

I've never had good luck with gold plated parts - they tarnish fster than you can say "supercalifragilistic- expialidocious".  Any attempt I've made to polish them only resulted in speeding up the process.  I avoid gold plated parts on my git fiddles for this reason.  Sorry I couldn't be of any help.

[Thundersteel]

they tarnish fster than you can say "supercalifragilistic- expialidocious".

 

How about antidisestablishmentarianism? Or pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?  ;D

[Gitfiddler]

How about antidisestablishmentarianism? Or pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?   ;D

 

That's funny...and brings back memories of dropping those words on cute girls back in parochial grammar school...trying to impress them.  Never got me anywhere with them. :undecided:

 

Back on topic, have you considered putting on a set of Ebony button tuners?  They'd look fantastic on your Sweet 16. 8)

[wingnut1]

Get some white cotton gloves to wear when you tune the guitar and never tune it without them ;D

[111518]

Although I disagree with it profoundly as applied to foreign policy, when it comes to guitar hardware I've followed the doctrine of preemption: since I know that gold will flake and tarnish, I change to nickel or chrome before it has the chance, at least on regular gigging guitars.  Opening up a case and seeing green hardware is just too much of a buzzkill.

 

I have a complete set of brand new gold hardware somewhere that came off my (formerly dressed as) SRV strat, if anyone is interested.  I was able to trade the gold hardware off my 355, plus a few other odds and ends, for my Rivera 2X12 cab.       

 

I have noticed, however, that since I've gotten older, and since my diet has changed and I consume far less meat and fat (I'm near diabetic --it's been change the diet or face the needle), I seem to have less of a problem with hardware corrosion, and my strings last a lot longer.  Anyone notice anything similar?

[Spectrum13]

Allparts has a good assortment of replacement tuner buttons for Grovers and some other makes. I think the ebony cost me about $32 so it's cheeper than white gloves in the long run. What about where your palm rest on the tunamatics?

[BigMike]

That's funny...and brings back memories of dropping those words on cute girls back in parochial grammar school...trying to impress them.  Never got me anywhere with them. :undecided:

 

Back on topic, have you considered putting on a set of Ebony button tuners?  They'd look fantastic on your Sweet 16. 8)

 

That or making a spraying rig out of a piece of plywood scrap, banging in 6 nails, wipe the tuners carefully with the above mentioned soft cotton cloth, remove the tuner heads from the tuners (it is a screw on the side of the tuner head, YES???) and then place them on your spraying rig nails and shoot them with clear lacquer...

 

Once well dried reinstall on your tuners.

 

GO WITH DA EBONY... look on eBay.

 

[Bluzman54]

How about a jeweler's polishing cloth? 

 

Jim C

[Dick Seacup]

Whatever you do, do not use lemon oil on them.

[GuitArtMan]

Or pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?   ;D

I think I got that the last time I ate some bad Indian food...    :'(

 

;D

[Bluzman54]

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis?   ;D

 

A factitious word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust causing inflammation in the lungs.' Occurring chiefly as an instance of a very long word. 

[1] It was coined to serve as the longest English word and is the longest word ever to appear in an English language dictionary. It is listed in the current edition of several dictionaries.

[2] A condition meeting the word's definition is normally called silicosis.  Silicosis (especially the acute form) is characterized by shortness of breath, fever, and cyanosis (bluish skin). It may often be misdiagnosed as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), pneumonia, or tuberculosis.

 

 

So children this is the "word of the day".......pop quiz at 5.

 

Jim c

[brentrocks]

Whatever you do, do not use lemon oil on them.

 

is lemon oil bad for the plating?

[Thundersteel]

It was coined to serve as the longest English word and is the longest word ever to appear in an English language dictionary.

 

Have you ever read anything in German? That's about the average word length!

[Bluzman54]

Have you ever read anything in German? That's about the average word length!

 

My ex wife was German.......they just keep adding onto a word.  I would stand there and look at her sometimes because she tried doing it in english......you know like: "youm*th*rf#ck@ngs#nofab*tch@ssh*le"......I didn't know that word existed in english- leave it up to the Germans......

 

Jim C

[Dick Seacup]

is lemon oil bad for the plating?

 

My experience has been that it rapidly tarnishes gold plating. Could have just been an isolated incident, but I haven't had the stones to try it again.

[cadenza]

WD40 maybe ? Haven't got gold hardware to try it on though.

[wingnut1]

Isn't the wear of the gold plate part of the relicing mojo that everyone wants their guitar to go through?

[yoslate]

WD40 maybe ? Haven't got gold hardware to try it on though.

 

                                          Technically, isn't WD-40 a solvent!?

[Kuz]

                                           Technically, isn't WD-40 a solvent!?

 

Ding, Ding, Ding!!!!

 

I know opinions vary, but WD-40 is going to where near my guitar (or strings, sorry Ren, we have the GHS string cleaning cloth for them)

[Gitfiddler]

It always amazes me how we can bob and weave through so many topics in a single thread...and still get along!    :angel:

 

According to WD40's own website, there is nothing in it to damage wood or metal.  How is it going to damage guitars?  (No, I will not experiment on my babies!) 8)

 

 

www.wd40.com

 

FAQ:

 

"What surfaces or materials are OK to use WD-40 on?

WD-40 can be used on just about everything. It is safe for metal, rubber, wood and plastic. WD-40 can be applied to painted metal surfaces without harming the paint. Polycarbonate and clear polystyrene plastic are among the few surfaces on which to avoid using a petroleum-based product like WD-40."

 

http://www.wd40.com/faqs/#q2

[Dick Seacup]

"What surfaces or materials are OK to use WD-40 on?

WD-40 can be used on just about everything. It is safe for metal, rubber, wood and plastic. WD-40 can be applied to painted metal surfaces without harming the paint. Polycarbonate and clear polystyrene plastic are among the few surfaces on which to avoid using a petroleum-based product like WD-40."

 

http://www.wd40.com/faqs/#q2

 

I could tell a WD-40 story about my grandfather, the poodle and the tumor...maybe later.