Dave7 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Hi Everyone, I have a 61 Reissue SG (2001 Pre-Custom Shop Model With Maestro) with nickel and aluminum hardware. After playing I always wipe down the nickel parts real good (PU covers and bridge) but the bridge, where my hand rests on it, is starting to tarnish and I am unable to get the shine back. Any ideas on how to get it's shine back (it that's even possible)? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LPC Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Once nickel has tarnished, there's not a lot you can do except try to prevent it becoming worse. Of course, some people can't wait for the nickel to tarnish ! My nickel plated tuners on my Strat stayed bright when I remembered to wipe them with a clean, dry cotton cloth after playing. But I forgot to wipe them on one occasion, and after a few days, they were pretty dull. What I did was to spray a small amount of WD40 onto the cotton cloth, and it restored some of the shine. Of course any metal polish, and some wax polishes have abrasives, so these are definitely out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantha Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I've never tried this myself, so use at your own risk... but I've heard good things about this stuff: http://www.reckittprofessional.com/find_a_product/products/silvo.html It says no harsh abrasives anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LPC Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Unfortunately, Silvo is an abrasive - but admittedly a relatively gentle one. But as the nickel plating is quite thin and not durable, abrasives have to be avoided. An easy way of comparing abrasives is to take a new piece of hard, clear plastic. Try different polishes on different areas and compare the scratches. Try a soft, cotton cloth with no polish. Even this will scratch the surface slightly. This is why I use cotton with a small amount of WD40. The WD removes grease and corrosive deposits, and leaves a protective coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbomb76 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I use NevR-Dull once in a blue moon (like twice in 3 or 4 years) on my hardware, and it will remove a huge amount of the cloudiness and tarnishing. I prefer chrome hardware for this very reason (it's more durable overall and way easier to clean...plus it doesn't tarnish like nickel), but well-maintained nickel can still look fine after a few years if you wipe it down regularly and do the occasional polishing. With the NevR-Dull, sometimes I just take a little bit of the wadding and just dab the "juice" on the pickups/bridge/etc, then use a nice diaper-cloth to do the actual polishing (much less abrasive than some materials, as you well know). H-Bomb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sok66 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Nickle tarnish is a rite of passage for any new Gibson so-equipped. Mojo factor increases as tarnish accumulates, along with finish chips & cracks, fingerboard darkening, binding wear, etc. Leave it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarJunkie Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Hbomb has it right... That stuff is magic. http://www.nevrdull.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I wish they wouldn´t use this nickel sh... Chrome is such a nice material. And if I wanted an old guitar that looks f...d up, I´d buy an old guitar. If I buy a new one, I want a new one. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LPC Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Hbomb has it right... Don't forget to put the lid back on. As it dries out, the particles of abrasive clump together becoming more abrasive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonphilipps Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 The tarnish on my SG is soooo sexy! and also those tiny finish cracks on the headstock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpdeluxe Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Gibson plated their parts with chrome until the "vintage" nonsense took over and people began complaining that nickel "aged" (that is, tarnished) better! So Gibson very sensibly changed back to nickel. My ES-335 Dot has nickel. I go over the pickups and tailpiece with Nevr-Dull (another endorsement) when I change strings, but I rather like the aged look, too. It makes the guitar look like it's more than just male jewelry. I also have a Les Paul, with chrome, but it's an old road warrior and looks it -- with shiny hardware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LPC Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 The nickel compliments the aged plastic parts on my Strat. I think it strikes the right balance, so I've never felt the need to mirror buff the hardware in the 10 years since I bought it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave7 Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 Thanks for the ideas everyone. I agree that the tarnish looks cool when all of the parts or dulled but until the rest of the hardware begins to lost it's shine, I'd prefer to try to preserve it. Think i'll try the NevR-Dull and once it all starts to tarnish I'll let it go and go for the vintage vibe! Thanks again guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AS90 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Its called mojo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 If they weren´t wax potted I´d change the pickup covers on my A.Y. sig. for chrome covers. I hate nickel. And believe it or not, I prefer a chromed maestro with Angus engraved to a nickel one with Gibson on. Maybe it´s my hands sweat but nickel is just smeary to me. No mojo, no vintage, just crap! I simply don´t like it. And since the A.Y. is made after a 68, it´s not even historically correct for they were using chrome hardware since 65. Guess why. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbomb76 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 If they weren´t wax potted I´d change the pickup covers on my A.Y. sig. for chrome covers. I hate nickel. And believe it or not' date=' I prefer a chromed maestro with Angus engraved to a nickel one with Gibson on. Maybe it´s my hands sweat but nickel is just smeary to me. No mojo, no vintage, just crap! I simply don´t like it. And since the A.Y. is made after a 68, it´s not even historically correct for they were using chrome hardware since 65. Guess why. Kurt[/quote'] Yeah, when I ordered my Historic a couple years ago (with the darker high-gloss finish and SLIGHTLY improved bevels/tapers on the horns) I specifically requested chrome hardware, and if I ever get a new/improved one that unfortunately has nickel hardware I'll gladly swap 'em out. I don't quite have the acid-hands of some of my peers (who can turn strings and pickup covers green in 15 minutes), but I prefer the low maintenance and forever-glow of chrome. I wish they'd do the Angus pickup in chrome, and yes, it WOULD be more "historically accurate"...but then again, we're talking about a company who threw NICKEL hardware on the Krieger SG (which otherwise is "accurate" in looks to the particular guitar it's supposed to be), which isn't proper for the late-60's ones. If they were smart, the Historic SG collection would include both early/mid AND late-60's body styles/neck joints/pickguards, AS-NEW finishes to go along with their faded/skimpy finishes and the option of chrome OR nickel hardware so you could essentially get a '63/'64 SG, a late-'64/'65 SG or a late-60's SG. How cool would that be? H-Bomb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 If they were smart' date=' the Historic SG collection would include both early/mid AND late-60's body styles/neck joints/pickguards, AS-NEW finishes to go along with their faded/skimpy finishes and the option of chrome OR nickel hardware so you could essentially get a '63/'64 SG, a late-'64/'65 SG or a late-60's SG. How cool would that be? H-Bomb[/quote'] C O O O O O O L ! ! ! + I think that they really would sell. And it wouldn´t be too much effort, because most bodies and hardware specifications exist already. They only had to combine them in different ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 i personally can't stand chrome. whether new or tarnished, i think nickel looks better. chrome has that blue hue to it. it just looks cheezy and cheap... like you outfitted your guitar with crap from a J.C. Whitney catalogue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepsg61 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I have some Brasso left over from my Army days and that worked to shine up my pickup covers. No harmful effects that I can see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarJunkie Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I have some Brasso left over from my Army days and that worked to shine up my pickup covers. No harmful effects that I can see. Brasso does contain abrasives, so eventually it could wear through the finish. I tried out a used '61 VOS with a Maestro yesterday, and I thought the hardware looked great with a bit of wear. The Maestro was a bit grimy, but my shirt sleeve took care of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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