ES 335 reissue nickel plating worn off

[Muddman]

For my 50th birthday I treated myself to an EE 335. Firstly, the guitar came in playing terri ly. It had horrible action and the intonation setup made it unplayablI wanted to cry. I took it in for a setup and it is now the sweetest playing guitar on earth. Within a year, the plating on the tail piece, tuner heads and pickups started getting dull. I tried to bring it back to a shine with a polishing cloth to no avail. I was afraid to use any kind of polish or cleaner as i didn't want to compromise the already worn finish with substances At this point the stop tail piece bridge and tuner heads are absolutely worn to grey and the pickups have worn stripes.

I don't have super acid sweaty hands and my other Gibson, Guild and Fender guitars all pristine and have perfect hardware.

Here are my concerns:

1) I bought an expensive guitar of my dreams and it looks like crap; I don't know what to do about it. I Registered it with Gibson, however I don't know if I can find the receipt from guitar center.

2) since it came in so poorly set up, I have little faith in Gibson warranting it and returning it to me playing like it does. I have lost my job and can't afford another setup at this time

3) many people approach me asking me how old the guitar is, for it makes it look road worn

 

I would appreciate some feedback from Gibson as well as

my fellow players on what they would do. Please forgive any typos, I am typing this on an iPhone and the font is so small

[MountainPlayer]

You can't know until you call them and ask. I hope you get it taken care of.

[neilpanda]

For my 50th birthday I treated myself to an EE 335. Firstly, the guitar came in playing terri ly. It had horrible action and the intonation setup made it unplayablI wanted to cry. I took it in for a setup and it is now the sweetest playing guitar on earth. Within a year, the plating on the tail piece, tuner heads and pickups started getting dull. I tried to bring it back to a shine with a polishing cloth to no avail. I was afraid to use any kind of polish or cleaner as i didn't want to compromise the already worn finish with substances At this point the stop tail piece bridge and tuner heads are absolutely worn to grey and the pickups have worn stripes.

I don't have super acid sweaty hands and my other Gibson, Guild and Fender guitars all pristine and have perfect hardware.

Here are my concerns:

1) I bought an expensive guitar of my dreams and it looks like crap; I don't know what to do about it. I Registered it with Gibson, however I don't know if I can find the receipt from guitar center.

2) since it came in so poorly set up, I have little faith in Gibson warranting it and returning it to me playing like it does. I have lost my job and can't afford another setup at this time

3) many people approach me asking me how old the guitar is, for it makes it look road worn

 

I would appreciate some feedback from Gibson as well as

my fellow players on what they would do. Please forgive any typos, I am typing this on an iPhone and the font is so small

Im not too sure about GC's policies but if the guitar is still under Gibson warranty shouldnt they be able to do it no charge?

I dislike guitar center as they just sell you the guitar without an initial setup. same with the floor models, they just take it out

of the box and throw it on the floor untuned and not ready for playing. thats why I stay up here in Canada

where the music stores actually care...not just have employees who think theyre great because they work for a big chain

[St James]

GC can pull up the sale in the computer and get ya a new receipt, you'll need it and proof that you registered when ya bought it and a print out from your computer will suffice.

GET IT SENT IN BEOFRE ALL THE CHRISTMAS RETURNS...

THIS SHOULD JUST BE A GIBSON TECH ORDERING A STOP TAIL AND BRIDGE IF IN FACT GIBSON AGREES AND SEE"S IT AS YOU DO....

THEY MAY NOT AS NICKLE IS SUPPOSED TO OXIDIZE that's what is used in there VOS MODELS...

The reason your ax looks ROAD WORN is because they are basically a VOS model made to look like a true 59 age n all !!!!

 

St James

[sok66]

Actually, it's just your guitar accumulating some mojo. I'd leave it and enjoy it.

[Blackflag]

Actually, it's just your guitar accumulating some mojo. I'd leave it and enjoy it.

 

Truly. Things wear - that's the way it goes.

 

Some people's hands wear off finishes really quick, too. If my wife just touches chrome, gold finish, etc...goodbye. I used to have an Ibanez, and the gold plating was gone in literally one month.

 

If it plays good and sounds good, what's the problem? Kids in Africa would kill for an ES-335 with worn hardware.

[craigh]

That's why Gibson stopped using nickle plating in the 60's & went to stainless steel.

 

Craig

[Blackflag]

That's why Gibson stopped using nickle plating in the 60's & went to stainless steel.

 

Craig

 

I like the look of nickel, even though it wears...but I don't think they use stainless now, I think they use chrome?

[craigh]

You might be right about the chrome.

 

Craig

[sok66]

Yeah, they went from nickel to chrome because people griped about the nickel tarnishing. Then they griped about the chrome being too shiny.

[Raptor]

I realize that the guitar is special too you and you would like it to be pristine. I doubt Gibson will replace the hardware as the finish on it is prone to wear, but you can ask, You can also buy new hardware when you have more money, and I hope that things look up for you soon.

Personally, the tarnished hardware shows that you love the guitar and obviously play it a good bit. In other words it is mojo. I am a person who sweats battery acid. I can ruin gold hardware in a month if I don't wipe it thoroughly, even after looking at it. I wear nickel out pretty fast too. I have a one off custom order LP and the nickel on it is grey too, and people who see it can tell that I love it and play it. So just remember that it shows just how special the guitar is to you.

The VOS aging can be polished off and even with normal playing will go shiny before greying again since it is just a surface chemical aging. Chrome is nice but when it starts to go it pits, then flakes and peels off leaving a blackened finish underneath (until it gets polished to grey or brass after long use). I also find that the gold will pit too when it starts to wear before going dull and grey. So enjoy that guitar and glad that you love it so much.

The only way to prolong the nickel hardware is to clean all of it as soon as you finish playing the guitar, and that will only delay nature taking it's course.

Cheers

[BillyGibson]

This is a different twist on the Chrome vs. Nickel debate. Most people buy the nickel because they

like how it will age and the "mojo" it adds. They want that 50 year old look. Then, they knock chrome.

Because in 10 years, it will look just as shiny as the first day it was brought home. I don't believe

the new chrome plated or nickel platting they use now will peel and flake off as it did in earlier years.

On the USA Gibsons, at least on my LP, it's chrome plated zamak. On others, it's nickel plated zamak.

Then for customs, it's nickel plated aluminum. Everything is plated. (Some one correct me if I'm wrong).

 

If you want shiny again, you could probably trade someone with chrome who wants to add a touch of

vintage to their guitar.

[bobouz]

I actually prefer chrome plating because it doesn't tarnish. Imho, gold is visually the worst when it tarnishes. I'm learning to live with silver. For some reason, the pickup covers on my '06 335 are still okay, but the tailpiece is losing it. Shortly after purchasing my 335, a new '07 came into the store, still boxed. Pulled it out to compare, and the pickup covers had already started to tarnish! These parts can all be replaced down the road if you like, so don't sweat it too much. The next example may look good, but play like crap!

[endpin]

I have used Semichrome and Flitz brand polish on a '60s Gibson I have with nickel plated hardware. It has yet to go through the plating down to the base metal after many applications through the years.

[Captain Bb]

I really like the aged look of tarnished nickel. Both my 335 and my PRS guitars are nicely tarnished and I'll leave 'em that way too.

[Fringe Lunatic]

FWIW: (Note the parts I bolded)

 

Gibson USA and Custom Warranty

 

Your new Gibson instrument is warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the original retail purchaser, subject to the limitations contained in this warranty.

 

If at any time this Gibson instrument malfunctions as a result of faulty materials or workmanship, Gibson will repair the defect(s) or replace the instrument, as it deems appropriate in its sole discretion. Gibson reserves the right to use materials regularly utilized at the time of repair in the event that original materials are no longer available. If replacement of your instrument is deemed appropriate by our staff, Gibson will replace the instrument with one of the same or most similar style of a value not in excess of the original purchase price of your instrument.

 

This warranty covers the cost of both labor and materials on any repair deemed necessary by our Customer Service Representative for the lifetime of the original purchaser. In the unlikely event that your instrument is destroyed, lost or damaged beyond repair, while in the possession of Gibson for repair,Gibson will replace that instrument with one of the same or most similar style of a value not in excess of the original purchase price of your instrument. Any insurance covering the instrument, including but not limited to collector's value insurance, must be carried by owner at owner's expense.

 

THIS WARRANTY IS EXTENDED TO THE ORIGINAL RETAIL PURCHASER ONLY AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED TO SUBSEQUENT OWNERS. IN ORDER TO VALIDATE YOUR WARRANTY, AND AS A CONDITION PRECEDENT TO WARRANTY COVERAGE HEREUNDER, YOU MUST RETURN YOUR WARRANTY REGISTRATION CARD WITHIN FIFTEEN (15) DAYS FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL DATE OF PURCHASE. YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE OR SALES RECEIPT MUST ACCOMPANY ALL REQUESTS FOR WARRANTY COVERAGE.

 

This Warranty Is Subject To The Following Limitations

 

THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER:

 

1. Any instrument that has been altered or modified in any way or upon which the serial number has been tampered with or altered.

2. Any instrument whose warranty card has been altered or upon which false information has been given.

3. Any instrument that has been damaged due to misuse, negligence, accident, or improper operation.

4. The subjective issue of tonal characteristics.

5. Shipping damages of any kind.

6. Any instrument that has been subjected to extremes of humidity or temperature

7. Normal wear and tear (i.e., worn frets, worn machine heads, worn plating, string replacement, scratched pickguards, or damages to or discoloration of the instrument finish for any reason).

8. Any instrument that has been purchased from an unauthorized dealer, or upon which unauthorized repair or service has been performed.

9. Any factory installed electronics after a period of one (I) year following the original date of purchase.

10. Cracking, discoloration or damage of any sort to the finish or plating for any reason.

11. Gibson does not warranty the playability of a instrument whose "action" is lower than the standard "action" as defined in the owners manual.

[guitarfish]

Considering how many people like the worn look, you could probably buy a new one, and sell the worn one for as much or more than the new one cost. Personally, I'm with you - I like the new look. I got my first 335 in the last year and I want it to stay nice for a while.

[charlie brown]

Nickel Silver plated parts, Do that! It's normal!

If you hate it, replace those parts with Chrome...

Personally, I love the worn in look, myself, on

guitars, with Nickel parts...even to the point of

having some brass, showing. But, that's just me.

Ultimately, it's up to you.

 

CB