I ruin Gold Hardware

[TSAdeimy]

Hey.

Both of my TAGs have gold hardware ('88 Grand AM LAM and '02 Drop Top). The gold plating is coming off of the bridge where my hand rests when I play. Is there anything one can do (besides chrome hardware) to protect gold hardware from rust/corrosion, etc.?

Thanks

Tommy

[okstrat]

Keep it wiped down after you're done playing it is the standard reply I always see.

Thinking outside of the box here, but what if you took the bridge apart, polished it, and then put a light clear coat on the parts? Or even used a wax to put a layer of protectant on?

Pete

[bruce]

Keep it wiped down after you're done playing it is the standard reply I always see.

Thinking outside of the box here, but what if you took the bridge apart, polished it, and then put a light clear coat on the parts? Or even used a wax to put a layer of protectant on?

Pete

Polishing it would take away any remaining gold.. so that won't work. Putting a clear coat on would introduce issues with the string vibration in the string path on the saddles, plus probably wouldn't stick to any metal anyway. In addition, wax won't hold up to acidic sweat. Everyones Ph is different. Chrome plating will last waaay longer than gold so that may be the answer here.

[okstrat]

I've had a few guitars that the gold was looking pretty bad and a little polish helped, but then again maybe it was brass. :) I also had a watch with a metal back that reacted with my skin - I shot some clear lacquer on the back of the watch, and it didn't do anything weird or peel/come off for a few years of being worn until I broke the watch working on a car. I know, watch backs and lesser guitars aren't Andersons though.

Wiping down the guitar after you play it should help though, shouldn't it? You'd be taking the sweat/whatever left on the parts off so it doesn't just eat away at the surface when you aren't playing it.

Pete

[tom]

it really depends on your chemical makeup. for sure keeping sweat from sitting on it is a good thing. but the more you rub, the more gold is coming off. rubbing off to reveal the nickel plating underneath is different from the pitting from acid sweat. if you have the pitting acid sweat i would highly recommend not getting gold parts. if the guitar is getting played, it will most likely at some begin showing signs of the gold going away. if that sounds like a bad thing to you, i would avoid gold parts.

[jrglick]

Gold plating is usually measured in microns of thickness, but gold filled is moreso, and on guitar tuners it isn't usually thick like it would be on a fine swiss watch vs. an offshore watch (usually very thin). Some Grover butterbean open gear tuners on acoustics seem thicker to me alternatively.

It will come off unless you baby it and that means wiping your skin oils and perspiration off at the end of each use to keep it from pitting; with a little breath applied to grab all of the stuff that needs to come off. Good to wipe it off a few times during playing too if you have the patience. Gold filled on the other hand like on a watch or all gold naturally is a lot stronger. Plating requires babying for sure sorry to say.
:(