HogHazard Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 Hi all, newbie here! About a year ago I purchased an Ibanez SZ 320 MH, which is a great guitar for the price. All the hardware is chromed, but the chrome is wearing off on the bridge where I rest my palm while playing. How can this be restored, and hopefully prevented? Re-chromed maybe? This may be a bit expensive here in South Africa, so if there is a fix that'll be longer lasting it would help. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 I dont know how to make it look new but i can tell you how to make it look vintage; drop it in some ferric chloride (well atleast thats what i was told) then take it out and wipe it down hope that may be of some use ^just trying to help out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren wilson Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 No offence, but when someone asks how to prevent or reverse tarnishing and/or wear of their chrome plating, responding with "dip it in acid to oxidize the finish" is 100% not the information the person was looking for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 I know it wasnt what he wanted to hear but i was saying it so that he has an alternate option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 (edited) You didn't even tell him what "making it look vintage" really meant. Maybe he thought it would give it the "vintage chrome" look, not the rusted bridge look. I'm just saying you have to be very careful when you give suggestions like that. peace, russ Edited September 19, 2005 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 (edited) ok.......next time i will be more specific/aware of my suggestions....sorry for the dumbass post All i was trying to do was suggest an alternate option/help.... Edited September 19, 2005 by ZoSo_Spencer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodBlessTexas Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 Try picking up a tube of Flitz metal polish. I've used it with great results on chromed stuff. Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 Hi all, newbie here! About a year ago I purchased an Ibanez SZ 320 MH, which is a great guitar for the price. All the hardware is chromed, but the chrome is wearing off on the bridge where I rest my palm while playing. How can this be restored, and hopefully prevented? Re-chromed maybe? This may be a bit expensive here in South Africa, so if there is a fix that'll be longer lasting it would help. Thanks in advance! ← is it actually wearing off as in you can now see the brass or pot metal or whatever underneath or is it simply tarnishing? if it's actually wearing off i don't know what you could do other than having it re-chromed. if it's tarnishing you can have some success cleaning it up with silver polish or automotive chrome polish..won't make it look like new but will make it better. then if you want to go to the trouble you can remove it from the guitar and shoot a clear coat made specifically for metal..don't know what products are available in your neck of the woods but you should be able to find something to seal it up. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drivel Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 if the chrome is actually coming off, it would probably be cheaper/easier to replace the part rather then have it rechromed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 There's a company in the UK called Frost Auto Restoration who sell kits to nickel plate, anodise, remove plating etc... You may have someone like this locally. Removal and redo would work but it's be cheaper to buy a new one to be honest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HogHazard Posted September 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2005 Hey all! Thanks for the replies. Yes, the Chrome is actually coming off, and you can see the brass below it. I think I'm actually going to just give up and leave her as she is, since I can't find a permanent solution. If I buy new parts, they'll look the same in a year, if I have it re-chromed it'll most likely wear out as well. Not worth it on a guitar that didn't even cost me the equivalent of $500. And no, at no stage was I even considering dropping it in acid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 20, 2005 Report Share Posted September 20, 2005 And no, at no stage was I even considering dropping it in acid! ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted September 20, 2005 Report Share Posted September 20, 2005 And no, at no stage was I even considering dropping it in acid! ← ← Have it recromed and then spray a clear coat of poly, that's what i do when i use gold hardware, spray a clear coat of poly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted September 20, 2005 Report Share Posted September 20, 2005 If your sweat is extremely acidic, nothing you do will keep the chrome from coming off and the brass from eventually pitting. You can delay it for a while by wiping down the guitar several times during a practice session or a gig, and giving the guitar a good thorough wipe down before you put it away. I don't have that problem, but I don't like big sweat marks dried on my guitars. So I keep a small spray bottle of water handy and lightly mist the fingerprints and sweat 'crust' to make it easier to wipe off. As always, what works for me may not work for you, so take it with a grain of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Alex Posted September 20, 2005 Report Share Posted September 20, 2005 Err correct me if I'm missing something, but couldn't you use ferric chloride to eat off ALL the plating? Cos that way you could have unplated parts which would age nicely to a patina. Not just scummy, not looked after, looking parts like most relics have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 21, 2005 Report Share Posted September 21, 2005 Err correct me if I'm missing something, but couldn't you use ferric chloride to eat off ALL the plating? Cos that way you could have unplated parts which would age nicely to a patina. Not just scummy, not looked after, looking parts like most relics have. ← I was told that it makes parts look like......... the parts on the 58 lookin les paul in the link below les paul with worn parts thats why i suggested it, becuase some guitars just look great with worn parts (les pauls, Strats) and some look like SH*T with new parts i.e most les pauls these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerDude Posted September 21, 2005 Report Share Posted September 21, 2005 (edited) some guitars just look great with worn parts (les pauls, Strats) and some look like SH*T with new parts i.e most les pauls these days. ZoSo_Spencer, don't forget that those Les Pauls used to have new parts back in the 70's when they were manufactured. I don't think that they looked like "SH*T" when they were with their new, still-not-worn parts on them. Sorry for the offtopic or more likely for the "semi-topic" but is there a chemical that can create a protective coat of dark oxide on the surface of objects made of iron, brass etc? I think the English word for such protective coat is "blueing". I know an acid that makes that to iron but it needs to transform the existent feroxide, i.e. the iron must be rusty to get "blued" How to make this to a non-rusty iron or brass object? Thanks! Edited September 21, 2005 by DrummerDude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSo_Spencer Posted September 21, 2005 Report Share Posted September 21, 2005 Notice i said these days....as in 2005....... i know the old lps once had new hardware on them but at that time they looked good... now the epi les pauls and gib les pauls are just trash....finishes are rubish and just overall overrated... so i have lost my appeal for new epis and gibs....not that i would ever buy an epi again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodBlessTexas Posted September 21, 2005 Report Share Posted September 21, 2005 If your sweat is extremely acidic, nothing you do will keep the chrome from coming off and the brass from eventually pitting. You can delay it for a while by wiping down the guitar several times during a practice session or a gig, and giving the guitar a good thorough wipe down before you put it away. Flitz will polish chrome and impart a protective coating over it, which helps in repelling the acids from your skin. It'll make chrome plating last a lot longer. But if the chrome is already off, then there's not much that can be done other than rechroming or replacing, and usually replacing is cheaper. Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted September 22, 2005 Report Share Posted September 22, 2005 Hey all! Thanks for the replies. Yes, the Chrome is actually coming off, and you can see the brass below it. I think I'm actually going to just give up and leave her as she is, ← I always look at guitars with worn parts as guitars that have been well-played...for me, it's almost a mark of how good a guitar is, because if the player has played it so much that it shows, then it must be a pretty good guitar. If that makes any sense. Of course, I'm not speaking about cheapo knockoff parts where things flake off after a couple of months. But just in case...I see in the auto shop cans of 'chrome' paint...has anyone tried that and does it look anything like real chrome? If it does, you can mask off the parts of the bridge that don't need chrome and just fill in the areas that do. Then add some clear to protect that. Obviously it'll all rub off and wear into your skin, sending toxic chemicals into your blood stream. But then again, where do you think all that chrome went? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HogHazard Posted September 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2005 Hmmmm.... That would explain why I've been playing all these funny modes lately! All the chrome inmy bloodstream! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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