Ageing Gold Hardware

[Stray Dog]

I used to want my gold hardware all nice and shiny, but recently, I've really come to appreciate the look of Keith Richards' aged 355s, and some fantastic vintage Epiphone Sheratons I have seen.

Anyway, is there a way I could age the gold hardware on my guitar, other than playing it nonstop of 20 years?

[Blackdog]

... other than playing it nonstop of 20 years?

In my experience, playing it for a year might well be enough.

But I would guess that any mild metal polisher like Brasso might do the trick. Gold plating is usually very thin, and you'll usually find nickel plating below it.