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!