How To Clean Gold Hardware On Guitar

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BowerR64 Well-Known Member

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Try easy off oven cleaner.
It use to work back in the RC car days on anodized parts

Yeah but getting you to sweat I'm betting would be an expensive proposition.!
BP
Don't breathe that shit it will kill you.

Just let my missus find my bank ledger, I'll make buckets.
+1 on the Easy-Off, do it outside. It does remove anodizing fairly easy, plan on a couple applications, followed by rinsing.Wear gloves and don't breathe the fumes.
If it is real gold, there is nothing (cleaner) which will remove it.
Gold is impervious to chemicals, including acids.
The only way would be to use an abrasive (like bead blasting), sand paper, etc...to actually scrape off the finish.

Yup, that's how to do it.
Yes cuz we all know that guitar parts are made of real 14K or 18K gold.
Yes the plating is real gold.
And a Les Paul gold top is real gold also.
But it is plating, not solid gold.
Gunner64 Emotional Support Animal Gold Supporting Member

Adrian hasn't had a retort..that's not like him. He's only 150 mi. From me here, maybe he's frozen. 17 below zero high temps here today, wind chills could exceed 50 below. Everythings closed, no schools, no mail, no garbage pick up, no work. I'm gonna spark up the fireplace and fix a reverb tank..stay warm dudes.
RLW59 Well-Known Member

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Original-spec goldtops have bronze powder in clear nitro. That's why they turn green when the finish is worn and moisture gets to the powder particles.
(Gibson has done versions of goldtops that use modern coated plastic flakes instead of real bronze.)
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And gold isn't totally impervious. Aqua Regia is a mix of nitric and hydrochloric acids and dissolves gold. (That's how it got its name -- it dissolves the "noble metals" like gold and platinum that normally don't react to anything.)

Of course Aqua Regia would also attack the base metal under the gold plating, so that wouldn't be practical.
stringtree Well-Known Member

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Fireplaces are great!
Fire up a nice 100 watt head and cab to taste for that extra warmth.
Kidding aside, agreed, stay warm everyone living in these areas affected by this weather.

Sometimes its hard to gauge the weather based off of media. They are always saying this is the worst winter ever, then you hear from those living there, and they say it was nothing nearly as bad as reported..

I from Wis. originally.....
Gunner64 Emotional Support Animal Gold Supporting Member

Yea I'm in Iowa. It's cold..as cold as I ever recall. I just looked at the current temp and it was -23.
And it sounds like any method used to remove the gold on the hardware will be hard on the hardware itself, and you'd have to invest in the chemicals to do it. That money could just be put towards new, or even used nickel hardware. Gibson dependable or the Stratosphere sells used hardware. $100 would go a long way at either place I'd think.
No goldtops are real gold & so is gold plated guitar parts i saw it on the internet.
To me the easiest solution would be just to replace the gold hardware with nickel and think of the wear and tear you will save for yourself
BowerR64 Well-Known Member

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humm, maybe thats my problem?
harleytech Well-Known Member

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Yep, Just change it out to nickel... Done !
Why go thru the hassle... Plus, It will look better...

Last edited: Jan 31, 2019
I also would just change it, keep the original parts , so that if you ever sell it, you could just reinstall the gold, and if the reason behind all of this is that it's coming off, Hell that patina is mojo! Cheers
harleytech Well-Known Member

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I Usually don't buy any guitars with gold plating, I just never cared for gold plating...
BowerR64 Well-Known Member

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