The Ovation Fan Club
The Ovation Fan Club
Forum Search | Statistics | User Listing Forums | Calendars | Albums | Language
Your are viewing as a Guest. ( logon | register )

Random quote: "There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another." -Frank Zappa



Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]
Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?

View previous thread :: View next thread
   Forums Archive -> The Vault: 2004-2005Message format
 
omegaman
Posted 2004-01-06 12:35 AM (#197826)
Subject: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 28

Location: Chicagoland U.S.A.
I tried using Virtuoso Premium Polish on one tuner just to try it. I rubbed it moderately as the tuner has grit from the prior owner. A ton of black junk came off, but it seems like 75% of the gold color came with it. What is it about 2 microns thick?

Thanks.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Nils
Posted 2004-01-06 1:47 AM (#197827 - in reply to #197826)
Subject: Re: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 1380

Location: Central Oregon
Approximately one RCH.

/\/\/
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Mr. Ovation
Posted 2004-01-06 2:07 AM (#197828 - in reply to #197826)
Subject: Re: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7209

Location: The Great Pacific Northwest
I find the gold plating to be pretty good in most cases however, as you mentioned they had lots of crud, if the previous owner had acidic skin, then I bet some of that black stuff was the corroded gold coming off.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Nils
Posted 2004-01-06 2:19 AM (#197829 - in reply to #197826)
Subject: Re: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 1380

Location: Central Oregon
I don't think real gold corrodes does it Miles? I have some worn through spots in gold (?) plating on an Epi bridge but it isn't corroded anywhere. I've never seen corroded gold jewelry either. Could the plating be rubbed through & the pot metal (or whatever) coming off as black stuff?

/\/\/
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Old Applause Owner
Posted 2004-01-06 5:33 AM (#197830 - in reply to #197826)
Subject: Re: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922

Location: Canton (Detroit), MI
I think gold will corrode, but it is very resistant to it, that is why it is used on electronic contacts that require the most corrosion resistance.

If there is gold color left on the tuner, then I doubt it is the metal under the plating coming off. The black color is common to cleaning any metal object...I use NeverDull wadding to polish aluminum and alloy bicycle parts and it comes off very, very black. In your case, it's probably the surface oxidation caused by the skin oils and crud from previous usage.

Roger

1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String
COMING SOON - 1986 Glen Campbell 12-string
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Paul Templeman
Posted 2004-01-06 7:06 AM (#197831 - in reply to #197826)
Subject: Re: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750

Location: Scotland
Gold-plating on guitar hardware will corode, how quickly & how badly depends on your body chemistry, pretty much like strings. My sweat is particularly acidic, I put a gold-plated Bigsby vibrato on my Thunderhead less than a year ago & and the handle is already showing signs of corrosion.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
alpep
Posted 2004-01-06 8:01 AM (#197832 - in reply to #197826)
Subject: Re: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581

Location: NJ
gold plating no matter how good does not hold up like chrome.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Tony PD
Posted 2004-01-06 8:46 AM (#197833 - in reply to #197826)
Subject: Re: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 178

Location: New York, NY
Well, this has been a real eye opener!
I know this is unrelated to Ovations, but I currently don't own any electrics. My dream is to one day purchase a spanking new Gibson Les Paul Studio, black with gold hardware. I think I'll get the chrome hardware instead.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
moody, p.i.
Posted 2004-01-06 8:52 AM (#197834 - in reply to #197826)
Subject: Re: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15651

Location: SoCal
I lived down by the ocean for about 5 years and the gold on my Legend's tuners just looked like shit when I moved.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
omegaman
Posted 2004-01-06 10:30 AM (#197835 - in reply to #197826)
Subject: Re: Just how thin is the plating on 'gold' tuners?


Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 28

Location: Chicagoland U.S.A.
Thanks for the above fellas. I am a watch collector, and have rubbed and polished solid gold and tons of stainless watches in my time. I have only softle rubbed a plated or filled watch with a jewelers cloth as i am uncertain. I have never, ever seen so much black come off of a watch. This was very heavy. My guess is that it was very corroded from his acidic skin. Funny though, there is barely a sign of wear on the body at all, almost nothing, the fretboard did have body oil marks it seems. Hard to tell what kind of ride this guy gave her. Oh well, I had to dig to get those pit feeling things off the tuners, they wreren't really pits, more like tiny, miniscule pimples, the naked eye could see it with difficulty, but it spoke of dirty to me, I couldn't live with it. I tried the jewelers cloth alone, that should have done it. No way, it needed the polish too.

Thanks again!
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]
Jump to forum :
Search this forum
Printer friendly version
E-mail a link to this thread

This message board and website is not sponsored or affiliated with Ovation® Guitars in any way.
Registered to: The Ovation Fanclubâ„¢ Copyright (c) 2001
free counters
(Delete all cookies set by this site)