Tarnish Treatment?

[Feynman]

Evidently New York is a humid place filled with sweaty guitarists. My new guitar's hardware all seems to have dulled/hazed/something. Most of it is just sort of a mild, even cool looking, aged look. The bridge has it pretty bad though.

What is the best thing to do here? Can it be cleaned up without risking making it worse? Replace the bridge? Sell it to burningyen? Leave it alone and pretend I'm a real guitarist that puts wear on guitars?

[rugby1970]

I have a similar condition on one of my guitars, pickup covers too. I'd love to know the answer.

[cynic]

That would never happen with nylon strings

[ARM OF HAMER]

Looks cool to me!

[Biz Prof]

In "Cork Sniffer" magazine (that would be the print version TGP), that symptom would be called "period-correct patina" .

Seriously, have you tried buffing it with Brasso--or if you can even find it--Silvo?

[serial]

Use Flitz.

[coolfeel]

It looks pretty bad and will likely impede your ability to play at your highest level. I will offer to take it off your hands at no charge...

[Boomerang~Junkie]

^ ^ YES ^ ^ Flitz be da Shitz!

Used it for years - there are some restrictions on what you shouldn't use it on. Go to their website and check it out.

[veatch]

Send it to me. I'll clean it up and send it back.

[cmatthes]

Another tried and true Flitz user.

It WORKS.

[Jeff R]

Another I've had good luck with is Maas metal polish.

[Studio Custom]

A little metal polish and the felt head on a Dremel tool will polish it up quick.

[gorch]

Forget about the Dremel and polish manually. It'll make you sweat.

[Feynman]

Thanks all. I hear you loud and clear in your advice to order a new bridge.

[LordsoftheJungle]

You could trade it in for an Historic Gibson LP with P90s,,, those things are flippin awesome and they never taint,,,

[Ting Ho Dung]

Leave it. It looks cool. Is it nickel? I never polish nickel.

[Feynman]

Flitz! I am a believer. Now I need to do the rest of it. Good stuff.

This is about two minutes of effortless light polishing with a microfiber cloth.

Thanks, HFC experts.

[gorch]

Congratulations!

[Michael_B]

Looks great. Thanks for fixing it up for me. I can't wait to own it.

Edited to remove my grumbling about being dropped down to #5 on the list. I have already apologized for those things I said about you; I understand you were in college, it was Thailand. It could have happened to anyone! Other HFC'ers, I swear it's a baseless rumor.

[Feynman]

SO...MUCH.....SHINY.

Thank you again everyone. The guitar is saved. Flitz!

[Ting Ho Dung]

Maybe you already know this, but if you need to adjust the tail piece height, don't use a screwdriver. You will always get those little divots in the post slot. Loosen the strings a little and use a quarter or nickel. I think even then I may have used a piece of fabric over the coin. But I can't remember for sure.

Edit: You're still a Jerk.

[specialk]

SO...MUCH.....SHINY.

Man, that luthier jargon is hard to fathom, so thanks for the pics to help explain it to us laymen.

Seriously, congrats!

[a.bandini]

Shiny...very shiny.

Didn't rainman say something like that on a slightly different subject?

Nice work!

[Toadroller]

Holy Flitz!

I'm gettin' a tube.

[cynic]

Maybe the back binding is hiding under a layer of wood tarnish