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Post subject: Gold hardware - pros and cons
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:45 am
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Location: UK
Hi - seeing various teles with silver hardware and also the gold-plated hardware, as on the 60th Anniversary Ltd Flame Top Telecaster Antique Burst, which to me looks fantastic.

But is the gold as durable as the silver I'm wondering?

Does it wear off or flake off in time or does it keeps it's bling if you look after it.

Opinions please ...

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1998 Fender Telecaster US Standard 3 Tone Sunburst
2013 Squire Telecaster CV50s BSB
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Post subject: Re: Gold hardware - pros and cons
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:42 pm
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I have never seen gold plating on guitar hardware that doesn't eventually wear off.

I am sure there are some tricks that some of the other members can provide. But I personally avoid gold hardware on guitars.


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Post subject: Re: Gold hardware - pros and cons
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:12 am
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Most of my older guitars that started out with the gold-plating now have a very aged look, with lots of the plating long gone. Case in point, this vintage Epi LP Custom:

Image

Image

The headstock has held up pretty well, but the pickups and bridge and tail-piece have seen better days. I thought about fixing this guitar up and making it look like new, but decided it had earned the patina, so I left it alone.

Image

Now this guitar spent most of its earlier life hanging around on South Padre Island in Texas, so salt air might have made a difference, but you get the idea.

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Post subject: Re: Gold hardware - pros and cons
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 4:43 pm
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Location: San Jose, CA
I think your body chemistry plays a large part as well. I burn through strings anything remotely gold plated on guitars. I am not rough on my strings or instruments, it is just the chemistry of my perspiration.

FWIW, it got a lot worse when I stopped drinking 2 years ago.


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Post subject: Re: Gold hardware - pros and cons
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:58 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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The gold will wear off eventually. I notice a huge difference in Epiphone's plating and Gibson's. My Epiphone would tarnish overnight to a dark green sometimes, and then when you rubbed away the green, the gold was gone. It wore almost completely off in just a year or so. I have a Gibson Les Paul with gold hardware that hasn't worn at all in the last 2 years I have owned it, and I play the guitar a whole lot more than I ever did the old Epiphone. So, what I'm saying is, different brands / countries of origin seem to play a big part. Other than the initial quality of the parts, your body chemistry will be the next biggest factor. :)


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Post subject: Re: Gold hardware - pros and cons
Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:26 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Steve-oh-no is right on the money. I used to race bicycles and my sweat would blister the paint, pit the chrome, corrode the aluminum in no time if I didn't wash the bike. Foreign plating is not as good as American commercial grade plating. All that said, I like the patina on the white LP!


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Post subject: Re: Gold hardware - pros and cons
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:16 am
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Location: UK
So you're saying the gold finish on a Custom Shop Tele would be higher quality than say on a Squier or MIM Tele?

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1998 Fender Telecaster US Standard 3 Tone Sunburst
2013 Squire Telecaster CV50s BSB
-----------------------------------------
Yeah I'm left-handed, so what?


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Post subject: Re: Gold hardware - pros and cons
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 8:38 am
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I would certainly hope so. Using thin chrome on a several thousand dollar guitar wouldn't insure they reputation for long.


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Post subject: Re: Gold hardware - pros and cons
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:58 am
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:12 am
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Location: UK
Well that's my thoughts also, all that money on a custom shop instrument. thanks.

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1998 Fender Telecaster US Standard 3 Tone Sunburst
2013 Squire Telecaster CV50s BSB
-----------------------------------------
Yeah I'm left-handed, so what?


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