“Mother’s Mag and Aluminum polish” works great for nickel bass parts…and car headlight covers…

[lungimsam]

Got Hipshot ultralight tuners for my green Starfire bass. Over 1/4 lb. lighter than stock Grovers. They came in shiny nickel but the shafts and bushing nuts were not polished and very grey and matte looking (which also looked nice if you are into the matte look). I got everything polished up with Mother’s and a paper towel and it polished up real easy and shiny. Highly recommended. It is a paste in a jar and also works lickety split to defog your car’s plastic headlight covers. You can see matte bushings raw in pic below and then in the other pic shafts and bushings polished up.
(BTW, if you get ultralights for your NS Starfire Bisonic bass, you will need the 1/2” size tuners. They come with 17mm bushings but you will need to buy the 18mm bushings set for $8 from the “accessories” part of Hipshot’s online shop to fit the holes in the headstock. Though some people wrap tape around the 17mm stock bushings and use those.).
PS- the standard clover leaf tuner size, as well as mini-clover leafs sized tuners both look great on Starfires. The minis do not look too small and look great on the headstock. The standard size looks great, too. Just depends if you want the big elephant ear look or the more proportioned looking mini clovers. I have standards on my red bass and the minis on the green bass).

 

[mellowgerman]

Now let's see that beautiful headstock in full!

 

[lungimsam]

Mini clover keys vs. stock Grover elephant ears.
The stock Grover tuners will cover the one small Hipshot mounting screw if you ever want to put them back on. The entire Ultralight tuner stays in the Grover footprint.

 

[GGJaguar]

Mini clovers

I like the look of these better!

 

[mellowgerman]

Very nice! My issue (if you can really call it that / for lack of a better term) with the NS reissue tuners is how far they stick out from the headstock. The keys are more or less the same size as vintage ones, but the shaft is noticeably longer than the vintage ones... It's probably just a matter of spending far too much time admiring the oversized 70's iteration of the Guild headstock (of my #1) and the corresponding shorter shafts. I know Hipshot also offers a short-shaft option, but regardless, I think the mini clovers look great too. Kind of reminiscent of the VanGhent tuners used on a lot of 60's Guild basses.

 

[bobouz]

I got a plastic bottle of Mother’s Mag & Wheel polish that’s in a rather thin liquid form. I’ve had it for quite a few years & it’s my go-to product for metal guitar parts - a very mild abrasive that still cuts through & cleans without scarring the finish (when used with a light touch!).

 

[GGJaguar]

Mother’s Mag & Wheel polish

I used to use that but switched to Never Dull and Simichrome.

 

[bobouz]

I used to use that but switched to Never Dull and Simichrome.

Hmm - Many years ago I used Semichrome paste (in a tube) on motorcycles & I remember it as being rather abrasive - perhaps nowadays they have assorted levels of the product. Have not tried Never Dull & will have to check it out - The ideal metal polish has always seemed somewhat elusive!

 

[Minnesota Flats]

I've always used this stuff on cars and guitars:

 

[wileypickett]

RE: to get back to the car headlights: the glass on my Honda Civic headlights gets cloudy like that and I assumed you had to clean the glass from the inside. But it looks like you're wiping it down from the outside, yes? If so, howzat work?!

 

[geoguy]

Plastic headlight lenses have a coating on the exterior that deteriorates from long-term exposure to UV light. That UV damage is the cloudiness that you see (and which can prevent a vehicle from passing annual inspection in Our Fair State.

You can buy a kit from an auto parts store that includes both cleaning/polishing compounds, and a wipe-on coating that helps slow down the inevitable returning UV damage.

The polished tuners look great, btw!

 

[wileypickett]

Plastic headlight lenses have a coating on the exterior that deteriorates from long-term exposure to UV light. That UV damage is the cloudiness that you see (and which can prevent a vehicle from passing annual inspection in Our Fair State.

You can buy a kit from an auto parts store that includes both cleaning/polishing compounds, and a wipe-on coating that helps slow down the inevitable returning UV damage.

The polished tuners look great, btw!

Thanks for the tip!

 

[lungimsam]

RE: to get back to the car headlights: the glass on my Honda Civic headlights gets cloudy like that and I assumed you had to clean the glass from the inside. But it looks like you're wiping it down from the outside, yes? If so, howzat work?!

Liberally apply it all over the headlight cover (from the outside) and then start rubbing the stuff off hard with a rag, and keep on polishing and it will come clear. It is really easy!! Doesn;t take long. Maybe 5 minutes each light. I used paper towels.

I have heard lots of explanation why they get cloudy (UV light, smog particulates, acid rain) but whatever the reason, the mother's polish works great.
And no, I don;t sell or own Mother's or have stock in it or any other interest. I am just glad it really works and thought I would share it here.
This is not my video, but it shows how to do it here: