Where to re-plate gold guitar parts?

[HeyMikey]

Specifically for pickup covers, bridge, tailpiece, etc.

I’ve been checking around locally. So far…too big for jewelers, too small for industrial shops.

Are there online places that do this? If not it sounds like a great niche business.

 

[Guildedagain]

Set up at home?

DIY Guide for Gold Plating at Home

Planning a DIY gold plating? The first step of course is to purchase a complete gold plating kit. Follow the instructions carefully. Read here.

www.goldplating.com

 

[HeyMikey]

It’s not a practical expense for one or a couple uses. Maybe a nice little niche business on the side for someone.

 

[SFIV1967]

Here you go in your neighborhood:

FM Callahan & Son

F.M. Callahan & Son, Inc. is a NADCAP certified electroplater that plates precious metals of silver and gold, electroless nickel, sulfamate nickel, zinc, copper, tin, and tin-leads. Our surface treatments include black oxide, pickling, passivating, conversion coating, and chromating.

www.fmcallahan.com

Is it possible to gold plate original hardware?

In the same process as back then.

www.strat-talk.com

Ralf

 

[chazmo]

I'm going to suggest that you find a brass instrument repair shop, Mike, and have them see if they can do this for you. I've had trumpet mouthpieces plated gold, and I think they send things out to an industrial shop in batches so they can put the covers in with whatever else needs plating.

I hope that works out, Mike. I wouldn't try to DIY this.

 

[chazmo]

You can consult with Osmun Brass, located in Acton, MA. Let me know if you need more information. I'd call 'em up and discuss.

 

[jp]

This place just finished up a Guild project. They specialize in plating.

Advanced Music Products | Home

 

[HeyMikey]

Thank you folks. I reached out to Callahan and will do the same with Osmun and AMP.

 

[SFIV1967]

This place just finished up a Guild project. They specialize in plating.

Advanced Music Products | Home

Great pictures there!
Ralf

 

[HeyMikey]

I got a call from Jeremy at Advanced Music Products. Great guy and conversation. The process is essentially to remove the old plating, buff, prep, 24 ct plate, possibly add a protective layer, buff.

I won’t have actual pricing until he gets the parts in hand, but the ballpark is roughly:

pickup cover $40 ea
bridge core $65
saddles $5-7 ea
screws $5-7 ea
stop tail $75
springs - no

Tuners are more complex as I would expect, and could be $25-35 ea. I’m not sure if I would do those vs just all the parts on the top that are near each other.

Time: 4-6 weeks

 

[Opsimath]

Will there be before and after pictures? Please?

 

[FNG]

Your new Nightbird has Grover Rotomatics? Wouldn't it work just to replace them?

 

[Minnesota Flats]

My personal sweat chemistry eats gold hardware for lunch pretty quickly, so if it was me getting gold stuff replated (or, as FNG suggests) replaced, it would be with nickel.

 

[HeyMikey]

Will there be before and after pictures? Please?

Absolutely! I have high hopes that this will make a huge difference in appearance.

Your new Nightbird has Grover Rotomatics? Wouldn't it work just to replace them?

My thought as well. Unless the tuners are rare and unique then it’s not cost effective to re-plate. However I’m going to try cleaning them up a bit more first. They aren’t as bad as the other parts and since they’re a good distance away may not be as noticeable.

My personal sweat chemistry eats gold hardware for lunch pretty quickly, so if it was me getting gold stuff replated (or, as FNG suggests) replaced, it would be with nickel.

I really dislike gold hardware for the same reason, but I want to keep this guitar as original looking as possible.

When my heirs go to sell it I don’t want some know it all LTG member to get all huffy and say “Well that’s not right. What kind of a dope changed that beautiful gold hardware…?” You know how picky those LTG types can get!

 

[chazmo]

I got a call from Jeremy at Advanced Music Products. Great guy and conversation. The process is essentially to remove the old plating, buff, prep, 24 ct plate, possibly add a protective layer, buff.

I won’t have actual pricing until he gets the parts in hand, but the ballpark is roughly:

pickup cover $40 ea
bridge core $65
saddles $5-7 ea
screws $5-7 ea
stop tail $75
springs - no

Tuners are more complex as I would expect, and could be $25-35 ea. I’m not sure if I would do those vs just all the parts on the top that are near each other.

Time: 4-6 weeks

Mike, that sounds about right, and 4-6 weeks would be an optimistic (but great) timeframe. Good luck.

Oh, yeah, and definitely don't do the tuners. Either replace them or see if you can get the buttons off and just do them.

 

[FNG]

I know squat about pickups and such, but would replacing the covers have any effect on their tone or function.?

 

[GAD]

I know squat about pickups and such, but would replacing the covers have any effect on their tone or function.?

Probably not. There are people who insist they can here a difference with the covers off and that could be due to removal of stray capacitance, but as I just wrote in a PM to someone else you can get the same result by changing the caps or even the length of the cable. Similarly there may be a small change going from metal to plastic, but the plating on a pickup cover is atoms thick so a change from say nickel to gold or vice-versa shouldn't be a problem.

 

[GAD]

My personal sweat chemistry eats gold hardware for lunch pretty quickly, so if it was me getting gold stuff replated (or, as FNG suggests) replaced, it would be with nickel.

I don't mind nickel if all the hardware is nickel. Nickel pickup covers on an otherwise chrome guitar (which is what older Guild electrics are) drives me nuts visually.

 

[FNG]

HeyMikey,

How's things going with this project?