Gold Plating

[nnickusa]

I've got a restoration project on the bench now. A 1976 Ibanez "Futura," or copy of a Gibby moderne, that has been partially done up by a "professional luthier." Not, to my way of thinking, to any kind of professional standard, so I'm re-doing her.

I've got a sheet of Pickguard material coming from StewMac, as I couldn't find anything in OZ big enough. the one made by the "luthier" is garbage. Doesn't fit the PUP surrounds, and the holes drilled for the posts are about 6mm oversize, and the screw holes have been stuffed by over zealous bevelling....

Anyway, the tuners that I got off a mate are original Ibanez(Gotoh) gold Star tuners, but VERY worn. In anticipation of this project, I bought a "Pen Plating" kit, and decided to have a go on Sunday. After a long time spent buffing the surfaces as smooth as I could get them with the buffing wheel on the Dremel, I had a crack. It's dead easy, and the plating itself took around 5 minutes each tuner....just like painting.

I reckon I'll polish them back and re-plate a few more times, but they're looking pretty good already.....finished on the left and not touched on the right....

gold stars 010 (Small).JPG (71.25 KiB) Viewed 5901 times

And, the headstock with the new gold tuners installed.....

gold stars 011 (Small).JPG (68.08 KiB) Viewed 5901 times

[GregL]

Hi Nick,

Moderne copy, eh? The plating looks good!
I think the Ibanez Moderne copy is not too common.
What do you reckon about the "standard" head shape versus the "proper" Gibson Moderne head shape?

GregL.

[nnickusa]

The futura is one of the rarest Ibanez. Especially with the Gibby open book headstock. They were only made that way for a six or seven month period. Problem is, the meatal heads and hair bands in the 80's LOVED them, and chopped most to bits...This one had a Kahler at some point

I've only seen a dozen that have this headstock in 10 years of searching.

My theory is that Fugi Gen had a pile of "Gibson" necks and stuck them on any Gibson copy that came down the line......

And, thanks, I'm happy with the plating. Kit cost $300, but to plate one PIECE, and a tuner is around 4 pieces if you care to take them apart, costs around $25 in Lismore, so I saved a few hundred this way, and have enough to plate many, many more things

[Paul B]

How does that plating system work? Is it electrolysis? Seems effective, how durable is the plating?

Vapour deposition looks good, but is really not very hard wearing in my experience.

Looks like a good job from where I'm sitting.

[jeffhigh]

That Gold looks good, can you do it without completeley dismantling the tuner?

[simso]

Looks good, dont buff the plated surface, it will be super thin, brush plating is great but it just covers, the key to a good shine is as you have discovered, preperation of the base metal to a super shiny finish.

Any way looks good.

[nnickusa]

Paul: Yeah a little electronic rectifier that runs a low current and you just brush the solution on. I've only just done these, but I don't expect them to be exceptionally hard wearing, but I can just touch them up. I prefer the gold a little worn on a 40 yo guitar.

Jeff: As all the metal pieces are in contact through the tuner, I just clipped onto the post, and went at it. The gold deposited pretty much the same on all the parts. I reckon in the future, I can leave them on the guitar for touchups down the track.

Steve: I'm going to get some super fine polish from a mate who's a jeweller, and go that instead of buffing. The buffing took off most of the old plating, but got me a pretty good starting point. I think I'll just polish, mostly the buttons, and hit them a couple more times to give a bit more wearability, I hope.

Anyway, for a little more than the cost of getting them done, and not having to take them apart, i have enough to keep them looking new for the next several years.

Not to mention that the daughter saw it and now wants her iPhone gold