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Gold plating?
http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10123&t=43817
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Author:  klooker [ Wed Jul 16, 2014 10:19 am ]
Post subject:  Gold plating?

I've been working on a Korina V for too long but I'm at the point where I need to get the tail piece plated or finished to look like gold. Supposedly the original Gibsons were gold plated.

I had these made in steel by a metal fabricator because I couldn't find anything close to what's supposedly accurate. They still need drilled.

Do any of you know much about gold plating - who does it, and what I should spec? Or is there an alternative? Are "gold" pickups actually gold plated or is there some other process.

Thanks,
Kevin Looker

Author:  Chris Pile [ Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Gold plating?

Check with your local jewelry maker.

Author:  Stuart Gort [ Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Gold plating?

Look in your local phone books for "metal finishing" "metal finishers", "metal platers" "chrome or chroming services". Any one of them will know the processes used for plating pickup covers. if you send them a pic of a pickup cover...and then tell them they are cheap, I'm fairly certain you'll find that the gold plating on common pickups covers is an electroplating process and the layer is a brass alloy...not gold. They will probably also tell you that in order to get it super shiny...you have to prep the steel to a shiny state before the plating process.

Honestly...making that part out of sheet brass (A360 alloy) and polishing it using the same finishing schedule as your lacquer would probably result in a very highly polished gold part. Like...800, 1200, 1500....and then the polishing wheel with Menzurna medium and fine compounds.

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