Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

After having trouble with revolving-door platers for years, Dane Wilder turned me on to an old vendor who is still in business--Van Nuys Plating in VN, CA. They have always been on top in terms of quality, and are worth working with despite the distance.

Does Erlewine know any good dictionaries? It's only a material that Dan works with daily...

When I was a Creative Director for an agency, the CEO used to memo me concerning "consepts". It was only his major product/service.

I'd say I do a pretty bang-up job myself. Paul. Shoot me a PM and we'll talk.

Going by that, I think Paul should go with Ivan.

My brother said it looks shopped, its not. Thats all genuine work, I could tell you the secret if you want to know.

IvanMunoz wrote:If my chemistry teacher from last year wasn't on maternity leave, I would ask her to explain it.

No need, there is a chemist in the house!

jingle_jangle wrote:It's the celluloid.

Celluloid nitrate gives off nitric acid vapors, celluloid acetate gives off acetic acid vapors. ...

Technically speaking, celluloid is cellulose nitrate (a.k.a. nitrocellulose), an ester of cellulose, an alcohol {actually a polyol}, and nitric acid. There is no "celluloid acetate" per se, but rather cellulose acetate, an ester of cellulose and acetic acid.

The give-away that it is the nickel reacting to the acid fumes is the blue-green corrosion known as verdigris.

Wow!

I've removed the offending pickguard and was able to reduce the corrosion with judicious application (with Q-tip) of thick Lime Away. The gold still looks pitted, and where I attempted to polish off the corrosion on the gold-plated tailpiece, the underlying chrome (or maybe nickel) plating is showing through. I threw away the stings and will rebuild the bass once I get a new set of strings. I think I'll let it go without a new pickguard so the lovely fine birdseye maple under the cherry finish can be more easily seen. This is what she looked like before the creeping crud took hold:

Paul, I NEED that bass...A hofner with block inlays, I've always thought someday a custom build, but thats it! That THE bass (other than a Rick) In the future (way, way, future) Would you ever consider parting with it. This is easily like possibly years in advance, but I really like it. Out of curiosity, how much would you let that beauty go for?
If I were you, I'd keep it, but I'm just wondering.

doctorwho wrote:

IvanMunoz wrote:If my chemistry teacher from last year wasn't on maternity leave, I would ask her to explain it.

No need, there is a chemist in the house!

jingle_jangle wrote:It's the celluloid.

Celluloid nitrate gives off nitric acid vapors, celluloid acetate gives off acetic acid vapors. ...

Technically speaking, celluloid is cellulose nitrate (a.k.a. nitrocellulose), an ester of cellulose, an alcohol {actually a polyol}, and nitric acid. There is no "celluloid acetate" per se, but rather cellulose acetate, an ester of cellulose and acetic acid.

The give-away that it is the nickel reacting to the acid fumes is the blue-green corrosion known as verdigris.

Thanks, Doc. Must've cribbed the "celluloid" in a senior moment...and I'm usually such a stickler for correct terminology.

Maybe I should have come here when I was doing so poorly in chemistry last year!