Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I hope I can be forgiven for presenting a problem I have with one of my non-Rick basses. I have a one-off special Höfner bass that was custom made for the then president of Boosey & Hawks back a dozen years or so ago. I've had this gorgeous instrument on a wall hanger along with two other Höfner Beatle basses, and only this one has this awful corrosion problem. I'm hoping that Paul W. or someone can explain what has caused this and how to fix it, and how to prevent a re-occurance. In addition to what you see here, the pickguard always seems to have a "sweat" on it that doesn't evaporate. Again, two other basses almost like it don't exhibit this "sweat" and have no corrosion on the pickups, tailpiece, tiny headless screws that hold the pickups in the plastic surrounds, and even the strings! What's going on here? It looks as though the gold-plated hardware has been picked up off the ocean floor! And the crud is creeping up the strings. Anyone?

As daft as it may sound you may have some kind of electrolysis going on due to some non matching metal somewhere on the bass. Is it the only one with gold hardware? The gold it self should be fairly neutral but there may be something preplating the gold that is upsetting the chemical balance.
Possibly something in the electrical circuit could be messing with it as well....

Eden.

I'm no expert but I've seen something like this before. The problem turned out to be off-gassing from deteriorating plastic. The corrosion looked exactly like what your pictures show. Quick, take off that pickguard.

Clint wrote:I'm no expert but I've seen something like this before. The problem turned out to be off-gassing from deteriorating plastic. The corrosion looked exactly like what your pictures show. Quick, take off that pickguard.

+1!

Clint wrote:I'm no expert but I've seen something like this before. The problem turned out to be off-gassing from deteriorating plastic. The corrosion looked exactly like what your pictures show. Quick, take off that pickguard.

OK, but what can I do to the metal to restore it?

bassduke49 wrote:

Clint wrote:I'm no expert but I've seen something like this before. The problem turned out to be off-gassing from deteriorating plastic. The corrosion looked exactly like what your pictures show. Quick, take off that pickguard.

OK, but what can I do to the metal to restore it?

I think it's not possible to clean up the plating, only to have the pickups re-plated.

There was a Dan Erlewine article a couple years ago in VG about this exact issue on a Gibson. Kira is right, you will need to replate, ideally.

Thats really interesting about the plastic. I know vinegar cleans up pennies, I doubt it would work on this. When in doubt, don't try it. I've learned this the hard way...many times.

Clint wrote:I'm no expert but I've seen something like this before. The problem turned out to be off-gassing from deteriorating plastic. The corrosion looked exactly like what your pictures show. Quick, take off that pickguard.

Never thought of that, but it makes sense!

Eden.

Note how the condition is worse the closer to the pickguard the metal is. Looks like that is the problem, but I'm still curious about what chemical reaction is taking place. Is an acid leaching out of the pickguard? Might they still make pickguards out of this (?) material?

This was a common problem with those black pickguards on early Fender Telecasters and Precision Basses.

That's a pitiful sight. Pickguard off-gassing in the worst way. Ammonia, perhaps? It's even attacked the fret ends. Get it off of there and far, far away. Is the bass still under warranty? Steel wool might restore your frets, and screw heads, but the covers will need re-plating, as will the pole pieces. So sorry to see this.

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

It's the celluloid.

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

It's not the gold corroding, BTW...it's the brass pickup shells. The gold is merely flash-plating over nickel and both are porous enough to allow the acid vapors to attack the brass.

Replating is the only solution.

Thanks, Paul. Figured you would have the story. I've been in contact with Dan Erlewine and he points to the pickguard also, he describes it being made of "nitro cellulous." I figured it was the brass as gold is nearly impossible to damage.

Know any good platers?!