Tailpiece Plating

[RW-F5]

I have a 2 yr old Gibson Fern, and the tailpiece cover is "fading" (the gold color is coming off). Does anyone know where I can get it re-plated? I've owned quite a few mandolins over the years but never had this to happen before.Thanks.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Usually an I/net search will come up with a list of plating shops. Obviously you need one who does Gold plating. The plating thicknesses on some tailpieces are pittifully thin,so have it plated with a thicker coating & it should last for many years,
Ivan

[Phil Goodson]

You have PM.

[Jonathan Ward]

I'll bet that if you contact Gibson and tell them about the problem, they will send you a new tailpiece cover. I once bought an A9 that was missing the tailpiece cover, and they insisted on sending me a new one for free. Worth a shot, anyway, particularly since it sounds like you have a "defective materials" claim.

[William Smith]

I'll bet that if you contact Gibson and tell them about the problem, they will send you a new tailpiece cover. I once bought an A9 that was missing the tailpiece cover, and they insisted on sending me a new one for free. Worth a shot, anyway, particularly since it sounds like you have a "defective materials" claim.

I don't think its defective material claim, on all the old covers from 20's through 50's it is real gold they use, very soft, comes off easy. real easy if you start to polish with something! I know people that have polished off vintage covers while not knowing what they were doing! I don't know what Gibson would be using now, if its real gold+ other additives? I don't know the process for that even years ago..

[Jonathan Ward]

"I have a 2 yr old Gibson Fern..."

Hence the substance of my suggestion. Gibson would likely agree that the plating on their components shouldn't fail after two years. Gibson instruments carry a limited lifetime warranty to the original owner.

[Timbofood]

The actual process of electroplating has not changed siginificantly really. The process of "Rolled gold filled" on the other hand has disappeared. That's based on jewelry experience not instrument parts.
But, 2 year old "American made" part? Let them know there's a problem, I'd bet they will fix(replace) it, without any problems.
Anymore plated parts have a surprisingly "thin" plating, its expensive. I would not use ANY sort of metal polish on a TP, some plated pieces are also lacquered and the first time you hit it with polish, that protective finish is disrupted and tarnish, or other degradation will commence. Soft flannel type of cloth, if you know a jeweler, see if they will give (or sell) you a "Selvyt" cloth. It will last you the rest of your life, contains nothing save its inherent softness and is washable of it gets funky.
Full disclosure...
I can eat the plating off pretty much any tailpiece in six months unless I wear long sleeves. Doesn't matter what the plating is. Some of us are just more caustic than others! Life's tough.

[mandroid]

Because Gold is an element , it's easy to electroplate.. but it, Au, is characteristically soft..
at the current Au cost a few microns thick is what you get.

Baby Shoe 'Bronzing', a applying a copper plate on them was popular BITD, so you can find small scale electroplating rigs ..


You may also be potentially able to apply Gold Leaf, then lacquer over it to have it last a bit longer.


I epoxied a piece of Ebony over the cover on my Gold plated james TP..

[Timbofood]

You can get an electroplating set up from "Rio Grande" jewelry supply but, the surface preparation is the hard part, if it's not as close to perfect as humanly possible the result will show every imperfection in the substrate, I know often the base layer is polished to an extremely high polish then it goes to the plater who may copper plate for a very conductive surface then, it would go into the final bath of plating solution. A friend of mine polishes banjo tone rings (brass/bronze) to as near a mirror polish possible, then the parts get a trip to the plater who does the next layers, copper then nickle or chrome or gold. It ain't cheap nor easy but, the results have certainly been pretty! I'm not so sure I'd want to do it for one tailpiece cover if I could get the manufacturer to replace it even for a reasonable price.
Gold leaf, I think would be every bit as much prep, and in my opinion, not as durable, regardless of any topical finish. Just get a replacement.

[Ivan Kelsall]

From mandroid - "...but it, Au, is characteristically soft..". Gold plating can be carried out in different 'carats' of Gold,from 9ct to 24ct. The higher the carat rating,the softer the gold. It can also be plated to varying thicknesses. So,a heavily 9ct Gold plated item should last quite a while & as Gold is very inert,it won't oxidise under normal circumstances = no lacquer required.

Plating most metals requires a copper 'flash' plating,then a base plating of 'say' Nickel Silver,then the Gold plating as Timothy correctly points out,
Ivan
PS - Here's one UK Co. not too far from me who can plate almost anything - even plastic. :- http://www.goldplating1.co.uk/works.php#all