Author Topic: Question for Mica/Val - replacing brass hardware (Read 222 times)

karl · « **on:** January 12, 2005, 09:32:10 AM »

Hi folks,

I'm looking at my MK sig and thinking I'd like to spruce her up a bit for the new year - is it possible to order gold-plated hardware (bridge, string anchor, truss rod cover maybe?) to replace the brass hardware currently on there (which is starting to discolour - it gets pretty sweaty up there onstage and I think my perspiration is having an adverse effect on the brass! - I've tried everything to remove the discolouration but can't seem to shift it)?

While I'm at it, would you be able to supply a brass control cavity cover to replace the plastic one on there? (I can live without the gold-plating on the back, and that's bound to get scuffed up a bit by my belt buckle . . .)

If you can let me know some prices, that would be great!

Thanks guys,

K.

valvil · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2005, 06:00:56 PM »

Hello Karl,

how many strings on your MK? That affects the price of the hardware. And yes, you could order a brass control cavity and that would be plated as well. The gold plating alone is 950$(and it does not include prepping or the hardware) at this time; prices are subject to change with the price of gold.
Have you tried using flitz polish on your hardware?
We might be able to gold plate your old hardware, but that would mean you'd be unable to play the bass for several weeks.
Making a backplate is no big thing, but if we had to make a whole new set of hardware, we'd need to have the bass here, so we don't recommend it because it gets so expensive that you could buy almost buy another Alembic for the price.

Valentino

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2005, 11:15:04 PM »

Karl,
A can of Brasso and a bag of cotton swabs will cure your ills but be sure to carefully clean the Brasso and smoodge off, otherwise you will be left with spots of unslightly greenish stuff on your hardware.
I've never had trouble running the disassembled, freshly cleaned hardware under running water, applying bar soap, rinsing and drying thoroughly.

David Houck · « **Reply #3 on:** January 13, 2005, 06:07:07 AM »

From time to time, I'll completely disassemble a bridge, polish all the brass parts and brush clean and lightly oil the adjustment screws. It usually takes me a couple of days to finish since my fingers get fatigued polishing such small parts. I hadn't thought of cleaning with soap and water. I oil the fretboard at the same time.

the_mule · « **Reply #4 on:** January 13, 2005, 09:27:16 AM »

Hello Val, could you please tell (e-mail) me the cost of 1 brass trussrod cover and 1 brass electronics cavity cover to replace the plastic originals on my 1999 Orion 4?

Thanks in advance,
Wilfred

terryc · « **Reply #5 on:** April 07, 2005, 07:17:52 AM »

when I bought my MK standard in NY in 1998 and brought it back to the UK, the hardware also looked a bit scruffy, don't know if Alembic can vouch for this but there was a laquer coating on the hardware, this had worn partially away and sweat/moisture had got underneath it,
I disassembled the whole lot and removed the laquer with a Dremel tool using the small brass wire brush and polished it with Solvol Autosol chrome polish. Without the coating the brass does dull but is easily brightened with the mentioned polish and I have thought about re coating the hardware to prevent this but never got around to it.

bigredbass · « **Reply #6 on:** April 09, 2005, 10:59:10 PM »

A couple of cleaning tricks regarding brass and gold parts:

After you're through polishing the brass that's NOT lacquered (basically everything except the bird/Emperor Ming tailpieces), rub on a thin film of Alberto VO-5 (yes, the old school hair cream in the gold toothpaste tube). This stuff is organic and harmless to everything on the bass and will keep it shiny a LONG time, unless you're doing lots of sweat-like-a-pig gigs. Just a LITTLE, where it only feels smooth afterward, NOT greasy.

For gold plated parts where you CAN'T use Flitz, Brasso, etc., (Brass polish WILL wreck gold plate on tuning keys, back plates, etc.), use a good car wax (Meguiar's, Mother's,etc.), but NOT the polish or wax/polish as they have small amounts of fine grit to remove swirls. This works great for that kind of cloudy fingerprint residue on the tuning key buttons, for instance, that you can never seems to wipe completely off with a dry rag. Plus if you have a gloss/clear coat instrument finish, it's fabulous guitar polish as well.

J o e y