Looking for excellent Gold electroplating shop

[buzzer]

Hi,

I've been refurbishing my oldest guitar, and the next step in the process is to find an experienced electroplating company to restore the metal parts with gold (but would also consider chrome). I live in Thailand and own a 1977 Ibanez Artist EQ - Model 2622, also called the Steve Miller model. I bought this new in 1978, and the years have not been kind to this instrument. I recently had a luthier in Bangkok refinish it. Bringing it from beat up to beautiful. However it was never a question of restoring it. First, I swapped the original "Flying Fingers" pickups for some DiMarzio pickups within the first year or two. Later, an evil landlord threw away a lot of my possessions, including the Flying Fingers. I also had a non-original switch installed to operate the DiMarzio dual-sound pickup. The binding was disintegrating, and the luthier couldn't find a binding material that was a close match, so we decided to use Walnut for the binding. At that point, the Walnut looked better on a Tobacco Sunburst, than the original Cherry Sunburst finish. Then I replaced the DiMarzios with some Bill Lawrence pickups. As I said, the refinish is beautiful, but it will never be 'original' again.

I've looked all over Bangkok, and can't find anyone who wants to do the replating. As I said, I would prefer gold, but, since it is no longer original, and because the refinish is a different color, I'm thinking that chrome wouldn't be too bad looking either.

If any of you know anyone in Oz, N.Z., or anwhere in S.E. Asia who is up to the task, please let me know. I'd like to see this guitar 'smile' again... loudly!

Thanks,

Buzzer

[Allen]

Welcome to the forum Buzzer.

Can't help you with your query, as the only people that I know really aren't up to the task. I certainly wouldn't send them any of my parts.

[Puff]

Were you here I would suggest you talk to custom bike or car shops to see who they use.

[buzzer]

Hi all, thanks for the warm welcome.

the only people that I know really aren't up to the task. I certainly wouldn't send them any of my parts.

Especially when the people are doctors, and the 'parts' you're entrusting to them are irreplaceable.

Were you here I would suggest you talk to custom bike or car shops to see who they use.

The whole compromise to "chrome" instead of gold replating came due to the fact that I've spent many days trying to find the latter in Thailand, without success, then someone suggested the custom motorcycle shops, which I know exist here.

So, I think you're helping to point me in that direction. This is helpful. Next stop - the Harley Man!

Thanks - Buzzer

[Kim]

Don't know how much you will need to do but there are a couple of options for DIY..

Casswell Plating Kits = a bit Exie but is an option that has its pro's :

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/goldpl8.htm

And brushing via ebay kit is cheaper. It is still plating but looks to have its cons.

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/custom- ... ating.html

I found these with a 2 second search on google. I recommend doing the same and learning more of the process, it may not be as difficult as you think.

Cheers

Kim

[Allen]

It might be worth asking at a Jeweler who does repairs etc. They might be able to point you in the right direction as well.

[buzzer]

Don't know how much you will need to do but there are a couple of options for DIY..

Thanks, Kim, but I like this guitar and am trying to avoid this particular 'option'. DIY - Do It Yourself can all to often become DIY - Destroy It Yourself.

I don't want to be responsible for messing up this guitar. Everything, so far, is beautiful, and well done. It would be a gamble I'm not willing to make. I think the motorcycle shop route (and changing it to chrome) makes more and more sense to me. It may be possible to see some of the work they've done, or pictures, and talk to them to get a feeling for their experience, pride of workmanship, etc.

I've been looking around Bangkok since at least 6 - 8 months, and asking questions on various forums, and among the advice I've been given, one of the cautions is to stay away from jewelers. They are used to putting very thin coats of gold on the things they do - the opposite of what this instrument needs. Chrome, by default, tends to be pretty thick and durable.

Thanks for caring enough about my guitar to post these answers. I will try to take some photos when it's finished, and post them here.

Regards,

Buzzer

[Bob Connor]

G'day Buzzer

I'd also ask the question over at the Official Luthiers Forum.

www.luthiersforum.com

Being based in America there be a greater chance of finding someone who does specialised work like this.

Regards

[kiwigeo]

Ive got a local jeweller who doesnt mind sharing his secrets. Will ask him and get back to you.

[Kim]

Don't know how much you will need to do but there are a couple of options for DIY..

Thanks, Kim, but I like this guitar and am trying to avoid this particular 'option'. DIY - Do It Yourself can all to often become DIY - Destroy It Yourself.

I don't want to be responsible for messing up this guitar. Everything, so far, is beautiful, and well done. It would be a gamble I'm not willing to make.

Buzzer

Sorry Buzzer but I am not sure what you mean, could you explain what the gamble is?

I am by no means an expert but as I see it the process, be it brushing or tank plating, is simply a matter of applying au in an electrolytic solution and bonding it to the host component at an atomic level via electronic discharge. Like I said, I am by no means an expert but this would seem to indicate that anything applied to the host component could be removed just as easily by reversing the polarity of the discharge unit ...like washing the dishes so to speak. I could be wrong, but even if DIY plating was not revisable we are only talking 'microns' here and I am not seeing how one could get this so wrong that they could irreversibly damage the parts or make them any worse than they were given that they already need re-plating.

Of course you should do what ever your comfortable with, but unless you 'know' of a risk that you can identify for the rest of us, please don't imply there is one based only upon an assumption as doing so can only serve to put others off who may be more adventurous than yourself from a possible solution. My advise is to take the time to learn more about process because even if you do end up going with a pro plater, at least then you will have some insight into what they are doing to your parts, and other than their tanks being larger to handle greater volume, that process is unlikely to be that far removed from the DIY options regardless of whether its dipping, or brushing.

Heaps of youtube vids to look at on this here is just a few..


youtu.be/


youtu.be/


youtu.be/

Cheers

Kim

[Puff]

I wouldn't trust any of my parts to anyone who has that noise in the workshop

[Kim]

Funny you should say that Puff, I found the slide blues in background to be the most endearing thing about the whole vid.

[Puff]

Kim I found number two a distraction but otherwise ok, but was really referring to number one.
Given they're ads and not tutes I guess anything goes.

[kiwigeo]

This man could probably help you....

[Puff]

To whom are you addressing this pearl Martin?

[kiwigeo]

To anybody who needs anything gold plated...including wedding tackle.

[J.F. Custom]

Hi Buzzer.

Sorry for the late chime in here to you and anyone else interested.

I had a bridge custom made for this multiscale I crafted (below) and it was black chrome plated through a company in Melbourne, Australia.

http://www.precisionplating.com.au

They did an excellent job and have plenty of plating options, including gold. Worth investigating for you I'd say.

Cheers,

Jeremy.

JFCustom_Multiscale.jpg (243.05 KiB) Viewed 11712 times