Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

[Bruce Reed]

Anyone else out there having problems with their Antiquity nickel pickup covers turning rusty and showing signs of verdigris (greenish blue residue)? I am also having the same problem with my Gibson Historic VOS Burstbucker covers.

I don't sweat all that much and always keep my guitars clean, wiping them down after every use.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

got a picture? my ant covers looks old and worn but not rusty or oxidized

 

[Adieu]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

Anyone else out there having problems with their Antiquity nickel pickup covers turning rusty and showing signs of verdigris (greenish blue residue)? I am also having the same problem with my Gibson Historic VOS Burstbucker covers.

I don't sweat all that much and always keep my guitars clean, wiping them down after every use.

Im pretty sure that's how it is supposed to go

They scuff the plating so it is exposed to allow corrosion. That's what relic'ing is.

Just get "regular" (new-look) covers if you hate that.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

I had a pair of antiquities come gunked up from Duncan and only got worse looking when I tried to get it off. But that stuff was getting on my hands and on the finish of my guitar.

 

[Bruce Reed]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

I loved the way the covers looked when they were new, like a worn, nickel plated pickup cover should look. I've never seen a vintage guitar with this problem. I also own a '69 Custom and the gold plating has worn off the PU covers, but don't have this problem.

The last time I did some work on my R8 I pulled the pickups out, popped the covers off (I had the covers off for a while, but quickly snapped them back on), and used a lightly abrasive compound to rub the rust & verdigris off. It took a lot of elbow grease, but I got it all off and they looked just like they used to. It's been a few months now and the stuff is coming back. The sides of the covers are fine, no problem there.

My R8 has the stock Gibson Burstbucker in the neck and the Antiquity in the bridge. I love the Antiquity, it's amazing. I will take some pictures and post when I can.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

The reason I have never tried the antiquities is that I don't want to put grody worn-out-looking pickups in a brand new guitar.

 

[Bruce Reed]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

The reason I have never tried the antiquities is that I don't want to put grody worn-out-looking pickups in a brand new guitar.

If you want the guitar to sound as good as it looks - don't let that stop you! These pickups don't look "grody" when new, they just have a dull patina. The finish of the guitar will soon catch up to that if you intend to play it a lot.

I have also posted this topic on the Les Paul Forum and it seems that not many others have this problem.

 

[Bruce Reed]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

Antiquity in bridge position, Gibson Burstbucker 1 in neck position. These covers were cleaned about 3 months ago. They don't look all that bad now, but before I cleaned them they looked nasty.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

Humid tropical climate?

Or are you maybe cleaning them with products that cause damage in the long run?

 

[Bruce Reed]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

Humid tropical climate? Or are you maybe cleaning them with products that cause damage in the long run?

I am about 5 miles from the ocean, but no other nickel hardware on my other guitars does this. They actually looked a little worse than this before I cleaned them the first time. It's not the end of the world. I was just wondering if anyone else had this problem and what they did about it. I am sure it goes back to the aging process that is done on the covers when new.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

I guess you could always replace the covers if it gets really bad.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

It may be that your covers are unplated, rather than aged nickel. That could explain their aging faster than other nickelplate hardware.

Ocean air and sweat can make things look ancient in a hurry. Also, some of us have body chemistry which makes our sweat more corrosive than most. You wouldn't believe the hardware on some of the guitars that I've gigged heavily - I've actually had Les Paul bridge saddles rust away to almost nothing once the plating wore off. Had to replace the height adjustment screws for the bridge pickups on my Floydcasters too.

 

[Discharged]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

covers turning rusty and showing signs of verdigris

That's the effect of the "aging" process. Your covers have no nickel, they're raw nickelsilver. To stop the process, exacerbated by your proximity to salt water is the following: take the covers off, put'em in a soapy water/detergent solution for a day, then some elbow grease with Scotch Brite or wet 400-grit sanding paper with a motion perpendicular to the strings will give the "raw" look back, and they'll stay so.

That's an old picture of my very 1st attempt at what I've described. I've perfected my technique since.

/Peter

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

It must be something with your environment or perhaps the make of the covers has changed at some point. I don't understand the covers to be "raw nickel", but aged plated German nickel silver covers.

I have two separate pairs of Antiquities with aged covers and haven't had that problem. They have continued to age, but not the dirty growth you describe. I've had these from Charlotte NC to Tulsa OK to San Antonio TX.

Sorry to hear about the problem. You might call customer service. Who knows, they might even offer to send you a new pair of covers?

 

[Bruce Reed]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

... You might call customer service. Who knows, they might even offer to send you a new pair of covers?

I would do that if it was only the Antiquity cover with the problem. The Gibson cover is doing the same thing, per the photo above, so that tells me it's not only Duncan's issue.

Next time I change strings I'll pop them off, soak them, and rub them down again, as Peter (above) recommended.

Thanks for your input, everybody!

 

[Adieu]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

I would do that if it was only the Antiquity cover with the problem. The Gibson cover is doing the same thing, per the photo above, so that tells me it's not only Duncan's issue.

Next time I change strings I'll pop them off, soak them, and rub them down again, as Peter (above) recommended.

Thanks for your input, everybody!

It won't last, and might actually get worse. Not unless you shoot them with a spray of clearcoat or something

If you go as far as bothering to take them off, might as well spend a few bucks on regular, corrosion-resistant new covers since you hate the weathered look

 

[Bruce Reed]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

It won't last, and might actually get worse. Not unless you shoot them with a spray of clearcoat or something

If you go as far as bothering to take them off, might as well spend a few bucks on regular, corrosion-resistant new covers since you hate the weathered look

You are absolutely right. I don't mind the worn look, I have just never seen a vintage guitar pickup cover with rust and verdigris on it!

Throbak covers have been recommended to me, and they do look perfect, but for $150 I'll just clean mine every once in a while and call it good! The pickups and the guitar sound fantastic, and that's why I bought it.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

You are absolutely right. I don't mind the worn look, I have just never seen a vintage guitar pickup cover with rust and verdigris on it!

Throbak covers have been recommended to me, and they do look perfect, but for $150 I'll just clean mine every once in a while and call it good! The pickups and the guitar sound fantastic, and that's why I bought it.

Huuuuh??? Arent normal nickel covers like $5 - 7 if that?

Btw....you COULD also just ditch the covers entirely and run open buckers, you know?

 

[Bruce Reed]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

Huuuuh??? Arent normal nickel covers like $5 - 7 if that?

Btw....you COULD also just ditch the covers entirely and run open buckers, you know?

Yeah, I guess new, unaged covers are pretty cheap. I was quoting the price for two, aged Throbak covers that are spot-on. I have successfully aged nickel hardware before using acid fumes. It just takes the shine off of them and it looks pretty good. A good, low cost solution.

I have taken the pickup covers off my guitars since the 70's, so this another great option. I just kind of like the stock look of the sunburst Les Pauls of yesteryear so that's why I have it that way. The Antiquity in the bridge position is a zebra made for me by MJ and originally had the magnet reversed. I was really into Peter Green when I bought it!. I flipped it to standard to give the guitar more versatility, and just really love its tone. Can't say enough about these pickups!

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Rusty & gunky Antiquity pickup covers?

I didn't read closely regarding the Gibson cover doing the same thing, my apology.

The ThroBak nickel covers are the pinnacle of fine aging for nickel covers, but they are an investment. Spending $5 per cover won't get you a true nickel silver plated cover with no copper layer, just like the originals or like the SD Antiquity has. The quality covers do cost some money, but it can certainly be done for $40 pair in satin or raw nickel. I think compared to $150 for covers, I'd clean mine occasionally too.... although it's such an anomaly that you have to that the reason why bugs me somewhat, as I know it does you too Bruce.

Best of luck.