The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 10-23-2020, 07:07 AM
PeteyPower16 PeteyPower16 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 196
Default Photos of Tarnish on Gold/Nickel Tuners

I am thinking of getting some replacement Taylor tuners for my guitar. The color options are:

Chrome
Nickel
Gold

I hear that all polished gold tuners will tarnish over time. I wondered: do the nickel and chrome tuners also tarnish?

If anyone has photos of tarnished Taylor tuners, would you mind posting a photo here along with the vintage of your tuners? It would be really helpful to gauge how things might look a few years from now.

Thank you!
__________________
-----
PeteyPower16

Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003
Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003
Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020
Taylor 414ce 2020
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005

Previous Guitars:
Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.)
Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.)
Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020
Fender CD-60CE SB-DS-V2 2013

Last edited by PeteyPower16; 10-23-2020 at 07:40 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-23-2020, 10:15 AM
penname penname is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 491
Default

Tuners on Taylor GA 8, purchased new in late 2011. I have “fingers of death” with it comes to metallic objects, especially guitar strings. And now I discover with gold tuner buttons also.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg E97B3C0D-DC83-4CDF-9F74-F68178BBBC1A.jpg (37.5 KB, 146 views)
__________________
2022 Eastman E40 00
2018 Martin 00-17 Authentic 1931
2018 Guild M-20
2015 Martin CEO-7
2012 Martin OM-21
2011 Voyage-Air VAOM-04
2011 Taylor GA8
1930's Supertone Parlor
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-23-2020, 12:43 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Chugiak, Alaska
Posts: 31,166
Default

Petey, I’ve never seen actual tarnish on gold-plated tuners - the gold Schaller mini tuners on my custom 000-42, which I received in 1989, still look brand new. And that guitar has been used and gigged with a LOT since I got it.

But Scott Baxendale, who built the guitar, swapped out the stock metal buttons for pearloid. Scott did that for contrast and the added visual elegance of the pearloid, but a really important side benefit is that the gold plating on the tuners themselves has remained intact.

It’s the stock metal buttons that receive most of the wear because they’re only part of the tuners that players normally touch 99% of the time.

So if you want to avoid the gold plating getting worn off, it’s a good idea to install aftermarket tuner buttons.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-23-2020, 01:07 PM
yairimann yairimann is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: alberta
Posts: 211
Default


1989 original Schiller tuners on k yairi
__________________
the heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.
Pascal
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-23-2020, 01:11 PM
pinweasel pinweasel is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Troutdale oregon
Posts: 67
Default

I have 2 guitars with gold plated tuners both at lest 13 years old. Mine are all fine.
__________________
ovation legend 1717 reissue
ovation legend 6756lx 12 string
Martin dc13e
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-23-2020, 08:52 PM
The Bard Rocks The Bard Rocks is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Mohawk Valley
Posts: 8,711
Default

If it's real gold, there should be little or no tarnish. But if it's just gold-colored, most anything is possible.
__________________
The Bard Rocks

Fay OM Sinker Redwood/Tiger Myrtle
Sexauer L00 Adk/Magnolia For Sale
Hatcher Jumbo Bearclaw/"Bacon" Padauk
Goodall Jumbo POC/flamed Mahogany
Appollonio 12 POC/Myrtle
MJ Franks Resonator, all Australian Blackwood
Goodman J45 Lutz/fiddleback Mahogany
Blackbird "Lucky 13" - carbon fiber
'31 National Duolian
+ many other stringed instruments.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-23-2020, 09:39 PM
yairimann yairimann is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: alberta
Posts: 211
Default

don't know why I posted schiller, of course they are schaller.
__________________
the heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.
Pascal
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-24-2020, 12:16 AM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Chugiak, Alaska
Posts: 31,166
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by yairimann View Post

1989 original Schiller tuners on k yairi
Actually, based on the shape of the tuner casings, I’m pretty sure those are Gotohs with Schaller-shaped buttons rather than Schallers.


whm
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-24-2020, 07:39 AM
RoyBoy RoyBoy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 647
Default

Of the three metals, nickel is the most durable plating. Gold eventually wears off and chrome can be susceptible to pitting if you don't keep it polished. However, some people have allergies to nickel and it's considered a carcinogen in Europe, which is how EVO gold fretwire came to be.

As noted by another poster, Taylor doesn't make machines. Those are most likely Gotoh's (edit: I just read in another thread that Taylor's machines are Pings from China) so I wouldn't pay extra to have the Taylor name on them. I have two Taylors that are 20+ years old. When I bought them, I swapped out the Grover rotomatics (too heavy) for Gotoh 410s and those machines are still working flawlessly.

Last edited by RoyBoy; 10-25-2020 at 12:40 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-24-2020, 09:46 AM
yairimann yairimann is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: alberta
Posts: 211
Default

Thanks for the update Wade, I'm no expert and it's always good to know the facts. They have been good tuners, I just thought I would show an example of how tuner buttons can wear.
__________________
the heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.
Pascal
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 10-24-2020, 09:50 AM
tadol tadol is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Berkeley, CA
Posts: 5,216
Default

They’ll all tarnish, except for tuners coated in real gold. If you don’t want those to tarnish, don’t touch them -
__________________
More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!!
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 10-25-2020, 11:40 AM
PeteyPower16 PeteyPower16 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 196
Default

Thank you to everyone who posted photos and shared their experiences! I appreciate it. I am going for the “gold” ones and will live with the tarnish.
__________________
-----
PeteyPower16

Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003
Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003
Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020
Taylor 414ce 2020
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005

Previous Guitars:
Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.)
Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.)
Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020
Fender CD-60CE SB-DS-V2 2013
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 10-25-2020, 02:29 PM
PeteyPower16 PeteyPower16 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 196
Default

Hi all, some folks talked about wiping down gold colored tuners to prevent or slow the tarnish.

Does anyone know whether a simple cloth wipe down is all that is necessary? Or are there other gentle cleaning materials (water? Soap?) that are needed to remove the corrosive fingerprints?

Thanks for your advice!
__________________
-----
PeteyPower16

Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003
Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003
Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020
Taylor 414ce 2020
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005

Previous Guitars:
Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.)
Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.)
Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020
Fender CD-60CE SB-DS-V2 2013
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Tags
schaller tuners

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:04 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=