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Limelight Bridge Rusted To Bits.


Hobbayne

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11 hours ago, Hobbayne said:

My 63 Sonic Blue P bass bridge has completely rusted to bits. The level of relicing was so over the top that I couldnt raise the saddles or intonate it because it had completely seized.

I have had to have the whole lot replaced and I havent had it a year yet. 🤬

Any other Limelighters had this problem?

 

IMG_1447.JPG

Paints come off and the scratchplate turned a funny colour and all! I'd be having a chat!

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18 minutes ago, KiOgon said:

A rusty bridge on a 'new' Fender Pino stopped me from buying it. Trying it in the shop I asked if the saddles could be raised a bit, the tech tried and said no sorry they're fixed, to which I said - you mean rusted in - he agreed. All the metalwork was too rusted for my liking, unplayable with a very low action so I never got a Pino!

Either way, £3k+ for what is essentially one of the most basic bass designs, albeit very well made, is insane!

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2 hours ago, KiOgon said:

A rusty bridge on a 'new' Fender Pino stopped me from buying it. Trying it in the shop I asked if the saddles could be raised a bit, the tech tried and said no sorry they're fixed, to which I said - you mean rusted in - he agreed. All the metalwork was too rusted for my liking, unplayable with a very low action so I never got a Pino!

Is Pino’s rusted? I’m guessing no?

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6 minutes ago, ambient said:

Is Pino’s rusted? I’m guessing no?

Maybe appears rusty but I bet it works for adjustment, as said above - no need to have rusted threads where things should be free to move, a little grease on assembly would prevent that.

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4 hours ago, adamg67 said:

*engage pedant mode*

Just while it's been mentioned: WD40 is not as good for freeing and lubricating things as lots of people seem to think. For loosening things, penetrating oil is much better, for lubricating pretty much any lubricating oil is better, like some basic 3 in 1.

https://lifehacker.com/when-should-i-not-use-wd-40-5891936

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a6064/wd-40-vs-the-world-of-lubricants/

*disengage pedant mode*

WD 40 is a code that I seem to remember the US Navy or Air Force stores came up with for a compound that is capable of displacing water from the surfaces to which it is applied for a minimum of 40 days.

Adam is correct.  It was never manufactured to lubricate anything.

It is however a good treatment to help prevent rust from happening in the first instance.  All you need is a little spray on saddle screw threads that have been wire brushed free of loose particles and a dab with an absorbent rag to remove excess before reinstalling them.  It will stop water from sweat or elsewhere from creating favourable conditions for rust.  Lubricating oil is not usually needed for properly machined saddle screws in the quantity that it would take to protect all surfaces if indeed at all.

WD40 is therefore a good call.  If you don't gig and you don't need the sweatproofing, use dry powdered graphite (pencil "lead" scrapings will do) to coat the threads.  That way you can preclude the escape of lubricating oil onto paint finishes or into exposed wood grain.

For rust to occur, three things need to be present:

1. Iron or other Ferrous metal alloy (including most grades of SS believe it or not)
2. Water
3. Oxygen

Eliminate any one of those three things and rust can not occur.

Note:  It is well worth paying for the best fitting screw driver or allen key you can afford to use on your saddles.  The screw heads will last longer that way.

Edited by SpondonBassed
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Lots of ways to clean up rusty mechanisms and items. A soak in dilute citric acid or, better still dilute molasses*, for an extended period will work. Low strength brick cleaner is faster but the fumes cause rust...

Whatever you use, lubricate as soon as it comes out to prevent rapid rusting of clean surfaces.

 

*Most rust removal uses acids, but molasses are gentler as they chelate the rust into solution.

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38 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Lots of ways to clean up rusty mechanisms and items. A soak in dilute citric acid or, better still dilute molasses*, for an extended period will work. Low strength brick cleaner is faster but the fumes cause rust...

Whatever you use, lubricate as soon as it comes out to prevent rapid rusting of clean surfaces.

 

*Most rust removal uses acids, but molasses are gentler as they chelate the rust into solution.

White vinegar too

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1 hour ago, fleabag said:

Someone mentioned rust penetrating oil, and i can reccomend Plus Gas.  Great stuff.

Bang on.

Plus Gas is in fact an easing fluid.  It's thinner than 3 in 1 penetrating oil too so it works a little quicker when you need to try and salvage a seized screw.  It's best to take the bridge off before you use it however because it will get everywhere you don't want it to be.

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I looked up the wiki for WD40 and as Fleabag says, WD stands for Water Displacement.  The main wiki says that the 40 indicates that it was formula number 40 that the firm's boffins claimed had achieved the desired effect.

While I can not dispute that, it is not what we were told during an aero mechanic's apprenticeship, forty years ago.  I'm holding onto that.

Either story is just that.  It's up to you what you believe but the water displacement thing is well proven and you will need to re-apply the stuff periodically on whatever piece of ferrous metal or electrical equipment you want kept dry.

It may or may not last for forty days.  How long it lasts will depend on how often you get sweaty enough to saturate your bridge I suppose.

Edited by SpondonBassed
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