Martin E Posted April 16, 2023 Share Posted April 16, 2023 I'm considering replacing the tuners and bridge on a Player Jazz bass with some more 'vintage' looking items and am having the chrome vs nickel debate with myself. I've never had nickel hardware before and am tempted to go that route. I appreciate it ages differently to chrome which I'm quite happy with. (I have no chrome ashtray or pickup cover to consider though I guess the control plate should also match). All totally unnecessary of course, I just like tinkering. Does anyone have any words of advice before I proceed? I believe Fender themselves used a mixture of finishes over the years even on the same instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted April 16, 2023 Share Posted April 16, 2023 If you're wanting to go vintage then Nickel is the way to go - I think we've only had Chrome for just over a century. Finding said nickel parts on the other hand is a different matter. Chrome parts are everywhere...not so with nickel, gold, brass, etc. Why not buy a cheap set of hardware and leave it in a bucket in the garden for a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 20 hours ago, TheGreek said: If you're wanting to go vintage then Nickel is the way to go - I think we've only had Chrome for just over a century. Finding said nickel parts on the other hand is a different matter. Chrome parts are everywhere...not so with nickel, gold, brass, etc. Why not buy a cheap set of hardware and leave it in a bucket in the garden for a few months. You mean decade, not century. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 1 hour ago, Baloney Balderdash said: You mean decade, not century. We've only had chrome for a decade??? My memory isn't that bad... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted April 17, 2023 Share Posted April 17, 2023 (edited) 4 hours ago, TheGreek said: We've only had chrome for a decade??? My memory isn't that bad... Well, I wouldn't know honestly (or, well, guess I do actually looking at my own basses), but I do know we didn't even have electric basses 100 years ago, which would be a century, and even less over a 100 years ago. So unless you were joking, and it went over my head, it seems like we would both be wrong. Edited April 17, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Chrome plating - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Chrome_plating Prior to the application of chrome in the 1920s, nickel electroplating was used. In the short production run prior to the US entry into the Second World War, ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted May 3, 2023 Share Posted May 3, 2023 (edited) On 01/05/2023 at 20:45, TheGreek said: Chrome plating - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Chrome_plating Prior to the application of chrome in the 1920s, nickel electroplating was used. In the short production run prior to the US entry into the Second World War, ... Ah sorry, yeah, I just didn't realize we had changed the topic of this thread from vintage electrical basses, as of OP, to what they did prior to 1920 in general. My bad, totally. Sure if the topic is now what they did a century ago, rather than vintage electrical basses, then sure a century ago would be the correct answer. Silly me, assuming we were trying to actually help OP. But I totally get why that idea is laughable now. Right, guys? Right... Edited May 3, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snorkie635 Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 (edited) On 16/04/2023 at 15:59, Martin E said: I'm considering replacing the tuners and bridge on a Player Jazz bass with some more 'vintage' looking items and am having the chrome vs nickel debate with myself. I've never had nickel hardware before and am tempted to go that route. I appreciate it ages differently to chrome which I'm quite happy with. (I have no chrome ashtray or pickup cover to consider though I guess the control plate should also match). All totally unnecessary of course, I just like tinkering. Does anyone have any words of advice before I proceed? I believe Fender themselves used a mixture of finishes over the years even on the same instruments. I was told a few years ago by a consultant in hospital who was running me through a variety of 'allergy tests', that by far the most common allergy seen in bassists in his opinion, was that to nickel. I changed to stainless strings and allergic reaction stopped within a day or two. Just something to be aware of if you are allergic. Edited May 6, 2023 by snorkie635 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin E Posted May 6, 2023 Author Share Posted May 6, 2023 Yes, thanks for the warning. I've been using TI Jazz flats on everything for years now which I understand are nickel alloy so I assume thankfully I'm not allergic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
police squad Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Nickel has a yellow hue to its colour and tarnishes much quicker than chrome (which has a blue hue) Underneath chrome is nickel (and sometimes underneath that is copper) There is a way to strip the chrome off and just leave the nickel. You could take the parts to an electroplating place and ask them to strip the chrome (we used to do that occasionally). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 I have a few basses with a chrome bridge & nickel tuners. Doesn’t look weird at all unless the string guide on the headstock is chrome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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