I need to tarnish new gold Gibson hardware. Show me the way.

[The Shark]

I bought a "Demo" Murphy Lab black Les Paul Custom.  Before they sold it, they put new hardware on it.  It was in the Gibson Garage in Nashville for about a year.  

The guitar is Murphy "Light" aging with nice checking, but no finish missing.  It just looks "hokey" with new parts and a relic'd finish.  I've got aged knobs on the way.

It's nine pounds flat.  Just killer.

I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO AGE THE GOLD PARTS.

Thanks.

[hamerican gigolo]

Play it enough & nature will take it's course. GH is notorious for rapid tarnishing. 

[Dave Scepter]

I use Muriatic acid  (swimming pool acid) "fumes" by placing item on a plastic riser above a shallow pool of the acid in a Tupperware type of container, then covering letting the fumes prematurely age the item... watching every 15 minutes until the desired effect is achieved... then rinse with water however. that being said, I've never personally reliced GOLD but only Chrome, and Nickle parts.... good luck... it's a lot fun! 😃

FYI Acid (cheapest at Walmart)

 

I found this on The Gear Page:

[tbonesullivan]

11 hours ago, hamerican gigolo said:

Play it enough & nature will take it's course. GH is notorious for rapid tarnishing. 

Honestly this. Play it and don't wipe of the hardware and it shouldn't take long to get a nice aged look.

[The Shark]

18 hours ago, hamerican gigolo said:

Play it enough & nature will take it's course. GH is notorious for rapid tarnishing. 

I don't have the patience for that!  But thanks.

[The Shark]

Greg Platzer said to use Ferric Chloride.  It's on the way from Amazon.  He said use a Q-Tip and start on the bottom of the bridge to get the desired "tarnish".  Thanks again to all of you for your advice.  I'm going to try Greg's path to beat up hardware.  DR  

[Stike]

You could let me play it for about an hour, my sweat eats gold.

[DaveL]

On 5/10/2025 at 10:37 PM, The Shark said:

Greg Platzer said to use Ferric Chloride.  It's on the way from Amazon.  He said use a Q-Tip and start on the bottom of the bridge to get the desired "tarnish".  Thanks again to all of you for your advice.  I'm going to try Greg's path to beat up hardware.  DR  

 

This is what I use...    I often cut it 50% with water so it's not too strong,  you might have to go full strength for gold however... 

 

Here is my 2024 Murphy Lab 335 that originally came with extremely shiny hardware which didn't match the

rest of the guitar... I also aged the pickguard bracket, pointers etc to give everything a similar patina.           

 

   One other tip I got was to polish the parts lightly with Blue Magic (I think that's the name, it comes in

a small jar and it's blue).  This dials back the aging slighty.   

 

 

 

 

[The Shark]

3 hours ago, DaveL said:

 

This is what I use...    I often cut it 50% with water so it's not too strong,  you might have to go full strength for gold however... 

 

Full strength is what Greg recommended because of it being gold.  Thanks!