Aging gold hardware

[bionic]

My Gretsch is finally going for the gold, but this stuff looks way to new on my 1965 beat to hell Clipper. How do I age this stuff?

[McGinnis]

play it!

[Dave Orban]

Don't know of any methods for gold... :(

[mark norwine]

Gold is chemically inert. It can not be hurt, tarnished, oxidized, etc. Can't.

You can wear it away mechanically. Or the metal underneath can pit / rust / tarnish (depending on the alloy, of course) which will cause eruptions in the gold. But the gold itself is inert.

There is one...and only one....chemical that can hurt gold. It's an unstable acid called "Aqua Regia" (translation: regal water). It's made of 1 part concentrated nitric acid to 3 parts concentrated hydrochloric acid. It's unstable, dangerous, and you do NOT want to mess with it.

[bionic]

Alright, sweat it is

[EADGBE]

Seriously just play it. That's the best way.

[Rosewood]

Gold doesn't hold up for very long, like the guys said, play it away.

[mike80]

Yup, play it.

The gold burstbucker I put in my LP a few years ago looks like it's about 20 years old now. It might take some time, but it will wear fine.

[Mullet Kingdom]

It should start turning green and flaking off with regular use. But, if you're bored and you find yourself in the mood to experiment -- you might try putting some saltwater in a windex-type bottle and misting it to simulate the effects of a few nights worth of four hour gigs.