Aging nickel plating?

[alexkirtley]

I've got an MM blues which was stripped down to bare nickel plating, but how would I go about aging the nickel, it looks a bit too shiny and bright, plus I'm fascinated by the look of some of the aged mule's out there

Any Idea?

Cheers

[Pickers Ditch]

Just play it and leave it out and about.
You'll start to see changes in a few weeks, particularly if you have acidic skin / perspiration, and it'll look awful in a few months.
That's assuming that a protective wax or lacquer has not been applied to the surface 'cos that'll need removing first.
Do not be tempted to attack it chemically with salt solution, acids or electrolysis whatever you read elsewhere - very difficult to control and can remove the nickel rather quickly,

[lexluthier]

Hi Alex.
I have a method of oxidizing nickel plating that I developed after much trial and error in response to being asked by a friend who was very unhappy with the way the plating was dis-colouring on his Les Paul. Not wanting to unsolder the pick-up covers or expose these to any liquids or electrical current, I found a way a method of adding a coat of oxide on the plating, which if buffed off left the nickel with a softer, warmer look rather than the deep 'black' shine it started with.
I've put quite a few guitars through this process and while the results are not to everyone's taste, it's been very well received by the guitars owners.

However, although I have the intention of trying it one day, I have yet to do this on something as large as a resonator body which will prove very difficult and somewhat time consuming. And although I could, I wouldn't want to do this with the body still attached to the neck.

So, either keep your guitar polished and waxed(the way I personally decided to go) or do like Pickers ditch suggested and just let it be. I think it will like s##t for quite a while but eventually will probably look cool. I just couldn't go through that interim period myself, too OCD!

Chris