Frets oxidising while in case?

PonchoGreg

Hiya,

got a weird one... I'm currently storing my SG in its case, taking it out every few days for a quick play. The case is in a room that doesn't seem particularly humid to me.

I noticed a few weeks ago that the frets were getting a bit oxidised (especially towards the body) so polished them out with steel wool as per usual maintenance. Couple of weeks later, the oxidation is back...

Never had that before, and I'd rather not polish the frets every single time I change strings (I usually do it a couple of times a year).

Have you had that issue before, and what did you do to avoid it? I'm more aware of not enough moisture in a case (so having to use humidifiers, etc) vs the opposite...

Thanks!

JAYJO

Do you give it a wipe after playing before you put back in the case. Ooops you say towards the dusty end. sorry just ignore.

ICBM

Does it have an old celluloid pickguard?

PonchoGreg

Nope, I assume plain old boring plastic (it's a 2013 standard)

Winny_Pooh

Is it a particularly realistic Chibson?
I'd assume case moisture.

SNAKEBITE

Silica gel in the case and a good wipe down with fastfret or Xlr8.

PonchoGreg

Winny_Pooh said:

Is it a particularly realistic Chibson?

How dare you, sir

PonchoGreg

I thought about the silica gel packet(s) but was worried of swinging too far the other way around.

Mind you we're not talking about a finely handcrafted acoustic here...

merciful-evans

Weird. Nickle is very rust resistant.

If silica gel packs don't work, then air seal your case and pump all the air out.

Roland

Is it oxidation, or reacting with something else? Sulphur for example?

PonchoGreg

Very good question... This is what the frets look like at the upper end:

https://i.imgur.com/VYMSMbU.jpg

And towards the headstock (still a bit grimy but less so)

https://i.imgur.com/xmnIdDc.jpg

They were polished about 3 weeks ago.

ICBM

That’s why I was asking about the pickguard - that sort of corrosion at the body end is commonly caused by nitric acid vapour from a degrading celluloid guard.

If it’s not that, it could be moisture in the case lining possibly. Try putting a duster over the fingerboard in that area when you close the case and see if it stops.

PonchoGreg

Great shout! Will do

Blaendulais

ICBM said:

That’s why I was asking about the pickguard - that sort of corrosion at the body end is commonly caused by nitric acid vapour from a degrading celluloid guard.

If it’s not that, it could be moisture in the case lining possibly. Try putting a duster over the fingerboard in that area when you close the case and see if it stops.

@icbm is there anything you dont know about guitars?

Bridgehouse

Blaendulais said:

ICBM said:

That’s why I was asking about the pickguard - that sort of corrosion at the body end is commonly caused by nitric acid vapour from a degrading celluloid guard.

If it’s not that, it could be moisture in the case lining possibly. Try putting a duster over the fingerboard in that area when you close the case and see if it stops.

@icbm is there anything you dont know about guitars?

His taste in basses is inversely proportionate to his technical knowledge.

thermionic

I’ve long suspected that the plush lining of a typical guitar case could hold a lot of moisture. Too much for a puny silica gel sachet to deal with. In that case, I might try gently blasting it with a hairdryer, or maybe leaving it open, outside for a few hours on a dry sunny day.

merciful-evans

ICBM said:

That’s why I was asking about the pickguard - that sort of corrosion at the body end is commonly caused by nitric acid vapour from a degrading celluloid guard.

If it’s not that, it could be moisture in the case lining possibly. Try putting a duster over the fingerboard in that area when you close the case and see if it stops.

Some of us recall that cases used to have a shroud (maybe CS still do?). I keep a cloth over the entire fretboard inside the case.

If there is moisture in the case, it wouldn't hurt to air it out. I would just leave it outside (opened up of course) on a sunny day.

finest1

try charcoal pad you can get off ebay and a microfibre cloth for a quick wipe before playing

skunkwerx

Yeah, on a prs se tremonti. 

The entire fucking hardware would 'tarnish' within a week.. dunno what it was, none of the other guitars suffered it. Stored out on a rack.

Dunlop polish would sort it and bring it back to as new, but obviously wouldnt want to use that on the frets. 

Try leaving your guitar out the case for a while, if it goes away then least you'll know what causes it.  

My patch leads still do the same thing weirdly. 
Not the actual male plug part, but the metal barrels and metal right angle bits.. 

danishbacon

Bridgehouse said:

Blaendulais said:

ICBM said:

That’s why I was asking about the pickguard - that sort of corrosion at the body end is commonly caused by nitric acid vapour from a degrading celluloid guard.

If it’s not that, it could be moisture in the case lining possibly. Try putting a duster over the fingerboard in that area when you close the case and see if it stops.

@icbm is there anything you dont know about guitars?

His taste in basses is inversely proportionate to his technical knowledge.

Now I want to see the basses @ICBM ;

Litterick

This Mockingbird also needs some attention (not mine, I hasten to add).