Mixing Gold/black/silver hardware

Wade10987 · #1 10-11-2011, 01:57 PM

Hey Bassists,

Does anybody here have experience with the final appearance of installing a black or gold bridge and keeping the tuners chrome?
I am planning to fix up and customize an old P bass, but I am trying to keep the costs down. (Its a Squier, the economy, etc...).

So my question is what do you guys think of a mixed metal finish like that? I would possibly put a Badass II (black AND gold) on and even change the the knobs to match (black or gold knobs). But then it's a stretch to actually replace the tuners too. I know it's a matter of personal taste, but does anybody have a thrifty or intentional hardware mix like that? Please post pics if you have a similar installation.

Thanks!
PS curious what you guys think...

fhm555 · #2 10-11-2011, 06:06 PM

If your machine heads are nickel plated, go to your friendly neighborhood full service firearms dealer and pick up a couple bottles of Brass Black or go to your local train friendly hobby shop and get some Blacken It.

Before and after pics of some aftermarket nickel saddles done with Blacken It. In the after pic, the dark spots are where the parts are still wet. You can take a soft wire wheel and knock off the rust looking stuff and it leaves a nice mottled blackish, brass look. Experiment with dip times to get different colors.

Not exactly matching, but not sticking out like a sore thumb either. Or just score a complete set of nickel plated hardware and do it all.

fhm555 · #3 10-11-2011, 06:09 PM

This is a set of OEM saddles from an MIM j done with Brass Black.

The L plate is chrome plated so it didn't change enough you could tell it.

96tbird · #4 10-11-2011, 07:40 PM

I had a black bridge with brass saddles, black tree and stock Chrome tuners on my vm jazz while I decided what brand tuners to use. Was like that for 3 months. No big deal. Now that I have the hipshots on, and black beauties, the control plate is the only Chrome on it. Looks great.