They are machined (CNC) out of aluminum. Titanium and a few other special metals can be anodized, steel cannot.
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Is anyone making white hardware?
- Thread starter Gopherbassist
- Start date
You could get custom made tuner heads easily. Would a stormtrooper black/white look work?
I'm thinking more like pastels than the typical black/red/white/blue "best selling" guitar colors.
It is a little surprising that powder coated, colored hardware isn’t more prevalent. Years ago I had a black Gotoh bridge that was powder coated (as far as I could tell) and that finish held up extremely well for years. There’s really no reason that bridge couldn’t have been any color.
It takes extra engineering to geth stuff to the right thickness. And I think stuff like screwing down a bridge has the potential to damage powdercoating. My understanding is the powdercoating is durable, but once it starts to crack and chip, there's no stopping it.
I’m no expert, but I’ve never seen an anodized brass part. Kind of a waste of an expensive metal.
I also think anodizing and electroplating are used interchangeably.
It’s a anode/cathode +/- thing.
Nice! I thought I had read it wasn't possible. What material did they use? Can it be done at home?
Just remembered the Jack White Sig Fender Triplecaster.....Powder coated bits and pieces.
I did a little asking around, and it seems that brass can most likely be electriplated with aluminum. It would require a special electrolite, but does seem possible. One the aluminum was on, it should be anodizable.
Interesting!
I know Mr. Passini (Nova / Brazil) does a variety of colors for his headless hardware…red, yellow, etc…but I don’t recall seeing white. IIRC, the top-of-the-line Nathan East Yamahas had white machine head keys / buttons.
Great, if there is a reason to do it that way. Sounds like unnecessary, expensive steps if you’re starting with a blank slug of aluminum.
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Aluminum is pretty light, I've only ever heard of one bass with an aluminum bridge, and it was a Traben with a brass brdige on top bolted to an aluminum block recessed into the body.
I think my Modulus basses had black anodized aluminum bridges.
There are harder grades of aluminum that machine very nicely.
Common in the industrial automation industry.
