Nickel, Black, or Gold?

[TexasEdition]

I am going to build out a custom bass. It will be a tele body with a tele neck. The body will be flat/satin black with 1 single coil. Back routed with no pick guard. The neck will be ebony with no inlays and flat/satin black painted neck and headstock. The body will have red binding.

Should I go total blackout with the hardware or contrast it? I think the gold will clash wtih the red binding. But open to suggestions. Half way thinking about getting the hardware powdercoated red.

 

[Gluvhand]

I am going to build out a custom bass. It will be a tele body with a tele neck. The body will be flat/satin black with 1 single coil. Back routed with no pick guard. The neck will be ebony with no inlays and flat/satin black painted neck and headstock. The body will have red binding.

Should I go total blackout with the hardware or contrast it? I think the gold will clash wtih the red binding. But open to suggestions. Half way thinking about getting the hardware powdercoated red.

If it was gloss black I would've said gold but I think back works best with the satin. Just my 2.

 

[sissy kathy]

They all worked until you said red binding. Now I'm lost.

 

[96tbird]

Nickel will look good 20, 50, 100 years from now. Gold and black not so much.

I used black hipshot tuners on one of mine. Paint stared wearing off the gears immediately. The saddle height screws on my black bridge scratched the paint off first time I moved the saddles to set intonation.

Any gold I’ve seen that’s a few years old looks blotchy because of the plating wearing off from normal use.

Good nickel you’ll see none of that. You’ll get a nice patina if you don’t polish them though. Just wipe them, not polish and they’ll age beautifully.

 

[walterw]

open to suggestions.

add chrome to your options!

gold will wear quickly, black will wear in an ugly way, nickel will "age" and look cool long term

actual chrome will last a very long time

thing is, a satin black body finish will wear quickly too, getting shiny spots on it like an old thrift store tie; might as well go with black hardware, at which point it'll look like a typical "metal" guitar from schecter or LTD or ibanez

 

[kgbeast]

I had all black bass with all black hardware. Looks really cool with only strings visible on the body. I have since replaced the bridge to a heavier chrome and that look is constantly makes me think I should have gotten a black bridge, so much that I actually ordered already the same bridge in black (thankfully, the bridges I like are only $24).

 

[ctmullins]

Blackout. Will look great with the red trim.

But you have to also use DR Black Beauties.

 

[thrashingbass]

Your bass to decide! I always favor gold with white or glossy black, but not in your case (satin black)-I would do shiny chrome hardware, boring as it may sound. Black on satin black sounds too black for me, but then again, make a choice that will make yourself happy.

 

[Freekmagnet]

I’d go with nickel. Black hardware and gold hardware always look shabby after a few years.