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Gold Top greening gallery

pawpaw

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Mar 16, 2011
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I posted this in the wrong thread, it is in response to JJBlair's search for a means to replicate accurate greening:


I wonder if the mild amount of tannic acid in the maple combines with the external acids from sweat, etc. to darken the color. Check out this chemistry experiment.



http://www.sewanee.edu/chem/Chem&Art/Detail_Pages/Projects_2007/Vaughn/index.htm

http://www.sewanee.edu/chem/Chem&Art...ughn/index.htm
 

JJ Blair

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Interesting. However, there tends to be a clear coat between the maple and the gold. Also, what I'm seeing in some of these pics is that the greening is in the top clear coat, rather than on the gold itself. Notice how on this '69, in some of the really crackled stuff, where the gold is exposed, it's not green, but the clear lacquer is. Very curious. The clear doesn't seem to turn green on the '50s guitar, though.

DSC03494.JPG
 

Tom Wittrock

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42,567
Interesting. However, there tends to be a clear coat between the maple and the gold. Also, what I'm seeing in some of these pics is that the greening is in the top clear coat, rather than on the gold itself. Notice how on this '69, in some of the really crackled stuff, where the gold is exposed, it's not green, but the clear lacquer is. Very curious. The clear doesn't seem to turn green on the '50s guitar, though.

There are two coats of gold. The top layer greens [due to metalic corrosion] and the undercoat of gold holds the gold color.
The clear coat yellows with age.
 

JJ Blair

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Tom, I know that the cleat turns yellow, but I'm saying that in this instance, it appears as if the oxide patina stains the top clear coat green, in a manner you don't see on '50 guitars. That doesn't look to me simply like separation of two gold layers, with one greening. That looks to me as though the clear has also turned color.
 

Tom Wittrock

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Tom, I know that the cleat turns yellow, but I'm saying that in this instance, it appears as if the oxide patina stains the top clear coat green, in a manner you don't see on '50 guitars. That doesn't look to me simply like separation of two gold layers, with one greening. That looks to me as though the clear has also turned color.

So, what would make the clear turn green, instead of yellow? :hmm
 

pawpaw

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Mar 16, 2011
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There are two coats of gold. The top layer greens [due to metalic corrosion] and the undercoat of gold holds the gold color.
The clear coat yellows with age.


Is it possible then that the dark green is just the typical blue or aqua copper reaction (like in post 16) viewed through the amber or yellow filter of the aged clear? Blue plus yellow = green. If so, then a final coat or three of amber tinted lacquer after hitting the gold with acid might produce the desired result?
 

Tom Wittrock

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So, perhaps this late 60s gold has a different metallic content, and corodes to a different color than the 50s gold finish.
 

585960

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Apr 5, 2002
Messages
1,987
unfortunately (or really fortunately) this one hasn't greened yet....
SAM_0371.jpg
 

lonesomesheik

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@AVERESTE , well maybe the truth is that Goldtops are really played as hard as can , not only displlayed or looked at!?
:hmm:hmm
 

JJ Blair

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I think that Maguro might be radioactive from the Fukushima leaks. Bet that will turn the player green.
 
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