My Gibson Explorer has an issue :(

[beretta329]

so, as probably very few of you know, my explorer is my prized posession (until i get a loomis or something of the likes ^^) haha. anyway, idk if this topic would go here, but, i guess due to humidity issues, the screws on the pickguard and some of my pickups even are collecting rust. i wanna get rid of this issue cause it makes an otherwise beautiful guitar look trashy as sh*t. :/
any solutions?

 

[SirMyghin]

get some stainless steel replacements? I live in Ontario and have never had hardware of any sort rust on me. Try wiping down whenever you are done, and cleaning a guitar with cleaner after playing may also help (like the dunlop formula 65 stuff), at minimum the wipe down to get all the gunk off.

 

[beretta329]

haha the rest of the guitar is totally fine, as a matter of fact i just got done using formula 65 cause i'm changing strings at the moment. its just the screws in the pickguard are all rusty. oh well though.

 

[SirMyghin]

You can sand the rust off the screws with like paper if it has not penetrated far, something akin to crocus cloth should do it. I did not mean the 65 would get rid of the rust, I meant if you keep it clean constantly/get the oils off it when you are done, stuff might not rust at all.

 

[beretta329]

yeah i know, i just thought it was kinda awesome that i just got done polishing my guitar with it when you mentioned it lol. i obviously know it wont take rust off.

 

[NeglectedField]

I tend to expect my guitar's hardware to oxidize just a little bit. Depends if it's that or full blown rusty rust.

 

[Andromalia]

It really depends on what's used to make the screws, I've had some badly rusted guitar screws and on some others they just lost their "new" shine but that was it. How old is you guitar ?

 

[beretta329]

It's kinda bad rust
Hmm... I've had it for... 4.5-5ish years? I'm not sure. I coulda taken better care of cleaning it to be honest, but a couple years ago I realized I should treat it more like gold lol. Other than the rust it's in very very good condition. This is why it pisses me off so much.. It makes it look so trashy when it's otherwise a (pretty much) picturesque guitar.

 

[beretta329]

I hate admitting it but I'm probably to blame. I'm almost 17 so I got it around age 11-12 iirc.. I should have been more mature about owning such a guitar. *sigh*

 

[SirMyghin]

I hate admitting it but I'm probably to blame. I'm almost 17 so I got it around age 11-12 iirc.. I should have been more mature about owning such a guitar. *sigh*

Happens to the best of us. Remember guitars are not show pieces, they are made to be played (don't look up my gear as that statement may lose umph). They will all get dings, they will all get some rust, and they will all carry battlescars from who knows what over the years (like the bit of drywall ground into the grain on the tip of the headstock on my bass from the basement studio roof).

 

[maliciousteve]

Damn if you hate rusty screws and dings you would faint just looking at my Strat it's battered to hell.


If you can't get the rust of with sandpaper buy a replacement set.

 

[kherman]

pull out the screws.
Put in a bowl.
Spray with WD 40.
Let sit for a couple hours.
Wipe screws down thoroughly.
Place back in guitar.

 

[Revan132]

pull out the screws.
Put in a bowl.
Spray with WD 40.
Let sit for a couple hours.
Wipe screws down thoroughly.
Place back in guitar.

This. WD 40 is probably mans greatest invention.

But seriously, if this doesn't work, bring the screws into your local hardware store and ask the guy at the counter to determine which type they are, and get a stainless steel variant of them. IMO it isn't worth trying to use sandpaper and get rid of the rust when you can just *upgrade* to stainless steel.

 

[beretta329]

thanks for the tips guys! i just got some money to take it to a tech and have it set up(which it needs haha) so if i don't get ripped off, i should have some money for stainless steel screws. they cant cost that much if nothing else i think i'll try WD 40.

Happens to the best of us. Remember guitars are not show pieces, they are made to be played (don't look up my gear as that statement may lose umph). They will all get dings, they will all get some rust, and they will all carry battlescars from who knows what over the years (like the bit of drywall ground into the grain on the tip of the headstock on my bass from the basement studio roof).

i don't wanna have it fixed up to be a showpiece, like, "yeah bitch, look at my guitar" haha. it plays well and all, i just hate the rust my seven is pretty beat up lol i dont mind that so much. just wondering, how did you manage to get drywall from your roof ground into your headstock?

 

[SirMyghin]

i don't wanna have it fixed up to be a showpiece, like, "yeah bitch, look at my guitar" haha. it plays well and all, i just hate the rust my seven is pretty beat up lol i dont mind that so much. just wondering, how did you manage to get drywall from your roof ground into your headstock?

low ceiling, about 6'3 or 4, paired with 34" scale, and I wear my instruments high (so bass at navel/crotch area, I know, I am totally not cool but I may be the anti-crab).

 

[Andromalia]

This. WD 40 is probably mans greatest invention.

But seriously, if this doesn't work, bring the screws into your local hardware store and ask the guy at the counter to determine which type they are, and get a stainless steel variant of them. IMO it isn't worth trying to use sandpaper and get rid of the rust when you can just *upgrade* to stainless steel.

This, or just buy plain ones, it's not as if it were expensive, either. I can likely get a dozen screws for 1 €.

 

[Disco Volante]

My Gibson Explorer has an issue

It says Gibson on the headstock.

Fix'd. Try stainless screws and wiping down after you play. Some people just have incredibly corrosive body chemistry.

 

[jwatso89]

I had the same problem on my first guitar, I picked up some almost identical screws on allparts.com for like $5 after shipping, I'm sure you could get pretty authentic looking hardware at a big box hardware store, but the allparts ones look identical and are still as shiny as the day I installed them

 

[synrgy]

I came across this link once when trying to research installing my Graph Tech LB63 into the Edge III route of my RG320:

Floyd Rose guitar tremolo maintenance repair tips setup

Anyway, it mentions this:

Find a small plastic container and put ALL the parts in there and spray / pour oil on it. The parts doesn't have to fully submerged in oil; just spray a good amount on there.

I use very thin teflon oil called Tri-Flow Superior Lubricant, on aerosol can. It's a super lubricant, but is also useful for loosening dirt and rust and preserving metal.

Thought it might prove helpful for ya.

*edit* Obviously the link is about trems, but I presumed the technique could apply to all hardware.