Metallurgy (Sho-Bud) Question

[Jon Light (deceased)]

This is the finger comb bracket (better name, anyone?) from a 1975 Sho-Bud 6160 after a nice dip in Berryman Chem-Dip.

Just curious -- what am I looking at here with the brass coloration? I took a toothbrush to it but nothing more was removed -- this seems to be totally stripped down.
I know nothing of metallurgy so it's just a headscratcher to me.

[Michael Yahl]

Most of the carbon steel parts were zinc plated to reduce corrosion (rusting). Berryman is a caustic cleaner and can actually strip some plating's. This is why the surface finish looks uneven and mottled. It's due to the chemical reactions and I speculate that where it looks brassy that it was getting down to it's thinnest and also reacting with the base metal.

[Jon Light (deceased)]

Aw man -- I am not terribly concerned about this looking pretty but I wouldn't have dip-tanked this if I'd known. I read the label and I was cautious about aluminum parts but I figured this to be bullet-proof. Live 'n learn.
Thanks Michael.

[Bobby D. Jones]

At a glance the comb piece looks like it is aluminum.

It looks as if it came into contact wait a high caustic solution that ate into the aluminum.

Certain grades of aluminum have additives for strength and hardness. May explain the brass color, By reaction with the cleaner.

When I worked int the Sealed Beam lightbulb industry, We use Costic Soda to remove the aluminum flash from stainless steel liners in the aluminizer machine.

There is a recent post here on the forum, Someone used caustic brake cleaner on polished aluminum and it damaged it.

[Jerry Jones]

That looks like extra finger combs were brazed onto the original plate then sanded flush.

[Jon Light (deceased)]

I don't know nearly enough to even use the word 'braze'. But that's the word that popped into my head when I pulled this out of the dip.

BTW -- before treatment, it was not going to win any beauty contests so it's not like I've voided the warranty. But I had visions of something dazzling arising from the Berryman.

[Jon Light (deceased)]

On further review.....sure looks like a piece has been brazed on, per Jerry's thoughts, doesn't it?

[Doug Earnest]

That's how they made it into a 12 string.

[John Hyland]

My vote for brazing

[Michael Yahl]

On closer examination, I'll agree with Doug that this was originally a 10 string plate that was expanded to make a 12 string. That is a brazed joint as you can see the 2 separate pieces in the first pic when you zoom up at the spring holes. You can also see that the spring hole at the joint is slightly lower than the rest as this had to be hand drilled and these plates were originally a stamped part and would have bee even all the way across.
It was a good job and since it was also plated, I would make the assumption that this was fabricated at Sho~Bud. Perhaps this was one of the first 12's that they built and the plate was made up to test it out.

Michael

[Jon Light (deceased)]

I do wonder if they were prototyping it.
There were enough 6160's made that I can't imagine that they did this fabrication for all of them instead of tooling up for a 12 string comb.
This guitar has the 2-hole swivel pullers. And then there were full-on Super Pro 6160's. So this could in fact be an early one.

[Jon Light (deceased)]

I just remembered that there was this -- twin 6160's. A client's greener one and mine. His has a 2 over 1 changer. Mine is 2/2. So his is older than mine. Wish he were still around here so I could have a look at the comb on his.

[Bobby D. Jones]

It looks like to make a 12 string plate, A piece of metal was added to a 10 string by brazing the piece to make it usable on a 12 string guitar.
For looks on a new 12 string guitar. The plate may had been painted or coated to cover the seam, Where the piece was added. Some component of the paint was affected by the caustic solution. The coating may have had an aluminum pigment giving the look of 1 solid piece of metal.

[David Wren]

Jon, years ago I ran into a 7 string, 1936 National lap steel... but it was missing a tuner button.

I fashioned one out of brass, and then to make it look like the others I used a mail order (internet) home nickel plating kit. It was inexpensive, and very easy to use... and worked like a charm....

I'll let the more knowledgeable folks on this thread decide if it would work on both metals.

[Jon Light (deceased)]

Jon, years ago I ran into a 7 string, 1936 National lap steel... but it was missing a tuner button.

I fashioned one out of brass, and then to make it look like the others I used a mail order (internet) home nickel plating kit. It was inexpensive, and very easy to use... and worked like a charm....

I'll let the more knowledgeable folks on this thread decide if it would work on both metals.

Thanks David!
That ship has sailed. The comb, springs & changer are back in and rerodding is underway (some new springs are on order).

My question was 100% 'what on earth am I looking at?' and 0% 'what should I do?' and from the moment that Jerry Jones had me looking at it more closely and confirming that it was a brazed-on piece, my question has been asked & answered.
Thanks!

[David Wren]

Jon, so like many of the new users of this so called international forum... all for the interested in steel guitar.... has taken offensive at my suggestion... world wide, of how to re plate old parts of guitars that have been stripped.

This is why I will no longer join in on this "forum" discussions.... seems to be taken over by only "for hire" folks... so sad.

Rock on my friends.

[Jon Light (deceased)]

Jon, so like many of the new users of this so called international forum... all for the interested in steel guitar.... has taken offensive at my suggestion... world wide, of how to re plate old parts of guitars that have been stripped.

This is why I will no longer join in on this "forum" discussions.... seems to be taken over by only "for hire" folks... so sad.

Rock on my friends.

I took no offense and I intended no offense. I haven't a clue what this is about.