nickelplated JS1000

SilverSurfer2 · #1 10-18-2002, 11:15 PM

has anyone actually had their JS1000 nickelplated from those dudes on ebay? They claim that the coat is stronger than paint/chrome and won't peel or crack on wood bodies......?
If anyone actually has a nickelplated one, please share your thoughts on the look, feel, and tone of your Js......and how does it compare to the real Js chromeboys tonewise?
SilverSurfer2

sniperfrommars1 · #2 10-18-2002, 11:29 PM

Nickel tarnishes, and personally there is no good chroming process thats why ibanez stopped, of course nickel isnt chrome. Did you see the dud that they made they had for sale on ebay. They REALLY Fxxed that guitar up bad.

darren wilson · #3 10-19-2002, 09:38 AM

One member here, Chromeboy, had a JS2000 nickel plated... you could ask him for pics.

They do it over top of the existing finish, which might make it more durable than trying it on a raw wood body, but only time will tell. Every minuscule flaw in the existing finish gets amplified about 10x in the process, though... even if it's a "flawless" brand-new factory finish, it will show flaws that you couldn't perceive with the naked eye. Apparently it does also add about 3 lbs. to the weight of the guitar. That's a lotta metal! And i'm sure it would affect the tone.

SilverSurfer2 · #4 10-20-2002, 11:49 AM

cool, i'll ask him what he thinks. And to do it on a Js2000, hmmmmm.....that's a risky thing to do i think. I hope he is happy with the tone and look. It probably feels like a real JS10th as far as weight......but i'm more concerned about the effect on the tone, as it is the highest priority in a guitar in my book.

foureyezonme · #5 10-21-2002, 11:02 AM

I just had a really bad idea...

Have somebody make a guitar body out of conductive bakelite, and then electroplate it in copper or something. Then clearcoat to prevent tarnishing and voila.

I think I might try and persuade somebody to do that for me...

Nick

darren wilson · #6 10-21-2002, 11:24 AM

Even better... get Ibanez to collaborate with Tokai and make a hollow machined aluminum body JS along the lines of the Tokai Talbo.

Drew · #7 10-22-2002, 02:09 AM

Well, i've always thought about maybe having someone machine me a replica of a JS body out of solid aluminum... it'd be heavy as hell, but from what i hear aluminum actually produces a pretty good tone...

babahi · #8 10-23-2002, 09:23 AM

I had 3 guitars done by the guy. I am happy with the results. However, as mentioned, the nickel does tarnish. But a quick polish brings the shine back. I had one done in gold as well and it looks stunning. A Goldboy!

The guitars are a bit heavier and the tone is helped out a bit. For me it was important to have a fixed-bridge Chromeboy that I could play live. So I got a JS600, put in good pickups and then had it chromed. No prob. I am now happy. It's no JS1000, but I have my fixed bridge.

One difference when I hold it up to my Chromeboy: the finish on the Chromeboy is smooth and flat (aside from the imperfections). The nickelplating is not perfectly flat. However, this is only noticable in direct comparison and from 30 cm away. On stage it looks wicked! People ask me how I got a fixed-bridge Chromeboy. Only problem is the headstock, I need a Chrome one. Anybody have any ideas?

SilverSurfer2 · #9 11-01-2002, 09:21 PM

babahi, do you play your goldboy a lot?? How does the gold finish hold up? I'm thinking gold wears out quicker than nickel......or that it will lose its luster quicker......and what do you use to polish goldboy up??
Silversurfer

babahi · #10 11-05-2002, 09:06 PM

Hi SilverSurfer2!

I don't play the Goldboy too much... but smears from the oil on your skin obviously show up pretty easily. I can't say if it wears off easily or not. In any case, it certainly looks awesome! Nobody's seen a gold guitar yet.

For polish I use regular guitar polish. My bottle is Virtuoso - "Premium Cleaner" and it works fine, gets rid of the smudges with little wiping.