Wish list improvement for Cutlass

[SlimBob]

My wish list improvement for Cutlass is either a stainless or nickel or brass with chrome plating on the bridge cover thing. Chrome on steel never lasts long and will flake off eventually. Mine is 2 or 3 years old and getting a little long in the tooth. Other than that - I'm still in love with this guitar.

 

[Astrofreq]

I've had mine 5 years and don't have any of these issues. I wonder why this happens on some.

 

[DonA]

Done properly, you can plate over that cast metal with no issues. Maybe it was just a bad run of parts.

I contacted EBMM about the chrome flaking off on the bridge cover on my Cutlass (mine is nowhere near as bad as yours). They offered me a new cover for $60. I bought my guitar used and didn't expect them to replace it for free, but t seemed like a lot of money to replace a part with a manufacturing defect. A part that might go bad as quickly as the original.

 

[racerx]

Was it like that when you got it? Did you notice anything that might have "triggered" it? Kind of a bummer if it just flaked off from heat/sweat.

 

[SlimBob]

Was it like that when you got it? Did you notice anything that might have "triggered" it? Kind of a bummer if it just flaked off from heat/sweat.

I bought it new. With heat and sweat and Tiki hut gigs on the gulf coast of FLA it's doing better than some. That new style Poly paint is pretty tuff. I change strings - wipe the neck and that cover - and make sure there's no gunk building up on the frets or fretboard but rarely clean the white painted body unless there's sweat marks. The other option would be to remove it but the bridge itself is kinda weird looking underneath that cover. Here's a pic dated March 28, 2019 just before I changed the pickups to passive. The real problem was the switching jack was intermittently cutting out so I just swapped the whole pickguard with new everything when I changed the jack.

 

[SlimBob]

Done properly, you can plate over that cast metal with no issues. Maybe it was just a bad run of parts.

I contacted EBMM about the chrome flaking off on the bridge cover on my Cutlass (mine is nowhere near as bad as yours). They offered me a new cover for $60. I bought my guitar used and didn't expect them to replace it for free, but t seemed like a lot of money to replace a part with a manufacturing defect. A part that might go bad as quickly as the original.

My understanding about chrome plating is that it only sticks properly to brass or nickel - it will stick to steel but over time it will flake off. Remember how old cars had chrome flaking off their bumpers?

 

[SlimBob]

I've had mine 5 years and don't have any of these issues. I wonder why this happens on some.

I'm guessing that dry climate you live in is good for some things and not for others. We live in a salty sauna.

 

[DrKev]

My understanding about chrome plating is that it only sticks properly to brass or nickel - it will stick to steel but over time it will flake off. Remember how old cars had chrome flaking off their bumpers?

Bob, we've been through this with you before. Chrome will plate very well to steel. Music Man, and most other electric guitar makers, have been chrome plating steel for many decades. There is no problem with chrome on steel. I do not know why your guitar is the way it is but in all the years I have been on the forum, and my decades as a musician and guitar tech, I can quite categorically assure you and anyone reading this thread, that issues like yours are extremely rare.

So please Bob, stop telling everyone chrome will only stick to steel because that is simply not true.