Acidic Sweat

Nathan Burns · Post by **Nathan Burns** » 13 Dec 2017 10:15 am

This is just out of curiosity, but I was wondering if anybody has issues with the sweat from their hands taking chrome off of their instruments? I'm a dobro player and if you look at the plate on my resonator the chrome is all but stripped right off where my right hand makes contact. This didn't happen right away but over the years it has. I bought myself a Mullen G2 which I've put quite a few hours of practice and gigging on and just the other day I noticed the chrome on the bottom part of the changer is losing it's shine as well.

I know I can't be the only one as my first MSA Classic that I bought used when I was young had the same issue on the changer and the dealer who I bought it from mentioned "acidic sweat" from the previous owner. None of this effects the tone or functionality of the instrument but I'm sure it takes the resale value down a few bucks. I've just always told myself "well this is how I know it's mine."

But I was just wondering if anyone else experiences this?

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 13 Dec 2017 2:17 pm

From 1995 to 2000, I played pedal steel and keyboards for a band called The New Radio Cowboys. Greg Scott, one of our guitarists, and a great songwriter, loved phosphor bronze strings. The acids in his hands destroyed his strings in one evening. He had to replace his strings (on a 6 string guitar) every day. The strings on all my steel guitars are steel, even the wrapped ones, so they at more impervious to hand acid than bronze wrapped strings.

Jeremy Threlfall · Post by **Jeremy Threlfall** » 13 Dec 2017 7:40 pm

Rory Gallagher had extremely acidic sweat (probably due to his alcoholism. That's why his guitar got to be the way it got.

(I don't drink) but my sweat is enough to permanently dull the nearside of the changer housing that I rest my hand on when I pick. The other (audience)side polishes up nicely, my side is permanently dulled

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 13 Dec 2017 9:02 pm

Human sweat has an effect on many metals.

Once my buddy Dana wanted a light bar for playing his steel. I built him an aluminum bar and sent it to a marine chrome shop and had it chromed. He went on tour to New England states in a week his hand would turn black during a gig.

I talked later to a friend who ran a body shop and he said, "Chrome has pours in it and road salt or sweat can penetrate it and cause the under metal to react. Waxing or sealing the chrome is necessary to keep this from happening.

I carry a piece of sheep skin with a drop or two of oil on it with my steel and rub the strings and changer down when I quit playing. So far so good. Good Luck in finding a cause and cure for the problem.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 13 Dec 2017 10:37 pm

My sweat eats *cheap* chrome but I have no problem with good quality plating. I have no problem at all with nickel - you might check around for nickel-plated coverplates. Most vintage (1950's and older as I recall, and all my 1930's models) are nickel plated.

Personally I dislike to "bluish" cast of chrome plating. Nickel has slightly lower reflectivity but is tougher than "bright" chrome and is less susceptible to moisture-related (i.e. corrosion) problems. Bright chrome is actually a very cheap process compared to nickel (or "hard" chrome, which is virtually never found on instrument parts).

Nathan Burns · Post by **Nathan Burns** » 13 Dec 2017 10:51 pm

I used to burn through those Schubb plated dobro tone bars far too quickly and realized I had to switch over to stainless just because they were getting too expensive. I've got a BJS tone bar for my steel now and it seems to be holding up well.

Interesting about the sheep skin and oil. I may look into that.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 14 Dec 2017 2:59 am

I know from all the brass players I've worked with over the years that people's sweat does vary enormously. One guy in particular went through trumpets at a rate. Once the lacquer or the plating was gone, the metal would rot. Others would play the same instrument for years and keep it like new.

I'm average, I guess. My 30-year-old trombone is etched where I hold it but that's all. I'm glad because no-one wants to sit after a gig scrupulously cleaning their axe.

Ross Shafer · Post by **Ross Shafer** » 14 Dec 2017 7:30 am

An old machinist I once worked with called this "piss finger". When running my bicycle manufacturing business I hired guy once who was obviously a heavy smoker and virtually every steel thing he touched would flash rust hugely overnight, every machine tool he touched had to be scoured and oiled each day. The quality of the finger prints he left all over everything ferrous was amazing!

Fortunately (for me) his habit of simply walking outside whenver he wanted to light up got his butt fired inside of 3 weeks. "Hey I was just taking out the trash!"

Another non-smoking employee who was in charge of powder coating all our bikes and stems, had it pretty bad and had to wear latex gloves all the time.

Furniture wax can offer some protection, but of course needs to be maintained.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 14 Dec 2017 11:26 am

When I was playing a lot oh guitar gigs in Anchorage Alaska there was a guy who would show up at these blues jams that I would be playing and I told him that if he insisted on sitting in on my guitar that he was gonna have to start bringing me a set of strings...After he played my guitar it was close to unplayable as soon as I got home I would cut the strings off throw them away and spray"Pledge"all over the guitar ,next day I would clean everything with paper towels,and Quality-tips and start over!

David Weisenthal · Post by **David Weisenthal** » 14 Dec 2017 4:28 pm

I didnt know sweat was so hard on nickel plating. I guess that means I dont play enough- Probably more true for gigs than sitting at home practicing. I knew acid from fruit was a no no around machinist tools, and my sweat would rust the bridgeport mill table, but thats not plated. Amazing that some people are more acidic than others!

Jeremy Threlfall · Post by **Jeremy Threlfall** » 14 Dec 2017 5:57 pm

everyones pH level is different - it depends largely on what you eat and drink (funnily enough). You can adjust your acidity by altering your diet

An overly acidic system will cause inflammation and make you sick. This is why poor oral hygenien can cause inflammation of the cardiovascular system and heart attacks

cancer cells cannot survive in an alkaline environment

you cshould be able to buy urine pH testers from your local chemist/drugstore. I check mine a couple of times a month, just for my information.

Interesting read here:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-ph-mir ... ojEALw_wcB

Nic Sanford · Post by **Nic Sanford** » 14 Dec 2017 7:18 pm

When I was in gunsmith school, they called it "the magic touch". Some students had it so bad, they couldn't touch a firearm without rubber gloves. I drink whiskey daily, but never had a problem with the magic touch, so drink up. I avoid tomatoes.

Nathan Burns · Post by **Nathan Burns** » 15 Dec 2017 12:43 pm

I'll have a few too many drinks a few times a year but I am definitely not a regular drinker. I don't smoke and I actually don't even eat meat (vegetarian). Again, this was more out of curiosity because I seem to be the only one I know in the scene here that has this issue. I don't even consider it that much of a problem as I don't sell much gear. Once I buy it and like it, it's here for the long haul. Interesting to hear other experiences though!

Edit: I'm referring to the music scene here in my City. Not on the forum here