Polishing Ye-Olde Tuning Pegs: What To Use?

[BenTunnicliffe]

Hi Folks,

 

I'm cleaning my bass up including a trip to the luthier and I've decided to polish up the hardware myself purely because I've never seen it 'as new' in the time I've been with this bass. 

 

From the pictures, can someone tell me A) What's the metal? and B) What off-the-shelf product would you recommend to try and get these tuning pegs shinin' once more?

 

 

[PaulThePlug]

0000 Wire Wool.. 

[Beer of the Bass]

I must admit, I've never done more than clean the more overt crust off the actual tuning button part of mine - I left the gears, worms and baseplate alone. I think I just used a little metal polish on a soft cloth for that. Looks like a nice bass, from those tuners.

[Downunderwonder]

I would leave the patina be also. It looks really nice as it is. Polished up would not be my cup of tea at all. You would never get it all back to shiny brass and it would look all wrong 90% shiny and 10% not.

[JoeEvans]

Brasso is the stuff you want.

[Downunderwonder]

2 hours ago, JoeEvans said:

Brasso is the stuff you want.

Leaves white residue in places impossible to reach. If you wash it away you're left with green spots impossible to reach. Looks really odd to my eyes.

[JoeEvans]

7 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Leaves white residue in places impossible to reach. If you wash it away you're left with green spots impossible to reach. Looks really odd to my eyes.

Yes - you don't want to get it on anywhere you can't get it off.