Recto diamond plate: was it ever Chrome as standard?

[cardinal]

Or has polished diamond plate always been then standard? I've seen pics of chrome diamond plate, but maybe those were custom orders.

I have a Triple Rec on the way to me with a chrome chassis, and I'd really like a head shell with chrome diamond plate to match (it's currently black). I'd love to just swap headshells with someone who wants the black, but the polished diamond plate looks pretty different from chrome.

I'm not sure Mesa even offers the diamond plate as chrome any more, so I'm guessing my only other option would be to pull the diamond plate off the headshell and have someone else chrome it.

Thanks!

 

[tele twister]

I'm pretty sure aluminum diamond plate cannot be chrome plated, only polished.

 

[cardinal]

Thanks. I don't know anything about the process other than Googling it, but it seems aluminum can be chromed, it just takes an extra layer of metal before the nickel because the nickel won't stick to aluminum (but it does stick to zinc which sticks to aluminum).

I've seen pics of a double-chrome Recto and a pic of a Recto with a chrome chassis and polished diamond plate. They look very different. The polished aluminum simply does not look like chrome.

 

[Nick Lehman]

I'll trade you my aluminum plate for the black. I was actually fixing to paint mine. It has a small scratch on it though. Not bad though for being over 15 years old

 

[cardinal]

Thanks. Here's a pic of what I'm wanting:

Do y'all think that diamond plate is actually chrome too, or just polished very well?

And here's a pic of one that I don't think looks great:

That one definitely seems just "polished" and looks very different from the chrome on the chassis.

I actually have another Recto, but it has black diamond plate, too. I guess once the new one gets here I'll just take it over to a shop that has a polished plate model and compare. Thanks again!

 

[JCDenton6]

That first pic is just a very clean and heavily polished faceplate, my 2 ch Triple's faceplate looks close to that condition-wise and polish-wise.

That might be a brand new head shell, but if you clean it first with hot water and white vinegar, then dry it and use guitar polish on it you can get it to look like that, be sure to use a microfiber cloth on it though, everything else can scratch it.

I have a black chassis and thought about silk screening all the labeling and chroming it out, but seems like a lot of work.

 

[cardinal]

Awesome. Thanks man. So when the new Rev G gets here I'll just try to swap one of the two blacked-out headshells I have for a shell with a good-condition polished plate.

 

[fireonhigh]

Thanks. Here's a pic of what I'm wanting:

Do y'all think that diamond plate is actually chrome too, or just polished very well?

And here's a pic of one that I don't think looks great:

That one definitely seems just "polished" and looks very different from the chrome on the chassis.

I actually have another Recto, but it has black diamond plate, too. I guess once the new one gets here I'll just take it over to a shop that has a polished plate model and compare. Thanks again!

heey that rec. on top is my 92, i have it sitting in a 97tripple headshell,as you can it didnt fit perfect but still looks killer,yeah i just used chrome polish,my triple looked good blacked out,but i sold off the 97,i never sell the 92,,,**** time flys! 2006?

 

[tele twister]

fireonhigh, nice job on the polish. Good ol' determination and elbow grease can go a long way.

cardinal, is your plate back from the electro-platers yet?

 

[Dr.G]

You can use "Never Dull" for polishing. But be careful and tape everything that does not have to come in contact with it (tolex, chassis, middel pannel in the dimond plate) as it's very agressive.