LEAD Contamination In Guitars: 3 of Mine Tested Positive!

Over the years I've received a number of comments on my videos, usually when I'm reviewing Chinese guitars, saying “hey watch out, I bet they use lead paint”. So after a long time of getting these comments, I thought, hey I'll make a video testing my guitars for lead, and finally put this myth to rest! Oops! Turns out 3 of my guitars tested positive for lead... and it wasn't in the way that I expected! Here's one more reason to not buy a Chibson: lead contamination in the guitars!
Lead test kit (Amazon): amzn.to/43FwGEj
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Rubric: -5 points for Danzig references. -5 points for not reading the description. -5 points for not watching far enough into the video to answer your own question. -5 points for misquoting me in your comment. 20 points possible. Everyone starts with an A!

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

I'd like to answer a question that keeps getting asked regarding testing the paint when it has a clear coat over the top. I removed the back / control cavity and tested the paint in areas that are not clear coated, in addition to the clear coated surface paint. ALSO, whenever possible, please watch the video before commenting. Many people are asking questions that are clearly answered in the video.

[@audiophileman7047]

Max, as someone who has professionally worked in the lead and other environmental and occupational safety fields, I need for you to be aware that qualitative lead testing kits are very unreliable. This is very well known by lead professionals who conduct lead inspections and lead hazard assessments as required by the California Department of Public Health who regulates lead professional certification. No lead professional uses these test kits to test for lead as a result of their unreliability. It would be a mistake to make statements as fact with these test kits. Also, how do you know if the lead isn't coming from the strings and is contaminating the frets? That's another possibility.

[@janusn9]

Definitely aint the strings chief. And he wasnt using the test kit to determine the amount of lead on the guitars, but that it was there, and it was. He aint conducting a lead inspection or harzard testing for a company. You dont need to be a professional in environmental safery fields to figure out if something has lead in it or not, and you dont have to be one to know that there shouldnt be any lead on the guitars. If I had a job like you, using the kits probably aint a good idea like you said. Great video Max, it was all well thought out, and seems valid and straight to the point. 👍👍

[@audiophileman7047]

As a lead professional, I respectfully disagree. Just like a person can't successfully perform brain surgery if he or she doesn't have the proper education, training, and experience, someone can't make an accurate determination about lead in materials without proper education, training, and experience. What I've said is based on real science and scrutinized industry standards and regulations. Because lead can be a complex subject, it requires certification. I had to complete extensive coursework in lead; pass a California Dept of Public Health Exam; and prove education and experience to get the lead inspector/assessor and lead project monitor certifications. By the way, the content of lead is very important in determining how to handle lead, and the unreliable test kits don't provide that information. @@janusn9

[@maynardtrendle820]

Hey dude- you're trying to talk down to a guy WHOSE JOB was literally (partly) about lead contamination. You know nothing about it, but decided that your opinions must be closer to the truth than his professional experience. Just wildly arrogant.

[@user-hl1dq7nh4d]

wow never thought of that .... thanks .... playing for 50 yrs now ....

[@SFBGuitar]

Whole new meaning to "lead guitarist"

[@witchfindergeneral13]

😂

[@oldschoolfunkster1]

Lmao! Great catch!! Gonna be my next "dad joke".

[@philfrank5601]

Top comment😂

[@areareare9953]

Doh.

[@solunasunrise]

gotta be really heavy !

[@joseramirez2310]

Lead contamination? That’s pretty metal

[@georgetoivo7092]

😂

[@jimspenser1258]

*"Heavy metal"

[@zadtheinhaler]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@MTB_MICK]

Soft Metal

[@jeffreygabbard6192]

Specifically heavy metal

[@audiophileman7047]

As someone who was once certified as Lead Inspector/Assessor for lead in buildings in California by the Department of Public Health, the testing you performed is not definitive. Qualitative lead testing kits can give false negatives. When I did inspections for lead in paint, I used an XRF handheld spectrometer to determine what is defined as "lead based paint" at 5,000 ppm or higher lead content. Below this amount is what's called "lead containing paint" and an XRF spectrometer isn't reliable below this amount. To test for lower levels, we took a physical sample and had it analyzed by a lab with Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The only way to definitively determine if lead is in the pieces of a guitar involves taking physical samples and having them analyzed by a reputable, certified lab. The question is whether or not this is really a hazard to the guitarist.

[@mal2ksc]

Did you have to carry a roll of Prop 65 warning stickers for when you found some? 😁

[@audiophileman7047]

No, as an inspector and assessor I would only identify the lead and hazards and offer a plan to get the hazard stabilized if there was a hazard. If it was a business, signs would be the building owner's responsibility. @@mal2ksc

[@audiophileman7047]

No, I didn't. It's the responsibility of the building or business owner to post Prop. 65 signs when required. @@mal2ksc

[@wildesage4172]

Do you have a personal opinion how much/how little this amount of lead (if we assumed Max's tests were accurate) may affect a guitarist playing it?

[@audiophileman7047]

The concentration of lead in the guitar's components is a determining factor on what the hazard may be. The swab test doesn't offer any info on concentration. How the guitar is played and handled and its condition makes a big difference too. With proper hygiene and a guitar in non-deteriorating condition, I doubt it's a problem, but a certified lead professional or a certified industrial hygienist must conduct a hazard assessment with proper sampling to say anything definitively. @@wildesage4172

[@chrislaustin]

As someone who has trained in asbestos remediation, I honestly can't see the levels in anything on these guitars being high enough to cause someone issues(still good to practice caution in certain cases). If your frets have lead, and your licking your fingers after a show, practice, etc., you may have an issue, but the small amount from playing, probably not enough to be an issue(wash hands after playing). As for paint, that is even less of a risk, as you need to be eating the paint or sanding the guitar were the lead could become airborne and inhaled. Lead paint and products have mainly been an issues when kids put toys in their mouths that contained lead, or construction were things with lead get pulverized and get inhaled(like asbestos does). When kids would peel paint of their crib or walls and eat it, then it was a problem due to the large qty ingested. You really have to get it in your body in decent amounts for it to become and issue. As others have stated, if a guitar has a clear finish over the paint, you need to scratch through that to even get a proper reading. So unless someone plans to refinish a guitar and strip and sand it, then you should test the paint and proceed with the proper safety measures. But even if your guitars paint had lead and you smash it on stage, there's still very little chance of issues, as that won't transfer the lead to your body in a way to cause harm.

[@bigbasil1908]

It seems to me the message from this video is - don't buy cheap knockoffs. Which is dumb in my opinion. The knockoffs are usually pretty decent quality.

[@LTPottenger]

Lead has no threshold where it starts to be bad. You don't want one molecule in your body.

[@EbonyPope]

Or just open the pickup cavity, scratch the paint and test it.

[@EbonyPope]

@@bigbasil1908 Have you ever watched any of his other videos??? He makes a living buying and demonstrating cheap and affordable guitars. Harley Benton to my knowledge has no lead in their paint. That issue I think is mainly concerning no name brands.

[@alwayslearning8365]

Good answer. You could have added the lead we were breathing in from lead added to gasoline. You covered everything quite well.

[@DisruptedSinner]

Honestly, I think this video is an extremely important health warning, especially for those trying out lesser priced guitars. The lead issues can be easily fixed with re-fretting or swapping pickups, but nonetheless, I've never seen anyone else cover this topic. Much appreciated, and way to think outside the box.

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Thanks!

[@growapair3880]

There is no problem with Lesser priced guitars 😂 and I better stop playing my USA Gibson that cost 4 grand with nickel silver frets that contains 2% lead and zinc and cadmium 😂 old furniture dishware and all houses built before 1986 have lead in the water from the plumbing pipes I can name a lot more things that contains lead we use in our lives.. a cheaper guitar is not going to hurt us 😂

[@Nosferdamus]

@@growapair3880 you don't know how much lead is in those frets. also remember, he tested his other 70 guitars and not all of them are chinese, so yeah of course 2% lead won't hurt you, it doesn't even register on the test strip.

[@growapair3880]

@@Nosferdamus that's cool....Google how much lead is in a nickel silver fret and see what the percentage is 😂...it's 2%

[@Nosferdamus]

@@growapair3880 proof you didn't read my comment without saying you didn't read it.

[@rdmcknight8395]

Thank you Max! I recently bought two 1960 Teisco guitars, and personally did a fret leveling job on them. There are experienced people in these comments saying that we don't have to panic because we won't get much lead from playing them, and that's great. But some of us work on our guitars, and sand the frets, dress them, level them, etc. I am INCREDIBLY grateful to know about this issue... mine also tested positive. I will now be refretting both guitars, and have thoroughly cleaned the outdoor work area where I did the fret leveling. THANK YOU MAX for bringing this to my attention; I follow a lot of channels and this is the first I've seen of this concern.

[@chris160108]

This is such good knowledge for you to be putting out there for us all! I'm one of those players who only has 1 more expensive guitar and satisfy that new gear urge by sometimes buying cheaper guitars to fix up or mess around with so this is really good to know. I'd hate to give a guitar to a family member or friend knowing that this is a possibility. You should consider making this one of the tests you do when reviewing budget friendly guitars going forward! There are several I have on my potential list to buy based on your reviews and now I'm wondering if any of them may have this issue to consider. Thanks again for all the great content!

[@audiophileman7047]

Lead typically becomes a hazard when it is either ingested and/or inhaled. If the paint/finish isn't flaking on a guitar and you don't touch a pick-up or the pick-up isn't deteriorating, then there shouldn't be any dust to ingest and/or inhale. Even the frets that are pretty hard, may not present much of a hazard. How long does it take for the frets to wear down to create enough dust for the player to inhale? As long as you wash your hands before eating, there shouldn't be any lead exposure through your clean, dry hands. The only way to know if enough dust is being created to cause a problem would be to perform a personal air sample with a personal air sampling pump while the guitar is being played to see if any inhalable dust is being generated while playing. If you really want to determine if this presents a hazard, I recommend contacting a certified lead professional or Certified Industrial Hygienist to evaluate what is happening. If the guitarist doesn't put his fingers in his mouth and the guitar isn't falling apart and creating inhalable dust, I doubt this presents a hazard. The only way to be sure is to consult with the proper professionals, but it does cost money. Children are most at risk from lead dust, so you would want to keep the guitar clean and keep your children from touching it and then putting their fingers in their mouths.

[@TheMasonator777]

What if you eat some wings at a gig after sweating all over your lead fret-wire.

[@johnphillips752]

Wow. Thank you so much for your help in the health & safety of the persons of the guitar community. That goes beyond the expectations of normal KZbin influencing, guitar reviewing, and instruction. That's insightful, knowledgeable, and well communicated. You are definitely of my high list of credible & trusted content creators in guitars. Again, thanks!

[@ferdberfle5069]

I think that any lead exposure from frets etc. on a guitar is so minimal as to be a non-issue. I was concerned several years ago because I was casting lead bullets and making lead shot for reloading both pistol rounds and shotgun shells. I melted mostly lead wheel weights in a melting pot and poured molten lead into bullet molds. I handled lead on a regular basis for many years, never wore gloves nor used any kind of face mask. As I said, I was concerned about my lead exposure and had my doctor order blood tests to see how it was affecting me. While the tests showed I had some level of lead in my system, the level was minimal.

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

When I was a kid ' I use to chew on lead and asbestos before I knew it was dangerous to a persons health. I ended up being diagnosed with cancer in 2015 but was caused from welding..... paint and body work.

[@michaelespinoza3828]

Very nice, thanks for taking the time to do this.

[@robpaige4122]

Glad to hear your Firefly guitars were safe. I have 2. Both bought after I started watching your channel a couple years ago.

[@offbeatbassgear]

This was incredibly interesting and informative, thanks for posting this and doing a really fine job.

[@Emceekaz57]

I think the lesson here is don't lick your guitar. Beyond that, I don't think you have much to worry about here.

[@TheCollector1987]

Zakk Wylde plays his guitars with his teeth... he might be screwed

[@samiirai]

Well ok, I will lick your guitar then.

[@zoeherriot]

You can absorb lead through the skin.

[@Aeduo]

Maybe also wash your hands afterwards and don't touch your face until you do heh.

[@lukecarmichael1588]

​@@Aeduoyea, i'd rather just not jave to worry about it.

[@jcatkins5536]

Good to know. Happy to hear Fireflies are good to go. Thanks for the research and all the rest of your effort on this subject, Max. That's a lot of time and thought investment. Your dive into literal heavy metal is appreciated.

[@dutchmcfadyen5867]

Great video! I appreciate the info. Clearly did your homework on this one man i love it.

[@jjkatona]

So glad you have our backs Maxx. Would never have guessed this. Thanks for the tip.

[@sergmo4979]

Thats crazy, I really never gave it much thought that guitars being manufactured now would have this issue

[@sunnohh]

Capitalism is amazing at cutting costs at the tradeoff of killing us at the margin

[@TheGhostGuitars]

Thanks for confirming the frets can have lead in them. More reason for me to change my guitar's frets to stainless frets! Also thanks for providing a link to the test kit, I'm going to order a bunch to test my guitars and refret those that fails immediately. Finally thanks for the warning about the white plastics! I will check them too! An additional place I'm going to test are the trem bridge blocks that are made of zinc alloys. I'm concerned about the possibility of lead in those blocks which, if present, could transfer to the strings during string changes and into the hands when handling the blocks during the string changes and/or during modification work on the guitar(s).

[@gordobot24]

Great video! Really good info. Thank you doing this level of detail on lead.

[@BrotherDevious]

Very interesting! Thanks for doing the testing and making the vid.

[@Neuroanalisis]

Something I have always suspected, but finally someone confirmed it. Thanks Max!

[@johnsavage8031]

Interesting stuff!! Thanks for taking the time to do it!!

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@richiesimons4403]

Thank you very much for this video Max. Something I and perhaps many, many others would never have thought of.

[@davegenske8973]

Thanks for this video and all the effort to make it

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

You're welcome!

[@jamieadams8483]

Best video from guitar u tube guys I’ve seen in awhile. Got me to subscribe 🎸

[@DanWolkoff]

Thank you!!!! Ordered the kit and will check everything!!

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Excellent! If you get a chance, feel free to report back with your findings!

[@xo0ravenwings0ox]

Thanks for the heads up! Have a neck made in China for a future build but will absolutely test my frets before messing with it. I guess that I'm naive thinking that lead contamination had tapered off over the last several decades.

[@jasonmiller3167]

And that's how Led Zeppelin got their name, kids...

[@alanserjeant4947]

Wow !! So they were playing Chibsons and Chenders for all those years !! Whoda thunk it 🙂😂🤣

[@stringrip]

Whether it was Keith Moon or John Entwistle who said the band "would go over like a lead balloon" is lost to history.

[@onionheadguy7094]

Great work Max!

[@mattgeo1545]

Great stuff and important. Thank you for THAT one!

[@michaelhmiles]

This is really useful albeit concerning info. Thanks for covering this issue. I have an old vintage guitar very similiar to one you have. I think mine was made in Japan and sold by Sears in the 60s. It probably has the same issue. Ironically, I was looking into new frets but the cost was high due to the way the guitar was made so I left it as is.

[@dannfeltrin]

This was an incredible video! Such valuable information, so thanks for doing it, man! Also... Chibson and Fake Ibanez? Maybe Chibanez sounds more appropriate hehe😅

[@StephenLight-oc3tl]

Thank you for sharing this information with us. Great video

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

You're welcome!

[@WilliamHaisch]

Lead used to be in everything. Paint (US ban in 1978, still in road paint), gasoline (US phase out starts 1976, final ban 1996), cosmetics (since ancient Egypt), glass… the list is enormous!

[@postoffice146]

Have had heavy metal in my teeth since the 1960's in my amalgam mercury fillings, a lead zeppelin.

[@Peasmouldia]

I have a few guitars with ebay "Fender" necks. Looks like I'm going to need one of those test kits... Ta Max.

[@TheGuitologist]

Great video dude!

[@cantyouhearmeknocking1961]

I'm 62, and I've been trying to "get the Led out" of my guitar for 55 years...

[@robertw6130]

Brilliant, Thanks for making this.

[@CosmicPotato]

Wow thanks, this is really informative and glad to see that the affordable, non-knock off guitars are OK. Like you said, kind of makes sense that unscrupulous actors would be the ones to use lead, whereas even if you're a value brand, you don't want to tarnish your name. But if you're knocking off Gibson, who cares then to anyone who might find out they'll either blame Gibson or just not know who to blame because who the heck knows who made the knock off.

[@johnpeccarelli2389]

Thank you so much for doing this.

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

You're welcome!

[@willardpritchard5186]

Thank you Max. Very glad my Fireflys received an all clear. They great modding platforms. I have a considerable amount of money invested in a few of these guitars. Its great to be able to spend 5 to 7 hundred dollars and have a guitar equivalent to a 2000 dollar fender, gretsch, or Gibson. 😊

[@dangerousdee1959]

I feel smarter just watching your videos. Keep up with great educational guitar gear videos.

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Glad you like them!

[@orionvassi]

Dude, this is a next level guitar video. I knew those cheap knockoff guitars were a trap, never would've guessed lead contamination though haha.

[@jaarriaga1978]

This video deserves thousands of views, thanks for the effort you took to make it. Makes me also think of the old time musicians who used to love their alcohol and play while under the influence. Bet part of all their health issues was also due to this.

[@rupe53]

Health issues due to drinking booze? Who'd a thunk that?

[@lolatu8255]

@@rupe53 Girlfriend-"Are you drunk again?" Me playing my guitar while drunk- "No dear, I am suffering from lead exposure again!" Lol!

[@colinburroughs9871]

@@lolatu8255 "I totally believe you babe!"

[@Ross-sx8jd]

Max , thank you for this bit of pertinent info. I have played 46 years and owned and horse traded 234 electric, and 104 acoustic guitars. I electric bass, a cheap mandolin . Some I owned for a few years. Some went from 1 pawn shop to another, to trade sometime losing a few bucks but still going home with the trade up. I wonder how much lead I've came in contact with. And I fish more than most and have handled a bunch of lead sinksrs too. Since i was a kid put split shot onthe line and bite them to clamp them. Silence..... .. crickets chirping

[@MichaelMitchell9969]

Hey Max, it was really nice meeting you the other day.

[@picksalot1]

This is the best PSA regarding a hidden danger of playing guitar that I've seen. That was a lot of work to do, and I appreciate the effort it must have taken. I would not be surprised if this lead problem extends to replacement parts. 🤔 Thanks

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

You're welcome and that's a good point!

[@EbonyPope]

@@GuitarMAXMusic Have you tested the Harley Bentons too? Would be intersting to know. Great new videos you are putting out. Appreciate it. Edit: Scratch off some paint to test it. Best to do that is in the pickup cavity where nobody sees it. That way you don't ruin the guitar since the pickup cavities are usually only painted with some overspray.

[@EricMacFadden]

Lead on solder is called "low melt solder" to specific use like removing industrial-processed soldering on PCB.

[@harlandowens8312]

Great information provided here, thanks for thinking outside of the paint box.

[@Davinchistragicloss]

Thanks for putting in the hard work on this and will wear gloves when doing fret polishes moving forward if any test positive.

[@Dlokey4315]

Very important video today and very useful and never really thought about untill now. I do solder a lot do use gloves or it I'm out of them just rap a little paper towel around the solder should take of contacting any lead . Great video, thanks. ✌️💛🙏

[@robertmitchell2178]

Great video Max. The paint on many guitars may still contain lead but, the clear coat will not. I am be curious about lead in aged or relic bodies. That is where the clear coat is sanded off and the paint is exposed.

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

When possible, I tested the paint by removing the cavity plates and checking the non clear coated areas on the inside of the body. All the paint I tested was negative.

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

That's really good to know! I do remember the ends of my fingers being grey after playing, but I think that was the flatwound strings. I recently bought a cheap guitar and rounded off the fret ends, lead never crossed my mind!

[@ragnarokandroll2638]

It's prob the string coating, those flake out as hell.

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

@@ragnarokandroll2638 These would have been made in the mid 70s at the latest, so who knows.

[@Fotosaurus56]

Dayum, I bought a replacement neck and filed the sharp ends of the frets. This never crossed my mind. 😮

[@w1zard0f0h]

While touching lead doesn't directly introduce it into your bloodstream, it can get into your system if you don't wash your hands before eating. Frequent or prolonged skin contact also increases the risk of heavy metal toxicity.

[@Nosferdamus]

playing those lead guitars for 3 hours a day while practicing would be enough exposure, and through the friction of the strings on the frets I bet you end up absorbing more lead than you would think by breathing in the dust while playing.

[@whiteroom2773]

Thanks, very interesting stuff. What will you do with the guitars that tested positive? Bin them? Get the frets re-done? Replace the pickups?

[@marcop1587]

Very informative! 👍🏻

[@luisgpr1]

Hey I have a vintage Hallicrafters valve SW radio that looks almost exactly like the one in your background, except it's military green color. Cool gadget.

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Nice!

[@guitarfreak521]

Great, I guess I should go test my Harmony guitar now.

[@DodgeDartSongs]

I had that same Teisco guitar back in the 80s-same body. The headstock was 3 + 3 and the brand was Kawai.

[@tommyhoffman4587]

Great video,thank you!

[@sunn_bass]

I'm not surprised at the findings. Lead is added for machinability in some alloys. It also adds a degree of corrosion resistance. It can minimize wear because of the lubricating properties.

[@mojorocketman]

And to think the vintage Tiesco guitars I owned I'd play Led Zeppelin tunes on it... I remember my old job in manufacturing, the senior fabricator would cut huge lead blocks on an industrial saw with bare hands and no dust mask. It was after a few years of me complaining they sent the lead blocks to a special place to cut them.

[@drcrutch]

Love your watch. What kind is it?

[@jewrue7975]

Though fretwire is frequently called "nickel silver," it doesn't actually contain silver. Rather, it's typically composed of 18 percent nickel, 80 percent copper, and small amounts of such other materials as zinc, lead, and cadmium. Really good fret wire has more zinc and less copper.

[@BataraKado]

hey guitar max i swear these scientific guitar videos like this and the one where you and dovadoys put the dumb bells on the fake flying v guitar, that is stuff ive always wanted to see tested... keep it up bro!

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Thank you!

[@ikipearl]

By any chance did you test Westcreek Guitars, such as the Revenge or their version of the Flying V?

[@jonhoward437]

Good information to have. Thanks! Wash your hands after use. People still fish with lead weights, shoot lead rounds, balance tires with lead weights, etc. Just keep it out of your mouth.

[@raytorvalds3699]

Darn it. I always enjoy eating balancing weights for car wheels (I'm a mechanic). Seriously though, they haven't been made of lead anymore for a long time. At least in the Netherlands (and presumably the whole of the EU).

[@rdmcknight8395]

Yes, but those things you listed don't routinely need to be sanded level and have their ends dressed. Different animal, really.

[@johnnyhood4841]

Excellent info my friend!!!!!🧐

[@PapaVickers]

Well done!

[@StrangeAngel66]

Wow, thanks gonna test mine

[@2000SkyView]

I'm guessing you will find lead in every fret you test.

[@blondiespinknoize4627]

When I gigged the most, I had a lot of rash, I was never tested but suspected it to be nickel allergi... Left hand fingers killing me, was not so surprising due to nickel/silver frets and nickel based strings. BUT, my right forearm, the part leaning on my guitars, was almost an open wound so I had to cover that with a fabric in some way (I hate playing with long sleeves). Later, after I stopped gigging (for other reasons) I started experimenting with other strings, and though I, due to less playing and the rash going away, can't conclude anything, I found that stainless steel strings feels extremely dry and IMO unpleasant , but the Ernie Ball Cobalt both feels and sounds awesome. A little on the expensive side, but this point it's my main strings. If they contain other harmfull shit I don't know. But maybe You could do a nickel test on frets, strings, paint etc., that would be cool. Keep shredding bro.🤘

[@DaisyHollowBooks]

Thank you for this. I’ve got a lot of inexpensive Asian guitars. I’ll be testing them now.

[@noahMrkz]

Thanks for always being honest Max. I’m wondering, do you think this issue is widespread with cheaper import guitars?

[@kiwicourters9728]

A guitar I purchased from eBay tested positive for lead in the frets. I contacted eBay about the issue (and the fact that they sell forgeries as well) But what am I supposed to do with a contaminated guitar?

[@jgmopar]

I'm in Ca. Everything I buy has the Prop 65 warning on it.

[@cay113]

thank u so much for the info

[@stevehill5018]

Great video! How many guitars do you have? How many were tested? Thanks!

[@fenderbass0]

That's good that there was no surface contamination of the finishes with lead, but that's just testing the clearcoat. If stripping and refinishing a guitar of dubious origin, one should still test for lead and take all the precautions.

[@breevwhyman2985]

- Max, Sir, Uh , thanks for the awareness.

[@user-pz6js5dv3v]

How gonna follow sir with uh 😂

[@user-yh5yw8sm4l]

I just bought one of those Chibby's/Black Beauty's. Your video took a little of the thrill out of owning it. you could say the thrill is gone/BB. I am reassured a little buy some of the comments saying it isn't going to kill me. I cant afford the real thing. I did some fret work on it, and the frets seem as solid as others I've worked on. 🎸

[@jimmygrant3151]

Great information

[@timruss7609]

Max do you have a warehouse how do you store 70 guitars and their cases?

[@Tenfingersofdoom]

Wow, I never thought about this. Did you test the SBS (guitarfetish) guitar? I just bought one because of your videos on it. I love it?

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Yes I did test them. All negative!

[@Tenfingersofdoom]

@@GuitarMAXMusic okay good . Thanks 🙏

[@craign8ca]

Just curious (and off topic) but is that a Hallicrafters S-38 behing you? Look like other radio gear next to it, too.

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Yes it is!

[@HomeGuitarMods]

That P38 is sweet!

[@LesterMitchell]

Wow man that's crazy! I wouldn't have guessed this. Thanks for the information!

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

You bet! Thanks Lester!

[@thepostapocalyptictrio4762]

You are doing a big service to all guitarists. Thank you

[@hisdukeness3037]

I have a teisco.. it wouldn’t surprise me if it had a bit of radiation.. Still cool

[@justinnegley1058]

My 2019 American Ultra Strat tested positive for lead in the frets and my inspired by Gibson Epiphone Muse LP

[@peterrezba995]

Makes you want to revisit the metal guitar picks Eddie Van Halen used

[@user-wd8mn8sf1j]

I got one of those super-cheap Donner guitars, a Les Paul copy. The Frets needed shaping and were ridiculously soft. I put it away in disgust, probably contaminated.

[@8cylpiano]

Have you tested the strings that come on a Firefly?

[@cantyouhearmeknocking1961]

Well, I'm 62, and I've been trying to "get the Led out" of my guitar for 55 years...

[@fredengel5896]

Good report.

[@GuitarMAXMusic]

Thanks!

[@JUGGERNAUT606]

I have a "glarry" strat and the frets wore down extremely fast (6 months) or so. I'm sure there is a high amount of lead in the fret wire...

[@Bruddermane]

I think the most surprising and shocking part of this video was when Max said he has 70 guitars....... #jealous hahahahah that's awesome! I wonder if he has a guitar collection video. That would be cool to see.

[@keithsmith9889]

Just starting but for sure i would think fretts and bridges and pickup covers caues it's an easy inexpensive way to fill cracks and gouges and dents

[@timhorton8085]

Me, an avid ammunition reloader: These are rookie numbers. We need to pump these numbers up!

[@THRobinson]

I'd assume most of those cheaper guitars had a poly based finish, which I don't think ever contained lead. Older guitars with lacquer, maybe... But usually easy to spot lacquer from polyester/polyurethane. Frets, ya... If I were guessing lead content, I would have thought frets more than finish.