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#2
02-25-2018, 08:16 AM
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Yikes! considering I see the finish itself has cracked there is not much you can do if you had to ask what to do.......
Options are live with it, call it character. Now it is YOUR guitar. Or take it and have it fixed at a reputable shop. FWIW that would be about $75-$100 at my shop. 
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#3
02-25-2018, 09:21 AM
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The repair/fix will depend on the type of finish:
is it nitrocellulose lacquer or poly or what?
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Fazool "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter" Taylor GC7, GA3-12, SB2-C, SB2-Cp...... Ibanez AVC-11MHx , AC-240
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#4
02-25-2018, 11:27 AM
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Quote:
Generally I don't mind a few blemishes, but the first one on a guitar is always the hardest to accept.
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#6
02-25-2018, 11:40 AM
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Dan Erlewine has video tips on Stewart-Macdonald.
Here is one for chip fill using CA. Your "scratch" might need some fill... http://http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Instrument_Finishing_and_Finish_Repair/Fixing_a_small_chip_in_your_guitars_finish.html?la c_guid=7fed0d79-b82b-e511-9fbd-bc305bee17b9&utm_campaign=ts0246_2&utm_medium=emai l&utm_source=newsletter http://www.stewmac.com
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in alphabetical order, (so none of them gets jealous)  Breedlove, Eastman, Epiphone, Fender, Gibson, Godin, Guild, Gurian, Larrivee, Loar, Martin, Recording King, Taylor, Voyage Air, Webber, Yamaha ... Last edited by renoslim; 02-25-2018 at 11:48 AM.
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#7
02-25-2018, 11:40 AM
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First and foremost, the finish is there to protect the wood. It looks like it did.
On the one hand, high-gloss finishes can enhance the appearance of the wood and really "finish" the piece, making it look its best. On the other hand, the finish is there to protect the piece and will take bumps and bruises. In some ways it seems foolish to make the protection mechanism - the finish - the object itself. It reminds me of when car bumpers, which were added to protect the body of the car and its finish, became painted with the same high gloss paint as the rest of the car. Now, people are touching up the paint on the bumpers, which were originally put there so that one didn't have to worry about scratching the paint on the rest of the car. That seems to largely defeat the purpose of the bumpers.
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#8
02-25-2018, 11:47 AM
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Quote:
There is no shortage of information on how to perform the repair. However, information is just one of the ingredients necessary to be successful. The other two are skill and experience. Ask yourself if you have the skill and experience to make the repair look better than if you did nothing. Many instruments, of owners who mistakingly think they do, end up in the hands of professional repair people to fix not only the original repair, but also the owner's mistakes. Often this is at two to three times the cost of what it would have been if the owner had just taken it to a professional in the first place. If you have the skill and experience, or are willing to risk it, go for it. "Know thyself."
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#9
02-25-2018, 11:51 AM
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Quote:
__________________
in alphabetical order, (so none of them gets jealous) Breedlove, Eastman, Epiphone, Fender, Gibson, Godin, Guild, Gurian, Larrivee, Loar, Martin, Recording King, Taylor, Voyage Air, Webber, Yamaha ...
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#10
02-25-2018, 06:38 PM
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Charles Tauber said it. I am pretty proficient at repair, but as B Howard points out, this scratch has broken the finish a bit. An invisible drop-fill or death-defying sand-and-polish job both are risky. Even a pro area refin is risky. I would use polish to minimize the visibility and live with the blemish. As Cat Stevens says, "the first cut is the deepest." It will be all you see for a while, but eventually.... My most banged-up guitar is a '36 and has all kinds of dings, hacks, splits, and cracks. The bad ones are repaired, the light ones polished away, and the rest look incredibly cool and full of characterful. The guitar has been played to the moon and back. Does it look bad? Yes? No? Both?
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#11
02-25-2018, 09:35 PM
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It would remain a beauty mark if it were mine. Trying to make that better could make it much worse, very quickly.
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#13
02-27-2018, 11:56 AM
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Thank you so much for all the responses. I agree, I should look at it positively, it's just a first one of many more blemishes which will come over time. And I'm fine with it.
I just thought that there was an easy way to make it less obvious, like spray with something and polish with a cloth. But from what you're saying it's not worth it and could make things look worse, so I'll leave it as it is.
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#14
03-01-2018, 03:05 AM
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Quote:
Any time we repair a finish on a light surface, there is high risk of discolouration due to the uv exposure of the wood, I would rather repair ten side back repairs than one top repair. Character is the best way to go, my Taylor has at least 30 character marks on the top , and I repair this stuff for a living.Steve
__________________
Cole Clark Fat Lady Gretsch Electromatic Martin CEO7 Maton Messiah Taylor 814CE
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