Share your guitar denting story

[gimme789]

I bought my D18 used in 1978, and it already had its share of dings when I got it, but it was still in nice shape. One day in 1990 after playing it, I stood it up against my bed, with the strings facing the bed and went into the other room. A little while later (while I was in the other room) I heard a loud crash. I said WTH was that???? Went back in to look.

There had been a nightstand next to the bed, and on top of it, a stereo receiver (the old heavy duty kind...). I stared in horror and dis-belief - one of the legs on the nightstand had just suddenly decided to break in half, and you guessed it, the receiver and table had crashed right into the back of the guitar.

It left several holes. One gash was about 1.5 inch wide and 7-8 inches long. The other two were about 1X3. Also a couple large scratches running for over half the length of the guitar.

Had to take it to my local luthier to repair the holes, and re-finish the back. He did an excellent job, but I remember walking back into the bedroom like it was yesterday.

[flaggerphil]

Originally Posted by ikravchik

Have you damaged your instrument in ways that still gives you the chills?

No. It's a guitar...things happen.

[jpbat]

Originally Posted by Picking Moose

This is an amazing coincidence.
My (not so much now) friends have been round your house too!!!!

Perhaps I should have broken some of their fingers instead of just shouting at them

(ahem) No "friends" involved. I made the "scars" myself….

[Luke W]

Originally Posted by bluzuner

Big Brown Truck arrives.
SO Happy.
Open box.
Case is in a big clear plastic bag.
Remove bag.
Open up case.
Enjoy odor.
Lift brand new D-16GT out with one hand.
Forget about ceiling fan.

All I could do was laugh. It was so typical of me. Took a quarter inch chunk off the headstock. Hadn't played one note in it's life.

Thats pretty epic...

Makes me dropping a string winder onto the side of mine seem less bad.

[Mooh]

Had my first Beneteau flattop for only a few days when I banged the headstock into an open garage door overhead while swinging the strap over my head.

Came home to my tornado ravaged home to find a few new dents in my Godin LG and Progression, plus some scratches to other instruments.

A recording engineer borrowed a guitar stand from my booth and laid my 12 string on the floor behind me. I had a pair of headphones on and didn't notice. Eventually I swung around in my stool and stepped on the edge of the body, near where the right arm rests. Ding.

Lots of other minor accidents.

[woodstock64]

Originally Posted by kwakatak

It's one of many child locks in my home.It's basically two zip locks connected to a central yoke. It requires two hands to open. I have them all over the house to keep my kids from rummaging for things to put in their mouths. Some would say due diligence is enough and that they should know better with better parenting but my children have "special needs."

FWIW I also keep my guitars locked up for most of the time and is probably the biggest reason why I don't own a guitar valued over $1000.

Do they sell these child locks for guitar cases? LOL
I too keep my M-38 locked in it's case between playing sessions. While I've already placed several very light, shallow, barely noticeable except in just the right light indentations in my guitar while removing the pickguard, I did it NOT someone else. And especially not my kids or my dog. As I stated earlier many of us initially baby our brand new pristine guitars in a futile attempt at preserving it's "mint" status. But as is clear from this thread about 99.9% of us fail miserably: some sooner than others. Sorry to bluzuner whose ceiling fan took a quarter inch chunk out of the headstock of his brand new "just out of the box", never been played guitar. This might win the owner-inflicted dent race. Not a race he was happy to win. I'm sure. Most of us, myself included eventually get over it. As to those self induced light gouges? I can live with them: and do. Though truth be told, I have been known to remove my guitar from it's case so as to avoid the lighting that makes her blemishes noticeable.

[Blueser100]

Originally Posted by Irondale

toddler + hotwheels = dent

cat + mouse toy = dent

[jricc]

I was taking care of my friend's guitars, and I just put his Gibson Gospel in it's case, but not quite the right way and the lid fell down on it, and one of the top hinges put a little 1/2" dent in the top. OMG, I felt horrible...
He's a good guy and while he loves his stuff pristine, he was ok with it. Still I felt terrible, I always do my best to take care of my gear.
Accidents will happen...

[robj144]

I hope I never dent a guitar. On the other hand, I have nicked a few.

[MikeD]

I have dinged and dented more guitars over the past 30 years than I care to remember... everything from Traugott's to Walker's to Somogyi's to vintage Martins. All I can say is ***** happens, they are merely "things" that allow us to play/make music and anything can be repaired if it bothers you enough. Enjoy them for the purpose they were built, and that is to make music and make playing music enjoyable. It is impossible to keep a guitar in mint condition, and even the cleanest used guitars I have seen have shown some wear on them... heck, most new guitars when you receive them have blemishes from the builder somewhere on them.

[lkblock]

When my Takemine was my only guitar, I was coming back from a trip from my Mom & Dad's place during the winter. I only had a gig bag for the guitar, and it was on my shoulder while I was also trying to pick up another bag. The guitar slipped off my shoulder and dropped about 2 feet onto the concrete driveway. The top of the guitar popped out a section about 1.5-2 inches wide from the binding about 6 inches into the top. I was bummed! Took it to a repair shop and got it fixed. It still plays OK and you can still see where the piece of the top was glued back down. Definitely some character on that guitar now.

[DCannon]

Believe me, I feel your pain but I've learned that it's going to happen, no matter how hard we try to keep our guitars pristine and I succumbed to that fact many years ago. Here's my '72 Guild F-30R I used as my main touring/gigging guitar for 20+ years. It has lots of character and as many have dubbed it... 'mojo'...and lots of memories.







I also play Irish whistle and when I was first starting out about 12 years ago, I had a black drumstick bag containing about 10 whistles. While getting ready for a gig, I put everything down behind my car in the garage to unlock and open the trunk... two guitars, a bouzouki, stands, gig bag, and the whistle bag. The garage light wasn't working, it was getting dark and I hurriedly put everything in the trunk...except the whistle bag...and backed over it. That was a bad day since I lost some excellent whistles. These days, it all goes inside the car.

If you ever want to feel really stupid, show up at a gig with your guitar case and no guitar inside.

DC

[muscmp]

the little dings give them character. however, i believe a huge lesson was learned.

play music!

[fazool]

Similar thread with similar stories. Mine had the word "howl" in it....I'm pretty sure there were tears too.

[BoneDigger]

Been lucky so far. A few small scratches and the such but never had a bad accident. Had a friend lean his guitar and case against the car then managed to run over it. Luckily, it was a rather cheap guitar.

Todd