How damaging my Emerald helped me bond...

[RP]

I purchased my X20 last fall, but it was so nice that I think I was a little cautious about playing it to either its or my fullest. It was not only the first Emerald that I'd ever owned but also the first I ever played. After all I'm the guy who puts pick guards on my Rainsongs because I don't trust my strumming technique; and I didn't trust myself to lean into the X20 and so I played it sparingly and then only finger style.

Then something terrible and wonderful occurred - she fell over and suffered two chips in the clear coat. I say wonderful because I believe that the chips were an impediment to my selling it (because I was playing it rather stiffly and wasn't bonding) at the price I wanted. Lots of interest here and on Reverb, several maybes, but no sale. So I decided that I'd try my hand at fixing the chips - I mean how hard could it be?

I asked for and received some repair suggestions from fellow AGF members as well as Youtube videos. I had nothing to lose, right? This past week I rewatched a Dan Erlewine video and jumped into the deep end. My fear was that I'd make things worse but once I crossed the Rubicon (Alea iacta est), there was no turning back.

The repairs turned out decent, and by feel there's no way to tell anything was amiss. By sight, the repairs are pretty decent for a first timer. However, the added bonus is that once I inflicted pain on my X20 and then heeled her suffering I've felt a lot more comfortable digging in and really playing her. Wow, what a difference. I love this guitar and am so glad that she fell over that night and suffered her battle scars. Those scars brought us so much closer together...

[Steve Hamill]

I have a PRS Hollowbody ll that was a little chipped up and had a few finish repairs before I got it. Its the guitar that gets played the most and left out when ghe grandkids are around. Even the 3 year old boy my granddaughters call the threenager. I never leave the Goodall out around him. The PRS and beater Cargo are always out and get played daily due the no worries status.

[mot]

Good story. I think the day I felt I could do anything with my X20 was the day about 5 years ago when I was at a hotel where the bellhop insisted that I should let him carry everything. He carefully put the guitar on top a pile of baggage then proceeded to knock it off the cart going through the door. It made a loud clang and the whole hotel stopped to look. The terrified kid carefully brought it to me. I opened up the soft case and showed him there was no damage. That was probably the day I stopped babying it.

[Captain Jim]

Well, I don't recommend banging up a guitar to get beyond that "too good to play" stage, but... whatever works.

Looks to me like your repairs are well-done. And now you get to play the heck out of it!

[steelvibe]

So glad to hear a happy ending RP in your first Emerald experience. I actually watched that guitar for awhile and wished I had the funds as it was a great deal- especially when you had it at $1595 for the Christmas special. The fact it is loaded with a pickup and that it had a HSC was just icing. Your touch up looks great!!

I've been very curious about an X20 (and the X7), and maybe someday it is in the cards. For now I live vicariously through you all.

[VJP5]

Nothing like a happy ending

....and the repairs look great.

[Mbroady]

The First Chip Is The Deepest
Now that it’s out of the way....rock on

[RP]

Thanks guys. It was definitely a leap of faith to take sandpaper to the finish of my beautiful Emerald, but it fell under the heading of you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette...

[raysachs]

I was really surprised to see you selling that so soon after getting it. I wasn't interested but would have been put off by the dings if I had been, particularly the one on the neck which I think you'd feel while playing. The one in the sound hole wouldn't bother me.

But however it happened, I'm glad you've bonded with it and have decided to keep it. It's a great guitar that deserves to be played and never needed babying to begin with. But probably best to avoid knocking it over any more than necessary...

-Ray

[tbeltrans]

Bonding with guitars is an odd thing. It doesn't seem to matter how much the guitar cost or how perfect it is, etc.

Out of my collection, the guitars I have bonded with most are my McPherson Touring and Taylor K14ce Builder's Edition - one carbon fiber and one wood.

I would have thought that, since I had wanted a 00 with short scale and wide (1 7/8" nut) that my Huss & Dalton would be my "guitar of a lifetime". I do enjoy that guitar, but have not bonded with it as my "go-to" guitar as I have the two I mentioned. I really can't put any particular reason for why I do or don't bond with a particular guitar, it just happens or doesn't.

Tony

[kramster]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

Bonding with guitars is an odd thing. It doesn't seem to matter how much the guitar cost or how perfect it is, etc.

Out of my collection, the guitars I have bonded with most are my McPherson Touring and Taylor K14ce Builder's Edition - one carbon fiber and one wood.

I would have thought that, since I had wanted a 00 with short scale and wide (1 7/8" nut) that my Huss & Dalton would be my "guitar of a lifetime". I do enjoy that guitar, but have not bonded with it as my "go-to" guitar as I have the two I mentioned. I really can't put any particular reason for why I do or don't bond with a particular guitar, it just happens or doesn't.

Tony

Never a Cargo bond?

[RP]

Originally Posted by raysachs

...But probably best to avoid knocking it over any more than necessary...

-Ray

Yeh, that's the plan for 2020. The filled-in chip on the sound hole is not visible, but the filled-in chip along the fretboard can be seen in certain light at certain angles but definitely not readily apparent. Neither can be feit by yours truly. I just took a power sander covered with paper towel to both spots to help buff them out...

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by kramster

Never a Cargo bond?

Kramster,

I like the Cargos and have no intention of selling them, but when I got the McPherson, to me it is what the Cargo could have been if CA Guitars had been able to continue to develop it.

Tony

[oscarvan]

Not unlike the first scratch/nick on a car.

Had my brand new van (which I converted to stealth camper) and was on a road trip with rest area/truck stop naps. Spent too much time finding a "safe place". Not safe as in crime, but safe as in don't get hit.

Parked 25' behind a box truck. Remember thinking.... "I hope he doesn't back up".....

In the middle of the night I am awoken to BOOOOM and an earth quake. He had backed up, and into me. Talk about an adrenaline rush.....

Jumped out in my nighties and snow boots (about 20º out there) and got to my front same time the driver did. Young kid, visibly upset about the whole thing. I surveyed the damage which was no more than a 6" scrape on the plastic bumper. I said... "That the bosses truck?" "Yeah....." I said... "Go.... it's not worth the paperwork or you getting in trouble." He thanked me profusely and left. I went back to bed.

At that point the truck was just my truck and not my new shiny truck.

All good.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by kramster

Never a Cargo bond?

One sure-fire way to bond with the Cargo would be to damage it as the OP did with his Emerald, and then try to fix it with superglue and get my fingers bonded permanently to the Cargo.

Tony