The first ding in your guitar... to fix or not? - Page 4

JayBee1404 · #46 02-05-2021, 01:26 AM

I’ve told this story so many times. In 2001, I brought home my brand-new Lowden O-25 from the store where I bought it, laid the case on the living-room floor, bent down and unlatched and opened the lid...and the brass Shubb capo that was in my shirt-pocket fell out and straight on to the guitar’s pristine soundboard. And I hadn’t even taken the guitar out of its case for the first time!

I was gutted, and tried to ‘repair’ the ding by rubbing it with a cloth to smooth out the damaged finish. Result - I made it worse. I decided to leave it alone after that, but it bugged me for a long time. After a few years I realised that I no longer noticed the blemish, it had simply become invisible to me unless I looked for it carefully, a part of the guitar’s personality and it worried me not one jot.

My advice would be to leave it alone, stop looking at it and winding yourself up, and just play the guitar.

The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

EDIT by JayBee: Apologies - just noticed I already recounted this tale back in July 2019, post #3!

KenL · #47 02-05-2021, 05:46 AM

This ding, a textbook case tooth mark, was there when I bought this otherwise EXC Guild 20 years ago.

I really don't even see it anymore.

20210111_090028.jpg

Jimi2 · #48 02-05-2021, 10:24 AM

How much does it typically cost to fix dings and scratches in the finish if no real damage has been done to the wood? I’ve got a few and I’m not concerned, but I’m wondering if it’s cost effective to get them fixed before selling a guitar.

Bluenose · #49 02-05-2021, 10:59 AM

They can send a man to the moon but they can't design a ding proof guitar case and hey... get off my lawn. I wonder how people that have bought factory aged guitars feel when they accidently bump or drop something on them or scrape them with a case latch. My advise is only buy pre dinged used guitars, cheaper and less guilt when the inevitable happens.

Pura Vida · #50 02-05-2021, 01:36 PM

These threads always make me feel better about keeping my guitars out on racks, where they're safe from case kisses and teeth marks.

FoxHound4690 · #51 02-05-2021, 02:14 PM

Don't sweat it man really. Guitars take on natural wear and tear as they age and get played so Don't be too concerned about dings and dints. My Martin D-16 has several circular marks on the sides of the headstock from using a string winder but no point getting angry about it becuase there's nothing I can do about it. I play this guitar almost every single day so i know sooner rather than later it will take on more marks and dings besides those.... and like your one you can really only see them in the right light. 95% of the time now when i'm playing it forget those marks are even there.

Br1ck · #52 02-05-2021, 03:16 PM

I'm done buying any guitar that does not have twenty of thirty dongs and surface scratches. I want to go clunk, and never find the new one.

wguitar · #53 02-06-2021, 08:35 AM

Dings and honest wear are part of a guitar's character. To fix it would be to change the essence of your prized instrument. Guitars are meant to be played, and the enjoyment you get from playing it will make you forget any blemishes.

Enjoy!

Keith G50 · #54 02-06-2021, 09:22 AM

And you guys jump on us that leave our guitars in stands because they might get a ding or dusty. Getting it out of a case is likely the most dangerous couple of seconds of a guitars life. LOL.

Sorry for the OP’s mishap. Try to let it go and just play.

bluesman62 · #55 02-06-2021, 09:47 AM

the first time i took my brand new D-28 out of the case i clipped the head stock and took a little chunk out of it.

Dadzmad · #56 02-06-2021, 10:14 AM

Just live with it - these kind of dings become less noticeable as the years go by. I would only have significant or moving cracks and loose binding professionally repaired.

sixfour · #57 02-06-2021, 10:27 AM

I have nine guitars including three nice Japanese Yamaha acoustics. All are over five years old and some I’ve owned for 20 years.

Not one ding on any of them.

I live in constant fear. Don’t be like me, it’s not healthy...

OsosFTW23 · #58 05-05-2023, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Bojangles

Fix it, it obviously bothers you. I once got a case bite on a used D-28 which was pre-dinged. Funny, the existing dings didn't concern me much, but the new one inflicted on "my watch" did. My luthier fixed it for free while it was in for some other work, and I feel a lot better about it now.

I've got a new inexpensive beater that I dinged when the strap let go. It's near the bottom and I can't see it until I go looking for it. But I know it's there, and now I don't play that guitar as much as I used to. It would be too costly for the repair, so chances are I'll end up selling it at some point just to get it out of the house. How's that for obsessive?

Revitalizing this thread as this just happened to me. I just got a used Santa Cruz OM advertised as mint which I've wanted for nearly 15 years. I checked it over when I got it and there was not a scratch on it. Took it to get it set up and the guitar tech dropped a socket on the soundboard while adjusting the truss rod. Honest mistake and he owned up to it and the rest of the work was fine. I've had other mid-tier guitars that I've dinged up and higher end used guitars that had dings and none of this had bothered me. This one does. Partially because its on the bass side of the upper bout so its right in my face and partially because if the guitar is going to get a ding, I want to be the one to do it! Is that weird? If the shop is offering to pay for the repair, is it worth it?

rllink · #59 05-05-2023, 02:17 PM

Just as soon as I buy a guitar I accept that eventually it will get dinged and scratched. I will admit that the first one gives me pause, but I get over it after five or ten minutes of mourning. I've never had one fixed or even thought about it. I just know that as soon as I get one fixed I will put another one in it. At least for me, not fixing one seems to prevent further dings from occurring. I don't know why it works that way but it does.

JackC1 · #60 05-05-2023, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OsosFTW23

the guitar tech dropped a socket on the soundboard while adjusting the truss rod.

If the shop is offering to pay for the repair, is it worth it?

Sorry to hear it, but accidents happen. I wouldn't have it repaired because I think it's going to be hard/impossible to get the dented soundboard to look perfect again. Also, if you do repair it, when you sell the guitar, you have to mention the repair and a pain to explain.