Repair or protect gouged-out or worn section of top

[Ralph124C41]

I just got a great deal on an guitar. It was listed in "fair" condition but I just talked to the salesman who made the listing. He said the guitar structurally is fine and the pickup works but there is a section "south" of the pickguard which has been worn or chipped away down to the unfinished wood. The wood is not cracked, he said, and he sent me a photo of the area.

He assumed it was caused by a fingerstyle player anchoring his or her finger at that area but he is just guessing. I'm not a fingerstyle player so I don't know if could be the case or not.

Frankly to me it doesn't look worn away but somehow chipped away ... so it is a concern. What can I do to help protect that area? Luckily the shop has a good return policy. I will also take it to my luthier buddy for his examination of the guitar. Perhaps he could refinish it or make some suggestions too.

[Fathand]

Without a picture, I would guess it's from overzealous strumming with a flatpick.

Some options:
Leave as is,
Refinish it, touch up or whole top,
Replace pickguard with a larger one that covers the damage,
Cover the damaged area with clear pickguard material or any colour you like.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Fathand

Without a picture, I would guess it's from overzealous strumming with a flatpick.

Some options:
Leave as is,
Refinish it, touch up or whole top,
Replace pickguard with a larger one that covers the damage,
Cover the damaged area with clear pickguard material or any colour you like.

Yeah, I have a picture but I'm not a paid member so I can't post it.
Larger pickguard? I never thought of that. What would be a good source, preferably a cost-cutting one?

I could touch it up ... I just want to protect it because nobody may likely see it except me. And if I do bring it to an acoustic jam or open mic I'm certain my excellent/dreadful guitar playing will serve as a distraction.

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

Yeah, I have a picture but I'm not a paid member so I can't post it.
Larger pickguard? I never thought of that. What would be a good source, preferably a cost-cutting one?

I could touch it up ... I just want to protect it because nobody may likely see it except me. And if I do bring it to an acoustic jam or open mic I'm certain my excellent/dreadful guitar playing will serve as a distraction.

You do not have to be a paid member to post a pic but it's not an intuitive process.


Amazon sells pickguard material around $10 a sheet.

I can vouch for the quality of this one but I've used others. Make sure to get thin acoustic guitar material, not the thick electric guitar kind. Some is thin enough to cut with scissors, peel and stick.

e.g.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085PSRLKY...t_details&th=1

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by Fathand

You do not have to be a paid member to post a pic but it's not an intuitive process.


Amazon sells pickguard material around $10 a sheet.

I can vouch for the quality of this one but I've used others. Make sure to get thin acoustic guitar material, not the thick electric guitar kind. Some is thin enough to cut with scissors, peel and stick.

e.g.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085PSRLKY...t_details&th=1

Thanks for the Amazon link.
As for posting pics, I've always been under the assumption I had to be a paying member. I guess I should research how to post pics if I can do it that way.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

Thanks for the Amazon link.
As for posting pics, I've always been under the assumption I had to be a paying member. I guess I should research how to post pics if I can do it that way.

Just open a free Imgur account, download you photo there and copy the link so you can post here on the forum. It's simple to do.

[Fawkes]

[dilver]

Just leave it. Many guitars have worn areas with exposed wood. You shouldn’t be concerned about it, unless the look of it really bothers you.

[Ralph124C41]

I picked up the guitar today. The section is not deep and is mainly a cosmetic issue.

But ... the guitar has a lot of other problems which I'm detailing in another post on the main forum ...such as at least five cracks and some physical damage and globe of lacquer slapped on the interior.

Btw, as for that section ... my luthier buddy said it is not deep enough to be a concern, except cosmetically. He said, if I wanted to, he could apply some stain and lacquer to make the transition less noticeable.