New dent day

DesmondWafers · #1 09-12-2019, 07:16 PM

Put a dent in a new guitar today, fairly small and it's purely in the lacquer. It bothers me, but I've been down this road before and I just need a bit to get over it. However, the dent is pretty much right on the center seam line which worries me. Is it normal to be able to feel a slight raise when running your finger over the seam? I don't feel one on my j45 and it's a very slight raise, but I feel it and it's about an inch upwards from the dent. I couldn't say if it was there before as I never really paid any attention before I put the dent into the top.

redir · #2 09-13-2019, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesmondWafers

Put a dent in a new guitar today, fairly small and it's purely in the lacquer. It bothers me, but I've been down this road before and I just need a bit to get over it. However, the dent is pretty much right on the center seam line which worries me. Is it normal to be able to feel a slight raise when running your finger over the seam? I don't feel one on my j45 and it's a very slight raise, but I feel it and it's about an inch upwards from the dent. I couldn't say if it was there before as I never really paid any attention before I put the dent into the top.

I'm a bit confused by the above statement in bold. Is it the j45 or are you comparing that to another guitar? In any case you should not feel any raised line on the center seam. If you do then it indicates that the seam has moved. Of course that is not an end of the world scenario either. Marquetry style center seams were actually designed to move. The idea being that if the guitar ever goes under some heat and humidity stress the small marquetry pieces will sort of go with the flow and take up some of the stress over a wider area then at a single point. So on older guitars that have been through a lot you might feel something on the seam, same with the rosette.

rmp · #3 09-13-2019, 08:25 AM

if you can add a few photos, that might help us to form a better opinion.

sorry about the dent... unfortunately, --- you know the rest...

mondoslug · #4 09-13-2019, 08:56 AM

NDD. I like it man! The healing process has already started.

Wait for it..............pics or it didn't happen.

DesmondWafers · #5 09-13-2019, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redir

I'm a bit confused by the above statement in bold. Is it the j45 or are you comparing that to another guitar? In any case you should not feel any raised line on the center seam. If you do then it indicates that the seam has moved. Of course that is not an end of the world scenario either. Marquetry style center seams were actually designed to move. The idea being that if the guitar ever goes under some heat and humidity stress the small marquetry pieces will sort of go with the flow and take up some of the stress over a wider area then at a single point. So on older guitars that have been through a lot you might feel something on the seam, same with the rosette.

I'm comparing an hd28 to my j45, sorry I should have clarified that. I might end up taking a picture, but it's not really something you could see visually, it just looks exactly like a healthy guitar top (besides the dent which is also very difficult to photograph).

I don't feel it on the whole seem, just one or two small points really where if you run your finger over it you can feel a slight bump. It's a pretty new guitar

DesmondWafers · #6 09-13-2019, 12:03 PM

The red circle is the dent, the black circle is where the bump is. I really should stress that it's not like a huge bump or anything, but if I ran my finger over it blindfolded I would know that I was on the seam. I'm probably worried over nothing, but like I said, I don't feel that on my j45 anywhere on the seam. After that point in the pic, the seam is perfectly smooth up to the bridge as well.

redir · #7 09-13-2019, 12:44 PM

For some reason I thought you were talking about the guitars back so disregard what I said about the center seam...

If you can feel the seem blindfolded then it's an issue but it could be an issue down the road and or something that will never become a problem. But in general the center seam should be invisible and smooth.

One thing you can do is go in a dark room and stick a powerful light in the sound hole and see what it looks like. IF there is a split there the light will come through.

rmp · #8 09-13-2019, 12:50 PM

from the pics, it doesn't look like anything to traumatic happened here. What happened anyway? as it deosn't look like it was a result of a fall or drop, which if anything would pop a seam, that would do it.

dumb question...

are you 100% that was NOT there before this happened? I mean could it be it was always there, but you never noticed until...

I know I've been down the roads before where something happens, and I then notice something that I hadn't before, but completely unrelated..

DesmondWafers · #9 09-13-2019, 01:33 PM

Oh, it’s entirely possible that it was there before. I just never paid too much attention to that area before. The dent is from a case latch being impressed into the top. I did shine a light through the inside and no light came through.

Since I wasn’t sure if the dent and seam were related, I figured I would ask here to see if anyone could feel a slight bump (very slight) where the seam is or if it’s 100% smooth on their guitars.

rmp · #10 09-16-2019, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesmondWafers

Oh, it’s entirely possible that it was there before. I just never paid too much attention to that area before. The dent is from a case latch being impressed into the top. I did shine a light through the inside and no light came through.

Since I wasn’t sure if the dent and seam were related, I figured I would ask here to see if anyone could feel a slight bump (very slight) where the seam is or if it’s 100% smooth on their guitars.

I don't know if I'd worry about either one. For the small amount of damage, check out the players kit by eternashie. They have a pretty good scratch remover (blue for deeper scratches, red for the lesser ones). you may be able to rub that right out..

DesmondWafers · #11 09-16-2019, 10:09 PM

I might give it a shot, but I’m honestly ok with picking up some wear. They never stay perfect looking. I made this thread mostly to check whether I should be terribly worried about being able to feel the seam. There’s no real conclusion here (or anywhere on the internet that I can find) so I’m probably just going to forget about it since there’s no crack and the seam problem(?) may well have existed from day 1.

Neil K Walk · #12 09-17-2019, 06:07 AM

I choose to look at this from a different perspective. That first dent reminds you that this is ultimately a tool and not something to display. Unless there’s something rattling around inside I see nothing wrong with it. Just play it and listen to it.

So congratulations. Free yourself from your inhibitions and play without restraint. That’s what it was made for IMO.