Dinged Brand New Guitar—Repair Tips???

[Gfzen]

Hi All—

I have what—in my experience—odd damage to my Washburn Woodline G110SWCE’s finish: I accidentally dropped my capo on the lower bout’s rosewood binding and it looks like it lifted the finish away from the wood, but didn’t crack the actual finish. Instead, it looks like it created a small pocket of air—it looks like an actual bubble—on the top side/edge of the binding. There isn’t any damage to the side of the binding.

My question: Has anyone experienced this? It almost looks like I could drill a small hole (with a hobbyist micro pin drill bit) and fill it.

Of course, I could leave it alone—but this seems like it could be an easy (and undetectable) fix.

Any thoughts?

[Bluemonk]

Unfortunately, I think your proposed fix risks making the damage look a lot worse. I do not think this is an easy fix.

Fortunately, however, the damage you describe is very minor. I understand it can be frustrating to damage a brand new guitar, but it could be a lot worse.

[jaymarsch]

When it comes to these things I usually take it to a local luthier and/or guitar repair person that I trust and get their professional opinion. Sometimes there is a course of action and sometimes you just have to leave it alone. It can depend on factors that we players may not anticipate or have knowledge of.

Best,
Jayne

[Wade Hampton]

The chances are that there's a polyester-based finish of some sort on your guitar. These modern finishes offer guitar manufacturers a much more cost-effective way to complete the instruments they build, but the disadvantage for folks using them is that the finishes are considerably more difficult to touch up invisibly than the nitrocellulose lacquer finishes used by Martin and Gibson.

As Jayne recommended, it's a good idea to take the guitar to a repair tech for an assessment and price quote for what it would take to make the damage invisible. But it might not be possible to make it look as though the damage never occurred. Because of the time and labor involved, you might have to pay a surprisingly high fee for a repair that will minimize but not fully eliminate visual evidence of the ding.

First timers are usually appalled by how much finish work costs...I'm not a first timer, but I'm still appalled by it. But finish repairs are always fairly costly procedures.

It shouldn't cost anything to get a price quote, however, so by all means do take it in to get looked at.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Gfzen]

Thanks to you three for offering your thoughts—all of them helpful.

I’m not new to the cost of guitar repairs—exorbitant is a word that often fits! That’s why I was wondering about doing it myself...Years and years ago I started learning how to work on cars after I took my first car in for a tune up and wondered how it could cost $30 (that alone should give you a clue about my age!!!)...

Of course, it won’t hurt to have someone much more expert than me take a look at it.

Has anyone else experienced fixing this type of damage—and, if so, what was the fix?

BTW—I appreciate the responses so far...This forum is ALWAYS helpful to me!

[runamuck]

When you run your hand across the finish where it was damaged, is it still flush to the surrounding area or is it sticking up a bit?

[Gfzen]

Great question—it feels smooth and—if not flush—just barely not flush.

It certainly isn’t an “Oh my God!!!” cosmetic issue—I can look at it and tell myself it’s a great reminder of how I need to be more careful...it’s just that, looking at it I can’t help think the finish has lifted just enough to make it opaque, making me wonder if I could drill a tiny hole with a micro bit and inject a small amount of finish...

Then again, I’ve been working on being less anal about my guitars...

I’m curious...where are you going with your question?—and thanks for taking the time to think and ask it!

[Howard Klepper]

Photo needed for useful advice.

[Silly Moustache]

I'm sorry to hear of your accident, but in my humble opinion, perfection is over-rated.
I doubt that there is anyone on this forum (and three are rather a lot of us) who have not felt the "pain" of the first ding.

My advice to you is to leave it well alone and learn to regard it as part of he "character" of the guitar, for, there will be more.

Every time I've tried to repair such things I've made them worse.
Incidentally, I don't think it fair to say that luthier's work is exorbitant, but to repair a minor cosmetic ding is rarely easy, rarely rewarding, and it can't be any fun to work on such a thing and still have a dissatisfied client.

Accept it as inevitable and it will simply make the second, and third dings less painful.

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by Gfzen

I’m not new to the cost of guitar repairs—exorbitant is a word that often fits! That’s why I was wondering about doing it myself

I guess its a perspective thing, a luthier will likely spend 1-2hrs smoothing, painting,steaming or polishing to minimise the appearance.

On our local tv news, an australian paid 25,000 usd (40,000 aussie dollars)to a law firm in bali to negotiate their release from prison for having prescription medication on them with the prescription form, apparently that was around 2 hrs work as well, so from a perspective thing, two hours of physical labour for a hundred bucks is probably pretty good.

Steve

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

I'm sorry to hear of your accident, but in my humble opinion, perfection is over-rated.
I doubt that there is anyone on this forum (and three are rather a lot of us) who have not felt the "pain" of the first ding.

My advice to you is to leave it well alone and learn to regard it as part of he "character" of the guitar, for, there will be more.

Every time I've tried to repair such things I've made them worse.
Incidentally, I don't think it fair to say that luthier's work is exorbitant, but to repair a minor cosmetic ding is rarely easy, rarely rewarding, and it can't be any fun to work on such a thing and still have a dissatisfied client.

Accept it as inevitable and it will simply make the second, and third dings less painful.

Couldn't agree more.

Don't sweat it.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

I'm sorry to hear of your accident, but in my humble opinion, perfection is over-rated.
I doubt that there is anyone on this forum (and three are rather a lot of us) who have not felt the "pain" of the first ding.

My advice to you is to leave it well alone and learn to regard it as part of he "character" of the guitar, for, there will be more.

Every time I've tried to repair such things I've made them worse.
Incidentally, I don't think it fair to say that luthier's work is exorbitant, but to repair a minor cosmetic ding is rarely easy, rarely rewarding, and it can't be any fun to work on such a thing and still have a dissatisfied client.

Accept it as inevitable and it will simply make the second, and third dings less painful.

I agree as well. It’s not a trophy. It’s a tool. Play the thing with wanton abandon if you want to be good at playing.