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Excess glue inside guitar need help


nutkunkup

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Hello,

 

I just brought Gibson L-00 Koa from dealer and when I returned to home I looked into soundhole and found excess glue look like droplet. This is very much noticeable.

 

Here is the pic of it :

u7dygqV.jpg

njtngIS.jpg

 

and a mark on the neck which is absolutely not scratch...

0a6cgQZ.jpg

 

I emailed to customer service and he informed me that this glue excess can happen because there are unfinished. The white spot and the mark on the neck (he told me that it could be be buffing compound) can remove by using naphtha.

 

So I use it (Ronsonol) as he said, and the mark on the neck didn't come out and I also try this method on area between fingerboard and the top, which has same mark as the neck, and that's make some lacquer gone (discolor) : G0jw5XN.jpg

 

My questions are 1. the other Gibson guitars have same problem as mine ? I have Seagull S6 and Martin 00-18, they don't have a single excess glue.

2. How can I remove this droplet excess glue ?

3. How can I fix that discolor problem on the area between fingerboard and the top ?

 

Thank you very much :)

 

Edit: 1. My country doesn't have return offer. There is only buy and no return. If you don't like it, only option is sell to someone else.

2.I forgot to put full size picture of it. My first Gibson guitar L-00 Koa 2016. Cosmetics issue but I still love her :)

sHY4tXF.jpg

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Welcome to the forum!

 

There are those that see such cosmetic things as deal breakers........they seem to have no tolerance for imperfection of any kind in an acoustic guitar. Honestly, this is an untenable position. Nothing, including acoustic guitars, can be held to such an impossible standard. Then there are those as myself for whom such cosmetic issues are part and parcel of the products of human hands. Aside from the annoying little glue residue and the insignificant mark on the heel (neither of which is "very much noticeable" to anyone but you), does the guitar play as you expect and have a pleasing tone? Yes? Play it......and don't sweat the small stuff. If it does not meet your standards for sound and playability consider returning it, but be advised that the next one may have cosmetic issues that annoy you even more.

 

In a perfect world..........

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Welcome to the forum!

 

There are those that see such cosmetic things as deal breakers........they seem to have no tolerance for imperfection of any kind in an acoustic guitar. Honestly, this is an untenable position. Nothing, including acoustic guitars, can be held to such an impossible standard. Then there are those as myself for whom such cosmetic issues are part and parcel of the products of human hands. Aside from the annoying little glue residue and the insignificant mark on the heel (neither of which is "very much noticeable" to anyone but you), does the guitar play as you expect and have a pleasing tone? Yes? Play it......and don't sweat the small stuff. If it does not meet your standards for sound and playability consider returning it, but be advised that the next one may have cosmetic issues that annoy you even more.

 

In a perfect world..........

 

Thank you for the comment but here is the thing in my country there is no such thing as "return to seller if you don't like it". I agree that it won't effect the sound. It sound incredible but when I look at it, it still annoying :)

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Thank you for the comment but here is the thing in my country there is no such thing as "return to seller if you don't like it". I agree that it won't effect the sound. It sound incredible but when I look at it, it still annoying :)

 

If the glue residue really bothers you, use a single-edge razor blade to scrape it away. There are probably a lot more important things to consider, like how does the guitar sound and play? Personally, those teeny-tiny squeezed-out glue droplets would be pretty unimportant.

 

Remember, "Only a Gibson is glued enough". It wouldn't be a Gibson if it didn't have a glue drop here and there on the inside. Learn to love it.

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Remember, "Only a Gibson is glued enough". It wouldn't be a Gibson if it didn't have a glue drop here and there on the inside. Learn to love it.

 

Without taking a position on your guitar, let me just say this. We have quite a lot of iconic old Gibsons -- the guitars that changed the world in the 1930s and (some would say) the 1940s too. Some of these are among the most desirable instruments on earth -- and the most expensive -- and most of them have some visible glue spots. I am not arguing this is right or wrong and you do have to apply your own standards, but it is historically true, for whatever that is worth.

 

Best,

 

-Tom

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If the glue residue really bothers you, use a single-edge razor blade to scrape it away. There are probably a lot more important things to consider, like how does the guitar sound and play? Personally, those teeny-tiny squeezed-out glue droplets would be pretty unimportant.

 

Remember, "Only a Gibson is glued enough". It wouldn't be a Gibson if it didn't have a glue drop here and there on the inside. Learn to love it.

 

lol [thumbup]

 

Thank you for suggestion.

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... Remember, "Only a Gibson is glued enough". ...

[lol][thumbup] Never heard this modified phrase before, but as far as my Gibsons are concerned, they surely are! [biggrin]

 

Only Gibson solidbody electrics here, but they show it, too, and I learned to live with it. My only Axcess Les Paul needed some rework since the glue blew out through the finish around the carved neck joint. All the others have more or less obvious finish ripple at the interior angles along the neck-body and fretboard-top joints, but I just let it alone. Except for the Axcess joint, these things are purely cosmetic and don't affect playability or tone.

 

I prefer glue overlap over lack of glue like with the Les Paul of a friend of mine. She shows a tiny gap between neck heel and body side, but he lives with that, too, because there have been no problems for the fifteen years he owns her.

 

Hope this helps. If your L-00 Koa plays and sounds nicely, just keep on picking her strings! [thumbup]

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All very insignificant things if it was my guitar, but understand these could bother others to the point of being so concerned that they'll post a thread on an online forum seeking opinions of others! Heck, I'm the type of guy who has bought Gibsons that suffered broken necks because they sound amazing as long as the repair was done properly to save quite a chunk of money, because the way I see it, I buy guitars to play them, not obsess over excess glue drops, etc. And if you play them enough, you're going to ding and scratch them up not on purpose, but because comes with the territory.

 

Would you rather have the same exact guitar sans imperfections that doesn't sound as good as the one you have? Also, what is more important to you...cosmetics or sound? Are you a collector or a player? All are valid questions. And if you're a real perfectionist maybe look at guitars from some of the high end, boutique builders like Collings, Santa Cruz, or others that are even more high brow. You'll get an absolutely perfect guitar, but you'll for sure pay many times what you paid for your Gibson.

 

FWIW, my 2012 AJ has those white spots on the inside. It's also suffered a broken neck that was professionally repaired. Neither make me lose sleep at night.

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The spots on the inside wouldn't bother me, everyone of mine have it. But the neck is awful and I don't just mean that blob of finish that was left there. When you look at the full size image you can see bubbles all along the join in the heel, that's not "mojo" just sloppy workmanship and anyone who's ever used a spray gun would know that. I just looked at my J45, Advanced Jumbo, Songwriter Deluxe and a D18 and they all look perfect... no bubbles or blobs so you know they can do it right. I'd bring it back or at the very least go back for some money back.

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Well, honestly, I think Gibson would do well to avoid this sloppiness - they slip a few too many through with minor issues. But it's part of what Gibson is, I suppose. Take it in stride and enjoy your guitar.

 

Tend to agree that just a touch more TLC would result in these kinds of things happening less and would make customers much happier, but really wouldn't bother me if the guitar sounded good, but like I stated previously can understand why someone else would be turned off by it. Although it doesn't happen as often with Martins, my HD28 has some imperfections that would drive others insane, but the guitar sounds GLORIOUS, so I overlook the imperfections. Also, my 2017 J45 was covered in a fine dust that was all over the guitar and in the case, most likely from sanding and polishing. All they had to do was wipe the guitar down better before sending it off. Some might look at something like that as a turn off, rationalizing that if they can't do something as simple as cleaning up a guitar before sending it out, how can me trust them to perform more complicated tasks consistently, right?

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Might as well climb aboard the bus. I've seen inexpensive guitars with pristine finishes and mediocre sound and wouldn't choose to buy one unless that's all I could afford. I've seen people buy guitars as if they were purchasing furniture that they'll never use for fear of harming the original cosmetics. Then there are folks who buy guitars for the joy of playing a truly wonderful instrument. Gibson tradition is as it is - minor cosmetic imperfections are part of that tradition in many instances. Play it and enjoy it and hope you can come closer to helping it realize its true potential. Having said all that pompous-sounding verbiage, I'll be happy to take the ugly thing off your hands at a price that reflects your dissatisfaction - shall we say $50? 😈😮

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If the glue on the outside bothers you and you don't feel comfortable removing it yourself, look for someone who knows just what to do. As far as the glue inside of the soundhole, it really wouldn't bother me. Aside from when I need to change a battery, I rarely ever glance inside of the soundhole. I hope you get this remedied to your satisfaction and don't let it stop you from enjoying a beautiful guitar.

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I would be very happy to see the glue!!! As far as the finish, I would love it, as I would be the only one to notice. That being said, if your guitar ever comes up stolen or whatever the case may dictate, "That is MY guitar" ! By the way, I will counter offer Old Cowboy's:

$79.99. I'll pay shipping. Final offer.

Play that guitar man !

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The significant (and in my ears corny) word naphtha comes up.

 

It's in the (lighter) fluid used to remove the pick-guard without hurting the nitrocellulose lacquer.

So why not try that combined with a scalpel - and start the most discrete place. Maybe after testing w. a nail under a cloth soaked in hot water.

The drops inside can be a bit disturbing first time you see them and though they aren't found in all Bozemans, it's a detail in Gibson-land.

Of course you can work the sharp blade there too (think I did 5 years back on my J-45 and recall it as difficult), but else see them as a part of your guitar's nature.

 

 

Hey - and let's hear what you find out about that nice little nougat creature.

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I think that the best you can do in this situation is to hope that the eye-in-the-sky at Gibson, assuming they are watching the complaint file, will see this and, maybe, take it to heart so that others won't have the same problem-perhaps even in the U.S.A. where one can return the guitar for replacement.You are in a difficult position as far as customer satisfaction is concerned.I'm not sure where you live (with no offense intended,sounds as if it might be in a Slavic part of the world) but you might be the envy of a lot of your compatriots in that you in fact do own a Gibson.You have to decide when to pick your fight.I do however,hope that your guitar plays and sounds fine,so as to soften the harm you feel.

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I would be very happy to see the glue!!! As far as the finish, I would love it, as I would be the only one to notice. That being said, if your guitar ever comes up stolen or whatever the case may dictate, "That is MY guitar" ! By the way, I will counter offer Old Cowboy's:

$79.99. I'll pay shipping. Final offer.

Play that guitar man !

$80.01👹?

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I would be very happy to see the glue!!! As far as the finish, I would love it, as I would be the only one to notice. That being said, if your guitar ever comes up stolen or whatever the case may dictate, "That is MY guitar" ! By the way, I will counter offer Old Cowboy's:

$79.99. I'll pay shipping. Final offer.

Play that guitar man !

$80.01👹?

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So after all this discussion, I poked under the hood of some of my guitars. The cleanest is my Martin 000-28 EC, followed fairly closely by my Fuller's 1943 SJ. Both of these are mostly aliphatic resin glued. TiteBond is pretty easy to clean up if you get it before it fully cures.

 

The worst? Surprise, surprise. My 1948 J-45, followed by my L-OO Legend. Both are all hide glue guitars. Anyone who has worked with hide glue knows you have a pretty narrow window when using it, and getting every last glue bubble or spill is not at the top of the list in a lot of cases. But is sure transfers sound nicely.

 

Does it bother me? Not in the least. Given the fact that the L-OO has cloth side reinforcing strips and the old J-45 has the same feature in wood, there's plenty of opportunity for a little extra glue residue. The old J-45 is, shall we say, definitely "glued enough". Maybe that's part of the reason it's still in one piece after more than 60 years.

 

These are hand-built instruments, after all.

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