BoSoxBiker Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Sorry to see your ding on such a new guitar, but like many, it brings back a memory. Mine was Spring 2019 while I was fighting a strap. It's of the same nature as yours, but not as long. It's ugly and right above the pickgaurd on my 'bird. The feeling was that pit in the stomach feeling and is only recently become less difficult to think about. I've not attempted the fix and I won't entrust it to the locals we have here. Every now and then my wife is kind enough to point it out from across the room in a sympathetic sort of way. MP, I could have gone the rest of the day without that image. Ouch! That's something you just don't get over, I bet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Yes, sorry this happened. But you have already selected this guitar as being a good one. Sometimes you have to put in a little more effort afterward to make things right. On 6/22/2020 at 3:04 PM, bobouz said: I would have it drop filled, leveled, & buffed out by a competent luthier. I’ve done my own drop fills using nitro, and it has greatly helped with a couple of dings I caused. For whatever reason, I can buy an instrument used & be fine with whatever imperfections exist - but when I cause it myself, it bugs the heck out of me. So go ahead & get it done. It won’t be nearly as noticeable & you’ll feel much better! Edit: The nature of that ding looks like it would be relatively easy to fill. Just make sure your luthier has experience doing similar types of repairs. Getting one that already has dings and wear is something that makes old guitars more comfortable to me. But then there was the one that came in from Japan with many dings, undisclosed, and no return possible. A fairly uncommon J-185 model that was not available in the States. Fairly shocked at first, but I don't see them or think about the dings much anymore, other than imaging what sort of wild nights happened, and what songs were being done. You'll most likely feel better about what happened to your J-45 with time, but you could certainly minimize that ding. 'Believe you said you were in Germany? If you don't know of a shop with finish repair experience, maybe Willi Henkes of Blazer & Henkes could suggest someone. Their shop is to the south of Stuttgart. Dan Erlewine has a good drop fill demo for Stew Mac: . . . and a demo of steaming out dents can be seen by putting this in the YouTube search bar: "Blues Creek Guitars Quick Tips - How to Steam out a Dent.mov" . . . bear in mind, the repair in the demo is being done on an unfinished guitar top. I once attempted to steam out a dent on the back of a Gibson that had the walnut stain finish- it blushed, leaving a slightly purple discoloration in that spot. Guitars can be beautiful things made by artisans proud of their work. Although he hasn't checked in for a while, forum veteran Murph would say that the guitar is just a tool, so play the hell out of it, and stop being so shallow. "But there is no depth to my shallowness". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 I think Murphy Slaw got weary of "Stupidity At It's Best". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 The first ding is always the hardest.... Frank Ford on steaming out dents: http://frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Finish/SteamOut/steamout1.html Go ahead and get it fixed by a competent repairperson. Keep in mind it’ll be in the shop awhile; a nitro repair takes forever to cure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSchooner Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 Sure wouldn't hurt to have a good luthier take a look. Estimates are typically free 😀. Might ease your mind too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBSinTo Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 (edited) This isn't an example of stupidity in any way, shape or form. It was merely an accident, and the amount of time you owned the guitar doesn't change that. If you can live with the ding, then do so. And if not, have it fixed. I accidentally snagged a music stand which fell over putting two small dings on the top of my otherwise pristine D28. I couldn't stand the dents, so 40 minutes after it happened, the guitar was in the hands of a Luthier, and a month and $120.00 Canadian later the dings were invisible. RBSinTo Edited June 24, 2020 by RBSinTo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 The first one always Sucks the worst! My Gibson Ltd. Edition Bozeman Masterbilt J-160E was perfect for about 3 years. I almost cried when it got a small Ding like that... Its a constant reminder to be conscious & take dare of it.... Still Sucks though... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSchooner Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 I looked at my old Guild 12 last night; it's a ding and not quite a hole as I remembered. Also, it's in the lower front bout, not the rear. So see: pretty soon you won't even see it, nor remember where it is 😀... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 (edited) Inspired by this thread I finally got the whole array of fine sand-paper yesterday. 9 sheets from 1500 to 12000. (would be a treat to blow your nose in the soft ones) Did a little circle-buff wet-work already - reduced some glue stains on the top of the re-necked CW 66. It's a reassuring thing to have around. Edited June 28, 2020 by E-minor7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBSinTo Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 9 hours ago, E-minor7 said: Inspired by this thread I finally got the whole array of fine sand-paper yesterday. 9 sheets from 1500 to 12000. (would be a treat to blow your nose in the soft ones) Did a little circle-buff wet-work already - reduced some glue stains on the top of the re-necked CW 66. It's a reassuring thing to have around. You are a braver man than I. When it comes to cheap acoustics, I'm Hell on Wheels, and have straightened necks, reglued bridges, replaced nuts, re-mounted and replaced tuners and the like. But when it comes to my D-28 and J-45, any work, regardless of how trivial is done by a Luthier. No sense in tempting Fate by messing with the Guitar Gods. RBSinTo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 On 6/28/2020 at 2:56 PM, RBSinTo said: You are a braver man than I. When it comes to cheap acoustics, I'm Hell on Wheels, and have straightened necks, reglued bridges, replaced nuts, re-mounted and replaced tuners and the like. But when it comes to my D-28 and J-45, any work, regardless of how trivial is done by a Luthier. No sense in tempting Fate by messing with the Guitar Gods. Don't forget I only 'treated' the trashed 1965 CW and the re-necked 66 ditto. Wouldn't dare to work that way on any newer or less battle-worn guitar. Then again if the plan is to take the instrument to a authorized and competent luthier, why not use the opportunity to do a little experimentation yourself - he'll fix that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBSinTo Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 10 hours ago, E-minor7 said: Don't forget I only 'treated' the trashed 1965 CW and the re-necked 66 ditto. Wouldn't dare to work that way on any newer or less battle-worn guitar. Then again if the plan is to take the instrument to a authorized and competent luthier, why not use the opportunity to do a little experimentation yourself - he'll fix that too. Some of the "experiments" performed by amateurs on guitars do cosmetic damage that can't be properly repaired unless the entire surface is stripped and refinished. I never provide my Luthiers with "make-work" projects. They already have enough real work to keep them busy. RBSinTo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 49 minutes ago, RBSinTo said: Some of the "experiments" performed by amateurs on guitars do cosmetic damage that can't be properly repaired unless the entire surface is stripped and refinished. I never provide my Luthiers with "make-work" projects. They already have enough real work to keep them busy. Oh, , , not talking about destroying the entire top while trying buff away a hair with some grain 12000. The 65 CW has a nitro-crack on the neck where the heel begins. Already gave it a go and it worked OK - might take second round with the new papers. It's not that hard to control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 On 6/23/2020 at 6:38 PM, 62burst said: Yes, sorry this happened. But you have already selected this guitar as being a good one. Sometimes you have to put in a little more effort afterward to make things right. Getting one that already has dings and wear is something that makes old guitars more comfortable to me. But then there was the one that came in from Japan with many dings, undisclosed, and no return possible. A fairly uncommon J-185 model that was not available in the States. Fairly shocked at first, but I don't see them or think about the dings much anymore, other than imaging what sort of wild nights happened, and what songs were being done. You'll most likely feel better about what happened to your J-45 with time, but you could certainly minimize that ding. 'Believe you said you were in Germany? If you don't know of a shop with finish repair experience, maybe Willi Henkes of Blazer & Henkes could suggest someone. Their shop is to the south of Stuttgart. Dan Erlewine has a good drop fill demo for Stew Mac: . . . and a demo of steaming out dents can be seen by putting this in the YouTube search bar: "Blues Creek Guitars Quick Tips - How to Steam out a Dent.mov" . . . bear in mind, the repair in the demo is being done on an unfinished guitar top. I once attempted to steam out a dent on the back of a Gibson that had the walnut stain finish- it blushed, leaving a slightly purple discoloration in that spot. Guitars can be beautiful things made by artisans proud of their work. Although he hasn't checked in for a while, forum veteran Murph would say that the guitar is just a tool, so play the hell out of it, and stop being so shallow. "But there is no depth to my shallowness". I repaired a Takamine using this method and it turned out okay but that wasn't nitro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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