Time Consumer Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Hey all. Long story short, I cracked my Gibson Explorer at the heel and some finish cracks along the nut when it fell during a gig. I've had it professionally repaired, and the luthier says it looks great, wasn't very damaged (hairline, virtually no separation) and seems to play fine to him. I trust his repair work, but I feel almost guilty. I love my Explorer, but when I pick it up to play, I see the finish still damaged and think, "Yeah, this is the broken guitar". All my other guitars are Fenders, and I've never had any damage due to the bolt on neck and poly finish, so when I handle the Gibson I feel like it's so vulnerable. Anyone got any advice to let it go and move on? I just feel like it's no longer a proper guitar due to my negligence. What makes it worse is that I've rarely ever dropped a guitar like that, and I just feel like it was a real low point. Any help would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 That is part of the whole thing. When it breaks, you fix it. Breaks again, fix it again. This is just part of what happens to the best guitars when we use them. I heard Slashes favorite LP was broken and fixed twice. It is a consequence of use, and a guitar is of no use if it ain't played and subject to damage. The guitar is meant to serve you, not the other way around. There is no such thing as a guitar more valueable that the music you play on it. Maybe this is a lesson that if and when it does break again, it can always be fixed again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyscaglyc Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 if it helps, remember that all that happens to your guitars just adds character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOODWOOD Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Yeah the whole "mint condition" handled with white gloves mentality, reminds me of that famous spinal tap scene "Dont look at it" and has reached epic levels. Hopefully the relic fad is a positive sign that machines are actually put on this earth to be used. I take really good care of my cars,guitars ect but not to the point of being a obession. But oh man was I anal about it when I was younger. I remember my father pouring a soda into the floor board and a beer in his new boats and saying,"if its going to happen it might as well be me." I have adopted that mindset into a lot of things. But back to guitars. My treasure is my Explorer E2 bought new as my HS grad gift in 1982. I babied that thing to the point of having girls ask the age old question,"its the guitar or me? Well I still have the guitar 30 yrs later hahahaha. But anyways one night I played with my drummer at a kegger and a drunk tripped on the guitar cord and yanked the guitar off its stand onto a wood deck. It took 2 guys to hold me back from kicking his as*. I then swore off stands and kept her in the case. Sure enough at another gig a drunk girl fell and landing on the case caving the top in. I have also had a freind who was playing it take the guitar off and when he went to hand it to me stuck the head into a ceiling fan. Luckily it just did nip the blades but did put some white paint on the tip. I consider these battle wounds and each has a story. What story or mojo does a guitar have that hangs in a lit wall box display or in a dark case under a bed? Imo whether it be cars or guitars, being totally anal,white glove treatment,babying to the point of a mental disorder, all you are doing is doing the next owner a HUGE favor and denying yourself the pleasure. Screw the next guy. If it was worth buying and I really desire it then I am going to enjoy it.He** if I were to sell my Explorer I plan to charge extra for each "issue" scratch,nick just for the historical value it holds. And the wild,over exagerated story I plan to tell..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydra26 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hey all. Long story short, I cracked my Gibson Explorer at the heel and some finish cracks along the nut when it fell during a gig. I've had it professionally repaired, and the luthier says it looks great, wasn't very damaged (hairline, virtually no separation) and seems to play fine to him. I trust his repair work, but I feel almost guilty. I love my Explorer, but when I pick it up to play, I see the finish still damaged and think, "Yeah, this is the broken guitar". All my other guitars are Fenders, and I've never had any damage due to the bolt on neck and poly finish, so when I handle the Gibson I feel like it's so vulnerable. Anyone got any advice to let it go and move on? I just feel like it's no longer a proper guitar due to my negligence. What makes it worse is that I've rarely ever dropped a guitar like that, and I just feel like it was a real low point. Any help would be great. I think you can take reasonable precautions, like putting a good set of strap locks on it, and getting used to how large it is (i used to whack the tailfin on one of my explorers all the time on stuff) but accidents are going to happen sometimes. As long as the repair is solid, you should be good to go. Who knows, in 5 or 10 years that "broken" guitar may be the one you'd never dream of getting rid of on account of what you've been through with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majkel Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 There is no such thing as a guitar more valueable than the music you play on it. This is such a fantastic quote and way to think about guitars to me... It's *so* easy to kind of idolize certain guitars and put them up on a pedestal where they're so valuable to you that you're afraid to play them. A guitar is an instrument, meant to be played... Sure it CAN be a work of art in it's inate beauty and your appreciation of it, but if you never strap it on then it's merely a (possibly) quite expensive piece of decoration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat-o-steve Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I am going to be blunt about this......but this is not meant to be disrespectful in any way. In all honesty, you will never feel the same way about the guitar ever again. It will always be the broken guitar to you. Although it is just really a mental hurdle, it will be enough to keep you from ever having peace of mind about it. Best thing you can do other than selling the guitar is this : buy another one and keep it at home, and use the repaired axe and just gig the living sh*@t out of it! This will be the only way you will have peace of mind and still find a way to enjoy the repaired guitar! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ics1974 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Does this make you feel better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I had "****" carved into the trc when the neck snapped off my flying v. Embrace it, appreciate it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icantbuyafender Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I am going to be blunt about this......but this is not meant to be disrespectful in any way. In all honesty, you will never feel the same way about the guitar ever again. It will always be the broken guitar to you. Although it is just really a mental hurdle, it will be enough to keep you from ever having peace of mind about it. Best thing you can do other than selling the guitar is this : buy another one and keep it at home, and use the repaired axe and just gig the living sh*@t out of it! This will be the only way you will have peace of mind and still find a way to enjoy the repaired guitar! :D Im very tempted to do this. My white 2007 dual pup melody maker seems to glare at me for denting the neck. I'd trade my girlfriend to get it undented or replaced. seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottGrove Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 I'm with the OP on this one. Plain and simple, if one of my guitars gets so much as a scratch on it, I sell it. I simply won't stand for it. I see no character in it at all. Relics are fine if they are real and you bought it that way, blah, blah, blah. But if it's your NEW machine and it's tainted, sell it. Do I expect anybody to agree with me on this? Nope. But, I'm right there with you and won't talk you out of it. It's a Gibson, it's only 1/10th the strength of a Fender and has to be handled with kid gloves. If it has a nitro finish, all the worse. Hard to find a hanger or stand to put it on without the finish coming off. Even the wrong rag will rub the finish off. So, my vote (not that I or anyobody else has the right to tell you what to do with it) sell it. Get a clean one and try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time Consumer Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 I'm with the OP on this one. Plain and simple, if one of my guitars gets so much as a scratch on it, I sell it. I simply won't stand for it. I see no character in it at all. Relics are fine if they are real and you bought it that way, blah, blah, blah. But if it's your NEW machine and it's tainted, sell it. Do I expect anybody to agree with me on this? Nope. But, I'm right there with you and won't talk you out of it. It's a Gibson, it's only 1/10th the strength of a Fender and has to be handled with kid gloves. If it has a nitro finish, all the worse. Hard to find a hanger or stand to put it on without the finish coming off. Even the wrong rag will rub the finish off. So, my vote (not that I or anyobody else has the right to tell you what to do with it) sell it. Get a clean one and try again. Actually, Scott, you're hardly aligned with me. I have no intention of ever selling this guitar in my life. I was just asking for ways to reason with my conscience for damaging this pretty little thing. I KNEW it would happen eventually with the rate and frequency I gig; I just didn't really ever see it as a reality until it happened. And boy, did it happen big the first time. Thanks for all your replies. I've been playing this thing quite often the past few weeks and I feel comfortable with it. It's still my baby and my number one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ne14t? Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Think of it as a war wound, it adds character to your guitar, take what happened that night and weave some words into an awesome story maybe something like..."I was shredding this mean lick when I slipped on the bass players patch cord and did a swan dive off the stage with my guitar, I ended up landing ontop of the guitar and it only got this tiny crack" sure it might be a little exaggerated but heck don't people do that on there resume! Most of my equipment is around my computer as its hooked up to Live 8 so its near to impossible to keep things from happening, I snagged my explorer on Monday and its already got a faint scratch on the finish, I shrugged it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malchik Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Don't gig with a guitar you don't want broken. Most artists have guitars for the studio and junkers for the stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Check out Rory Gallaghers' strat : http://www.roryon.com/Cruzsidebyside.gif There's always someone worse off than you. Every one of my guitars is scratched or dented in several places. They all play absolutely perfectly and the electrics are all A1. All of mine get played regularly around the house, at rehearsals and at gigs. I've never kept a new guitar unmarked for more than a few weeks. A cosmetically-perfect guitar is un-natural to me; it's like wearing immaculately clean and pressed denim jeans. It ain't rock'n'roll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BentonC Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Does this make you feel better? This is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottGrove Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 It ain't rock'n'roll. I guess that would explain it, I don't play rock and roll. Then again, this whole thread is kind of like taking your kid with the black eye around and simply having him tell everybody that he fell. I do tons and tons of gigs decade after decade and they remain clean. I'm just not sure how folks bang them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icantbuyafender Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Hey all. Long story short, I cracked my Gibson Explorer at the heel and some finish cracks along the nut when it fell during a gig. I've had it professionally repaired, and the luthier says it looks great, wasn't very damaged (hairline, virtually no separation) and seems to play fine to him. I trust his repair work, but I feel almost guilty. I love my Explorer, but when I pick it up to play, I see the finish still damaged and think, "Yeah, this is the broken guitar". All my other guitars are Fenders, and I've never had any damage due to the bolt on neck and poly finish, so when I handle the Gibson I feel like it's so vulnerable. Anyone got any advice to let it go and move on? I just feel like it's no longer a proper guitar due to my negligence. What makes it worse is that I've rarely ever dropped a guitar like that, and I just feel like it was a real low point. Any help would be great. Jesus I had the same issue when i dented my white melody maker's neck. a guitar i put down fell into it and made like 4 dents with its frets digging into the white neck. After a good freak out, 6 pints, and a half assed attempt to fill in the dents with spackle, i got over it. i figure it had to happen eventually and at least the finish didnt flake off. My sunburst MM has finish flaking on the nut region of the headstock cause of a foam-rubber guitar stand that it sat it. And my black one has dents and dings all over it. Still love it. Especially when your playing wears off the finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottGrove Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 flaking on the nut region I hate when that happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 It's a bit like that first scratch on your perfect automobile..... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmnc Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 A guitar owned for years is sentimental because of the story behind it and the imperfections it has grown, so cherish them, otherwise there is no difference between the one you own and the brand new shiny one from a store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUSHian Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I owned a 40 year old (would be over 50 now) Martin folk guitar, and it bounced off a marble floor. There was a large crack on the bottom side of the guitar, sure I felt awful. I took it to Sauve, (an amazing luthier), And he repaired it. Still sounded sweet as ever. To me a guitar becomes part of me (an extension ), I would fix any guitar that got damaged ( I have a big scar on my forehead, I guess that can't be replaced!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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