Fixing a dent on your VM Les Paul

[Riffster]

I thought I would post this here. I have put a few good dents on my VM and to fix the dents I use a simple trick.

 

If a dent broke the wood fibers it may not work but if it didn't all you do is apply a drop of water to the dent and let it sit, repeat the process and the wood saokes up the water and the dent will go away for the most part. Be patient, it takes a few drops and a lot of waiting...

[harmonicchaos]

i'll vouch for StiffHand. I'm doing it right now and it really seems like it's going to work.:D/

[jakatone]

i kinda like the dents:) it gives the guitar a soul:) but it´s a good trick....i´ll try it out just for fun (ill need a gallon of water:)

[harmonicchaos]

a guitar only needs so much soul... lol.

[Deftone]

You can expedite the process by applying some heat to the dent as well. Put a wet rag on the dent and a soldering iron on top of the rag. Careful you don't burn the wood or finish.

[led floyd9]

I should try that when I get a dent in my Faded SG.....

[BigSapelo]

That's an old Luthiers and dealers trick. Works with belt buckle trails as well. I do NOT recommend that you do this until you have a feel for what is going on, but many times I have placed a wet wash cloth on the back of a guitar and take a hot clothing iron to it in order to pull the rash out of the back. If you over do it though you've got to polish or buff the haze out, but it's still better to have to polish or buff a guitar than to take less when you sell it.

 

I had a 1976 LP Standard.... natural, and beautiful.... hanging from the joists in my basement while I did some repairs on it. The next day I came down and found it laying on the concrete floor. The edge of it hit an old ice cream churn as it fell and then it hit right on the strap button, driving it completely up into the body. I was actually able to pull the strap button out with pliers and swell the compacted wood back out. Where the edge hit the churn I was able to do the same thing and reglue the break in the binding. No, I wasn't able to hide the mishap, but surprisingly I was able to minimize it. But.... it won't repair a broken headstock!

[harmonicchaos]

That's an old Luthiers and dealers trick. Works with belt buckle trails as well. I do NOT recommend that you do this until you have a feel for what is going on' date=' but many times I have placed a wet wash cloth on the back of a guitar and take a hot clothing iron to it in order to pull the rash out of the back. If you over do it though you've got to polish or buff the haze out, but it's still better to have to polish or buff a guitar than to take less when you sell it.

 

I had a 1976 LP Standard.... natural, and beautiful.... hanging from the joists in my basement while I did some repairs on it. The next day I came down and found it laying on the concrete floor. The edge of it hit an old ice cream churn as it fell and then it hit right on the strap button, driving it completely up into the body. I was actually able to pull the strap button out with pliers and swell the compacted wood back out. Where the edge hit the churn I was able to do the same thing and reglue the break in the binding. No, I wasn't able to hide the mishap, but surprisingly I was able to minimize it. But.... it won't repair a broken headstock! [/quote']

 

i know it won't help but you have my sympathies. it sounded like a nice guitar. i'm not going to be hanging any of my guitars anytime soon. thanks for the warning!

[GibsonSGGuy]

Does this work on a Gibson SG Special? I have no dents, but it would be useful in the future.

[tbonesullivan]

it works on just about anything made of wood. Where I work we have a steamer/parts washer that we use on old gun stocks (like 150+ years old) and it gets all the dirt off and also pops out most of the major dents, or minimizes them.