thejtl Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 Well, it was bound to happen. it always does. I was putting my new AJ in the case last night before going to sleep and WHACK, right into one of the case latches. A nice little ding toward the botton edge of the top. Almost cried. Not super noticeable, but still. Ah well, I guess this means it's now really mine.
brannon67 Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 Yeah, It happens. Now its officially broken in. Its got its first ding. Think of it this way, it adds character, at least thats what I keep telling myself.
Buc McMaster Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 As rock n' roll records, the first cut is the deepest. My new H-Bird already has it's first......the J-45 awaits a blow. It happens.........
dhanners623 Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 And yet when we find a vintage guitar, we value those dings and dents and scratches.... I feel your pain and I know what you're going through. But we have to keep in mind that although we think of the guitar as a work of art, it is also a tool and when we use a tool, things like this are bound to happen. In October, I took possession of a mahogany dread that I had custom built for me by a local repairman/luthier. A week or so after I got it, I was taking it out of the case and as I lifted it out, the case lid began closing and one of the latches hit the side. The dent looked huge. Once I calmed down, I saw it was actually relatively small and after a trip to the guy who built it, learned it was just a finish dent and could be fixed easily. (Easily, but not quickly, as it would take a couple of weeks, at the least, to let the nitro finish dry.)
zombywoof Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 One thing that comes with playing the same guitar a few decades. Somewhere down the road those annoying dings become memories. And that is where the Mojo comes from. I played the same Fender electric for decades. It showed every mile I put on it. I finally decided to sell it a good friend. After a few months, he comes back wanting to sell the guitar back to me. He said he did not think he would never feel like that guitar was his.
thejtl Posted February 20, 2012 Author Posted February 20, 2012 Yeah, my '97 Martin D-15 has been all over with me and it shows a lot of wear, but most of the markings are good memories. The ones I remember.
Jerry K Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 Those dings can be heartbreaking. Some of mine have nasty dings. Stuff happens. Here's the thing: learn from this error. Find a routine for how you position yourself and how you open cases and remove/replace guitars that does it safely every time.
E-minor7 Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 I know how you feel though my new guitars have avoided dings so far. So do a lot of the others. The 2010 J-45 fell flat on its face that same autumn while my sleeve caught the neck as I was closing a window. Nothing, , , nothing happened ! Made me pretty focused when handling them – the monk highly aware. . . . Check this thread from September last year – some rather poignant posts. http://forum.gibson...._1#entry1016109
onewilyfool Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 Those dings can be heartbreaking. Some of mine have nasty dings. Stuff happens. Here's the thing: learn from this error. Find a routine for how you position yourself and how you open cases and remove/replace guitars that does it safely every time. I agree fully....one ding in your favoriteguitar is usually enough to make you VERY careful with the rest of them...after all, dings are NOT the fault of the guitar! One guy I know purposely puts a ding on the new guitar the first day he gets it....He told me, "That way, I won't have to worry about the first ding!" You know the first ding is coming, why not do it yourself and get it out of the way!
Rock and Reel Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 As they say, the first ding is tragic...the rest are character but you'll remember the circumstances of each one and that's what makes the guitar yours. This illustrates why I have a problem with "mojo" or even worse "relics". With "mojo" you're getting someone else's memories and with a relic your getting contrived counterfeit memories.
KL Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 It's frustraing. Why Gibson use cases with those lethal prominent latches I don't know. There are lots of high quality cases out there with much less prominent latches.
Danner Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 I'm cheating the Reaper My SJ is almost 3 years old, and not a mark on her. Of course, I just jinxed myself
drathbun Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 If I am going to transport one of my Gibsons, I will use the hardshell Gibson case. However, for regular use, I use a Gator lightweight rigid EPS foam case like this one. No latches with teeth!
retrorod Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 I'm cheating the Reaper My SJ is almost 3 years old, and not a mark on her. Of course, I just jinxed myself If I remember correctly, the posters' guitar is really a 7 year old 'new' guitar. SOOOoooo....1 ding in 7 years....NOT BAD!
E-minor7 Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 The first ding is the deepest. It's a tune I enjoy playing now and then. Cat really knew how to cut. Another classic on the repertoire is Wild Ding. It's so hot - Apart from that I'm focusing on the Beatles catalog. First I intend to learn Every Little Ding and the snappy Dings We Said Today. Then the plan is to try Harrisons marvelous, but quite difficult Someding. And finally move further into his soothing debut triple album All Dings Must Pass. But as said, I'll start in 1964 – first dings first.
ParlourMan Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 This illustrates why I have a problem with "mojo" or even worse "relics". With "mojo" you're getting someone else's memories and with a relic your getting contrived counterfeit memories. disclaimer: I don't own any relic finished guitars so this is not a defensive post. I can't get behind that at all... a used guitar is exactly that, the previous owner may have the memories, you have a used instrument in less than mint condition. Couldn't be simpler. A system that worked well for even the biggest of names in the business I might add. The relic part, well, I'll go out on a limb here, it's a finish option, nothing more nothing less. There's a huge conservatism around this issue and are we not supposed to be in the business of free expression? I've seen some threads on relics get very bent out of shape before and it boggles my mind. It's not everyone who like a sunburst guitar, and I've never seen a sunburst tree, so isn't that just a finish option too? Why not levelled with the same 'counterfeit' labels? Lets not forget some of the most famous relics, trigger, macawber, bruce springsteens tele, the marks were not all made by these owners and many of the most famous guitar/artist associations are for guitars where the artist we know and love was not it's first owner.
ajay Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 Very sorry about the ding. You always hope it won't happen, but things do occur. At least it's structurally perfect and ready for years of accident free enjoyment. My foster brother dropped my old Working Man 45 and the back separated from the side. It was hanging out about an eighth of an inch. It made me sick when he showed it to me, but I remained calm. The repair was even nasty because the finish spider webbed around the break. I sold that one for about $500 and felt lucky to get that out of it. A ding in the finish is a heartbreaker, but a broken Gibson is a game changer.
thevalleygirl Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 I actually sobbed over my first ding, and it was with on a latch from the case too. I also switched to my soft case for that very reason!! And the cut was surprisingly deep. Before that it was flawless. Wahhh. I feel your pain.
E-minor7 Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 This illustrates why I have a problem with "mojo". - - - With "mojo" you're getting someone else's memories. . . Once again I have to make the comparison to a woman. When you meet a grown woman, she will have some scars – she will also carry a lot traces and values, pro'n'cons from former men. Those people will be shadows/lights of her past - her sacred secret - but you will be the current enjoyer of all she gained up through her tale. With guitars the pre-owners don't matter that much – they are gone with the wind (unless you happened to buy the Bird Bob played during the B. Clintons inauguration or something like that) and now it is you 2 and you 2 only (almost). History is mystery and they both add to the tone and music.
thejtl Posted February 22, 2012 Author Posted February 22, 2012 Just dropped the guitar off to get the end pin jack installed tonight. Life as a gigging guitar starts this weekend.
57classic Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 Just dropped the guitar off to get the end pin jack installed tonight. Life as a gigging guitar starts this weekend. I did a double take on this post given the name of your thread. I thought you dropped the guitar! Glad you didn't.
shadowster Posted February 22, 2012 Posted February 22, 2012 i dropped the television remote controls on mine doh
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