Dings

[sg4me]

Hi everyone. I was wondering how ding and defect free you are able to keep your guitars. I started out with an Epi LP a few years back and wound up with an Epi SG because it was more what I was looking for. Each had one very small minor defect from the factory and I have taken very good care of them. I respect musical instruments and I'm very careful with them when I play and store them.

 

I have been debating taking the plunge on a Gibson SG every since I figured out that was what I wanted. I really like the 2013 Standard. I worry about spending that kind of money and how sick I would be if I bumped it into something and dinged it up. So tonight I had both my LP and my SG out on the bed and was practicing and switching back and fourth comparing the two one final time. I was untangling the strap on the SG before donning it and dink one of those darn grovers that help make this sg neck heavy dinged the front of the LP.

 

OK, so I knew this sg is dive prone. I know I will never have two guitars or anything else layed out like this again lesson learned. I am very sick about this. Maybe I shouldn't have a more expensive guitar. How do you deal with dings?

 

Thanks,

 

Lou

[mcgruff]

Personally I don't care about dings; I only care about the sound.

[Gunner]

I try to avoid them but if I get one I don't let it bother me. Life is too short to worry about a small dent in a piece of wood. Besides, many can be fixed if you want to go to the trouble.

[Dennis G]

I try to avoid them but if I get one I don't let it bother me. Life is too short to worry about a small dent in a piece of wood. Besides, many can be fixed if you want to go to the trouble.

+1. Things happen, and in some cases, each little ding is a story in itself. Take a look at SRV's Strat or Willy Nelson's (what's left of it) acoustic.

 

I was also fortunate enough to see Harrison's "Old Black Gretsch" at NAMM a couple of years ago and if some of those little dings and dents could talk...well...

[Bluemans335]

I take good care of my guitars, I polish them regularly, and they're in a case or gig bag when I'm not playing them. They don't get dings or scratches or gouges. Those affect the value, all you have to do is look on eBay to see banged up guitars that no one will pay much for. In spite of what anyone says up front, most guitars eventually get sold, for a number of unforeseen reasons. I just don't see any valid excuse for not treating guitars with respect. At the very least you have a few hundred dollars in them, often more. What else do you own that you spend that much money on, that you bang up?

[kidblast]

a few nicks and bangs is all part of the game.

 

Most ppl will try to keep things clean/pristine, but over time, it's just going to happen.

 

Once you absorb the first one, the rest don't hurt as much.

[sg4me]

I guess I need to get over it. I know that no matter how careful I am, I'm never going to be one of those graceful folks that play an instrument for any length of time and never mar it in some way. They're just such things of beauty, it's a shame.

 

I'm more over it this morning and still plotting the new standard purchase.

 

Thanks,

 

Lou

[BobF_]

I've gone the opposite route. I bought an Epi LP for every day play to reduce exposure to ding risk for my '99 B7. I love my B7, and I do play it regularly, but my Epi LP sees the most action. Intentionally. I bought my B7 new in June of '01 and managed to keep it pristine. I decided to quit pressing my luck.

 

If you're concerned/sickened by a ding in your Epi LP, how would you feel if that had happened to a more expensive SG?

 

Truth of the matter is that even though my Epi LP plays, looks and sounds great (the Epi Probuckers are great sounding pups), if I bump it into something, it won't ruin my day.

 

 

[stein]

I think a lot of depends on what you want a guitar for.

 

If it's for the love of playing, you are gonna be playing it and using it in a lot more conditions that are ding-prone than, say, the guy who gets it out once a week and strums a little.

 

If you really like playing it, resale value is secondary to the value of playing. For some, the trouble of avoiding situations where it will get a ding or two, that prevents a guy from playing it as much as he wants.

 

I think Gibson makes some guitars that are certainly "vault-worthy", and even worth it to just look at. But to me, a Gibson isn't worth the money until you play it, use it. There's lots of guitars that look good, and you can get something for 200 bucks that looks great if all you're gonna do is look at it.

 

I guess what I'm saying is if you want a guitar to be ding-free and look good, you might be wasting your money on a Gibson. If you want something that feels great and sounds great, and PLAYS great and makes you want to play it, THAT's the reason to spend the bucks.

[Gunner]

I should clarify that my level of concern goes up with the value of the instrument. I have a Gibson Alex Lifeson 355 (avatar) that rarely leaves the case and is only played with extreme care. No band practices or gigs. I bought a white Epi 355 and modded it to be more like the Gibson and use it as a player.

 

If you ever get a chip or ding in a poly finished guitar and it really bothers you, look up the "drop fill" method using super glue. I have done this on a couple of used Squiers that I bought with chips already in the finish and it works really well. I think I am the only person who could find the repairs. Same thing can be done on nitro finished guitars but using nitro instead of super glue.