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Posts: 274
Joined: Mar. 19 2024
From: Sydney, Australia
Dent on the side wood
Hi guys.
Recently I bought a new guitar and I found that there is a big dent on the side wood near the bottom. I would like to know if a uthier can fix it by using steam to pop it up. I think it is an old dent and maybe near the lining.
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RE: Dent on the side wood (in reply to hxwhf72752003)
No, that's not fixable by steaming it out because fibres are broken. Steam works on unbroken fibres by trapping the moisture inside the fibres and swelling them. When the fibres are broken the moisture doesn't get trapped and the they won't swell. A competent luthier can address this but it's best to bring it to them so they can personally evaluate the problem and propose a solution after having the instrument in hand. It may not be economical to expect (or demand) an "invisible" type of repair.
Posts: 16336
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Dent on the side wood (in reply to hxwhf72752003)
is that poly urethane? They won't be able to repair the finish in that spot if so. With polyurethane guitars you have to leave the dings and scratches no matter how bad they are because the mix to fix the color is too hard to match. Probably nitro is hard or impossible to fix as well. You can see that guitar of Cerreduela in Flamenco Flamenco with Sara baras and it looks like a botched golpeador change required an orange magic marker or something, looks awful.
If it were me I would leave it as is. This is a big reason French Polish is preferred as it is easy touch up and repair dings etc.
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I have some guitars for sale and I bought some guitars for myself. If I have a guitar better than the old one, I will sell the old one. But selling guitars is not an easy thing, especially in Australia.
Why do you always say something that makes people uncomfortable?
I like buying guitars so I can feel the sound. I knew some guitars had dents before I bought them. When I played my guitars for some time, there may be some small problems and I accepted them. I didn't complain about that, and I just want to learn from some good people with knowledge.
If you feel that you become wiser after saying these words please go ahead.
Posts: 1776
Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA
RE: Dent on the side wood (in reply to hxwhf72752003)
quote:
Recently I bought a new guitar and I found that there is a big dent on the side wood near the bottom.
Ouch! It looks like it is not backed by the lining, otherwise it wouldn't be so deep. I think a luthier could push it out and make it flush with the rest of the side--which might involve some steaming--and repair the surface so it is smooth around the periphery. But a scar would still be visible. Often touching up with shellac (French polish) can be done invisibly on other finishes.
Posts: 4829
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: Dent on the side wood (in reply to hxwhf72752003)
quote:
ORIGINAL: hxwhf72752003
Hi guys.
Recently I bought a new guitar and I found that there is a big dent on the side wood near the bottom.
So this happened during transport? Or seller didn't tell you? In both cases you might even have right for compensation if guitar was from a shop or if shipment was insured? I'm a bit confused because first you said you "found out", which means you didn't know? Then later you said "I knew some guitars had dents before I bought them" so I'm not sure exactly if you mean also this guitar or other guitars
RE: Dent on the side wood (in reply to hxwhf72752003)
Does that dent make it hard to play? Make the guitar sound worse? Can you or anyone else see it while you are playing, seems to be bottom lower bought?
Does it make you look fat? ;)
The most invisible repair you can do with that is to do nothing.
I real pro could make it mostly invisible, but it will take more then a few days of labor: say 8 hours x 4 days=32 and then $$75 an hour, your hiring a top end pro here not some googan back bencher hack, adds up to $2,400 in USD. But it’s gonna get spread out over about 5-6 weeks or more?
Play it like you stole it!
HR
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I prefer my flamenco guitar spicy, doesn't have to be fast, should have some meat on the bones, can be raw or well done, as long as it doesn't sound like it's turning green on an elevator floor.
Posts: 274
Joined: Mar. 19 2024
From: Sydney, Australia
RE: Dent on the side wood (in reply to hxwhf72752003)
quote:
Ouch! It looks like it is not backed by the lining
Yes, you are right. I had checked it yesterday and I found it is not on the lining.
quote:
So this happened during transport? Or seller didn't tell you? In both cases you might even have right for compensation if guitar was from a shop or if shipment was insured? I'm a bit confused because first you said you "found out", which means you didn't know? Then later you said "I knew some guitars had dents before I bought them" so I'm not sure exactly if you mean also this guitar or other guitars
I didn't know there is a dent before and the seller also didn't know. But I checked the pics he sent to me and it did have a dent. He said he will pay for the fee for repair.
quote:
Does that dent make it hard to play? Make the guitar sound worse? Can you or anyone else see it while you are playing, seems to be bottom lower bought?
Does it make you look fat? ;)
The most invisible repair you can do with that is to do nothing.
I real pro could make it mostly invisible, but it will take more then a few days of labor: say 8 hours x 4 days=32 and then $$75 an hour, your hiring a top end pro here not some googan back bencher hack, adds up to $2,400 in USD. But it’s gonna get spread out over about 5-6 weeks or more?
Play it like you stole it!
Hahaha you are right. I want to fix it, not because of the look. I don't want it to be worse if one day I make a dent in the same place.