Hi,

I know I am openng up myself to ridicule here, but I had been sooooo careful not to ding the top of my new koa/adi CJ. I was practicing the other night, and when my wife bent over to kiss me goodbye on her way out she accidently dropped her keys on the top. After I killed and dismembered her, I looked at the top. There are two barely discernable finish level dings the size of pencil points in the top just below the bridge.

I am sure I will eventually get far worse, regardless of how manic I am about protectiong it, but I was wondering if the dings could be raised out? I have done some woodworking, and have used the iron and moist cloth trick to fix small dents in hardwoods. Will spruce work the same way? Do I run any risk of damaging the bracing, or clouding the finish? Is it just really stupid and I should just let go of the "perfect" finish as a right of passage?

"There are 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't."

I would never think of making fun of you.

I think you should drop the keys on the guitar 3 or 4 more times until you can't see the original dings. (no, not really, but try not to worry about the little things. Imagine how nice your wife will be to you for a little while.)

Originally posted by Rockerbob:
I would never think of making fun of you.

I think you should drop the keys on the guitar 3 or 4 more times until you can't see the original dings. (no, not really, but try not to worry about the little things.

quote:

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Imagine how nice your wife will be to you for a little while.)

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Why do you think I made this post? Guilt is a powerful thing...

"There are 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't."

Hello Joe: I really feel for you. The first ding on my D2Hcustom Ad/braz that I waited for 1.5 years was smack in the middle of the back of the neck at the second fret with the edge of a capo. About enough to make a grown man cry. However today I had a chance to play one of the best (older) guitars I've ever heard. A 1939 D-18. It had initials carved in the headstock overlay and many other dings. But I can't remember where they were, but it had a sound i'll never forget. It is all about the sound isn't it? After getting over it I wouldn't trade for a new D2-H for any money. My hand goes over that ding all the time in first position, but the guitar sounds great. Good luck with it...Doc

Let the dings stay on & continue! My 3 mths old C10 hv started to get all the dings, dangs, scratches on the top, tks to my thumbpick. I think guitars look cool wif it.

Joe,

I feel your pain, bud. I have a beautiful D-3 that was just about pristine, a few pick scratches below the pick-guard, some button scratches on the back, but nothing unbuffable. After a year of cautiously shepherding it through bluegrass festivals, airports, and beer-lubricated jam sessions, I even bought a beater (well, it’s a D-1, but it already was blooded) that I could relax a bit with when I got into situations fraught with elements I could not control. The D-3 I reserved for playing at home, maybe taking to a quiet jam with friends, places where I was sure nothing could go wrong, right?

Well, the other night some relatively new friends were in town and came over to play some old-time music, you know, fiddle and banjo. Well, at one point I got up to look for a music book, and the banjo player for some reason decided to rise and turn at the same time. We both had our instruments in front of us….I can’t quite recreate it exactly, but at any rate, he bumped his banjo into the face of my guitar…..it didn’t sound too loud, and I hoped for just a scratch, and I didn’t look right then because I knew something serious would ruin the evening for me, and I was already discovering that this fellow could be pretty annoying so I was afraid I might say something rude (it was no-one’s fault, really).

Anyway, when they were gone, I took a deep breath and ….discovered a gouge the size of the Grand Canyon (!) down near the binding between where the two halves of the face meet and the spot where my arm rests when I am playing. Well, after taking several more deep breaths and looking again, I saw that it wasn’t quite that big, but still enormous: 2mm X 1mm, and at least 1 mm deep. Aaaarrrrrrgggggg!! I want back that moment in time just before it happened!

I get a little more relaxed about it every day, but I still shiver when I look at it. So you’ll certainly hear no ridicule from this quarter. I know just how you feel. And added character or not, I’m definitely going to talk to someone about getting it repaired when I get to my new home in North Carolina in December.

B

Hey All,

Thanks for the kind words. I guess I am just grieving that feeling of opening the case and knowing that the guitar was perfect. Getting dings was inevitable, and I know I have to just accept them, but this is by far the most expensive instrument I have ever owned and it just hurts. But it is getting better.

B Woods - that is a tough story, you must have absolutely cringed. BTW - i love your town - Bah Habah is an incredibly beautiful place. My wife is a botanist/naturalist and we spend time on the Maine coast every year. Can't beat it.

Joe

"There are 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't."

Joe,

Hey. Yep, Bar Harbor is just about the most beautiful town I ever hope to live in. So why am I leaving for NC next Thursday? Well, that dang bluegrass bug bit me and I’m headed down to an area where the bluegrass and old-time scenes are more active. Carolina is pretty, too, but I sure am gonna miss the ocean.

Re your dings: don’t know if you know Lincoln Meyers (a NH flatpicker who plays all over New England, teaches, works at Acoustic Outfitters there in Stratham, plays one of the Collings CW’s) but he once recommended to me using Maguire’s #9 Car Polish for removing finish scratches. Maguire’s calls it a “swirl remover” and it must be like a super fine rubbing compound. I’m sure that luthiers have something similar for buffing finishes. At any rate, I have used that on scratches and small dings, and often that’s all that is needed. I’m not an expert (obviously), and I’m not recommending you run right out and buy this stuff, but I’m just saying it might be worth looking into a little bit more.

Best,

B

Hey Joe,
I myself wouldn't own a guitar with any kind of imperfection to keep me from telling it from Factory Fresh. I happen to work for a company that sends well used instruments to those less fortunate. Being we are almost to the eve of Thanksgiving you can just donate that instrument and obtain a new undamaged guitar from the good folks at Collings. This would be a noble gesture on your part and you would be relieved to not be seen with a less then perfect instrument. Let me know if you are interested and if so I'll forward our address so you can send away your eyesore. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and try not to over eat.........George

Hey George

You are absolutely right that I couldn't live with it, and I would never think of subjecting anyone else to such a difficult shock either. I did the only thing I could and burned the guitar. You will be glad to know that Koa makes a really nice fire and that Adi spruce really crackles. I fashioned the Waverly tuners into a necklace and wore that as a talisman as I danced around the fire warding of the evil ding gods. I ordered another CJ and it will hopefully not get dinged before it wears out or one of the strings breaks and I have to get another one. While I was at it I ordered you one just for being so noble yourself. Watch for the Fedex man every day - it will be there soon.

Joe

"There are 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't."

Take a look at some of the well worn guitars in the Collings ads. I think they look great. Yours is just on the way to looking that good.

I too mourned the first few dings on the top until a friend, a serious collector, told me since it isn't a rare or vintage guitar, stop worrying and treat it like a player. As much as we love our Collings' they are players, so enjoy it. Play on.

Would really have to see it to know. From the way you describe it it sounds like a finish nick rather than an actual dent in the wood. Lots of luck making any repairs on a catalyzed finish. You are likely to turn a barely perceptable mark into a real eye grabber.
I would not advise using a rubbing compound to remove finish down to the level of of ding. Bad idea.
To get an idea of working on a catalyzed finish see
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/HighTechDept/LightSpeed/LightCureFinish/lightcurefinish.html