Share a story and make me feel better!

I have dropped my strat body twice. Both times were tonight!!!

The first only left 2 small dings between the pickup holes... So they would be covered, and I could continue with no major issues besides the scuffs that I had to sand out.

Then as I was setting up to spray a clear coat, which just so happened to be the first of two before I set it up for a month to cure/gas. I felt it sliding off the coat hanger, and I couldn't catch it before it hit the ground! It got a nice ding on the edge near the input jack. If its fixable, its out of my league. At this point, I'm not sure I even want to try. I want this guitar to relic naturally anyway, so what's the big deal right?

Sounds like you're on your way. Relic on ...

mud

I don't think I'm going to relic it with sandpaper etc.... Not that I'm against it, I just want it to take its time on this one.

On the edge of strat how fixable is that? I'm praying I can make it through the rest of the build with no more dings... But this is kind of part of it isn't it?

Here is a bit about my last build.
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/218160-going-so-well.html

Came out great but I was a little PO'd at the time. I'm sure yours will as well. :smile:

Regards,

Yeah don't worry about it -natural relics are the way to go-just takes years

Yeah don't worry about it -natural relics are the way to go-just takes years

Not this one!!! I've only got the body towards a full build, and its already got a 3/4" by 1/2" scrape across the edge. At this rate, it will be looking like the black on in no time!

The more guitars you have and build, the more you are going to ding and dent them. At a certain point, you just shrugg your shoulders and say, its got character. However, I do know the pit of your stomach, gut wrenching feeling when you ding your first couple of babies.

The first tele body I built, I used a spade bit instead of a forstner bit to drill the output jack hole. I got half way through, and the bit caught. It not only wrecked the hole, it ripped a chunk of wood off the top of the body that looked about the size of a hunting knife. My natural finish turned into a solid color real quick.

HA! I could see how that would be... I knew I wanted this thing to relic and not baby it, actually quite the opposite...

I was just hoping to have strings on it before it started!

The more guitars you have and build, the more you are going to ding and dent them. At a certain point, you just shrugg your shoulders and say, its got character.

:grin:

I've built a lot of guitars with character!

HA! I could see how that would be... I knew I wanted this thing to relic and not baby it, actually quite the opposite...

I was just hoping to have strings on it before it started!

I have found that is one of the greatest appeals to buying a relic for a lot of musicians. When they buy the guitar beat to hell, they don't worry about dinging or scratching it, and just give it hell playing it. They don't have to take 5 minutes between sets or songs switching guitars. They don't need to worry about which stand they can sit their guitar on, and they don't have to worry about how the stage hand is handling their guitar. It just takes a load off your mind, feeing up the creativity.

Take my precious Martin acoustic, I about threw up the first time I dinged it. I was about ready to pay 1500$ to have it refinished. While it is beat to hell now, I still don't take it out and play it as much as I want because a hot or cold day in the car can cause serious damage. Taking it to a campfire with drunks is too dangerous, and forget about having a good time at a party, you are too busy watching your guitar.

Of course, we are more critical of our own work than others. Next time you are at the guitar store, take some high end guitars off the rack, and look at them closely. Check for scratches, dings, dents, position dots in line, flaws in the finish, binding and etc. You will be surprised at how much of that stuff you just don't pay attention too, but when you actually look for you can find.

Would you suggest the damp towel/iron method to try and raise it? I DO NOT want to paint black again or worse have to reseal etc. Is this something I could try, see if it works and continue spraying these last 2 coats of clear?

I just am not willing to put that much effort into it being "perfect", only to greaten the possibility of more character happening in the process.

Not if it has paint on it.

So either sand it down to raise it(bare wood I'm guessing) or just leave it and keep going?

Tough choice there...

So either sand it down to raise it(bare wood I'm guessing) or just leave it and keep going?

Tough choice there...

I'd spot repair it or drop fill it.

do you suggest the a. steam method(spot sand down and start over) b. spot filler(what kind?) or c. say screw it and put the last 2 coats of clear on?!

I have been working on my first build:

http://telelele.tumblr.com/

The other day I was carrying all my supplies from my apt to my wife's studio to spray my nicely sanded body with primer to start the finishing process.
While walking down the street I stumbled and the body, which was wrapped only in a plastic bag, popped out of the cardboard box I had with me with all my rattle cans and sand paper.

The body (and the neck) hit the sidewalk with a clattering.

The neck was mostly okay, just an ugly dent on the underside of the neck heel that will be hidden when mounted...

But the body! Oh the humanity. There were chips and dents all over it from just that one quick drop. It's a pine body so it's soft and every point of contact showed. I needed to put off my body finishing and had to use wood filler all over to fill in the little dents and chips. So stupid for not having it bubble wrapped or in a cloth and NOT dropping it.

No, I didn't take photos. Too humiliating. It's looking okay again. I've given it a coat of primer and sanded it down and it's back to its old self.

I read on Reranch for "deep" scars you can just drop fill with sand and sealer... Would this work over my clear and everything else to try and get this fixed? Then I could just repaint it with some black and put the clear back over it :)

Or is this too wishful of thinking??!!

HELP

No, I didn't take photos. Too humiliating.

If you got the danglers to tell the story then don't be so embarassed about pictures. :twisted:

I read on Reranch for "deep" scars you can just drop fill with sand and sealer... Would this work over my clear and everything else to try and get this fixed? Then I could just repaint it with some black and put the clear back over it :)

Or is this too wishful of thinking??!!

HELP

Thats what I would do.

Well I'm gonna glop on some SS from the can(love that stuff, especially the smell) wait til it dries and sand it back!

Well I'm gonna glop on some SS from the can(love that stuff, especially the smell) wait til it dries and sand it back!

careful, that stuff will kill your lungs.

at worst i'm expecting some sand throughs around the edges of the dent.. we'll see

Why cant he just brush fill the color on the ding???

Why cant he just brush fill the color on the ding???

Id probably suggest that on any color other than black.

I feel pretty comfortable using SS, it fills great and dries super quick. The only two things that I'm worried about are the raised edges of the dent that went above the normal level of the body, which means I will looks paint in those spots. And also the fact that this is on the very rim of strat which rounded.

I have been 1 day away from being finished about 3 times!!!

Maybe that's gonna be the case the entire time?