Should I try to fix this?

[GreenAcidJam]

Got this ding a while back and its been bothering me ever since. I've been reading up on how to fix it, and i was considering using the steam technique, but the paint isn't chipped off. It is really deep and noticeable too. I was also thinking of maybe sanding it a bit, trying to uncompress the wood, and then paint it with lacquer. Can someone who is good with these kinda things tell me what I should do or if it is even fixable? The pictures are a bit blurry.

[terrybellcountr]

Naa, you've just reliced your guitar.

[TeleKato]

I have a similar issue with a pickguard hole that is now exposed as I reconfigured my guitar into a 'custom' design. I even sent off for fancy touch-up pens that use real lacquer and color-match with Fender colors.

After one attempt, what I got looked worse. So I'm stopping. I have a neat little lapel-pin that looks like the flag of Quebec ... it sticks in the hole and covers the spot nicely. And i feel Canadian (French-Canadian). Which is nice.

[mimmo]

No!!!!!!!!
Leave it that way please....

[harold h]

Steam may do it. A damp rag and an iron cant
hurt.

[Buckocaster51]

The finish film appears to be cracked.

You might remove the deficit with steam but the crack will remain.

[castpolymer]

I just put happy face stickers over dents.

[GreenAcidJam]

I don't really care about the finish, its just the dent is so deep. I don't know if the steam will get to the wood, because none of the finish chipped off. Will steam still work if the paint is there?

[20721]

Originally Posted by GreenAcidJam

Will steam still work if the paint is there?

Nope. Leave it.

[printer2]

You would have to remove the finish to steam the wood under it.

[GreenAcidJam]

It doesn't really make it look road worn, there is just a huge out of place dent. Is anyone here familiar with syringe steaming? http://books.google.com/books?id=zF2...eaming&f=false

[printer2]

Originally Posted by GreenAcidJam

It doesn't really make it look road worn, there is just a huge out of place dent. Is anyone here familiar with syringe steaming? http://books.google.com/books?id=zF2...eaming&f=false

Hit it again, and again, and...

[old_picker]

the more you fiddle with this the worse it will look
if you are determined you could try a clothes iron [point] on a wet cloth lying over the crack - the steam may penetrate the cracks and blow the dent out a bit - have the iron hot enough to produce its own steam and push it onto the cloth for maybe 3 seconds at at a time - dont keep it down for too long when you notice the cloth going dry time for more water

if this is successful you will have lost most of the dent and have the cracked finish sitting on the surface ready to chip and fall off making a bigger mess
once you are sure it is dry [days later] you could try and seal it off with nail polish and carefully sand and polish it back

if this is really eating you up move the guitar on and buy another pristine instrument

[Vizcaster]

If you apply enough heat to steam out that dent, you'll wind up bubbling and stripping the finish in that area as if you were using a heat gun. You should only attempt this repair if you're confident that you can spot repair the finish and match the color. Whites and blacks are really, really hard to match because they're never completely neutral and need a little red or yellow.

[J.E.M.]

Steam or water won't touch and probably will do more damage or at least make it worse.

You need to drop fill to get rid of it, but first you need to either tint the CA to match your paint or, if you're using clear CA, you need to get rid of the lines of the crack - use nail polish in a matching color, only enough painted on to hide the lines, then use the clear CA,, sand, polish etc.

[GreenAcidJam]

Does anyone know where and how much it would cost to get this fixed professionally? I'm located in New York City.

[flyingbanana]

You are worried too much about it in my opinion. If you can't deal with it, look for a guitar shop that paints guitars. Maybe they'll help you spot repair it.

[brookdalebill]

I'd accept it, there will be more.

[LeroyBlues]

I had a much larger dent/chip in a white Fender Jazz bass I own. I took it to a major, nationally known, guitar shop in Lansing MI to get fixed. They took one look at it and said they wouldn't work on it. They said they could spend several hours working on it and It'd still be noticeable, and I'd be unhappy. Told me I could use finger nail polish and fill it myself.

[Jupiter]

You should call around and find out what it would cost to get it fixed invisibly. Once you hear that number, you'll find it much easier to live with it as it is.

If the dent bothers you, you could just drop fill it bit by bit with CA.