Finish repair

[MissionBrown]

Some of you would have seen my misfortune on another thread: http://www.mosriteforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4210

I got a quote yesterday, Roughly $100-$200 for a spot repair and $300-$400 for a full re-spray.
The guys I intend on using have a decent reputation and are local to me.

The thing is I don't know which way to go.
A spot repair might be ok, but if I'm going to get a re-spray, I think I'll get it done in a different colour (Pearl).

It's not vintage or USA, but it was expensive and really nice.
Also I think these guitars look best in pearl(actually that's my opinion for most guitars).

What would you kind folks do if you were in my position?

[101Volts]

Well, A touch up can look spotless if done right. that's the real question, How good are they at finish repairs?

Austin

[olrocknroller]

Well, A touch up can look spotless if done right. that's the real question, How good are they at finish repairs?

Austin

One thing that can be really difficult with spot repairs is assessing the amount of discoloration time, and the elements have wrought on the existing finish...some colors can be really difficult to match perfectly. That said, if the fellow's good at what he does, you should have to know where the repair is, and examine it really closely to see anything at all out of place... In this case, the newer the piece is, the closer to factory the color should be...

[MissionBrown]

A few guys I know get their guitars maintained by them regularly and are happy with the results. Nobody has needed a re-finish as far as I'm aware.

[vjf1968]

A few guys I know get their guitars maintained by them regularly and are happy with the results. Nobody has needed a re-finish as far as I'm aware.

I saw the picture of the damage. As far as getting it fixed, totally up to you but that could have easily happened at a gig and there are some things you just can not control at a gig. No matter how hard you try and no matter how careful you are, there is going to be ding, scratch, or chunk. Don't forget Fender, Gibson, and Gretsch are charging preimum prices for guitars that are "reliced". Just a thought.

But in the hands of good luthier, it can definitly be fixed and only and he/she will know.

As far as changing the color, is the cost including a finish coat? I would leave it as a sunburst since that is the original color and the black should be easy to match.

[dubtrub]

If the only damage is in the black as shown in that photo, that repair is a piece of cake whether it's lacquer or poly. If the damage goes into the see through sunburst that'll basically require a refin.

[MissionBrown]

Thanks folks.

The damage is in a spot where my arm has a tendency to rub on it and the edges are all jaggy, so my clothes snag on it too. Will probably just go for the spot repair.

Most of my guitars have dings in the paint, but none of them cost me as much cash as this one.
I'm not in a working band at the moment, so it's not going to get gigged any time soon.

[MissionBrown]

Hi Folks,

I still haven't had this fixed.
Would a shellac stick do the job?

[Mr. Bill]

Probably not.

Your guitar has two problems that need to be dealt with, the missing color area and the missing finish depth including any actual damage to the wood itself. I can't see how rough or deep the area is from looking at a photo, but it looks like it is deeper than just the finish coat. How much damage is there to the actual wood body?

It looks like a poly finish to me, which can leave sharp edges when cracked like that. Without seeing the actual guitar, I'd guess that you need to remove the cracked finish that is in the center of the area, creating one large section that needs to be colored and filled.

For most of these types of repairs I use a CA type glue to fill in the missing finish and build it up to match the original level. In most cases it will buff up to match the existing finish.

I don't know how handy you are, but I'm sure that there are all sorts instructions on the web for fixing this sort of thing. If not, then $100-$200 may not be all that bad to get it fixed. Around here that money represents 2-3 hours of labor time, which this repair could easily take.

[oipunkguy]

the finish is probably poly. i've done repairs like this several times, it would be a piece of cake. just color it in with the right shade of black, add a clear into the dent area unil it's level. sand it out, and then buff it out. and a repair like that shouldn't cost much, if i was doing it i'd probably charge 50-75 bucks depending on how much time i had to put into it.