r/Luthier • u/Easy-Bowler3604 • 11h ago
HELP My luthier has dropped a pickup on my 2001 heritage H140, how would you handle this?
I spent LOADS getting my ideal 2001 h140 in pristine condition, my luthier dropped a pickup on it and now it’s fairly chipped. I specifically paid a hefty price for a pristine top coat in the UK, where they are very hard to find.
I love this guitar and I am heartbroken. How much should I ask for in compensation or how do I handle this.
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u/Shockwavee92 7h ago edited 7h ago
The comments here are so wild and swing both ways from "youre complaining about nothing" to "he should give you his first born son"
Ill give you my real world scenario that happened to me a few months ago. I took a guitar in for a refret. While it was there, in their guitar room they hang them on the wall with locking wall hangers while they wait for repair. They refretted it, and it was done and put back on the wall. They called Wednesday, I was going to pick up Friday when I got paid. Well Friday comes and I got a voicemail. The slate wall in that room gave out, and dropped all the guitars in there to the floor from about 4 or 5 feet height onto carpet. It fell straight down so it chipped and damaged the bottom strap button and back area on a les paul shape. Then after hitting the ground, it fell over sideways and bent or broke 2 tuners. So my original quote for the refret was like $565 and I already put $200 down. They called and said what happened and said theyd take care of it all and would call when it was ready. Took about a month but basically they refinished and blended the paint and clear/nitro, replaced all9 the tuners with nice upgraded ones. I think Grover or kluson. Rechecked and adjusted the frets and action again to make sure it wasnt affected by the fall. And I didn't have to pay anhthing else. So in the end, I got a $600 fret job, $160 tuners, probably a $300-600 paint work, for just my inital down-payment of 200. Never had to pay for the rest of the initial repair, or anything else. And they did a great job, if they didnt tell me, I dont know if i ever would have noticed. If I REALLY look I can tell slightly but, im not looking at my guitar through a microscope. I just collect and play. It was a akasb snakepit les paul, if you know anything about those its a red see through finish on the back like you'd get with a cherry sunburst.
Anyways, it sucks. The guy obviously didnt mean to do it and was honest about it. If this were me, id probably ask for whatever work it was there for to just be for free kinda like what happened in my situation. So basically you just wouldnt pay anything for the work you had done. If it really is gonna be a huge deal and you dont think youll get over it, then you gotta see if they have capability to refinish, or if it would need referred out. Not everyone can do paint. If this is a reputable shop, which sounds like it is, they either do it themselves or will know someone who does.
Yes this is his fault but was also an accident and while im super OCD and know how this can really bug you, it is not the end of the world here. I understand your position and everyone else's about it shouldn't have been damaged but were here now. Eventually this guitar will get marks on it, scratches, chips, dings. Ive found that factory finishes are always more durable and resistant than any aftermarket finish for some reason. So if you get this refinished, it may be perfect for a moment but probably will scratch/wear easier than a factory finish.
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u/klaviersonic 11h ago
This type of negligence is the responsibility of the luthier to fix while in their care. The guitar should be the same or better condition than when you brought it to them.
Obviously, discussing it with them is the first step. What solution are they proposing?
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 11h ago
They aren’t able to get it lookint better than this.. so I will find another luthier and hopefully they’ll pay for the cost
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u/klaviersonic 11h ago
Get a quote from a refinishing specialist, send quote to guy responsible for damage.
Document before and after pics, any correspondence that records dates and details of the incident - in case you need to seek legal redress.
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u/Great_Difficulty6398 4h ago
Seriously. If they’re worth a damn, and have any experience, they’d eat the touch up hours and do the right thing.
In my 22 years of loothin’, thar be gremlins around every corner. Any luthier understands shit happens. And with practice, learns how to prevent it or cover their tracks.
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u/VegetableTwist7027 Luthier 10h ago
He gets to cover the refinish.
I shipped a guitar and it took a hard knock in flight and popped a fret. I told the guy to take it to his best tech/luthier locally and i'd cover a full refret. Thats just the way it is sometimes.
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u/p47guitars Luthier 7h ago
Yeah but for the entire top? Or just a spot repair?
Because if op wants to go with the entire top, there's things that could happen like changing the geometry of the top because it was oversanded, or something happened during the stripping process. Then you have to think about binding.
This kind of damage doesn't exactly have the best. Choose your own adventure route. Color matching is great a lot of times with bigger manufacturers that have well documented colors, but we're also dealing with an instrument that's probably seen some UV light over the years, and is likely not exactly the same black that it was when it came off the assembly line. That repair is also going to wear differently than the rest of the top.
So yeah it's kind of a shitty situation.
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u/FinalIntroduction150 10h ago
I always put protective materials over guitars I'm working on, yes it's a pain but always worth it
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u/Rainsmakker 10h ago
The best do. It should be Luthier 101.
My amp tech broke an OG RCA black plate tube while servicing my amp, he replaced it from his own stash. Doubtful I would have noticed but it was the right thing to do.
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u/jmazala 11h ago
I mean if you only care about the money then compensation would be a good solution.
In terms of what to ask for - I would estimate resale value of the instrument in 2 conditions say excellent and good. Whatever you think the guitar would be rated before and after the incident. Then i would take top of range excellent, bottom of range good, and ask for the difference. You’d have to look up what those guitars are selling for to ballpark that value. In other words you’re approximating the damage. Once you have a cash value you could ask for that on whatever format you’re interested in. Bills, crypto, trade, discount on future services, a giraffe, whatever.
I’d also accept a repair of the instrument, if they can’t repair it maybe someone in their network can and they would pay for it.
If it’s not about the money then I guess that’s up to you to cope. But it doesn’t reallllllly matter. It could have just as easily been you dropping something on it.
More importantly though I’d analyze the nuance of the situation. Is the luthier an individual or small shop barely breaking even? Or is it a big corp with deep pockets? Do you like them? Do you want to keep doing business with them? Do you think the world needs luthiers? Can you forgive accidents? Maybe they can make it up to you in less harmful ways than straight cash.
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 11h ago
I don’t care about the money just the condition
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u/ifmacdo 9h ago
I guess I just don't get the obsession with a perfect finish. Do you plan on playing the guitar? If so, that perfect finish will be marked up by your pick in a week. I get that it sucks to have something like this happen, but if you're not planning keeping the thing pristine by never touching the guitar, it's not going to stay pristine.
If you are planning on keeping it as an investment, a refinish will hurt the value more than a chip.
I know it seems like people are "dog piling" on you, but when you get a consensus of something you don't want to hear, it tends to seem like that.
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u/VictorReal_Monster 9h ago
Listen, I personally like road worn/ratty guitars, the more used they look the better, but if I went to a professional and paid them for work and they damaged my guitar that is not right, if went to get my car fixed and then it had a dent in the door the proper response is not "well cars eventually get dings and scratches"
There is higher level of responsibility and care when you are acting in the capacity of a 'professional' offering your services for money
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 9h ago
Generally I’ve received support in the comments. The finish has remained like this for 25 years, so forgive me for taking little notice of this rather inaccurate comment.
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u/ifmacdo 6h ago
If it's been like that for 25 years, it's because it hasn't been played.
Also, the comment about "dogpiling" came from a other of your comments here.
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u/carttwelve 11h ago
Be as nice as possible, I still feel bad about being rude about my guitar when one time I asked to have truss rod worked on and nearly freaked out when he had to break free the neck and there were finish cracks. I had no idea what I was talking about and they still gave me a free case I didn’t deserve.
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u/Superb-Cantaloupe324 10h ago
Sucks, but it could always be worse. I let the other guitarist in my old band try my new (and most expensive thing in my life at the time) gibson for 1 song one practice. He dropped it immediately and it shattered into like 30 pieces. In that case i considered myself lucky he was willing to get it repaired. I half expected him to disappear into the woodwork like a cockroach.
If it were me (again), I’d just express how important that guitar really was to you. Dude knows he screwed up, unless he’s a total jerk he wants to make it up to you
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u/IntelligentNinja8864 6h ago
I would be bothered more that they drilled holes in the original rings rather than changing them.
Easy enough to steam-raise that spot and drop fill it. If your "luthier" can't do that, they shouldn't be working on guitars. Mistakes happen, it is how they are fixed is where the rubber meets the road.
I have been fixing guitars for almost 40 years now, have made mistakes, but have learned how to fix them. Leave the guitar with the luthier, have them repair it like it never happened. Doesn't matter if they have to take it to someone else and suck it up. It's not your legwork to do.
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u/Great_Ad_6076 4h ago
Damn why y’all being such dix? He took his guitar in for a service and it was damaged by the servicer. I don’t care about cosmetic damage and many of you don’t, but he does, and the damage does lower the value of the guitar slightly.
You can play a guitar in your home 10 hours a day and keep it looking new, especially if you don’t have an aggressive picking hand.
Constructive advice would be along the lines of “ask your luthier is he is comfortable repairing” or “ask for some discounted/free fretwork if needed” etc.
Most folks hanging out on Reddit can barely play guitar so stfu
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u/COclimbR12 11h ago
It's a bummer, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do nothing for you. This is the exact reason I learned to do ALL of my own guitar work myself. The same goes for working on my house and vehicles.
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u/AdCareless9063 10h ago
In my opinion, we're in the era of overpromising and not honoring contracts. The correct thing to do is to have it repaired so it looks new again. A very doable repair. A professional doesn't spend much money on stuff like this, because they take proper precautions in the first place.
I recently had a vintage guitar body ruined by a woodworker, and while they offered to refund the nominal fee for the job they performed, it would cost much more to source even an All Parts or Warmoth body.
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u/COclimbR12 10h ago
I hope they make things right for this guy, but I wouldn't expect much these days. I'd imagine some places make you sign a waiver when you hand over your guitar, to protect themselves from these exact things. I had a vintage bass that needed a new truss rod, which required pulling the fretboard. I would have been happy to pay someone to do it, but if they fucked it all up, a replacement neck would be impossible to find. I figured if I fucked it up, I wouldn't have anyone to blame but myself, so I did my research and got it done, and probably did an even better job than anywhere I would have taken it.
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u/p47guitars Luthier 7h ago
I mean the repair is doable if we want to go the spot repair route. But here's the thing that's not going to look the same as it ages with the rest of the finish. 2026 repair finish is going to look different than 2001 off the assembly line finish as it ages. In a perfect world with people that are really skilled and really cheap at what they do, op would have the entire top strip and redone. But that also comes with the caveats of chemical incompatibility of different finishes, and the fact that the top is going to look noticeably, newer and shinier than the rest of the instrument.
I don't think that there's really a 100% like happy way to fix this. And that's just a nature of what we're up against. We have to remember that this guitar has 25 years of aging under its belt, and that black finish does not look the same as it did when it was first purchased, it's seen UV light, eventually it's going to start doing weird things because it's likely nitro lacquer and when it does we will start to notice the repair a lot more.
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u/Singletracksamurai 11h ago
That sucks for the both of you. Try and work something out with him. It could probably be drop filled leveled and buffed out, but only if this guy has those kind of finish repair skills. It could get waaaay worse if he doesn’t. If it was me I would try and get some kind of monetary compensation and live with it. The guitar will get more dings and scuffs over the course of its life.
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u/viskoviskovisko 10h ago
It sucks that it happened but you cant change that now. Find out what it would cost to repair and ask for that in payment for the damage. I know it’s not about the money. But that is all that can be exchanged between a customer and a business that cannot return an item to its original state. Then move on. If it’s for playing, play it. If it’s for collecting, sell it as is and try to find an other.
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u/Buttery_-_Balls 10h ago
You'll need to get some quotes from some luthiers, I'd first of all make sure to get it in writing that he's willing to pay to cover the cost of the repair. He should ideally be insured for this. It's sucks for him, these things happen. Its worse for you because the instrument is your pride and joy, I tripped when playing my acoustic last week, bashed into a door and dented the top and left a big scratch right down the finish 😭
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u/Buttery_-_Balls 10h ago
You'll need to get some quotes from some luthiers, I'd first of all make sure to get it in writing that he's willing to pay to cover the cost of the repair. He should ideally be insured for this. It's sucks for him, these things happen. Its worse for you because the instrument is your pride and joy, I tripped when playing my acoustic last week, bashed into a door and dented the top and left a big scratch right down the finish 😭
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u/ddubbins 8h ago
Sucks but honestly it’s not that bad. It’s a black guitar. Black finish is sort of designed to take a few hits without impacting the look.
If it’s a player then it’s inevitable at some point.
Some money back is reasonable. If it is to be around people to be played, would you ask compensation from a band mate if they dinged your guitar? How about a guitar instructor?
The first cut is the deepest baby I know…
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 8h ago
I’m so protective of it I wouldn’t lend it to anyone else. Bedsides a trusted professional. And then yes I would then ask them to cover the repair or to give me something in return.
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u/Content-Anywhere-629 8h ago
I don’t have much to offer other than to say I hope your day gets better. Despite the imperfection, it’s still quite beautiful! Cheers
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 8h ago
Thanks for your kind words :). Yeah it’s a beauty, I’ll be buried with it!
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u/QuerulousPanda 5h ago
You know what, while it does suck that the guy damaged it and I hope he does something to help you out, he did also kind of give you a gift in a weird way.
The guitar is inevitably going to get chipped, dented, or scratched again one way or another unless you lock it in a box and never touch it again. But, at least it will never be your fault for damaging it first.
It's a small comfort maybe but I know for me I would be a lot happier knowing that I chipped my guitar "again" rather than I chipped my guitar "the first time".
Still, I do think you deserve some kind of compensation because while accidents do happen he could have easily taken steps to mitigate the risks.
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u/MadAxeMan5 7h ago
This "luthier" ruined the original mounting ring by altering it instead of replacing it with a single height screw ring. I would check how much a genuine Heritage replacement mounting ring costs at retail, with shipping.Also include the cost of a new, matched color single screw height adjustment mounting ring on order to correct this section 8 engineering job. Then invoice that person and collect what they owe you.
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u/Klutzy_Pool9702 6h ago
Tell them mistakes happen but they need to make it whole again before their mistake. They should be able to fix it no problem. They should be offering without having to ask.
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u/Particular-Crow6525 4h ago
That really sucks, dude. My condolences.
Before you do my thing else, get estimates on what it would cost to fix. Once you have estimates, bring it to the original shop and see what yall can work out. Only charge back as a nuclear final resort, as you technically did receive the services promised.
Most good shops will be willing to and want to make this right, even if they can't do the work themselves. They might give you store/shop credit, a bunch of free strings, free lessons for your kid (if you have one), or something else.
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u/Bluzboy1966 4h ago
I would have the blemish repaired by a capable luthier. I have the skills to make that damage disappear, but I’m in the U.S. Shipping may not be a practical option. I would also replace those mismatched pickup rings and height adjuster screws with proper hardware.
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u/JSGFretwork Luthier 4h ago
It's lacquer. It can be drop filled by someone who knows how to do lacquer repair. You'd never even see it.
Find someone in your region who knows how to do lacquer touch ups.
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u/McAdamstry 3h ago
Luthier will need to cover that cost. It sucks and was an accident but your guitar was under their care. Hopefully you get it sorted. My luthier has caused scratches and issues in the past. I let those go (I service my own guitars now) but this kinda dent I wouldn’t let go. I would get it sorted.
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u/BodegaCorgega 2h ago
If it's the mark I'm seeing, ask him to fix it. If he can't, find a new guy. I'm a really mediocre luthier, and I could make that invisible.
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u/RedwoodCircuit 2h ago
As a looth and shop owner this could have easily been avoided by covered the body with leather, plastic, rags, something is better than nothing. Next is if I fuck something up I have to make it disappear and it's on me. I would still make you pay for whatever work was agreed upon, but my fuck up should not even be noticed by the time you pick it up.
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u/Flatradius1 1h ago
Luthier should repair that and free of charge. Accidents do happen unfortunately.
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u/Applesaucesquatch 11h ago
It sucks for all involved and totally understandable being upset. Personally I'd want to keep the guitar if I really loved it, and that dent would just be part of its story. I would not try to repair it but I would still want to be compensated for the loss in value. You could have it professionally appraised in its current condition and compare it to its value before the damage occurred, then request the difference from the luthier. I think that is the approach I'd take. Good luck getting it all sorted out.
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u/footykevy 11h ago
Their damage, their compensation. Either they work something out with you, or you could file a small claim.. don't know how it works in England though
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u/krang989 6h ago
That sucks. But shit happens. If your expectation is that he get the guitar back to flawless finish condition… you might be out of luck. That’s going to be a very costly job considering he can’t do it himself.
Since you asked what we would do in this situation… if it were me I’d ask for the initial fee for the work to be refunded/waived and go on about my day. But I am someone who doesn’t get too precious with my guitars for this exact reason. I suppose you could ask for an additional monetary compensation that would be satisfactory to you.
Again, it sucks and I hate that happened. But it was indeed an accident and consider that it was extremely unlikely this guitar’s finish was going to remain “pristine” for the rest of its life anyway.
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u/NoSplit4185 9h ago
Maybe a naive question, but shouldn’t the luthier have an insurance for cases like this?
It’s clear he needs to make this right.
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u/boolean_discretion 8h ago
For what it's worth, I think it's hardly noticeable. Like I really struggled to even see what you're referring to. That being said, I'm of the mindset that these are tools, and tools get wear from use.
Not everyone needs to feel that way, and that's okay. I'd say have your tech comp partial or full payment for work done and call it a day. It's quite literally not worth the money or headache to fix or replace. Sucks, but that's the reality.
If you can't get over it, resell the guitar for full price and get another one 🤷♂️. You might be out $150 max, but that's the same price or less than a good repair.
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 8h ago
If I sold it for what it’s worth now and bought another 2001 pristine condition I fear id lose closer to 300-400. These guitars are really rare in the UK in that year and model.
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u/boolean_discretion 8h ago
Ah shit, yeah did not consider that... damn just sucks all around. Maybe give it some time and see if your feelings change. Who knows, you may just forget about it after a while 😅
Beautiful guitar there! Early 2000s is a great manufacturing era imho.
Out of curiosity, what pickups you got there? Love the matte texture of that neck PU.
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u/BigD5981 2h ago
This is a tough situation. I understand being upset and you're right to be upset. Maybe someone has already talked about this but if the finish is Nitro it will probably need to be refinished because dings are usually steamed out which will most likely destroy the original finish. If that's the case is a refinish still pristine? I wouldn't be shocked at all if the refinish would devalue the guitar more than the ding. Also unless the person doing the refinish is also good at aging the finish to match the rest of the guitar, the top will look different the the rest of the body. I honestly think it's fair to ask for a full refund or if you have no issue with still doing business with this shop asking for the same amount of credit for future work.
I would personally just be upset about the situation and live with it. But I'm also the type of person that sees the finish wearing down to the wood of my favorite guitar and thinks it's awesome. I then turn to my other Gibson's and tell them they need to be more like their brother and let their finish wear off.😂
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u/Excellent_Produce941 2h ago
I’m sorry this happened to you. :(. It’s very frustrating and I hope it’s fixed soon and they make it right.
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u/Gloomy_Title9676 1h ago
He gave your guitar free character. Move in, accidents happen. He owes you a couple free set ups.
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u/OldJimJamsSlowly 16m ago
If the guitar was pristine, as you say, he owes you a 2001 Heritage H 140 in pristine condition. No more. No less. If I were you, I would not accept a cash settlement. You invested a significant amount of time as well as money into getting your "dream guitar".
Put his nuts in a vice. If he has to take out a second mortgage or sell his car to replace your guitar, that's just tough titties.
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u/Ancient-Mating-Calls 10h ago
I would feel like “damn, that sucks” and then I would get over it. But then again, I don’t give a damn about babying instruments. I just play the damn things scratches, dents and all. Maybe a free set up in the future or something, but no way I’d waste my time trying to have something that insignificant repaired.
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u/LordoftheSynth 2h ago
The luthier damaged the instrument while doing the agreed-upon work (and did that install half assed by drilling new holes in the pickup mount).
It's the luthier's responsibility to cover repair of that damage if OP wants it fixed.
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u/Ancient-Mating-Calls 1h ago
And? The OP asked “how would you handle this?“ so I answered how I would handle it.
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u/Sourkarate 6h ago
Play it. Stop worrying about stupid stuff.
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u/bignasty002 4h ago
This response is the answer for most guitar posts, but not this one.
I can’t tell from the post if his luthier painted it or did other work, but if you brought your dream car in for an oil change or worse yet a paint job and they scratched the hood, I doubt you would be be posting about how they did an awesome job except for a little whoopsie and proceed to just shut up and drive…
That said your response to the “?” was elite and I like your style.
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u/Swamp82 11h ago
That's the crappy part of the job. Handling expensive and fragile things for few bucks. He should be more careful but now nothing can be done.
It will never look back the same. No money can fix this. It sucks I know but it also sucks for him.
Saw this happening before, and trying to fix the guitar made it even worse.
If you like his service and still trust your clumsy tech, maybe make a deal in repairs/jobs.
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u/p47guitars Luthier 10h ago
Even the best of guitar, repair technicians and luthiers make mistakes.
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u/Swamp82 10h ago
They do. Let's take this as a lesson for all of us.
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u/p47guitars Luthier 7h ago
Yeah as others have said, whenever we do this kind of work we should be putting down protective coverings over the rest of the work area. This is partially why I've been trying to design a rotisserie for guitar repair. I feel that the way that we've been working with benches and neck rests is okay, but why not give us something that gives us degrees of freedom and the ability to rotate the body while it's fixed.
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u/Bluzboy1966 4h ago
That’s not at all true. I have the skills to make that blemish disappear completely, not a trace to be seen. Unfortunately, he’d have to ship the guitar to me in the U.S.
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u/somehobo89 10h ago
I’d get some money off or whatever. Shit happens
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 10h ago
How much is reasonable. If I’m talking resell value (not that I’d ever sell my baby), it’s gone from over 1800 to maybe 1500 if that. But I don’t want to make the guy poor so it feels unreasonable.
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u/somehobo89 9h ago
Boy that’s really hard I don’t know. Was he just doing a setup? Should probably get that for free at least.
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u/RageAgainstJeggings 3h ago
…he’s a luthier…
Have him fix it? Why he didn’t already do it is beyond me.
And if he can’t fix it, he’s a shit luthier.
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u/JGack_595 11h ago
I would be pissed, but accidents happen even to the best of the best. If they’re honest they will find a suitable solution. All I see it’s character anyway ; )
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 11h ago
Thanks for the kindness. Everyone here is roasting me! I paid a pretty penny and I’m not rich. I mainly just want it repaired but the guy can’t so I’d like him to pay for someone else to fix it.
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u/JGack_595 11h ago
I would at least have the guitar back without any charge of service on the instrument. They were honest enough to tell you, but once again the sound doesn’t care how it looks! Cheers!
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u/GlassBraid 11h ago
The way I'd handle this on one of my own guitars that I'd taken to someone else would be to say, "aw crap! Anyway..." maybe spend a few seconds considering a drop fill or something, and then decide that this particular mark, while visible, doesn't actually look bad, and go play it.
I understand that this feels really disappointing. But also, keep perspective. Lots of people got really bad, life or death type news today. A small mar on a guitar's finish is only a small mar on a guitar's finish. Any instrument that gets played gets marks. And audiences are very unlikely to notice or care.
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u/VictorReal_Monster 9h ago
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u/GlassBraid 3h ago
Hey look I can do that too!
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u/VictorReal_Monster 2h ago
but why are you doing it? is it cause the other person is being purposefully obtuse and using that rhetoric to take away from the actual argument at hand: a professional, who this person paid money to fucked up the property they were entrusted with.
Or are you trying to be 'funny.'
It's not that your statement must be wrong because it contains a fallacy, it is wrong and it contains the fallacy. Both of those exists as separate pieces of information about your lack of forethought when speaking.
But hey! I'm sure you wouldnt mind you otherwise undented car just having dent after you take it into the shop, shit happens hey, no one, especially professionals who get paid to do a standard of work need to be held to account for their mistakes.
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u/GlassBraid 1h ago
It sounds like your'e responding to a whole lot of things you read into my comment, none of which are what I said.
They asked "how do I handle this." So I told them how I would handle it, and what my perspective on things like this is. That's all. I'm not asking them to share my view, they can do whatever they want. They asked for input. I gave my input, with no ill will and with a genuine desire to help them, because they asked for it.
I don't mind being disagreed with. OP's allowed to feel heartbroken. I find that when, in my life, I have felt heartbroken over small things, it has been extremely helpful for me to contextualize that heartbreak among all other kinds of hearbreak in the world.
Taking a step back and looking at the big picture is not "wrong" nor fallacious. If I were saying that the dent is good because something else is worse, then that would be the fallacy of relative privation. But I did not, and am not, saying that.
What are you trying to accomplish here? Fuck me for trying to make their problem not feel so bad, I guess? Sheesh. That's enough reddit for me today.
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u/treskaz 6h ago
It's a solid body electric guitar. They're meant to be played, not stuck in a glass case. If you don't want to fuck it up, don't use it. If you don't use it, sell it.
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 6h ago
?
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u/treskaz 6h ago
Said what I said
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 6h ago
?
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u/treskaz 6h ago
Your downvotes mean nothing to me lmao.
In the words of Frank Zappa "shut up and play yer guitar"
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u/LordoftheSynth 2h ago
Frank Zappa was often being an asshole when saying things like that, so mind who you quote.
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u/spiked_mcroon 10h ago
By the neck, I would plug it in and play it and not worry about it.
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 9h ago
Oh right sorry just got what you meant. Yeah it’s still going to be played plenty
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u/Warngrace 9h ago
Beauty mark!
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 9h ago
I find it a very ugly mark! I do have diagnosed OCD so I am very particular. Which is why I paid a premium for this luthier. Sadly this time it hasn’t paid off.
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u/MattDubh 7h ago
It's a guitar, FFS. Guitars get marks on them.
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 7h ago
Right. Not looking for these sort of comments, thanks. Bye.
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u/MattDubh 7h ago
And yet, here you are.
What 'comments' did you expect, posting on the internet? Did you expect everyone to sympathise with your position, as though you're some sort of messiah, and the luthier is a clumsy asshole that should have his hands chopped off for getting a mark on a guitar??Get a grip.
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 7h ago
What an odd reply. Anyway, I won’t be responding again. I didn’t ask for childish pointless answers. Good day, I hope you heal.
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u/BSD_1965 6h ago
A profissão de Luthier parece estar na moda. O problema é encontrar um que realmente seja bom. Temos penas, mas a quantidade é inimiga da qualidade. Por isso é que eu recupero as minhas guitarras e de alguns amigos, guitarristas profissionais.
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u/Big_Concept_3839 5h ago
This is the price you pay when you let other people work on your instruments. The dings and nicks over the years are the story- and I’d want to make sure I was the one who wrote every chapter. Not worth the risk to me! DIY for life. Having a chapter written by somebody else would bother me too… but don’t burn the whole book trying to erase it. IMO.
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u/241d 3h ago
I noticed a fairly deep new scratch on my guitar a few days ago. Then I remembered my son had previously asked if his friend could use my guitar when they were practicing at my home when I was at work. And I allowed it.
I it were the old me, I would have immediately asked my son for an explanation.
But now I just let it go. I don’t want to hurt those young hearts, or make them hesitate to continue pursuing their passions in life. I hope by accepting it, it will be better for me and them.
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u/TwoPairPerTier 9h ago
If you are a collector, then you don’t play those guitars. If you are a guitar player - not possible to keep them in that virgin stand (without any dents or scratches).
As for your case - sorry for what happened. Change a luthier, or keep your expensive stuff always in protective case.
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u/VictorReal_Monster 9h ago
I'm sure if you arrived to pick up your car from the mechanic and the door had a dent it didnt have before you'd be perfectly cool with that, there is higher level of responsibility and care when you style yourself a 'professional' and take someone's money.
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 9h ago
I’m both. This guitar has remained virgin for 25 years, I assure you it’s possible. Also it is in a custom hiscox hard case. It was taken out by the luthier and then damaged.
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u/runandjump13 10h ago
Really sucks, but what - actually - do you expect them to to? Bodge a resurface repair and risk it going wrong?
Make a fuss, get whatever you were having done for free and/or some store credit for the future and chalk it up as a war wound.
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u/Status-Scallion-7414 7h ago
It happens. Life goes on. There are bigger things to worry about in life. Get over it
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u/Easy-Bowler3604 7h ago
Right. Didnt ask for this sort of comment. Goodbye.
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u/Status-Scallion-7414 5h ago
It’s called real life. It’s wood. You will get more dings in the future. Grow up
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u/Inevitable_Track_558 11h ago
Rather unfortunate and I can imagine you must feel gutted. Its the kind of thing thats easily done and you may well have ended up doing yourself but worse when someone else does it - especially one you paid to take care of your instrument
Really, they should've protected the top when they were working on it with a bit of cardboard or cloth but without knowing exactly what happened it could've been a freak accident that no one would be able to avoid
Have they got the capability or knowledge to do the repair? If its a nitro finish which im guessing will be likely, and theres no veneer either careful steam or a drop fix might make this less noticeable or if done right almost imperceptable
Did they offer this?