How to fix a deep dink in the back of a guitar neck

[kwakatak]

Last week my 3 year-old was messing around with something he ought not to have been and basically knocked over my beater, causing it to land with a loud clang and leaving a 1/2" long by 1/8" deep dink in the back of the neck of the guitar. I did my best not to lose my temper because this is a beater with many other dinks on it (among other things) and my boy has the attention span of a mosquito. Actually, I'm glad that there wasn't more damage but still my "nice" guitars are usually in their cases in the other room. OTOH, this guitar is always out because I use it to explore ideas as they pop into my head.

 

Anyway, this dink is located in a spot where I like to plant my thumb and it kind of irks me whenever my thumb hits it. Is there something I can use to fill it in? I don't care about cosmetics too much but I also don't want something hideous either. FWIW, the neck is mahogany but is covered with a dark stain so that the tint matches the rosewood back and sides. I'm thinking something clear might work out OK enough so that it feels smooth but also doesn't visually draw attention to itself, throwing off my vibe when I'm playing it.

 

Any suggestions?

[jd-drafter]

not a 'profetchonal' here but you could try building up several layers of a clear finish - even some clear epoxy? or ca glue?

 

is the ding in the middle of the back of the neck? it may be possible to have a small channel routed out the length of the neck and add a contrasting wood filler strip- very much over kill but who knows-

 

ever wanted to try a different neck shape?- just shave the rest of the neck to match the depth of the new ding-

 

here is a case where a bolt on style neck joint might be advantageous- 4 bolt's and slap on a new neck- sorry off topic-

 

also- maybe have a nice piece of abalone inlaid there... to commemorate the ding. 8^)

[BrandonBrinley]

ouch i remember hearing somthing somewhere about how wood absorbs water (irony on the whole humidity thing :]) so if your guitars neck is one of the few guitar necks that isnt finished try holding a wet cloth on the spot for a couple minutes and see if it swells out if it does have a finish idk what to tell you :[

[guitarist21]

My Masterbilt has a similar ding and I'm very interested to hear what folks have to say...

 

Ellen

[moctzal]

Well this is a thought if you're looking to do it on the cheap.

This is a big maybe sort of idea here, but your local paint store should have wood filler in multiple colors.

Clean it out so nothing's loose and fill it in with wood filler using multiple coats/applications so that it ends up being even and flat, just like you'd mud dry-wall. Then sand it down and lacquer it (multiple coats with sanding inbetween) to seal it. I'd follow up by using Meguiar's ScratchX (waxless car polish/ding/swirl remover, works great for glossing satin finishes btw) (on a gloss neck) or 0000 steel wool (satin neck) to get the whole neck feeling the same way because the newly finished section will very likely feel different.

 

I'm by no means an expert and I've never done it before, but that's the way I'd approach it after being a painter for 3 summers.

[Edmond Zedo]

I would think wood filler too, or even wood glue. But I would roughen the cavity first so it sticks. Apply, dry, sand, coat.

[totamus]

My martin was disfigured several years ago and had a tremendous ding in the front, just ahead of the pickguard. After sulking for months I took it to my luthier. He steamed the area to get the wood to swell, then let it dry and refinished. The ding is completely gone, although there is a discoloration in that area as the naturally aged top was difficult to match color. matching on the neck would be much easier.

 

I would take it to a trusted Luthier and see what he recommends.

[garthman]

Definitely wood filler. I keep 3 or 4 tubes of different colours - mix up a small amount to get a reasonable colour match (you will need to let it dry out - make a ding in a bit of wood, fill with the mixed woodfiller, let it dry, sand down, varnish & compare colours). When you are happy with the colour match, mix up the filler, fill the ding and, when dry, use a fine wet & dry emery paper to smooth down, re-varnish neck and polish smooth with a bit of very fine steel wool.

[Freeman Keller]

If the finish happens to be nitrocellulose lacquer you can do a pretty good job of filling the ding by "drop filling". First check the finish as Frank Ford describes

 

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Finish/AcetoneFinishTest/acetonetest.html

 

if it is nitro, get a small amount (StewMac, but a paint shop might be better) of clear. Just use a little artists brush and "drop" a small amont into the ding, let it dry and do it again until you've built it up higher than the old finish. Now scrape it down flush with a razor blade, then sand it with 800, 1200 and 1600 wet and dry, and polish with some automobile rubbing compound.

 

If it is not nitro (like any of the catalyzed poly finishes) I've been told that thick CA (superglue) can be used the same way - but I've never done it.

[dhoenisch]

I've done the CA trick a couple of times. It works very well, and is nice and hard. It seems to be near invisible once scrapped, sanded and buffed out. It blends in very well with the surrounding area.

 

Dan

[WGH]

I'm going by memory here (I lent the book out and it disappeared several years ago) but I seem to remember Dan Erlewine suggesting "steaming" out a ding like that. The wood still has some moisture in it and applying heat can make it swell back up. I think he used a damp cloth to protect the finish and then used a soldering iron to heat things up.

 

Here's an old thread that mentions it (and most who replied thought it was a bad idea).

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/archive/index.php/t-1196795.html

[WGH]

 

My martin was disfigured several years ago and had a tremendous ding in the front, just ahead of the pickguard. After sulking for months I took it to my luthier. He steamed the area to get the wood to swell, then let it dry and refinished. The ding is completely gone, although there is a discoloration in that area as the naturally aged top was difficult to match color. matching on the neck would be much easier. I would take it to a trusted Luthier and see what he recommends.

 

 

Sorry...I didn't read your post carefully. That's what I was talking about too.

[guitarcapo]

The first thing you are supposed to try before getting outfillers and finishes is to steam out the dent. I''ve heard that a wet towel held in place with a soldering iron does the trick of shooting hot steam there. I would probably Frenh polish over the area if it was nitro. Seems like nothing sticks to poly well.

Maybe just sand over the area with finer and finer grits. and then buffer wheel it.

[kwakatak]

Thanks! I'll try and take a picture and post it in a little bit. The way I see it, dinks are just "mojo marks" so maybe I'll just try filling it in with some super glue or something - if I do anything at all. It seems such a bother to do all that steaming/compressing stuff on a guitar that's probably not worth $200. *shrugs*

[bjorn-fjord]

Stop! I've fixed lots of these types of dings. Do not use any kind of wood filler. Hold a damp cloth directly against the ding and press down on the cloth with a regular clothes iron (set on high). Hold it in place for about 5 seconds and then check your progress. It may take 6 or 8 tries to get the fibers to straighten out. It's unlikely the dent will completely disappear but it should come out about 80 or 90%. After the iron treatment fill the remainder of the ding and the damaged lacquer with thick (high viscosity) CA glue. Allow it to cure overnight (it has a tendency to shrink even after it feels dry) and wet sand it smooth with wet/dry paper (320 then 600 and higher if you wish) and baby oil.

 

Other than the cure time, this repair should take about 10 minutes. Even if it's a beater, it's obviously an instrument you care enough about to spend a few minutes on, isn't it?

[kwakatak]

 

Stop! I've fixed lots of these types of dings. Do not use any kind of wood filler. Hold a damp cloth directly against the ding and press down on the cloth with a regular clothes iron (set on high). Hold it in place for about 5 seconds and then check your progress. It may take 6 or 8 tries to get the fibers to straighten out. It's unlikely the dent will completely disappear but it should come out about 80 or 90%. After the iron treatment fill the remainder of the ding and the damaged lacquer with thick (high viscosity) CA glue. Allow it to cure overnight (it has a tendency to shrink even after it feels dry) and wet sand it smooth with wet/dry paper (320 then 600 and higher if you wish) and baby oil. Other than the cure time, this repair should take about 10 minutes. Even if it's a beater, it's obviously an instrument you care enough about to spend a few minutes on, isn't it?

 

 

Well, that sounds easy enough. Do I need that specific type of glue though, and if so is it something I can get at my corner hardware store?

[bjorn-fjord]

 

Well, that sounds easy enough. Do I need that specific type of glue though, and if so is it something I can get at my corner hardware store?

 

 

Regular crazy glue should work just fine. The really thin stuff is usually only found at specialty shops.

 

I should mention that steaming out a dent works well if the fibers have been crushed but not severed. If the neck fell against someting with a hard, sharp edge, it's possible that the fibers were broken and the steam my only help to a small degree. But either way, steaming is the very first thing I would try if your guitar was in my shop.

Good luck.

[Hudman]

Regular crazy glue should work just fine. The really thin stuff is usually only found at specialty shops. I should mention that steaming out a dent works well if the fibers have been crushed but not severed. If the neck fell against someting with a hard, sharp edge, it's possible that the fibers were broken and the steam my only help to a small degree. But either way, steaming is the very first thing I would try if your guitar was in my shop. Good luck.

 

I used the same technique before on a couple dents / dings. I used a damp cloth and a soldering iron. It worked pretty well.

[guit30]

How big is the ding? Plastic wood is another kind of filler

J

[BrandonBrinley]

ok i did a little test for you and i had an old acoustic neck from a $50 acoustic that the truss rod got snapped by a friend of mine when i let him borrow it so... i took my guitar neck to the coffee table and dinged it for ya and then did the iron and damp cloth trick worked perfect though some of the finish where it was dinged was cracked so i took some 0000 steel wool to it and smoothed it out feels fine :]

[OldGuitarPlayer]

 

That's cool...very good experiment

 

My ex-wife would've freaked if she ever caught me intentionally banging a guitar against the coffee table.

 

Darn...why didn't I ever THINK of that!!!