What to do after dropped guitar (shipping damage)?

[anonSmith]

Hi folks-

So I recently picked up a sweet, used Godin LG that was clearly dropped during shipment. There is a sizable dent at the bottom of the guitar (I don't believe the wood is cracked at all) and the finish around that point has cracked and splintered but remains mostly in place, it is just unsightly. I have read that Godin typically uses an acrylic lacquer (?) finish on their guitars.

At the end of the day, I guess that I am trying to figure out if there is a way to mend/reattach the splintering piece or if I have to take it off with a razor and potentially drop fill it. Anyone have any experience with this? I've seen plenty of posts on how to drop fill, but I can't seem to find any instances where the splintered piece was still attached like this. I have added the photos.

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

[daddymack]

sand it down, to where you can really examine the status of the wood...you may be able to inject wood glue into the crack and clamp it, then refinish it. That one spot that looks dark gray, I'm not sure what that is...

[anonSmith]

Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it. I don't think the wood is actually cracked, just the poly/lacquer(?). But as you said, I can't really know until I can really see it. Do you recommend sanding down the poly coating to the wood for the entire cracking area?

Also, that dark gray spot is actually some fuzz from the inside of the gig bag. I believe that the chipped poly grabbed a hold of part of the gig bag polyester when the package was dropped. I tried pulling it out since this picture, but some of it doesn't want to budge.

Thanks again for your reply.

[Guy watson]

Hi there I have a Dean with the same problem, I injected poly resin in to cracks let it set and then using a very fine grit sandpaper 400to600 grit should be ok, when flush use a rubbing compound such as t,cut to get the tiny scratches out, then I used canobar wax, you have to look very close to see the damaged area, hope this helps, good luck.

Ps stay well and stay safe.

 

[6down1togo]

Pick the lint out with and the tip of an Exacto knife blade and follow this instructional video. Dan Erlewine used amber-tinted CA glue which matched the finish better. Use the cheap "Crazy glue" from the hardware store. I like the cheap CA glues better than the expensive brands except when I need a black color or thicker viscosity which works better for filling chips. The cheap stuff is clear and water-thin, so it wicks into the cracks and fills them without voids which will show under the surface. The CA glue actually "melts" the two surfaces together and can make 's hooda near-perfect repair. I do these all the time and have even repaired clearcoat chips on my cars with it.

You will have to prop the guitar up so the cracks are somewhat horizontal to prevent the CA glue running down the sides of the guitar. You may want to mask off along the surrounding area just n case you over-fill and it runs out. You fill until just level and then let it dry. It will shrink so you have to repeat multiple times until the glue is up like a bead of water sitting on the surface. Then it's scrape, sand ad buff as per the video. It's not hard to do, just takes some patience. There are spray-on accelerators to harden the CA glue immediately and speed up te  process. They sell it in RC car/plane hobby shops and of course on Amazon. 

https://www.stewmac.com/articles-and-video/trade-secrets/hiding-an-evil-smile-peghead-break-with-the-razor-blade-trick.html

[Wil W]

6down1tog0.  is proving the best advice. it can be a tricky repair but the Crazy Glue was a mainstay in my shop years ago as well as some of the Stew Mac stuff (and sometimes you cannot avoid the accelerator to cure it quicker too). Epoxy glue from the "West System often does a good job too but is a little trickier for most people to do. I'm a retired luthier and did a lot of repairs in the past but sometimes no matter what you do/try, more work is required. A thick finish is difficult at the best of times to fill and conceal. Use some wax paper if you need to clamp it in place and be patient--anything you try to rush will usually turn out worse. Wet sanding and rubbing compounds are often required and some level scarping too can be expected prior to that.

Doing repairs is always more complicated and relying of pros like Dan Erlwine for their tips and tricks are invaluable--I learned a lot from him over the years, long before I even started building guitars! Buy his book if you are serious about maintaining your instruments--solid advice on many subjects! Good Luck!