Dent in Acoustic guitar, do I need to worry about it

thecolourbox · October 2020

Hi all, noticed a dent running down the front of my Big Baby Taylor, photos below. Do I need to be worried about this? Will it break if I accidentally knock it? Is there anything I can do to make it stronger? Tape? Varnish? Start saving for a Gretsch Jim Dandy?

Thank you

brooom · October 2020

I'd worry about the screw you have in the fretboard. The dent, not so much.

Just joking man, from the photos it doesn't seem like the line coming off of the dent is a crack, just looks scratched, maybe I'm seeing wrong?

thecolourbox · October 2020

brooom said:

I'd worry about the screw you have in the fretboard. The dent, not so much.

It's a bolt on neck, I don't think it would stay in place very well without it!

BahHumbug · October 2020

Looks like cosmetic damage to me. Nothing structural to worry about.

thecolourbox · October 2020

A scratch is perhaps a better description, it's quite hard to show the relief of it but if I run my finger over it, it kind of feels like a scratch but it's not fully cracked. I just wondered if it might crack as the scratch seems to go down the grain.

It's not a very good guitar but I'd rather replace it out of choice than out of necessity of dumping it

brooom · October 2020

It looks cosmetic from the photo. Don't think it will develop into a crack on it's own. But maybe someone more knowledgeable will be able to chime in.

ICBM · October 2020

It's hard to tell if it's a crack or a scratch - it does *nearly* follow the wood grain, but runs across the lines in one place which makes me think it's more likely a scratch which just happens to be very nearly parallel with the grain and whatever did it has bounced over it there.

To tell which it is, put your hand inside the guitar and gently press upwards on the top directly under the line. If it's a crack it will open up - which also makes it easy to work some glue into it. If it doesn't, it's just a scratch and nothing to worry about.

Kittyfrisk · October 2020

brooom said:

I'd worry about the screw you have in the fretboard. The dent, not so much.

Just joking man, from the photos it doesn't seem like the line coming off of the dent is a crack, just looks scratched, maybe I'm seeing wrong?

That's not a screw, its a Braille inlay...

thecolourbox · October 2020

Kittyfrisk said:

brooom said:

I'd worry about the screw you have in the fretboard. The dent, not so much.

Just joking man, from the photos it doesn't seem like the line coming off of the dent is a crack, just looks scratched, maybe I'm seeing wrong?

That's not a screw, its a Braille inlay...

Yes it's a braille inlay for the lyrics to the first line of Love is All Around

"I feel it in my fingers...."

thecolourbox · October 2020

Cheers all for th info, think it's just a scratch, just wanted to check it wasn't about to fall to pieces and whether there was anything i could do about it if so. All good then!

thermionic · October 2020

http://m.quickmeme.com/img/3e/3e05a0e8fa4630e1b576395f49377b205da6040b5c90f16f9f8ebc8d8205b1e1.jpg

DavidR · October 2020

On the crack or scratch thing. Cracks on old guitars are partly due to strain forces on the top from years of string tension and the lower bout would be a less common area for that. Also your line crosses the grain whereas a crack would tend to follow the grain. Not always but usually.

Things to do. Find a suitable mirror and torch and see if the defect is visible from wihin the sound box. Then get a straight edge metal ruler and place the straight edge across the defect from outside in a variety of planes. If the top looks OK from inside and remains flat across the line with a straight edge then I suspect it is what it looks like - a scratch.

For definitive answer take it to a luthier. If it is a scratch they should be able to remove it and refinish the top too!

thecolourbox · October 2020

Thanks guys, you have restored my optimism that 'tis but a mere scratch and it's not going to fall apart. It's not a great guitar and has always felt a bit flimsy to be honest so my concern was kind of based on that really.

And as it's a fairly crap instrument, I do resent spending money on it haha hence I've never liked to get a setup or looked into finishing the top, if it was a nice sounding thing then I might have done so as the top surface does seem a strange texture and oddly dry. I'm not sure how it got like that or whether that's how they all are? I got it in a trade for a multi effects pedal when I needed an acoustic quickly for a sort of gig so I didn't pay too much attention beyond the basics

lincolnblue · October 2020

I looks just like a scratch to me - personally I wouldn't worry about it

steer · October 2020

Willie Nelson wasn't bothered about dents and scratches and wear because he loved the tone of his guitar

thecolourbox · October 2020

steer said:

Willie Nelson wasn't bothered about dents and scratches and wear because he loved the tone of his guitar

Haha blimey. Though in fairness, I don't really like this guitar I just don't want to have to go through the ordeal of trying to find another cheap one that is any better, especially if it was going to fall apart from I wouldn't even be able to sell it on. Though at least that seems unlikely to occur so that's fine by me

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Dent in Acoustic guitar, do I need to worry about it

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