Guitar Finish--Patching?

Subject: Guitar Finish--Patching?
From: saulgoldie
Date: 23 Nov 22 - 10:42 AM

I've got a small patch on the underside of the neck right under where my thumb goes where the finish is missing. It is smaller than a dime. The luthier wants $90-ish to patch it. The online videos that show how to patch it reference materials that are at least half (and more) of the estimate.

My question is, other than comfort and aesthetics, is there any any real concern about this? I mean, could more finish get chipped off or worn off? And would that matter unless I were selling it?

Thanks in advance for any wisdom.

Saul

Subject: RE: Guitar Finish--Patching?
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 23 Nov 22 - 11:03 AM

Quick answer: I'd actually pay more for an instrument that had signs it had been played well and frequently. Many of the Stradivarius violins still in existence stay locked in safe-deposit boxes as investments, and as a result tend to lose the tone which made them valuable in the first place.

A scratch from careless handling would be a different matter, which is why I can't sell my electric guitar. I made the mistake of carrying it around in an ex-army duffel bag, and the varnish on back of the neck got skrogged; it plays well enough, but looks too bad to sell.

Subject: RE: Guitar Finish--Patching?
From: gillymor
Date: 23 Nov 22 - 11:28 AM

If you decide to refinish the whole neck it's not that tricky or expensive, assuming you're at least a little bit handy with wood. I had a mandolin neck finish bubble up on me a few years back and I sanded it out and refinished it with
Tru Oil and it's held up nicely. The guy in the video also mentions wipe on poly as an alternative which is a little cheaper and has worked well for me on other wood working projects. Of course if the instrument in question is a pre-war heirloom Martin you might want to go the luthier route.

Subject: RE: Guitar Finish--Patching?
From: saulgoldie
Date: 24 Nov 22 - 10:04 AM

I had a thought...what about just applying a little clear nail polish and then buffing it? Could I do any harm to the rest of the finish?

Saul

Subject: RE: Guitar Finish--Patching?
From: gillymor
Date: 24 Nov 22 - 10:32 AM

I've never tried it on wood but I put clear polish on my nails to protect them but it wears off within a couple of weeks. There must be a durable substance luthiers use to do patches. You might find an answer at frets.com.

Subject: RE: Guitar Finish--Patching?
From: Stanron
Date: 24 Nov 22 - 10:44 AM

It all depends on what finish is on your neck. If it's nitrocellulose then that reacts badly with more modern finishes. The suggestion to look at Frets.com is a good one. You'll learn lots about finishes there.

Subject: RE: Guitar Finish--Patching?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 24 Nov 22 - 01:17 PM

A luthier friend of mine recommended clear nail varnish on a “battle scar” on one of my guitars - I dropped a strobe tuner on it - ostensibly to keep the muck out of it until such time as I could get it properly repaired; it’s finished in nitro.

To the o/p - Unless you’re set on keeping the instrument in showroom condition, a bit of honest wear can add mojo to an instrument. There are also those who scrape all the finish off a guitar neck to produce a so called “speed neck”. The aforementioned guitar of mine had one such neck when I bought it - I had it re-finished.