This is both a request for luthier advice, and a WARNING.

For years, I've been using those little plastic peg winders when I change the strings on my guitar. You know, the kind that looks sort of like a New Year's noisemaker, like this. When the one I'd been using went to that place where all picks and capos and peg winders go, I bought a new one. Well, guess what? All peg winders are not created equal. It looked like my old one, but on this one, which is labeled with the Fender brand name, for whatever that's worth, the slot for the peg is deeper than the ones I've used before. (Notice in the picture there's a space between the headstock and the edge of the winder. Not on mine.) But I didn't notice that, so while I was busily cranking away, the edge of the plastic winder was rubbing against the wood on either side of the peg. So, my beautiful one-year-old Martin 000-X1 wound up with what looks like 3 partial crop circles on each side of the headstock. One or two of them are all the way through the finish, the rest are shallower gouges.

What should I do to fix this? And I do want to fix it: dings on the body are part of life, but this isn't "natural folk-type" wear, you know? I have a feeling the answer is going to involve something like fine steel wool at some point...but my woodworking knowledge is very limited, so you'll have to spell it out real simple like.

As far as prevention goes, I'll obviously need a new winder, and this time I'll check the depth of the slot. Yes, I know, I could just be more careful when I use the one I have, and hold it back away from the headstock. But my hands don't always do exactly what my brain tells them to...which is one reason that I'm still only a mediocre guitarist after almost 30 years. (The other is that I don't practice.)

Aloha,
Mark