Anybody Else Not Scratched A Guitar (This is not to demean those with scratched guitars)

[58fan]

I read on many forums "don't worry about a scratch on a guitar" because it's inevitable; is it? With the amount of guitars I've owned I can virtually say I've never scratched a guitar, at a gig, rehearsal, jam, etc. Hopefully others can say the same. I know I'm in the minority but I was wondering how small the minority.

Have I bumped a guitar, oh yes, but never hard enough to indent or scratch. Do I wear a belt buckle knowing I'm going to worm up the back, hell no. I also never went "rock star" at a gig; I was more of a Mick Taylor style player; just stand and play. Now sweat, that's a different story. I transferred burgundy from a new shirt into the back finish of my prize natural Les Paul when I was seventeen at a cuttin heads stand off. I did win the stand off, only to find out later the red wasn't coming off. No more cheap new shirts worn after that. I also now wear long sleeve shirts so I don't get the top dull in the arm area.

I've owned over a hundred guitars and a couple of freak accidents have occurred. Like the "ashtray" from a Strat slipped out of the plastic bag while I was standing over the open case; it dented the top. The only other time I stood up from a chair and scratched my brand new Gretsch Blue Falcon (Wildwood) on the edge of a music stand ... something I've done a million times, getting up from a seat.

Lastly I will say I've sold almost all my Historic gloss Les Pauls for CA or VOS for that reason, a little sweat doesn't nasty up a CA/VOS finish or the hardware. Sweat streaks and spots look like hell on new nickel hardware.

Enough about me. Anyone else not scratched a guitar, or virtually never scratched a guitar?

 

[jb_abides]

I've had a freak accident where an errant case latch gashed one of my R9s. And a bad reaction from a strap on nitro. Otherwise, I am pretty good.

Most minor scratches are buffed out apart from some scratches that do happen when one goes past the pick guard. [Plastics are of course exempt from this description.]

 

[LyleGorch]

Had a cigarette lighter fall out of tee shirt pocket on a beautiful Anderson guitar. I was so pissed I gave it away.

 

[Any Name You Wish]

Nicks on the headstock from hitting the mic, or other things. Light belt buckle scratches on the back. Nicks on the lower bout from unknown sources. All normal wear and tear. From a few feet away can't even tell. No major gouges. Mahogany Gibson RI guitars are quite delicate finish wise. I don't get too upset since I don't plan on selling. I got upset with the headstock break though. Very upset indeed.

 

[charliechitlins]

I've played 1000 gigs and never scratched or dented a guitar.
I'm really careful, and keep them safe between sets.
Often in the case.

 

[Blue97FXSTC]

Hahaha.
I can’t even look at a guitar without leaving a mark.
I don’t pet the sweaty things.
Or something like that…

 

[Vigilance247]

Had a cigarette lighter fall out of tee shirt pocket on a beautiful Anderson guitar. I was so pissed I gave it away.

I am brand new to Les Paul's and this group. Everyone welcomed me to this group and made me feel right at home. If anyone has scratched their Les Paul and just cannot live with it anymore just send it to me. It's the least I can do for you guys.

 

[Blind Lemon Chicken]

Wasn't me!

 

[William Payne]

I’ve never caused damage from being careless. However things can happen. I pulled out my first ever guitar a while back and it’s got a decent crack in the paint where the neck mount is.

I notice a lot of criticism towards Gibson about their headstocks being easy to break. But when you look into most headstock breaks it is due to some kind of accident or carelessness. Whether it be dropping the guitar, or knocking over the stand it generally doing something that the guitar was never meant to do.

At the end of the day they are wooden instruments. Fragile pieces. No guitar builder builds a guitar with the intention of it being mistreated.

 

[William Payne]

View attachment 28299Wasn't me!

Wear from playing I wonder if it comes under the same category.

 

[Blind Lemon Chicken]

Pre Scratched ML.

 

[renderit]

Everything bears my marks eventually.

I try to be careful but chit happens.

Yes, I get pissed when it does but eventually I get over it.

 

[dwagar]

I never intend to scratch or ding a guitar, but it happens. I only notice it when I'm polishing.

I've dinged a few headstocks on a cymbal playing on small stages.

 

[NickiC]

Mostly from knocking the top end of the headstock into music stands. Purely accident. Tiny speck sized dents behind the tailpiece, from the ball end of strings. My worst was a stray splash of solder wicked right through a bath towel that was protecting the guitar top.
Micro-meshed’ & buffed, I have to hold it just right and point it out to you.
Recently, I notice all my electrics have light “scratches” on the floor side of both volume knobs, and bridge tone.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

My middle initial is C, and my last name is Lutz. Put them together, and what do you get?

I'll let everybody figure out my answer to the OP for themselves.

 

[58fan]

Thanks for the responses.

I remembered another mark that happened to a new Les Paul Deluxe I once had many years ago, and I bring this up as a warning to those few people that may not know. I left the guitar on a stand the night before after playing. The next day I was in a car accident and didn't play guitar for a couple of weeks. When I got back downstairs to play the rubber from the stand had burnt into the finish to where you could feel an indention in the finish on the back to the neck. The freaky unexpected incidents are the worst imo.

The story is Gary Rossington left his burst (Bernice) on a stand in the studio overnight and came in the next day and found it with a headstock break from where I believe the cleaning crew had knocked it over. He blamed himself for not putting it back in the case.

Stuff definitely happens.

 

[charliechitlins]

I've played 1000 gigs and never scratched or dented a guitar.
I'm really careful, and keep them safe between sets.
Often in the case.

Oooops...I lied.
When I moved to a new house and was unfamiliar with it, I was taking my guitar off and stuck the headstock into the ceiling fan.
Nasty gash across the decal.
'36 National Duolian.
Life goes on.
It STILL has all the finest sound qualities of a garbage can with strings.

 

[zoommutt]

Only mark was when I was at my friend's house. I was playing my pretty new guitar on the couch, and his dog jumped up and....20 years later, still sometimes look at it.

 

[Nifty]

Oooops...I lied.
When I moved to a new house and was unfamiliar with it, I was taking my guitar off and stuck the headstock into the ceiling fan.
Nasty gash across the decal.
'36 National Duolian.
Life goes on.
It STILL has all the finest sound qualities of a garbage can with strings.

I've put my hand in a ceiling fan while changing a shirt. LOL

 

[brandtkronholm]

I read on many forums "don't worry about a scratch on a guitar" because it's inevitable; is it? With the amount of guitars I've owned I can virtually say I've never scratched a guitar, at a gig, rehearsal, jam, etc. Hopefully others can say the same. I know I'm in the minority but I was wondering how small the minority.

Have I bumped a guitar, oh yes, but never hard enough to indent or scratch. Do I wear a belt buckle knowing I'm going to worm up the back, hell no. I also never went "rock star" at a gig; I was more of a Mick Taylor style player; just stand and play. Now sweat, that's a different story. I transferred burgundy from a new shirt into the back finish of my prize natural Les Paul when I was seventeen at a cuttin heads stand off. I did win the stand off, only to find out later the red wasn't coming off. No more cheap new shirts worn after that. I also now wear long sleeve shirts so I don't get the top dull in the arm area.

I've owned over a hundred guitars and a couple of freak accidents have occurred. Like the "ashtray" from a Strat slipped out of the plastic bag while I was standing over the open case; it dented the top. The only other time I stood up from a chair and scratched my brand new Gretsch Blue Falcon (Wildwood) on the edge of a music stand ... something I've done a million times, getting up from a seat.

Lastly I will say I've sold almost all my Historic gloss Les Pauls for CA or VOS for that reason, a little sweat doesn't nasty up a CA/VOS finish or the hardware. Sweat streaks and spots look like hell on new nickel hardware.

Enough about me. Anyone else not scratched a guitar, or virtually never scratched a guitar?

How can one not help but scratch an instrument? To gouge, that might be different. A deep gouge that can’t be buffed out - this I’ve never done to any of my instruments…as far as I know.

However, I did whack the top (where my right arm rests) of my Martin D42 on a long bolt sticking out of the side stage staircase at a huge outdoor concert I played in the early 00’s. It was a good thump that left a small crescent indentation through the finish. The guitar is fine, there was no structural damage.

Also, playing gigs in the dead of winter leads to finish cracks! They’re not scratches, but unloading under hot lights and having to open a guitar case that’s been in a truck for five hours, or worse, over night, WILL result in loads of deep finish cracks! You can actually hear it crack!