My Bass has been dented

[Vincent P]

Ok so at some point durning a party, someone picked up my Fender American Deluxe Jazz (see Avtar) and bumped it into a corner of my combo amp. You have no freaking idea how bad my heart sunk and my stomache turned when I went to plug in and my finger felt this dimple. I've had a lot of people tell me "awe dude, it just gives it some character", Character my a$$.

Would any of you have any suggestion on how I can get this fixed.

I was getting ready to give it to a tech this week to install and setup with a Badass III, Marcus Miller DR's and a new pickgaurd from Fender; now I have this blemish.

[Vincent P]

P.S. I know that to some I may be over reacting. I'm not usually like this but, this bass unlike my others; never leaves home. It was a gift from the wife and with all the upcoming mods has cost a chunk of change.

My other basses have some well worn battle scars and agree with my buddies it does add some character but, you get my point.

[xshawnxearthx]

you know, three years ago i would have freaked out. now i just look at it as mojo. any marks on your bass, as much it sucks, it shows that you play it.

i used to obsess over stuff like this. i mean really obsess. that got solved with the first dent that was due to my girlfriend picking up the case when it wasn't locked.

i don't think there is anything that will make it look new.

[xshawnxearthx]

ps. only thing that should be out during parties is the acoustic!

[Gubna]

yeah, well, they can't all stay NEW forever. eventually that first mark happens. Perhaps it will be the first of many, perhaps only you will know about it.

For awhile I would only buy used basses so I didn't have to worry about that first dent. I got a used Bongo and loved it because it had a few scratches already. I didn't feel like I had to baby it entirely.

May I quote a line from Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction...
"Just because YOU ARE a character, doesn't mean you HAVE character"
hehheheh

[Vincent P]

Originally Posted by Gubna

May I quote a line from Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction...
"Just because YOU ARE a character, doesn't mean you HAVE character"
hehheheh

LOL, I agree all. My others have some well deserved bumps and bruises.

We have another party coming up and will case all of them my son his guitars.

Funny though a $100 Ibenez was never touched.

[capnsandwich]

As far as trying to fix it, I wouldn't. You'd probably end up decreasing the value more fixing it than just leaving it as-is. I know it means more to you than someone else on this thread but the location of the dent is in a hidden spot, to others that is, and really isn't noticeable to someone facing you from the front. As long as it's not through the paint, I'd just leave it. If it is through the paint then just apply some touch up paint.

I'm not trying to sound insensitive. It does suck when it's someone else's fault.

[Dbassmon]

Any bass that is played will accumulate dings and scratches. It is not a museum piece, it's your tool. A well used tool will have signs of use. Not that you should should be glad, but you should be relieved that you don't have to be paranoid about the first ding.

I take great care of my instruments. They are clean, strings are reasonably fresh. Every one has some dings.

I have a Roscoe 3005, a couple of months after I got it, the strap lock fell against the body and left a small dent and break in the 5A quilted top. (see avatar). Get enough of those and it's called reliced. I do mine the old fashioned way, I play the bass.

[BillytheBassist]

Originally Posted by Dbassmon

Get enough of those and it's called reliced. I do mine the old fashioned way, I play the bass.

Amen, brother.

[funkybass4ever]

Be glad it isn't on the neck- it is like the first scratch on a new car, it is the most painful.

[jsingles]

+1 on the neck

my best friend took a considerable CHUNK out of the back of the neck on my acoustic guitar (he denies it was his fault, but i still love him lol)

[Spinal Tapper]

Looks bad@$$!!! Leave it how it is!

[gre107]

As long as I'm the one that "Dings" it I don't mind as much but if somebody else does....
Well, lets just say it is not a good thing!

Peace

[Calebmundy]

I had a luthier steam a big dent out of the neck of my lakland (My German exchange-student friend took the bass off under the ceiling fan), but that was unfinished maple. Without any real knowledge in the area of wood repair, I can't really imagine that working on your problem.

[Vincent P]

Originally Posted by gre107

As long as I'm the one that "Dings" it I don't mind as much but if somebody else does....
Well, lets just say it is not a good thing!

Peace

Yep had it been my own dumb a$$ fault. I could have lived with it. LOL

[Jim Carr]

Back in the 50's, my mother took a dent out of a fancy end table with a damp wash cloth and a warm iron. It was probably nitro lacquer, though, not poly.

[Vincent P]

Well don't I feel a bit better,LOL. Seems that Detriot while partying it up in a restaurant owned by Chris Chelios, put a dent in the Stanley Cup.

[thehangingmist]

have you seen jaco's bass? you might feel better :P

[richnota]

wet paper towel (several layers)--soldering gun at low to moderate heat.

basically you're driving steam into the dent. Wood underneath plumps up. I "pulled" a dent out of the front of my Tacoma this way. Still blemished but no longer dented.

In your case the remaining blemish could be painted/filled with superglue.

Do at your own risk! (nothing like setting fire to your bass or scorching the wood black).

Or let a good guitar repair guy do it. My MusicMan Stingray 20th anniversary had two big dings on the tail....completely gone. The bass was in for electronics and the tech decided to fix it. He was so into the bass, he just wanted it to be perfect.

[Jazzdogg]

Steaming out dents is an essential skill for furniture and cabinet makers and luthiers. It's not a particularly difficult job, but the moisture can undermine the finish in the vicinity of the repair; making an invisible repair to the finish will likely be more difficult than repairing the dent, but it can be done.