Instrument vandalism issues need some heads to think because mine wants to kill.

Ziltoid · #1 05-23-2011, 07:29 PM

Last Saturday night there was this small party of one of my friend's place, all people I knew, not a lot of them (less then 20 or so). I figured, hell there needs to be some music so I might aswell bring my Norman B18 acoustic I got a few weeks ago (now you all see where this is heading). Long story short, many people played it with no issues all was fun, then this one guy plays it, and wrecks the finish and the wood between the sound hole and the bridge.

I witnessed it, I wasn't paying much attention to his playing but started to notice the way he was strumming, then noticed the damage. His song was nearly over so rather then stepping in and stopping him I watched, and I can say I'm 100% sure he was the cause of the damage, also the guitar had no damage when it was handed to him from another friend. After his song I made people notice the damage that happened, took the guitar and put it back in its case. There he said something like, oh we'll all chip in, get this solved, etc. At that point I did A+ in my control 101 class, shut my trap, kept my fists and just left. (well actually went outside with my stuff waiting for the cab over one hour while hearing some emo drunk crying all that time, also on top of it a lot of my booze got thieved that night, yay!)

Now, I had a few chat with the guy in question, which is a good acquittance of mine, not quite what I'd qualify as a friend but we're ok. Basically he denies being the cause of the damage but says crap like we'll all chip in to get it repaired, which a) won't happen and b) I told him he was the one who did it and that I wouldn't allow my other friends to pay for his damage to my guitar. Then he proceeded to act like the victim of a machination of mine to get him to pay because he was the one who was nice enough to say let's get this solve, blabla.

Now this is not final, I have a great friend of mine who's also friend with him that said he'll talk to him. I also plan onto having another chat with him. I doubt anything will come out of it tho. I can see a lot of mistakes from my end in this one, one is bringing my great guitar rather then my flimsy 150$ classical, another is to have bought a tin satin finish rather then poly, and what I consider the biggest one is that I should of stepped in when and showed him the damage he was doing right when he was doing it so now he couldn't deny it.

At this point in time just looking at my guitar makes me real mad, I can't even play it but it's still fairly recent so I guess I need a bit of time. But I do not want of a guitar that makes me mad, I feel like buying another one just so I can stop looking at it and start playing again. Or to trade in my electric that I never play add some cash and buy an even better one and keep that one as a beater. Now yes this is a bit irrational but I feel that way.

So what do I do with this? Consider it a life lesson that cost me damage to a guitar? Keep going after the guy until I get paid? Kill him bashing him with the guitar? The last one isn't serious nor is the title of the thread.

Here's the damage: http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/...mDuv/Criss.jpg Pass on the "hey thats not bad" comments please.

()smoke() · #2 05-23-2011, 07:39 PM

man, I don't have any advice for you, but I'm sorry it happened--and that must have been some violent strumming or some kind of really percussive technique from the looks of the damage. was it from a pick?

Ziltoid · #3 05-23-2011, 07:41 PM

My very own 0.50mm tortex I was passing, it looks like someone had fun with a screwdriver.

edit: furthermore on his playing from the time I looked at him after noticing damage (end of his second maybe third song) seemed like he banged the pic against the wood to then drag it down, but the 2-3 songs he played where quick strumming so I can't be absolutely certain on that and I only paid particular attention at the end of his last.

hover · #4 05-23-2011, 07:41 PM

I'm not saying anything negative I am just genuinely curious how he achieved that level of damage playing one song? Did he have super long sharp fingernails? Did he strum with a sharp nail? I just cannot fathom that damage, especially that close to the bridge where one wouldn't normally strum? Did he play finger-style with long cocaine-scoop fingernails?

I mean the damage looks bad, I just wonder how it happened. Best of luck with a resolve.

**nutdog** · #5 05-23-2011, 07:42 PM

I was going to make a mojo joke but then I looked at the pic. What did he do to that poor guitar?

elgecko · #6 05-23-2011, 07:47 PM

It's reliced! Some people pay extra for that!

But seriously, that sucks. I went to a party long ago and figured I'd be "Guitar Guy". People just can't help themselves and a couple of strangers asked if they could play a bit. I'm fairly cool about that kind of thing and was happy to oblige. Eventually, "Super Drunk Guy" staggered up and slurred out that he also wanted to play. Now this wasn't a nice guitar by any stretch of the imagination. It's was picked up in a pawn shop in Utah in the middle of a trip...but see how sloppy drunk he was, I just couldn't do it. I quickly made up some BS about how the moist, night air was bad for the guitar and promptly put it away. In the end, I learned that's it's probably best to just leave it at home.

kesslari · #7 05-23-2011, 07:47 PM

I'm sorry to see your damaged instrument.
Find out what it will cost to repair. Then you can talk cost, and not hypothetically.
If he'll make it good, or help to make it good - excellent.

Either way, it's a lesson. Probably several lessons.
One bright side note is that it is not functional damage - the guitar still plays (and presumably) sounds great.
I used to deal with cosmetic damage to my instrument (and if you play enough bar gigs, chances are good you will wind up with dings, scratches, whatever) by using the following mantra:

Quote:

It's a musical instrument. It used to be a tree. Squirrels used to sh*t in it. It will survive this too.

dave64o · #8 05-23-2011, 07:49 PM

One song? It took me 20 years to put a fraction of that on my acoustic, and that was more or less right below the sound hole. How was he playing?

Ziltoid · #9 05-23-2011, 07:51 PM

It's still functional and sounds awesome, I really took my time shopping this guitar, went with an excellent guitarist friend of mine, at the shop there was this guy we knew who worked there that's one awesome musician of the region, we tried several, played for each other to hear and compare, etc. I really loved that guitar but now I can't even look at it.

edit: He was holding the guitar with like the strap button in his elbow articulation strumming (like described earlier) between the sound hole and the bridge (that last part is quite obvious).

Stilettoprefer · #10 05-23-2011, 07:55 PM

Was he using a screw driver as a pic? My beater acoustic has some nasty wear, but that's over a couple years of abuse. I take it camping and everyone that's in our group plays it and it just sits in a folding chair when nobody is using it. and the wear still isn't that bad.

That's an odd spot too.

L-A · #11 05-23-2011, 08:17 PM

I remember seeing someone strum by first slamming the tip of the pick in the guitar then down across the strings. That might be your guy's "problem". If there's another party/guitar around he's bound to do the same. Heck, if *he* has a guitar it will be wrecked.

hover · #12 05-23-2011, 08:20 PM

If you had given the guy one more go at a song, it could have ended up like Glenn Hansard's "Horse"

Again, not making light and it's unfortunate this happened, but yes, get a real-world repair quote, and make sure that bit of grain that is damaged around the a-d string gets stabilized (looks lifted)

bassguppy · #13 05-23-2011, 08:24 PM

That is the perfect place to put a Hello Kitty sticker.

My condolences. The guy deserves getting hit in the face with a 20 lb. sledge

.

ShredderMaximus · #14 05-23-2011, 08:33 PM

Not to be a downer, I am sympathetic dude, and that is most brutal, but I would never let anyone touch my bass except for maybe bandmates. Bringing to a party, arguably a bad idea. Letting people play it a said party, certified bad idea. Bringing instrument to party and letting people play it while drunk, sorry to say, but you were almost asking for it, especially if it was a prized possesion. I doubt by the sounds of it you'll get anything, a guy who can do that sortta damage to someone elses instrument clearly has no respect for anything. I'd say go after repayment to an extent, but you may need to cut your loses and chalk it up to lessons learned.

elgecko · #15 05-23-2011, 08:40 PM

Willie's Trigger has also seen better days!

hover · #16 05-23-2011, 08:48 PM

See, now I see that as honestly cool awesome gritty wear in Glenn and Willie's case...a sign of a genuine attachement and bond between player and instrument, and in Ziltoid's case, I would see that wear as a cool thing to look on with pride....if it came naturally from HIM...not from the jerkhead who did it. Darn, I feel for ya man.

Ziltoid · #17 05-23-2011, 09:00 PM

Heck, if the wood wouldn't be damaged and it would be only a finish issue I wouldn't care all that much and just say "oh well lesson learned", but man, wood's missing and lifting there.

tastybasslines · #18 05-23-2011, 09:01 PM

It looks like he was tapping or knocking on the bass with his pick in hand, as in keeping time, I sometimes do it myself, but not in a damaging way.

On the other hand, at least he didn't go John Belushi on it in a drunk rage!

Skitch it! · #19 05-23-2011, 09:15 PM

I think it would look better darkened down and blended, but nay, no doubt about it it's a crap thing to happen. If it still plays and sounds the guitar it is, I'd get the marks blended in and learn to love it again, I wouldn't like it but time is a great healer. I feel your pain though, I've had similar happen once or twice years back, well intended idea but usually not a good one for something you particularly like. I'm not clumsy with instruments be they mine or someone else's but a lot of people don't know jack about respecting them the same way you do, especially when drunk as skunks.

Ziltoid · #20 05-23-2011, 09:21 PM

Repair wise, what can be done with something like this? Because the only way I can imagine to make it "invisible" is a total opaque refin after a wood filling due to... well the nature of the damage and that would most likely end up changing the sound? (or is the poly/nitro/paint debate on acoustics pointless?) Any other repair seems like just sealing/stabilizing that wood and try to match it. I won't do neither myself, I'm just wondering.