How to forget the dents?

[Doug Parent]

It's a technical scientific fact that dents and dimples help with the tonal response of an instrument. Second only to the observable evidence that a Tortoise shell pickguard also makes significant improvement in the sound of any bass.

 

[Rib 13]

i would suggest putting all your basses in bubble wrap but that would make them a little difficult to play..........

 

[EatS1stBassist]

I Cried because my bass had a dent. Until I met a man who had a dented face... oh wait! That's my face in the mirror!!!! Hey Wait!!!! That didn't work!!

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

It is always painful when I see a small dent on my black satin poly finish bass.

Not sure how painful it can be, 'cause your pictures are out of focus Mr. Magoo?

Those are easily touched up.

What's your real reason for writing about this?

 

[tedious1]

It is always painful when I see a small dent on my black satin poly finish bass.

Not as painful as someone spamming the board with 7 threads about his dents.

Not as painful as when you have a legitimate question to ask here, and no-one answers it, because you've annoyed everyone who has the answer with your spamming, and they've put you on the ignore list...

Which reminds me...

 

[devnulljp]

You'll live...
Mine look like this cos I'm clumsy I guess

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

It is always painful when I see a small dent on my black satin poly finish bass.

Haha, again bro? We really don't see anything man.

 

[mrmxyzptlk]

Haha, again bro? We really don't see anything man.

I do. I have a similar mark in the finish on one of my basses, and honestly, it bothers me. It's the result of carelessness on my part; I replaced the bass's passive pickups with active ones, and used a hand drill to enlarge the output jack hole and to drill screw holes for securing a jack plate. Unfortunately I neglected to follow a basic rule of drilling finished wood, i.e., putting masking tape over the area to be drilled, which resulted in damage to the finish. The damage is on an edge rather than a flat area of the body, and I've been advised that edges don't take drop fills well. It's a white bass, so I touched up the dent with some White Out. The repair doesn't look great, but I try not to think about it.

Whether they intended to or not, I'm guessing that those who have replied have helped the original poster somewhat, providing reassurance that the damage is not that big a deal.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

First world problem

 

[S-Bigbottom]

 

[mrmxyzptlk]

First world problem

Indeed, that description could be applied to virtually everything posted anywhere in TalkBass. We live in the first world (or presumably most of us do, in any case). We have the luxury of owning and enjoying basses. Life is good. So why post anything here at all?

 

[basted]

I bought a new bass a few years ago and when I unpacked it there was a dent where someone had tried to plug it in but missed the socket. It took the pressure off me to keep it perfect and the company gave me a couple of sets of strings. I touched it up with clear nail polish.

 

[whero]

Looks like those dings are next to the output jack. I suggest trying to insert the plug carefully, rather than stabbing at it like you're re-enacting the shower scene from Psycho.

Hey, I prefer my basses unblemished too, so I try to be careful. But I rehearse them, I gig them, they travel in commuter jet luggage holds... dings happen. Whaddaya gonna do? At the end of the day, if it still plays OK, I don't let it get to me too much. But if you can't stand to play it anymore, hang it up on your practice room wall as a memorial and buy yourself a new one. If you ding the new one, hang it up next to the first one and buy another. Eventually, you'll have a Dingwall.

I'll get my coat...

 

[madbass6]

It is always painful when I see a small dent on my black satin poly finish bass.

That's not a dent it a chip!! A lot easier to repair then an actual dent!

 

[928cat]

Paul Simonon of The Clash said his first bass was a tool, and thus after purchasing it promptly carved his name in the finish. He survived and went on to record top selling albums. Think of that small chip as a step in that direction.

 

[Eilif]

Play the heck out of it until it gets more. Dents are inevitable when a bass is played out and IMHO there's no point in owning a good bass that isn't played out.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

If you just play the thing and think about playing music, the dents won't bother you.

One of my mint Regenerate Guitar Works basses was on display at NAMM last year and somebody put a gash in it after hours, when the floor was supposed to be closed. Still irks me, somewhat (because of the circumstances more than anything else), but whatever. It's a bass. Still sounds and plays great and gets used in the studio and on stage all the time.

 

[Richard Martin]

I bought an Aerodyne. I knew going into the purchase that the finish was a lost cause. I have not been disappointed. The way that I pluck the strings, by the time it's 40 years old it will look like Willie Nelson owned it.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[twinjet]

How to forget it? Literally forget it. Stop dwelling on it. The dent doesn't affect anything nor does worrying about it.

It is always painful when I see a small dent on my black satin poly finish bass.

 

[Sav'nBass]

Play the damn bass...