You with high end guitars....

[King Loudness]

How do you feel about dings/dents? I in particular am ridiculously paranoid about them, and since getting my JP6, I've held it up to light innumerable times checking for pick swirls . It does have one small scratch in the clear coat on the back, but it was that way before I bought it. However, my Parker Fly is another story. A couple of nasty falls (one face first, both purely accidental) caused huge chips to be taken out of the bottom cutaway and lots of small dings to occur . How about you guys. How do you feel about dings/dents, and if you've got 'em, tell your stories about how they came to be.

[Voo]

they are battle scars in my book. I always get irked when I get a ding/dent but when I look back they always remind me of when it happened. My JP7 has a pea sized ding that is quite visible but I take it in stride. I guess it goes without saying always case your balls

[hbucker]

I don't generally like scratches and dings, but there are two kinds as far as I'm concerned:

1. Marks from normal wear.

2. Marks from negligence.

I can live with #1 and even think this kind of wear adds character to the guitar. It's #2 that drives me crazy.

Fact is, you can't use a guitar the way it was built to be used without incurring some wear patterns on it. So in 20 years your guitar looks well worn... what do you have to apologize for?

Play it. Use it. Wear it out.

[banjoplayer]

I have 2 EBMMs I use and I don´t intend to sell ever, so it doesn´t matter

[fbecir]

A famous brand of guitar with a name starting with a F sells a lot of brand new guitars with scratch & dings ... thus, dents and dings seem to be cool

Personally, I take care of my guitars but you cannot avoid some wear if you play them. Guitars are made to be played. When I buy a guitar, it's not an investment so I don't care about the resale value.

[GuitarHack]

Normal wear and tear is cool, though do I take care of my guitars (case 'em, use strap locks, don't do dumb things with them). Twice, the first ding has been a headstock meeting a crash cymbal on a cramped stage...the drummer usually shares in the pain of that one.

I'm always sick about the first stupid ding, the subsequent ones are easy.

[jamminjim]

Well obviously nobody likes dings and dents and so we all try our best to avoid them. But Karma visits once in a while and we have to live with the results,like it or not. Why fixate on them?

Just ask Rob in Australia....

We don't let our lives end because of a little ding though (or even a big one)... after all, guitars are inanimate objects, possessions tools, instruments...not people... they are replaceable.

[threeminutesboy]

Playing your guitar indoor is one thing and apart from normal wear I think there is nothing to do about it

Taking the guitar to rehearshal or on the road is another story . I take good car of my guitars too but such battle scars happens that's life.

Guitars are made to be played so enjoy your guitar with or without scars and remember that while you play you hardly notice them

[browndog]

I don’t get the relic’d phase that seems to be happening. I like my guitars clean.

I just sold my 3 year old Axis and it was minty mint mint mint! It lived in its case without a mark or even dust.

[Jack FFR1846]

I have a number of chips on my 69 Guild. Most occured in the 70's either gigging or just because it was "just a guitar". I don't remember where any of them happened, and since it still plays fine and looks fine for a 40 year old guitar....I don't care. I try to be very careful with my balls and so far, have had no incidents (unless taking a belt sander to the sub 1 counts)

[agt]

I'm careful as I can be, but when a ding occurs it just adds character IMHO. It's only rock and roll.

[Crimson Sunrise]

I don’t get the relic’d phase that seems to be happening. I like my guitars clean.

I just sold my 3 year old Axis and it was minty mint mint mint! It lived in its case without a mark or even dust.

I agree. Anyone that buys a reclic'd guitar or purposely does it themselves to make it look that way is lame to me. The only REAL cool thing about that look is when a guitar has actually been used and abused naturally throughout many, many years of use. Otherwise, it's just kinda trendy and fake.

[koogie2k]

Dings, dents, scratches and all happen. Especially mine. They way it is for me. I have one guitar that sits in its case and is hardly pulled out. That one even has a small ding.

My stage basses are beat to death. I put them there and that is the way it is. I won't ever sell them, so, doesn't bother me.

I think worrying about them will make you too darn paranoid to the point of not playing them. That is a bad thing.

Still, cool with me that you keep the axe as clean and immaculate as you can. I just can't...haha.

[redeleon]

I dont have high end stuff, but dings, scratches and other dents is a no no for me
I really take care of my stuff. I dont want anything to happen to it,
though some scratches are very hard to avoid.

[paranoid70]

I try my best to take good care of them. Playing at home, rehearsals, gigs, I am always careful to keep dings at a minimum. Even my old (and not so great) Fender and Ibanez guitars were very well care of before I sold them.