Questions and Answers: Part I Finish Fixes by Scott Terry
Question: I just bought a Music Man Luke signature model and I dinged it. The damage isn’t into the wood, but it is down to it. I got a can of lacquer, which was made specifically for guitar repair, and I dabbed some into the chip, but it seems like all that did was made it worse! Can you help?

Answer: Probably what has happened is a chemical reaction between what you used – nitrocellulose lacquer – and the polyurethane used by Ernie Ball / Music Man in the finish of the guitar. Those are the two most common types of finishes used in traditional electric guitar making.

It is important to understand the basic differences between lacquer and poly finishes. Lacquer is softer and more organic and it is typically used in vintage-type guitars. It is less stable than poly, but it will generally allow the wood to breathe more than poly due to its very nature. Before beginning any repair that involves finish work, make sure you know which type of finish you are dealing with or the results can often be worse than the original problem.

It would probably be okay to put a little lacquer on the bare wood simply to get the color to match. However, once you have the correct shade, the simplest way to build up the chip is with ordinary Super Glue. This is the easiest way to get a poly-type product without having to buy a large quantity of it. Try to get small coats of the Super Glue into the ding and build it up slowly until the repaired area is slightly higher than the surface of the finish. I cannot overstate the importance of patience at this stage of the repair. A helpful hint is to use a toothpick, small paintbrush, etc. as opposed to directly applying the Super Glue from the bottle; this will help control the amount of glue applied to the repair area.

Once you have the finish built up and you have allowed it to cure (wait at least 24 hours before going any further), it is time to level the repaired area. After the finish has had time to cure, use some wet and dry sandpaper to take off the high spot and blend the repair area with the original finish. Use at least 600 grit wet and dry sandpaper -- or more fine if you can find it. Use the sandpaper with water to lubricate the repair area. The repaired area doesn’t have to be perfectly level, just very close. Don’t be alarmed if you have a slight white hazy spot where you have sanded. Once you get it close to level, use Meguier’s Mirror Glaze #7 (which can be found at you local automotive repair store, along with the super fine sandpaper) and a paper towel to buff the repaired area. A little elbow grease will cause a chemical reaction which will make the repaired area and the original finish of the guitar meld together. You will feel the heat of the chemical reaction beneath your finger while you are buffing it with the paper towel.

If you are uncomfortable with attempting a repair like this, take it to your favorite guitar repair shop. However, with a little experience, these repairs are not difficult. Remember to use lacquer on lacquer finishes and Super Glue on poly finishes. For more detailed information on finish repairs, any of the guitar repair books by Dan Erlewine are excellent resource guides. Aside from furniture or automotive refinish shops, you can find a great assortment of guitar finish repair materials at Stewart-McDonald Guitar Shop Supply.

Scott Terry is an Augusta, Georgia based multi-instrumentalist. He has recorded on Nashville sessions and he is a noted expert on vintage guitars.

SCOTT TERRY