Official Luthiers Forum!

I just wanted to thank everyone for their input and advice. I do appreciate it. I have had several people recommend the drop fill finish. I have considered that but it just hasn’t sat very well with me. I’ll hate to lose the 30+ years of original finish on the face of the body , but I believe I would rather finish the whole top than hang with a blend in. I don’t want to remove the bridge or pick guard from the guitar while performing repairs and I’ll do my best not to. The space in my (very small) shop will not allow me to do any spraying, hence the original reason for posting on OLF which was to inquire about French Polishing. And I’m not sure how the results will be with the back & sides of the guitar still with the original finish and the top being FP’ed , but that is what I have to work with at this point.

I had several people suggest I should just chalk it up as something that happens throughout the life of the guitar. Well, had it been any other one of my guitars, it wouldn’t matter like this. However, this particular guitar means a great deal to me…after all the songs, all the gigs, all the great friends and fellow musicians (living & passed), our history together from both our beginnings and all the this guitar will have to offer after I am not able to own it anymore I can’t help but to feel that this guitar deserves the best I can provide for it. That’s just me though. I’m sure there are those of you that can relate to this? I believe I have compiled my information, research and have figured out my course of action. I do have many years of wood working and finishing experience. (At first I guess I was so tripped out about working on this particular guitar…but I’m over that now…all is well .) Several tests will be performed before the actual work gets to hand. If the wood has been dented I can fix that. It just so happens that I have another guitar in my collection that has a (somewhat) similar injury…it will be my guinea pig.

So, I just would like to express my thanks and gratitude to all here at OLF for the help : Hesh, MDP, Rod T., jfmck, SR, Steve C., Andy B. & Ken F... (did I leave anyone out?) Thanks also to my nephew Derrick for the information and leads…oh yeah and that professor of finishing from Christensen Yachts, who I hope to meet someday…thanks dude!

Cheers!
Floyd Record

Good old’ guitars and home brew…that’ll do!

So you are removing the top finish and French polishing or are French polishing over the existing finish? I don't know the year of the guitar but either case takes it away from original finish. This will devalue the guitar, but I do understand that this may not concern you as you want your Martin looking pretty again. But I wish I could talk you out of it but like I said it is your guitar.

I assume you are talking of the guitar in this discussion.

viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=20669

If you do this I assure you that the guitar will be much worse off when you are done than before you started. Not to be a downer, but you seriously have no idea how many issues and problems you you will encounter that you probably couldn't imagine until they happen. If you follow through with this plan, when you are done I'd say you will either regret it, or write it off as a lesson learned. The guitar almost certainly will be much worse off either way.

The finish could be touched up in a very acceptable way, but not by the means you are describing. Do as you like, but if the guitar truly holds so much sentimental value as to be important to preserve, it seems quite the paradox to use it as a guinea pig.

#1 rule in preservation, restoration, repair, service of any kind - First do no harm.

My opinion, your guitar, your choice.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

I've been thinking about this posting ever since you wrote it. I agree with the other two posters, it is probably a profoundly bad idea to do a complete refinish of the soundboard because of this damage. I cannot tell you how many fine pieces I've seen over the years that have had huge portions of their value washed away by actions such as this. Original finish, even damaged, is worth a lot more than a refinished piece. I once spent 15 hours hand removing gold radiator paint off of an antique gold leafed frame because someone's granny decided it was dull.

For anyone who watches Antiques Road Show knows this phrase "If it had the original...it would be worth up to ----- more." And you watch the faces of the people who washed it or reupholstered it just drop.

While I understand the desire for it to look perfect, that's unlikely since it looks like the wood has been scratched along with the finish.

Good luck on what ever you decide to do.

Some things are best left undone. This is one of those things.