Classical with varnish damage to top and fingernail damage

[Nicak Williams]

Hi,
Someone has given me quite a nice Sanchez guitar to work on. Its a cedar top and has a very good tone. Seems like someone has been treating it roughly as there is an area about an inch long bare of varnish, and numerous little dents from nails. He wants the top fixed but I don't know how far to go with it. The dents would not sand out, they are too deep. I imagine the finish is some sort of hard lacquer, as its thick and chipped off. I was thinking of rubbing down the bare area and French polishing, but I doubt it will come out very well.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Nick

[Michael Lewis]

Instruments (like guitars) are new only one time. They cannot be made new again. You can spend a lot of time and energy making it as perfect as you can but it will not be like new again. It is much easier to prevent damage from happening than to repair it.

If you can post some good quality pics it might help folks to figure out how to deal with this instrument. Knowing what the finish is will help, so you might do some research in that regard.

"Fixing" something can go well or it can make the situation worse, so it is a good idea to study up on how to deal with the problems. For example, it is sometimes possible to steam out dents in wood, but if the wood was finished without having the grain raised the steam to pop up the dents can run under the finish and raise surrounding wood that should remain flat. This can make a small problem a larger one.

[Nicak Williams]

Thanks for the reply, I will take some photos ones its light!

[Nicak Williams]

Ok, here are some photos of the damage.
I think the finish is pre-catalysed lacquer, is seems resistant to solvents and very hard and brittle.
Thanks
Nick

[Michael Lewis]

Yeah, it's not new anymore. Pick guard (golpeador) is the best cosmetic 'cure' here. First, fill the low area and level, then seal the area, and apply a guard that is not transparent.

It is not uncommon for a classical guitar to have a guard, and most flamenco guitars have them due to the heavy 'tapping' involved in that style of music. This guitar is getting wear that deserves a guard. The mark behind the bridge is from dealing with tying the strings, not much you can do about that.

It is important to fill and level any surface under a reflective guard or it will show the pattern of unevenness in the reflection on surface of the guard.

Whoever caused this wear knew they were doing it.

[Nicak Williams]

Thanks Michael,
I shall have to ask the owner if he wants a golpeador.
When you say fill and level, what material would you suggest?
Yes the mark behind the bridge is caused by a string becoming loose and whipping around - common problem.
Nick

[Michael Lewis]

The point of making the surface level is to avoid uneven surface in the golpeador. It just looks bad if it's not level, but not a structural issue. I have used auto body filler, but you would need to be careful about getting it where it isn't wanted, and then leveling it. If the erosion isn't too bad you could use a pore filler, but it might take a few applications to get it high enough to level. Remember the surrounding finish is fragile and easily damaged, so great care is recommended.