Guitar came back from tech with nitro burns - what would you do?

Blueingreen

I put a Gibson guitar in for a relatively minor repair a couple of weeks ago to my local guitar shop.  I've always got on well with the owner who's always seemed really nice guy.

I've had the guitar back about a week, and only today noticed there's quite a nasty nitro burn on the guitar where it sits on a stand.  I'll admit it's not that easy to notice unless you're looking for it (for one thing the blemish is mainly black and the guitar is tobacco sunburst so some of the wood is quite dark).  But once you do notice it you're going to be aware of it and it must reduce the value of the guitar.

It's been sitting on a stand at home a lot of the time since I got it back, but it's a good quality Hercules stand and I've used these for years with nitro guitars with no problem.  The guitar must have sat on that stand for literally 1000s of hours since I owned it with no problems and there's no sign of any damage to the stand itself.

In short, while I can't be absolutely 100% sure the guitar was damaged in the shop, I'm about 99.9% sure.  No other explanation makes sense.

I suppose my concern is that if I raise the subject with them they may just deny it could have happened in the shop.  It'll be an unpleasant confrontation that could completely ruin my relationship with the guys in the shop and I can't absolutely prove my case.  What would you do?

Sassafras

I'd tell them so it doesn't happen again. If they've got any sense they'll try to avoid putting off customers in the future.

clarkefan

Don't wish to sound rude, at all, but is the damage, "a nasty Nitro burn" or, "I'll admit it's not that easy to notice unless you're looking for it"?

Blueingreen

clarkefan said:

Don't wish to sound rude, at all, but is the damage, "a nasty Nitro burn" or, "I'll admit it's not that easy to notice unless you're looking for it"?

I don't think these are mutually exclusive?  I think a blemish can be not that easy to notice and quite nasty once you do?

grungebob

I’d definitely make them aware, I’d hope they’d apologise but I wouldn’t hold out for it.  

If they apologise, I’d consider using them again and if they didn’t........

Philly_Q

It can be awkward complaining about things like that.  I remember I once collected a guitar from Andy's Guitar Workshop and the paint was chipped on the headstock where they'd carelessly put it in a wall hanger.  When I pointed it out and said it hadn't been there before they just shrugged.  I didn't feel up to arguing about it....  

ICBM

Buy a guitar finished in something proper that doesn't react with stands.




Many years ago a shop I worked for left two Custom Shop Gibsons that were on consignment sale in the window on stands... one was a gold ES-295 and the other a pale blue Catalina Les Paul. I hadn't been in for a few days but as soon as I saw them I warned the shop staff about it, but it was too late. In both cases there were large brown marks that were clearly deep into the finish and felt rubbery - very nasty damage that would have needed probably a full refinish to repair, especially on the Les Paul since matching the blue accurately would have been next to impossible. I never did find out what the upshot of it was - they disappeared shortly afterwards so I assume the owner took them back, but I have no idea how much compensation would have been given - a refinished guitar is worth substantially less too, especially on something like a limited edition model.

Funkfingers

Make the shop aware. If you fear repeat damage from that business, have future repairs performed elsewhere.

Blueingreen

ICBM said:

Buy a guitar finished in something proper that doesn't react with stands.

I'm actually with you on this, I don't like nitro finishes.  I had a PRS DGT with nitro that I damaged through ignorance by putting it on a cheap stand, but at least that was my own damn fault and the person who was guilty of stupidity was the same person who took the consequences.

But given all the variables we're looking for on guitars you make compromises and I have 3 Gibsons with nitro. I would have thought I should be able to put these guitar into a reputable tech without risking damage.

Sassafras

ICBM said:

Buy a guitar finished in something proper that doesn't react with stands.

But nitro sounds so much better because it let's the wood "breathe".

Brize

Definitely raise it with them. It's incomprehensible that a professional guitar tech wouldn't have nitro-safe stands in his workshop. Personally, I wouldn't worry about ruining the relationship because I'd never go back anyway after that.

ICBM

Blueingreen said:

I'm actually with you on this, I don't like nitro finishes.  I had a PRS DGT with nitro that I damaged through ignorance by putting it on a cheap stand, but at least that was my own damn fault and the person who was guilty of stupidity was the same person who took the consequences.

But given all the variables we're looking for on guitars you make compromises and I have 3 Gibsons with nitro. I would have thought I should be able to put these guitar into a reputable tech without risking damage.

Yes, despite my dislike of nitro, and owning two guitars finished with it, I agree entirely - any luthier or tech should firstly be aware of the risk, and secondly if they do put a guitar on a stand or hanger then they should make sure it’s nitro safe.

Johnnyseven

Did you make the tech aware of the finish and thay he should be careful what stands he puts it on?

WezV

Johnnyseven said:

Did you make the tech aware of the finish and thay he should be careful what stands he puts it on?

You really shouldn't need to.   I say that from the techs perspective

ICBM

Johnnyseven said:

Did you make the tech aware of the finish and thay he should be careful what stands he puts it on?

Any professional tech who isn’t already aware that Gibsons are finished with nitro isn’t worthy of the name.

In any case, there are many other guitars and some other finishes which can be damaged by some rubber and plastic materials, and you should simply not have stands in a workshop which might react with any of them.

For many years, before definitely nitro-safe commercial stands became available, I actually had a wooden stand I made myself from soft pine.

p90fool

I buy those cotton finger bandages for my wall hangers so I can bung my Gibsons on them. 
They're supposed to be nitro safe but they were cheap and I've never heard of the brand.

I can't imagine a guitar tech not being aware that nitro is one of Gibson's major selling points.

Philtre

If you put your nitro guitar on cloth wrappers just make sure the cloth is not dyed. My Les Paul has a nice black mark in the nitro from where it was resting on a black cleaning cloth - the one that Gibson supplied with the guitar.

mort

Philtre said:

If you put your nitro guitar on cloth wrappers just make sure the cloth is not dyed. My Les Paul has a nice black mark in the nitro from where it was resting on a black cleaning cloth - the one that Gibson supplied with the guitar.

Yep, like the pink-lined hard cases that Gibson supplied with alpine white guitars in the past.....

Hootsmon

Old Nitro? I have not seen him in years, tell  him Hoots says hello

JezWynd

A small blemish where no-one will see it? Forget about it, life’s too short to get lathered about such things.

Johnnyseven

WezV said:

Johnnyseven said:

Did you make the tech aware of the finish and thay he should be careful what stands he puts it on?

You really shouldn't need to.   I say that from the techs perspective

Well it seems that in this case he wasn't aware of what could happen, so mentioning it might have been prudent.