What would you do if your brand new custom shop had a teeny, tiny, little scratch

I was overlooking my new custom shop and I noticed by the pickguard area there is the ever so slightest, smallest, almost invisible little clear coat scratch

Now, do you think I should be (a) so upset that I request either a return or some compensation (2) be slightly upset and tell the guy, but don't go so far as to cause a stink, or (III) just let it go because its such a small little insignificant scratch that you can ignore it, no one else would see it, and its not worth it?

The reason I ask is because someone I know went with option A and I thought it was really too far, but now I see his point, if you pay $3.5k for a guitar, you really don't want to find any blemishes

now you have to allow at least 1-2% margin of error, because no one is perfect, and no one should be held accountable for such a small thing on a larger scale, but the only thing that I keep coming back to is that its a custom shop and therefore it shouldn't have had any blemish until I put it there lol

anyway, just curious to see how you might react, and some advice from some more level headed guitarists :)
 
If it was something so small and insignificant I personally wouldn't worry about it, Its a guitar if your gonna play it its going to get scratched and have swirl marks. If he wants a museum piece hang it on the wall behind glass. And I get it that its a custom and on arrival should have been perfect

I don't throw my guitars around I try and be careful with them as much as I can but by no means am I gonna baby them, Things happen they are tools meant to do a job and sometimes they get a scratch, ding or dent. Hell in my carelessness today I dinged the back of the headstock on my new Suhr, I just shrugged my shoulders and said 1st ones out of the way.
 
Just my thought, but I learned quite a long time ago to completely free myself of this agony...

I don't care what the guitar is or how much it cost. It came into being as a musical instrument TO BE PLAYED. Otherwise for any other purpose it is really effectively WORTHLESS. That said, when I purchase a guitar (and even especially a fine high quality one) as long as it isn't functionally related, I just beg for it to have initial cosmetic flaws. That is because the very moment I first put my hands on it and begin to coax out the very essence of what it was built for, I am only going to continue to add to those cosmetic flaws as a simple matter of course in my great enjoyment to play the hell out of it. The initial flaws will instantly disappear without even a further thought.

So I say... just smile to yourself and proceed to tear it up, extracting whatever wonderful sound it may be capable of. While it may have been born with great physical beauty, it is just a working tool. The music and the tone from your hands and in your heart is the only thing that really actually matters. Any scars that the instrument may acquire initially or over time will forever serve as proof of just that.
 
My experience with any guitar, custom shop or not, is if you look hard enough you'll eventually find something that isn't perfect somewhere. If it's a case of something "so small its nearly invisible" I wouldn't sweat it as you're going to put those ALL OVER the guitar yourself if you actually play it.
 
A guy called Jim Irsay paid $3.975 million for David Gilmour's Strat.

He paid that much for the scratches, since they were put there by Gilmour.
Point is; It's the player that gives commercial value to the instrument where the Instrument gives spiritual value to the player.
 
Thanks guys, I was going with option C, just wanted to know how others might coped or deal with their “first custom order” (the first ESP custom I bought was about a 10 year old vet by time i Got her, totally cased and shelved, but older nonetheless)

I dont think it really serves anyone to go beyond the shrug of “hey thats life and the nature of the beast”
like you said, its MEANT to be shred, right!?!
Thanks guys, your a good group of gents
 
Now, do you think I should be (a) so upset that I request either a return or some compensation (2) be slightly upset and tell the guy, but don't go so far as to cause a stink, or (III) just let it go because its such a small little insignificant scratch that you can ignore it, no one else would see it, and its not worth it?

(quattro) Buff it out with some Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound. :)
 
Wiping it down the first string change you could do the exact same thing and I bet you do. Don't sweat it, it's going to happen sooner or later, most likely sooner, rip the band aid off.
 
You have not included the most important information.

How does the guitar play/feel/sound? You should be able to answer this question with your eyes closed.

If the answer is, "It's amazing!", go read "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

If the answer is, "It isn't worth the money" then get rid of it but don't obsess about it.
 
Or Meguiar's Scratch X. You can use it with a piece of coton shirt or a microfiber. Great product

Might be the same product but with a different name, depending on where you are. In Canada, it's called Ultimate Compound and it works great. I agree, old cotton shirt or microfiber cloth. It will remove any swirl marks in guitars or scratches in the clear coat.

Here's how you can tell if the scratch is in the clear coat or the paint. The video is for car scratches, but it's the same concept for guitar finishes.

 
Pay for perfect - get perfect.
That is my humble opinion.
Thanks
Pauly
And youre entitled to it. As I said, my initial visceral was of that nature, but i calmed myself because of the logic many of the great gentlemen here have so suggested
(quattro) Buff it out with some Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound. :)
you know, i was wondering if there was something like that because i use musicnomad “the one” cleaner
Wiping it down the first string change you could do the exact same thing and I bet you do. Don't sweat it, it's going to happen sooner or later, most likely sooner, rip the band aid off.
you‘re totally right, thats how I lookin at it now
You have not included the most important information.

How does the guitar play/feel/sound? You should be able to answer this question with your eyes closed.

If the answer is, "It's amazing!", go read "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

If the answer is, "It isn't worth the money" then get rid of it but don't obsess about it.
You are the man....well freaking said, and great reference, IDK if you know but I’m an (adj) ENglish professor, so that brought a tear to my eye and a lump to my throat

and i honestly do feel that way. Ive never played another 8 string or a custom shop 8 string of this caliber, and its a joy to play. Thank you for bringing that point to the focus and center of my mind
Or Meguiar's Scratch X. You can use it with a piece of coton shirt or a microfiber. Great product
Might be the same product but with a different name, depending on where you are. In Canada, it's called Ultimate Compound and it works great. I agree, old cotton shirt or microfiber cloth. It will remove any swirl marks in guitars or scratches in the clear coat.

Here's how you can tell if the scratch is in the clear coat or the paint. The video is for car scratches, but it's the same concept for guitar finishes.


I totally am ordering the Meguiar, so that means it is quite different than the one,,,

Guys, thanks for all your replies, as always, excellent, very insightful mature insights and, now i have a little buffing options too, which i always kind of want for my other clear coat scuffs

Appreciated fellas.
 
Unless your going to sell it. Keep the blemish. I never want a guitar that I don't want to take out of the case. I've done this myself.
I sold a beautiful classical guitar because it was too nice. I played my cheap one all the time. Later in life, i bought another expensive classical and i don't care if it gets scratched. I play it and enjoy it. I'm not starting a museum.
 
Unless your going to sell it. Keep the blemish. I never want a guitar that I don't want to take out of the case. I've done this myself.
I sold a beautiful classical guitar because it was too nice. I played my cheap one all the time. Later in life, i bought another expensive classical and i don't care if it gets scratched. I play it and enjoy it. I'm not starting a museum.
Totally, actually it can become quite depressing being too anally retentive about things like that, it ruins the experience, the pleasure, the whole point of it all - GIMME A DAMN SCREWDRIVER GODDAMIT! WHERES THAT PERFECTLY SMOOTHED CLEAR COAT!!HAHAHAHAHAAH [j/k]
 
You have not included the most important information.

How does the guitar play/feel/sound? You should be able to answer this question with your eyes closed.

If the answer is, "It's amazing!", go read "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

If the answer is, "It isn't worth the money" then get rid of it but don't obsess about it.
This ^^^^
 
I've had quite the number of guitar builds where everything was going alright and then when final assembly came, oops, suddenly the screwdriver has a mind of your own. Or you learn a hard lesson as to why its better to hammer in tremelo studs inserts before you do your extensive paintjob, and not after. I have great respect for luthiers who manage to build and assemble their instrument without a blemish. I don't know how they do it. It's friggin' hard. Despite your best effort you will screw up at some point in time.
 
A tiny scratch isn't the same as a big gouge - I think we'd all agree that would be an issue. If it's small enough that you can buff it out, I wouldn't worry about it, but I do understand that first emotion of WTF - a brand new custom "should" be perfect. Now if it actually doesn't play well or sound good, that's a completely different story.

It's like getting a new car - you park it at the far end of the parking lot, but you know somebody's gonna ding it, or you're going to get hit by gravel on the road. Most of my guitars have picked up small things over the years, and they're fine. In fact, it's better because then I'm not trying to baby them like when they were brand new (well, those that I bought new).

A guy called Jim Irsay paid $3.975 million for David Gilmour's Strat.
Yea, he also bought Gilmour's Martin and owns guitars from the Beatles, Prince, Jerry Garcia's Tiger, etc. And the Indianapolis Colts - he has some disposable income ;-)
 
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