neck gouge

[henryrobinett]

Spot putty is probably better than nail polish? Easier than Crazy Glue? I like it.

[PTChristopher2]

There is a "wood" colored polyester filler sold as "Bondo" and under the 3M name. But it is optimized for a wood-like sanding experience, and is ultimately not as smooth as Bondo body filler when sanded.

In any case, for the actual OP's problem there are many fast and effective solutions of cosmetics are no big deal.

[Patrick2]

PTChris> I assume you wanted to say "If" cosmetics are no big deal? In any event, it seems your pissing against the wind.

[PTChristopher2]

>>> I assume you wanted to say "If" cosmetics are no big deal?

Yes, I meant to type "if".

>>> In any event, it seems your pissing against the wind.

Yes, that is my impression as well. A web forum is a funny place indeed.

It would be a real hack job for any pro to fill this with auto-body filler or any sort of putty.

A hobbyist may well choose something that seems the least troublesome, which is probably a good idea.

Best of luck to the OP. Please post a pic of the final result.

[monk]

Henry,
For what it's worth, I've worked in the past in a guitar repair shop and the usual method of filling a gouge like this is to slowly build up the gouge with lacquer, clear or color-matched depending on the finish. It takes time but with patience a properly done repair can be invisible.
Regards,
Jerome

[henryrobinett]

>>> I assume you wanted to say "If" cosmetics are no big deal?

Yes, I meant to type "if".

>>> In any event, it seems your pissing against the wind.

Yes, that is my impression as well. A web forum is a funny place indeed.

It would be a real hack job for any pro to fill this with auto-body filler or any sort of putty.

A hobbyist may well choose something that seems the least troublesome, which is probably a good idea.

Best of luck to the OP. Please post a pic of the final result.

I don't understand the pissing in the wind comment.
For clarity's sake, from the OP, this is my kick around Strat. I don't care about cosmetics. I don't even care much about cosmetics on my main guitars. I'm a player, not a collector. My main ES-355, you'd faint if you saw how much dirt and grime is on it. I've been playing it since 1980. It needs a fret job badly, but I can't spare the time away from it.

As for this guitar it's my original Strat but currently my third in order of importance. And I have three other solid body's, a Tele and two other no name ones I also prefer over this one. This Strat has become a Freakenstrat. The neck is the only original piece on it. The body is Warmoth and all the electronics are new, though it was originally a'71, or 69. Never a great playing instrument, but it does have a funky sound.

I had a student of mine, who is a luthier, build the guitar, as the neck was the only thing I had left of this instrument. With that body I had Mike McGuire at Valley Arts build me another Freakenstrat with a Warmoth neck. I wanted a kick around guitar I could leave at the studio. If someone stole it I'd be sad but it wouldn't have been the end of the world. My student did a better job of building the guitar than I anticipated. So it became more than a kick around. But the gouge was the only thing bad that remained from the original.

I just thought I could find a quick fix. I'm not a handyman nor do I have experience in carpentry or like to work with woods. I'm not sure it's worth it to me to take it to a guitar shop and spend upwards of $100 to repair it.

[Patrick2]

I don't understand the pissing in the wind comment.

Henry> The pissing in the wind comment was mine, not PTChris'. I said that to him because you were offered very sound advice from proven luthiers about the best and most correct way to deal with that nasty neck wound . . . but seemed to still be considering advice on such crazy metheods as . . . body filler? Yeah . . my remark was a bit snide but I really meant no offense by it . . . to you or to anyone offering the quick band aid type fixes, which might do more harm than good. I'm sure you've noticed that PTChris and I share a unique back n forth dialog . . where we effectively read between each other's lines. Only his lines are usually better than mine. But . . . I'm working on catching up to him.

Monk chimed in and pretty much confirmed what scot, PTChris, wintermoon, jazzrat and a few others have said. The only . . or maybe I should say the most appropriate and correct way to repair that neck is; drop fill, light wet sand, dry buff out. If the drop fill is done with the care and patience that Monk and others have recommended . . . you might not even need the wet sanding . . . just a good agressive dry buffing. You'll never feel even a hint of evidence the damage was ever there.

[henryrobinett]

I haven't ignored their comments at all. I am interested in quick fixes and, as you stated earlier, am not interested in gluing my fingers together or doing more significant damage. But as it's not a major league issue and as I'm not a collector or wanted to spend a lot of time or money AND since its not even close to being my main guitar, the quick fixes get my attention quick. But I am considering the more "professional" approaches as well.

[Patrick2]

[QUOTE=henryrobinett;420587]I don't understand the pissing in the wind comment.
For clarity's sake, from the OP, this is my kick around Strat. I don't care about cosmetics. I don't even care much about cosmetics on my main guitars. I'm a player, not a collector. My main ES-355, you'd faint if you saw how much dirt and grime is on it. I've been playing it since 1980. It needs a fret job badly, but I can't spare the time away from it.

As for this guitar it's my original Strat but currently my third in order of importance. And I have three other solid body's, a Tele and two other no name ones I also prefer over this one. This Strat has become a Freakenstrat. The neck is the only original piece on it. The body is Warmoth and all the electronics are new, though it was originally a'71, or 69. Never a great playing instrument, but it does have a funky sound.

I had a student of mine, who is a luthier, build the guitar, as the neck was the only thing I had left of this instrument. With that body I had Mike McGuire at Valley Arts build me another Freakenstrat with a Warmoth neck. I wanted a kick around guitar I could leave at the studio. If someone stole it I'd be sad but it wouldn't have been the end of the world. My student did a better job of building the guitar than I anticipated. So it became more than a kick around. But the gouge was the only thing bad that remained from the original.

I just thought I could find a quick fix. I'm not a handyman nor do I have experience in carpentry or like to work with woods.

I'm not sure it's worth it to me to take it to a guitar shop and spend upwards of $100 to repair it.

I doubt that an effective repair on the guitar by a competent tech would cost you even half of the $100 you mentioned. If I took a guitar with a ding like that to my tech Ronaldo, he'd do the repair for free. That's how easy it is. Surely you too must have a "Ronaldo" . . somewhere? What about the kid who built you the guitar? He'd probably swap you a lesson or two for the repair.

[PTChristopher2]

Hi Henry,

Definitely no offense intended at all.

I am sure you will choose the best solution for your situation. This certainly does not need to be what someone else might choose to do.

I will be curious to see your final result.

***********

On the broader question of "filler": Surely whatever works for a given person is the way to go. I have had requests to do things like, "Just somehow get the Gibson headstock back on and ready for action - low cost, ASAP, and no cosmetic sensitivity."

In such a case, filler is for small bits of missing or crushed wood. But even the cheapest and fastest repair gets a clear coat. No bare porous filler on an otherwise finished neck.

It's my opinion of what constitutes a responsible and durable (and 100% functional) low cost repair.

Chris