Headstock Scratch - "Schoolboy Error"

[thebrig]

I left my clip-on tuner on the headstock of my newly built bass when I put it back in the case after a rehearsal last week, and now I have a nasty scratch on it.

 

Any tips for getting rid of it would be very much appreciated.

Edited August 20, 2023 by thebrig
To add photo

[Mudpup]

A bit of steam might do the trick 

[Dazed]

How deep is the scratch? 

[thebrig]

8 minutes ago, Dazed said:

How deep is the scratch? 

It's not very deep but you can run your fingernail in it.

[Bolo]

Looks like there's enough wood left to just cut off the damaged bit.

[ahpook]

10 hours ago, Bolo said:

Looks like there's enough wood left to just cut off the damaged bit.

 

If I did that with some of my basses I'd just have a nice collection of toothpicks:)

Edited August 20, 2023 by ahpook

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Looks like a good start for a relic project

[thebrig]

I'm not getting much help guys 😟

[ezbass]

Wet cloth, soldering iron, steam it out, as suggested by @Mudpup.

Edited August 20, 2023 by ezbass

[TheGreek]

First step would be trying a steam iron on a bar towel over the scratch. 

Probably take several attempts. 

[Paul S]

I'd leave it be.  Then you won't feel so bad when you put the next dink in it.

[thebrig]

I'll have a go at the steam iron 👍

[ezbass]

3 minutes ago, thebrig said:

I'll have a go at the steam iron 👍

Try a soldering iron first, if you have one. It’s more precise in its application.

[PaulThePlug]

Steam / soldering iron works for fretboard dings, not sure about wood with a finish...

Did you lacquer the headstock?

I'd spray a bit of lacquer a cocktail stick and wipe in the scratch, to lessen the appearance... or just leave it

Arsing about can only make it worse...

[tauzero]

Headless conversion.

[Mykesbass]

Liberon retouch crayons. Sorry for the serious answer 🤨

Edited August 20, 2023 by Mykesbass

[nilorius]

I would let it go. More road worn adventures ahead, anyway.

[Stub Mandrel]

New bass day.

[Dazed]

2 hours ago, thebrig said:

It's not very deep but you can run your fingernail in it.

Has it gone through the lacquer and into the wood? I’ve used wax crayons, waxy make up and nail polish in the past to touch up minor scratches and dings. It doesn’t always make it disappear but tints the colour so it’s less obvious. 
Steaming is more if you have a dent or indent somewhere, as someone else said I’m not sure how well it works on lacquered or painted surfaces. 

[EssexBuccaneer]

I’m a big fan of leaving it alone. Guitars and basses are *meant* to be used, they *will* get dings and scratches. They’re what makes it yours and yours alone. 

[Count Bassy]

That's mojo, that is.

[thebrig]

The reason I want to get it fixed the best I can, is because I built the bass only a few months ago, the neck is a brand new Fender roasted maple Jazz neck, plus a brand new Fender body, and the rest of the parts are all brand new high-end parts.

 

I'm gutted to have dinged it so soon! 😟

[Waddo Soqable]

As its on the face of the HS, you could take the tuners etc off and sand the whole HS face flat again and refinish/ respray just that bit, it's probably the easiest part to re do independently of the rest, and if you did the original finish yourself when you built it you might even have a bit left of whatever you used. 

It's clearly bugging you so might be the way ahead you'd be happiest with? 

[steve-bbb]

polish it out with micromesh cloth

[fretmeister]

29 minutes ago, thebrig said:

The reason I want to get it fixed the best I can, is because I built the bass only a few months ago, the neck is a brand new Fender roasted maple Jazz neck, plus a brand new Fender body, and the rest of the parts are all brand new high-end parts.

 

I'm gutted to have dinged it so soon! 😟

Months?

 

I usually manage a ding in the first week of ownership. Just part of gigging life.