Guitar finish chips too easy?

[AllHailDIO]

Hey, first time poster and long time reader. 

I finally got around on getting myself a Warmoth which has been something that I've always dreamed of.  I actually got myself two.

I really like the necks that I got; however, one of my bodies seem kind of weird... Not sure if this is a thing or not but it seems to chip/dent really easily.

Is that possible - like is it the finish job fault? Or did I just have a run of bad luck?  I dinked it twice in the first few days.  I think it has 4-5 now after a few months.  Now that I think of it, it got a dink before they sent it out which they informed me and I got a discount. 

Before this, I've put two dinks on my guitars in the last several years. 

I'm just curious if this has been an issue for anyone else before and what they did.  I tried searching for it but didn't get far.

Thanks

 

[mayfly]

It really depends on the wood not so much the finish.  Rock maple is going to stand up better than basswood.

What wood did you choose?

 

[lafromla1]

Now they are 'relics'.

Embrace the chips, nicks and dents.  It means you are using them.

 

[spauldingrules]

Funny you mention it - I have several Warmoths, and my lake placid blue strat (on swamp ash) has had the finish "flake" off in several spots - the finish is definitely more brittle than my others.  Doesn't really bother me, but it is flawed to a certain degree - I've never seen such a "weak" finish.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Could have been a "strong" ding too.

Edges near the neck pocket can be especially brittle, I tend to file them with a bit of a chamfer just to protect them, along with the bridge/trem/pickup routes.

 

[AllHailDIO]

Funny you mention it - I have several Warmoths, and my lake placid blue strat (on swamp ash) has had the finish "flake" off in several spots - the finish is definitely more brittle than my others.  Doesn't really bother me, but it is flawed to a certain degree - I've never seen such a "weak" finish.

IMO, I think this is a "weak" finish.  I honestly don't think it was done correctly.... Not sure if that's possible but that's just my hunch.  In 12 years of playing, I've owned 12+ guitars in my life (currently 4), everything from Squier, Schecter, Epiphone, Agile, Dean, Hagstrom, Jackson, Ibanez, Gibson, Fender, etc., and this is by far the most fragile finish.

Have you met anyone else with this issue?  Have you acquired more easy dinks since then?

Found a new tech with a good rep.  I'll ask him for his opinion when I meet him next (it'll be awhile since I'm planning on buying a new bridge first before having him setup my guitar).

Now they are 'relics'.

Embrace the chips, nicks and dents.  It means you are using them.

Haha I suppose.  Just worried that if I got this many dings in a few months, how will it stand in a year or few?  Gonna look like SRV's #1 haha a little too relic'd for my tastes. 

Well hopefully it doesn't get too beat up anymore.

It really depends on the wood not so much the finish.  Rock maple is going to stand up better than basswood.

What wood did you choose?

This is very true.  This is a Black Korina body which I have no experience prior.  I've owned a Basswood guitar once and never dinked it in the few years that I've had it. 

Is Black Korina pretty soft and doesn't hold a finish well?

Could have been a "strong" ding too.

Edges near the neck pocket can be especially brittle, I tend to file them with a bit of a chamfer just to protect them, along with the bridge/trem/pickup routes.

Yah, the edge of the pickup routes have a little wear but I have dinks along the face of the guitar... and I don't even know how it got there.  One of those dinks occurred before it was shipped / while handled at Warmoth's. 

Sometimes I'll do something dumb to one of my guitars and think it'll get dinked but to my surprise, it wouldn't be dinked. Meanwhile, this Warmoth... I'll get dinks and don't even remember how that occurred. 

 

[mayfly]

Interesting.  I've got, er, 10 warmoths.  The only one that chipped was the one that I was rolling around on the stage with during a solo a few years ago.  The rest of them don't have any blemishes.  I gig regularly and I'm not at all gentle with the things.  My kids have access to them as well 

Perhaps you should talk to warmoth about it?

 

[AllHailDIO]

Interesting.  I've got, er, 10 warmoths.  The only one that chipped was the one that I was rolling around on the stage with during a solo a few years ago.  The rest of them don't have any blemishes.  I gig regularly and I'm not at all gentle with the things.  My kids have access to them as well 

Perhaps you should talk to warmoth about it?

Haha nice!

Yah I might talk to em... But I don't want to look like a dumb arse haha.  Not sure if a finish can be done incorrectly...  Want to be somewhat educated before prompting any questions.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Pics?

 

[spauldingrules]

Now after looking at the "chips" on mine, on my LP Blue one there does not appear to be any white undercoat.  On my fiesta red one that fell off of a pool table and got a huge ding/scratch, there is a white undercoat and the paint is way thicker.  That fiesta red one has been through everything and the paint is almost impossible to damage - it has to be be hit hard enough to hurt the wood.  On the blue one, there are many small chips or flakes that have some off right to the wood, without any damage or impact to the guitar at all.  It's really odd (And disappointing), but I didn't complain right away, so I didn't give Warmoth a chance to make it right.  I should have, so I don't blame them, although I believe the point is defective.  I also have a white strat from them that is bulletproof as well.

 

[AllHailDIO]

Now after looking at the "chips" on mine, on my LP Blue one there does not appear to be any white undercoat.  On my fiesta red one that fell off of a pool table and got a huge ding/scratch, there is a white undercoat and the paint is way thicker.  That fiesta red one has been through everything and the paint is almost impossible to damage - it has to be be hit hard enough to hurt the wood.  On the blue one, there are many small chips or flakes that have some off right to the wood, without any damage or impact to the guitar at all.  It's really odd (And disappointing), but I didn't complain right away, so I didn't give Warmoth a chance to make it right.  I should have, so I don't blame them, although I believe the point is defective.  I also have a white strat from them that is bulletproof as well.

Man, that's a drag.  Sorry to hear that.  You don't think that'll qualify for the warranty?  Are you within 2 years?

Yah, one of my dinks goes to the wood too, I think, or at least a "primer" clear coat assuming they dyed on top of a clear coat instead of directly onto the wood (I know directly onto the wood is more common but I know some places dye on top of a clear coat especially with bursts). 

I may contact Warmoth about this after I talk to my tech and ask his expert advice.  I also know a guy that makes ukes including finishing them so I can also ask him too. 

It's beyond 30 day return but honestly, I really love the wood grain and color + burst on this guitar so I don't want it returned.  If it's part of the warranty, if they can just redo the topcoat, that'd be great.  That is, of course, if it is indeed faulty. 

Pics?

I'll get around to it tomorrow.... Even though it may be depressing haha.  Nevertheless, thanks for wanting to check it out!  I need the input. 

 

[Ace Flibble]

My Warmoth-painted bodies have all chipped easily, too.

Basically, they try to get the finish thin to please the 'vintage' enthusiasts, but they use poly instead of naturally thinner nitro. (Except a couple of the neck finishes, which are nitro, I think.) Poly needs be sprayed thicker 'cause it's pretty brittle. When it's sprayed as thinly as Warmoth does it—even thinner than Gibson sprays nitro—you've got a finish without the durability of a proper poly finish and it's still too brittle to adjust to the wood/humidity/temperature like nitro does. People think spraying poly really thin is super impressive and a best-of-both-worlds situation, but it's simply not. It's just crap. So yeah, one small knock and it'll fracture.

It's no coincidence that, of the twelve Warmoth bodies I've had with a Warmoth paint job, only one of them still has its original paint. I've stripped and repainted all of the others because I like fancy finishes, and fancy finishes don't look good in a 'relic' condition. The only Warmoth finish which is left standing is a basic tobacco burst, and even that is chipped; I just don't mind a bit of wear on a more classic finish like that.

There's nothing which can really be done about it now, since poly does not repair easily. With a nitro finish you can siply spray more nitro right over it and it melts the old nitro, becoming one smooth layer again. With poly, you can either spray a lot of clear layers and buff it out, or you strip and repaint the whole thing. Or live with it.

My advice for the future is to either have Warmoth paint the guitar but also spray on an extra 5-6 coats of clear gloss poly yourself. The difference in tone is inaudible and it'll be far tougher with the poly being as thick as it's supposed to be. Or don't have a Wamorth finish at all, and spray nitro or wipe-on Wudtone yourself for thin finishes, which will still get damaged but are at least easier to repair by simply spraying more nitro/wiping on more Wudtone.

I still buy unfinished Warmoth bodies, but I have nothing positive to say about their finishes or necks these days. I've learnt the hard way. Some things are much better done yourself.