Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey folks,

I have an 80s Ibanez Destroyer that has a crushed output jack cavity on my bench (see here for pics and previous question).

The customer's main concern, after aesthetics, is rotting. He is under the impression that moisture will cause the crushed wood to rot and breakdown if not properly sealed up. Now, we're probably going to plug and re-drill the output jack hole and put a jack plate over it so it'll be a moot point. But that's not a valid concern on his part, is it? If, say, he didn't repair it and just tightened the jack in there and went about playing it, I'm thinking he may experience a bit more chipping or further enlarging of the hole, but it's not going to rot or breakdown at any appreciable rate, will it?

My line of thinking is that the insides of many acoustic guitars are exposed wood, and many necks are unfinished and they don't rot or breakdown.

I'm afraid that this may be a silly question but I wanted to throw it out there to be sure.

Thanks for your time,

Dustin

It's not going to rot unless it's wet or attacked by insects.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Dustin,
I think your line of thinking is correct, and so is Kevin's. With a smile on your face (as if you are letting your customer in on the joke) ask if the customer is planning on storing the guitar outside in the seasons and elements. Then assure the person that rot is not going to occur under even moderate indoor storage conditions. As you have already said, I believe your customer would only see further deterioration if the compromised wood was not dealt with during your repair. Even if you did a quick and dirty repair at his request, I can't believe there would be any rot involved. Maybe further weakening due to an improper repair-- weakened, frayed wood fibers perhaps--but certainly NOT rot. ...and I am sure you will NOT do an improper repair. So, as you suggest, it's essentially going to be a moot point.

Anyway, that's my opinion, for whatever it's worth.

Patrick

Does he play outside in the rain?

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

Rot, Mabye.....
If he lives on a boat, which some people up here do... but then again only when the boat is not properly heated live aboard....
Cheers
Charliewood

blue cheeses like Gorgonzola rot, and they're pretty good.....maybe it would add layers of complexity to the guitar's tone.
StankTone TM

Thanks for all the replies. I figured it was a non-issue, but the owner mentioned it on multiple occasions so I thought I better check it out and be extra sure.

lol I thought you said thanks for the recipes.

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com