George, I agree with you about the bumps and bruises, they give it character! My only concern about this spot is to prevent it from getting worse. The picture doesn't really show how bad it is. The finish is worn down to the bare wood. Just don't want it to lead to a crack in the top. Make sense?
It's really only going to get worse if
your arm wear makes it worse. Seriously, consider whether
your style of play will exacerbate this exposed area of the finish; the converse of this is you'll simply be playing with your arm there and it will make precious
little difference to an otherwise durable finish. So much has to do with your playing style which comprises where you rest your arm (not everyone rests it on the same place, ya know
), how often you play, and mostly how aggressive you play.
If you don't like the look, I get that; pay the dough and address it (remember, Taylor's UV finish is proprietary and just getting it to the factory will entail ugly shipping costs on top of the obvious labor rate).
But if the look ain't that big a deal to you, as it sounds like you're more concerned about physical damage escalating, then I'd say rest easy. Your guitar is, quite literally, completely sound as is (see what I did there
), requiring nothing to "protect" it. Bare wood you say? The
entire inside of the guitar is completely bare wood, exposed to all elements save your skin ...and it survives.
Your call, of course, but it seems to me you really dig this guitar, and your love for it has caused undue concern for its future well being.
Edward
