Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Topic started by: Dulcilo on June 06, 2014, 09:01:53 PM
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I have only had my GSMini for a few months and today I noticed areas where the headstock appeared discolored. Turns out the plastic veneer is pulling away at one of the upper corners.
I keep my guitar on a stand in a room humidified for my instruments, usually at 50% although with summer weather now the humidity had crept up to 60%.
Has this happened to any other Mini owners? Any suggestions on what to do about it?
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Hasn't happened to me. I'd suggest calling Taylor customer service and see what they say. Warranty issue possibly. Call them asap to get it on record and see what your options are.
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is the entire headstock overlay lifting or does it seem like the overlay is separating/delaminating ???
the only headstock overlay concerns i've seen were due to adverse humidity, which caused the
finish to lift, especially around the tuner bushings, but that was on rosewood headstock overlays -
on the silkscreen logo lexan ones, like on the babies, GS mini & 03-06 100 series, i've only seen a
concern where the overlay was lifting because the edge of the headstock had caught something
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is the entire headstock overlay lifting or does it seem like the overlay is separating/delaminating ???
the only headstock overlay concerns i've seen were due to adverse humidity, which caused the
finish to lift, especially around the tuner bushings, but that was on rosewood headstock overlays -
on the silkscreen logo lexan ones, like on the babies, GS mini & 03-06 100 series, i've only seen a
concern where the overlay was lifting because the edge of the headstock had caught something
Well, I didn't even realize the headstock overlay was just a thin piece of plastic-like material until I saw this discoloration and realized that I could actually see the underlying brownish colored wood underneath, at the edge where the plastic was no longer meeting that wood. Since this is occurring in the dip of the headstock, not sure how it could have caught something there. What does it look like to you since you have seen this before? And would it be possible to just glue it back down?
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to me, it looks like the headstock overlay itself is delaminating, rather than lifting from the headstock (wood) -
it's kind of hard to tell & i'm wanting to say that if you press down on the area that's lighter in color & it gets dark
again, or is closer to matching the color of the rest of the headstock overlay, my guess would be it's separating
putting adhesive or glue in-between the lifted layer & the black lexan may cause it to discolor if
the glue doesn't dry completely clear & the area that's closest to the end of the D string, where it
comes to a point, would be pretty difficult to get something in there without it forming a "bubble",
unless that tuning machine was removed & it was approached from the tuner machine hole inward -
it looks like the edge next to the D tuner is discolored also ... first one i've ever seen like that :-\
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Thanks for looking at it Michael. I guess I'll call Taylor on Monday. Maybe a local authorized repair person can deal with it. I am fortunate enough to live in a city with a couple listed on Taylor's website.
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Let us know what you find out, in case someone else has this issue.
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After spending all morning on the phone, crying and cajoling, I finally have an appointment with an authorized Taylor repair person tonight to look at it. I will let you know what I find out.
My experience so far with ordering Taylor instruments online has been a very negative one. After the initial excitement of opening the box, comes the disappointment. I have ordered twice, both from very reputable dealers whom I won't name because they know who they are.
I now have an instrument sitting at the Taylor factory which has to be completely remade, and I have the Mini which who knows what it will need (Taylor service guy on the phone said they might have to send a new neck).
The problem is, if you don't live near the dealer you purchased from you are going to pay shipping costs for repairs even if under warranty, and to find an authorized Taylor repair person locally who can fit you in and who even wants your business at all is very difficult (this may be particular to my location, I don't know.)
From now on, I am only going to buy instruments I have personally played and inspected and can obtain locally. Lesson learned.
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Just curious, was the "crying and cajoling" directed towards Taylor customer service or the repair facility? I'm only asking because it seems to be a production flaw and it is under warranty.
This sort of bothers me as I have a lefty Mini on order.
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Valid question, Lefty. The repair people, not Taylor. I really need my Mini for a week long workshop I am taking next week, and every luthier in town had a 8 week or longer time frame to even look at it!
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I'm sorry you have to go through this. I can imagine your frustration. I really am hoping this all gets worked out for you in the end. Please keep us posted.
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Update:
The Ax Doctor is taking care of me under the Taylor warranty. He thinks it is probably an isolated, not a widespread, issue. However, it is going to take Taylor 6-8 weeks to remake the neck so he can install it. At least it is not something that prevents me from using the guitar in the meantime.
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Good news....sounds like you are being taken care of very well. Thanks for the update.
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All's well that ends well. Taylor sent a new neck much more quickly than predicted, so my GSMini is ready to go to a guitar workshop with me this weekend. Now I'll see if I can learn to play this thing!
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Taylor made! :)
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is the entire headstock overlay lifting or does it seem like the overlay is separating/delaminating ???
the only headstock overlay concerns i've seen were due to adverse humidity, which caused the
finish to lift, especially around the tuner bushings, but that was on rosewood headstock overlays -
on the silkscreen logo lexan ones, like on the babies, GS mini & 03-06 100 series, i've only seen a
concern where the overlay was lifting because the edge of the headstock had caught something
This happened on my 2008 816 CE. As you said it was around the G string tuner bushing. A kind of milky bubble formed around it and I though something had spilled onto the headstock. It wasn't until I was halfway "rubbing" it off that I realized that the finish was separating from the rosewood overlay. I am religious about humidity control near the sound hole but I don't do any kind of case humidity control.
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Not to swim upstream here, but no one has mentioned over-tightening the nuts on the tuners. This is one place where a little excess torque will hurt you, crushing the wood fibers and starting the delamination. I noticed reading the thread that most reported the problem beginning at the tuner posts, not at the edges of the headstock. Snug is plenty -- don't reef on it like a car wheel's lug nut.
And the humidity will stabilize throughout the case, so it is doubtful that a humidifier only at the sound hole (and none at the peg head) would make any real difference. Maybe if your case is a cordura covered foam insert where the, moisture escapes via the zipper, but not likely with a good hard case. You would be hard pressed to humidify only the body while not also treating the neck too. That would require a sound hole plug, like the Kyser humidifers.
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Not to swim upstream here, but no one has mentioned over-tightening the nuts on the tuners. This is one place where a little excess torque will hurt you, crushing the wood fibers and starting the delamination. I noticed reading the thread that most reported the problem beginning at the tuner posts, not at the edges of the headstock. Snug is plenty -- don't reef on it like a car wheel's lug nut.
And the humidity will stabilize throughout the case, so it is doubtful that a humidifier only at the sound hole (and none at the peg head) would make any real difference. Maybe if your case is a cordura covered foam insert where the, moisture escapes via the zipper, but not likely with a good hard case. You would be hard pressed to humidify only the body while not also treating the neck too. That would require a sound hole plug, like the Kyser humidifers.
Understood on the torque but I've not done anything to the tuners.
Good info on the humidity. I've always kept the guitar in the original Taylor hard shell case. Use to use Damp-It but switched to Oasis last fall.
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Paul, I'm not saying that you over-tightened them. But it seems likely that someone did at some point. Is there visible denting that matches the washer or grommet around the tuning post? Also with the plastic overlay, delamination of the surface layer may be more likely than it is with UV poly applied to wood.
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Paul, I'm not saying that you over-tightened them. But it seems likely that someone did at some point. Is there visible denting that matches the washer or grommet around the tuning post? Also with the plastic overlay, delamination of the surface layer may be more likely than it is with UV poly applied to wood.
Earl
I don't want to hijack the thread. If need be we can start another?
Take a look at the attached pic (hope I did it right). Maybe there are some clues there. Honestly, I don't remember when I first noticed it. I had the guitar re-setup over the winter and I'm pretty sure the "bubble" was there before then. What you see in the pic is my attempt to rub off what I thought was spillage (clueless as to how that could have happened). When I realized it was not spillage I stopped.
It's kind of annoying because this guitar is 6 years old and it is pristine ... except for that.
Thanks
Paul
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Paul, I don't think we are hijacking the thread - merely following the dialogue. This seems to happen on both GS Mini's with the plastic overlay and with regular Taylor with the UV cured poly finishes. (There is one in the "for sale" listings right now showing the same issue). The only way to tell for sure would be remove the string and take the nut and bushing off the tuning post. Then see if there is a matching dent. That is not the only cause for finish lifting, and once it starts it would easily progress just as your photo shows. Any time there is an edge there is the possibility of moisture intrusion, or poor adhesion, or.....
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Paul, I don't think we are hijacking the thread - merely following the dialogue. This seems to happen on both GS Mini's with the plastic overlay and with regular Taylor with the UV cured poly finishes. (There is one in the "for sale" listings right now showing the same issue). The only way to tell for sure would be remove the string and take the nut and bushing off the tuning post. Then see if there is a matching dent. That is not the only cause for finish lifting, and once it starts it would easily progress just as your photo shows. Any time there is an edge there is the possibility of moisture intrusion, or poor adhesion, or.....
OK, thanks. I saw the one for sale and that's exactly how mine started. I'm of the mind to give Taylor a call and see what they have to say about it.
Paul
Edit 7/25/2014: spoke with Taylor. Turns out the place where I ordered my 612 CE is authorized to do finish work. I'll bring it in to them when I pick up the new guitar. They'll have the option of doing it themselves or send just the neck to Taylor. Either way, as the original owner this will be gratis.