Strange Marks on Big Baby

[Joe M]

I scored a great deal on CL on a Big Baby. Pretty flawless except for some strange marks on the top next to the last frets on the treble side. Looks almost like someone had taken a pick and hit it perpendicular to the top. Left several gouges in the top. It would have been impossible for the marks to have gotten there with any kind of playing that I can imagine. Took it to my local Taylor guru as mentioned in one of my previous posts. I asked about the marks and he said he had seen them on a couple of other Taylor's that he had worked on, only in different spots on the top. He said he had contacted Taylor about them with no help. He suspects there was/is some kind of flaw in the finishing process that caused these marks on a very few guitars but has no way to prove it. He still has my guitar so I can't post any pics but I'm wondering if anyone else has any strange-looking marks on the top of their Taylor's?

[not darth]

Any way you could post some pics?
-K

[DMBfan41]

I awoke one morning to find crop circles on mine.  Strange.

[michaelw]

hi Joe,
congrats on the big Baby

if the marks can actually be felt on the top, or by looking at angle it is obvious
that they are not under the finish, then chances are they probably are not 'bear-claw'

one may be surprised, in terms of the areas, where strumming marks can show up

a pic (later on) would help to determine if the blemishes that you see could possibly be tooling marks

[Joe M]

They are definitely not bear claw or pick marks. As I said, it's as if you took the edge of a pick and hit it perpendicular to the top hard enough to make a little gouge. And, you can easily feel the marks, they are into the wood, not under the finish.

I'm not getting the guitar back till next Wednesday, I'll see what I can do about posting some pics.

[Cindy]

I saw a 414ce with bear claw that you could feel. I don't know if it had anything to do with how the guitar was humidified at GC (or a lack thereof). I highly doubt it left the factory in that condition.

Edit: Here's a pic of my 314ce with bear claw although these marks CANNOT be felt. They don't look like customary bear claw though.

[mcookoc]

you say they look like someone used a pick to make the marks. this is probably what happened as i do the same thing sometimes keeping beat to music when not playing although not in that particular spot, usually on the pick guard or the saddle.

[taylor96]

Maybe, just maybe an actual Bear got ahold of your guitar and Clawed it..  just saying..lol
 

[Joe M]

Maybe, just maybe an actual Bear got ahold of your guitar and Clawed it..  just saying..lol
 

Your description is better than mine, the marks do like real bear claw marks (small bear). I like that answer, I think I'll go with that......