# Help filling in holes



## isoneedacoffee (Oct 31, 2014)

I will be installing a duesenberg tremolo on my hagstrom ultra swede guitar this week. The installation will leave some small screw holes from where the stop tail piece used to be. I'd like to cover it up. I'm vain like that. 

The guitar's finish is black gloss. 

I believe I read somewhere before about using nail polish. Is that reccomended? Any particular kind? Do I fill the small hole beforehand and cover with nail polish? What to use for the filling? These are very small screw holes by the way. Not your regular Gibson like bolt holes. 

Thanks!


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

I would use a small screw and paint the head the same colour as the top. It's the easiest and most reversible way to go, imo.


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2015)

Try a wax pencil.


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## JCM50 (Oct 5, 2011)

Dowel and re-shot the face of the guitar with a compatible finish.


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## Rio2000be (Mar 3, 2012)

Gloss black is the worst for clean finish repairs. You *might* be happy with a professional refinish of the top -- you are unlikely to be happy with dabs of nail polish. Put screws in the holes - painted or not, they look purposeful.


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## itf? (May 27, 2009)

Have any pics of the guitar? I'd buy a small dowel, like 1/8", drill out the holes and fill with the dowel. Repaint with black automotive touch up paint. Then add appropriate clear coat, here lacquer nail polish clear will work if it's a lacquer finish. Then just sand it flat with 400 grit sand paper, then 800, 1200 and then automotive polishing compound and it should blend in very nicely.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

ronmac said:


> I would use a small screw and paint the head the same colour as the top. It's the easiest and most reversible way to go, imo.


This really is your best option IMO. I've done this myself and the screw heads disappear rather quickly. In fact, I can't even remember which guitar I did this on. If you mess up your repair job, you may be into a refinish. Since this thread is from 10 days ago, you may have already made your decision.


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## isoneedacoffee (Oct 31, 2014)

Thanks for all the helpful tips everyone. Actually I decided on doing nothing for now. I'm leaning toward the painted screws solution, but I first wnat to see how it looks after it's installed. It's at a luthier's shop right now getting the new tremolo, new pickups and a setup. I'll post pics!


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Sometimes doing nothing is the most sensible decision. The next best thing is to do something non-destructive.


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2015)

total agreement with both previous posts.
every guitar needs it's war wounds sometimes.


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## JHarasym (Mar 27, 2007)

ronmac said:


> Sometimes doing nothing is the most sensible decision.


"...nothing is often a good thing to do, and always a clever thing to say." - William J. Durant


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## Misterock (May 30, 2009)

Fill up the holes with the thinner dowel you can fit. Don't go larger. Measure the dowel before to be inserted, making sure that once it's in, will go a little bit lower than the actual surface of the guitar body in that area, like creating a small crater.(buu hoo-moon surface)
Then start and fill up this little crater bit by bit using automotive touch up paint. I did this to my guitar using black paint for my Honda. After the hole is filled and a little bit higher, sand the top off using 400 grit. Easy, don't go too much on the good surface. When you are happy and the surface is smooth, sand it with 1000 grit, using some water.
On the end, grab the buffer, put some polishing wax or solution on the area and start polish it. Don't insist too much on the area, you could end up burning the whole thing.
Do it easy and allow time.

If the holes are tiny, then you don't need dowels. Just fill up with epoxy (this is usually gray color) - again make sure is under the level, so you have room for the paint to be added on top.

wish you good luck.


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## isoneedacoffee (Oct 31, 2014)

Here come the promised pics. The first is a "before and after", and the others show the holes. 

http://before after guitar mods.001 by El Abecedario, on Flickr


The famous holes (at an awkward angle to see both sets of holes):

P1011024 by El Abecedario, on Flickr

At an angle that most people would have:

P1011025 by El Abecedario, on Flickr


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## isoneedacoffee (Oct 31, 2014)

With the pics, does anyone have any new ideas? Do the pics change your previous recommendations?


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

if it was mine, id dowel the holes and drop some nail polish on them- i think that was your initial thought.
or throw a sticker with some boobs on it.
not that it looks bad as is or anything.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

How about a black magic marker for a quick fix. Those holes would seem to disappear. Especially on a dark stage.
Of course, any of the suggestions here would work. It just depends on how much effort you want to put into it.


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## Budd (Mar 4, 2014)

Maybe drill just a hair larger hole & fill with small dowel , leave the dowel just below the surface & use spot putty , or nail polish ?


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## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Honestly they really don't look that bad. If it was my guitar I'd probably leave them.
I second (third....fourth?) buying some small black screws.

It's a really nice looking guitar, if you decide you want to keep the trem then look at doweling and respraying the top down the road.
But for now, small black screws are the way to go.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Fender-Batte...637?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item232fb10cb5

Nathan

Or stick a piece of black pickguard material under there. Pm me and I can send you a piece (I've got some small offcuts)


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## Guest (Mar 24, 2015)

Guitar101 said:


> How about a black magic marker for a quick fix. Those holes would seem to disappear.


I'd go this route as well.

I have these from a previous owner. I can't figure out what 
is was for. Fishman install maybe? (not original tailpiece).


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## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

A bit of experience required but results are very good. As a repair preson to some degree, I have had to do exactly what you are contemplating.
Not my ideas here but a remedy that I have used quite a few times over the years. Fill 2/3 of the hole(s) with round toohpicks secured with a very small drop of crazy glue( glue goes in the hole first) 
Cyanoacrylate Adhesives | Cyanoacrylates - Permabond
Follow the direrctions using these.
Lacquer Sticks - Lee Valley Tools
Lacquer Sticks | stewmac.com 
Lots of help online. 
Cheers, d


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## Gitguy (Dec 13, 2020)

I use spot putty glaze for small repairs, easy to use, doesnt shrink, takes paint good and esp with black with a little patience you can blend in perfectly with a little buffing, paint is paint, its not a filler. Luckily I have airbrushes and custom finishes to work with but you can get one for $20 at P Auto which works great for stuff like that. I wouldnt drill it out because if you have a cheap bit or wrong speed you could actually chip around the edges and make your prob worse, dowelling expands and contracts, the grain runs the wrong way, it will never smooth out. BTW dont forget to prime b4 you paint, can use a Q tip for that.

_Lovin the Blues, Livin to Cruz_


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