Re: Don Julin's beat-up Nugget for sale
I have a Collings MF5, and I've worn a comparable amount of finish off the soundboard. Just this week I had some minor maintenance done at Buckdancer's Choice in Portland, ME. I asked owner Phin Martin (a 40-year luthier) at the shop to weigh in on the wear and tear and he said that yes, it does lower the resale value, but structurally and sound-wise no worries. Violin maker Jon Cooper told me a couple years ago, when the wear started to show, to just play it and not to worry about it. My personal opinion is this: Having a mandolin as good as a Collings has helped me become somewhat semi-pro in my playing and it has paid for itself several times over. It's a terrific tool. Now the folks at Ford go to great lengths and take great pride in designing, building, and finishing the F150 pickup. And just as we all would be with a brand new mando, truck owners hate to see that first ding appear. But a couple years down the road, that F150 will earn its scars and look just like any well used pickup but still do a terrific job. So I think it all depends on what you're doing with your instrument. If you have a true, museum-quality collectible, by all means baby it. But it you have a high-performance, high-quality tool, just work it. Your mileage, of course, may vary.
Jethro lives! (Tiny, too!)
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