Belt Buckle Scratches: Avoidance Ideas, Anyone?

[Ronson Hall]

Hey Folks!

As you know, I'm one of the newest Ken Smith owners, and I must say I'm having a total blast on my beauty!

While polishing Cathyrn II last night after Praise Teamrehearsal, I noticed just a few belt buckle scratches. How do you folks handle this? Is it to be categorized as a normal part of wear that comes with playing, or should I take steps now to cover up my buckle when I play?

I'm really not overly disturbed by this. However, if there's something I should be looking out for with regard to this, I'll do it! Thanks. :)

[Bob Faulkner]

I don't wear a belt. problem solved :)

Another useful trick, if dress code allows it, is to simply untuck your shirt and let it cover your buckle.

[Albert Smith]

Hey Folks!

As you know, I'm one of the newest Ken Smith owners, and I must say I'm having a total blast on my beauty!

While polishing Cathyrn II last night after Praise Teamrehearsal, I noticed just a few belt buckle scratches. How do you folks handle this? Is it to be categorized as a normal part of wear that comes with playing, or should I take steps now to cover up my buckle when I play?

I'm really not overly disturbed by this. However, if there's something I should be looking out for with regard to this, I'll do it! Thanks. :)

Ronson, I position my bass just high enough so that the lower extremity of the bass is above my waist, so that I wont scratch the back of my bass. This position is comfortable for me because of my playing style. If you play more like a rock bassist then you might run into the issue of scratches, most rock bassist position thier bass lower.

[Paul Phillips]

What I do is turn my belt buckle to the side a little so it does not dig into the back of the bass, And you still have the belt to help!!!!

[Dennis Michaels]

I play without a belt...no comments please. I do have a friend that cut up a strap and made a belt buckle cover.

[Tim Bishop]

I play without a belt...no comments please.

LOL! Oh, the temptation.....too funny Dennis! :D

[Steve_M]

I tend to fasten my belt further to one side or untuck my t-shirt/shirt.

[Dennis Michaels]

LOL! Oh, the temptation.....too funny Dennis! :D

I know, I know... but thanks for letting it be.:o

[David Powell]

If you see some vintage photos of the Monkeys that show Peter Tork wearing a belt, you will see something that has certainly been wrongly attributed to 60's pop fashion. His belt is buckled with a huge buckle that is rotated far around to the side. It was not a fashion statement. Peter did this to protect his bass. What I do is go without a belt (at the risk ...) or if I must have one on, I use a braided belt I found that has all leather covered hardware so there is no bare metal. I don't know where to get one because this one I picked up in a vintage clothing store, but someone told me that women's belts are made this way. And I'm thinking, OK, so I'm wearing a woman's belt??? :o

Another thing to watch for if you wear jeans is the rivets. I have recently gone to painter or carpenter style jeans that have no rivets. The rivets are small and sneaky but can put some bad scratches on a glossy finish.

[Bob Faulkner]

I don't really wear the bass that low, and I typically wear shirts that are long enough to cover the top of my jeans so rivets are not an issue.

The biggest source of marks on my basses if the fact I mainly wear button down the front shirts, and the buttons will scuff the wood a little. It's pretty mild in contrast to other sources of rash, but it's there.

[James Watkins]

I have found the soulution. Google "scratch pad guitar finish protector". These are about $20.00 and they work great!

James Watkins

[Jeff Jenkins]

Since the bass is finished with Oil, you can use a light grade of steel wool pad from Lowes or Home Depot #0000 grade preferably to lightly take the scratches out without going very deep into the finish. Belt buckle rash is really not that big of a deal to players, its just a fact of life. Now, collectors see it in a whole new light, because they are looking to own the bass for awhile, take a few pics with it, and then sell it or trade later for a profit, or a new G.A.S. acquisition. Nothing wrong with that, I do it too, but if you intend on playing your Smith live, dents, scratches, and buckle rash are to be expected and should you decide to sell it or trade it later on, its still going to be worth a little something, for sure!

[Ken Smith]

Since the bass is finished with Oil, you can use a light grade of steel wool pad from Lowes or Home Depot #0000 grade:eek: preferably to lightly take the scratches out without going very deep into the finish. Belt buckle rash is really not that big of a deal to players, its just a fact of life. Now, collectors see it in a whole new light, because they are looking to own the bass for awhile, take a few pics with it, and then sell it or trade later for a profit, or a new G.A.S. acquisition. Nothing wrong with that, I do it too, but if you intend on playing your Smith live, dents, scratches, and buckle rash are to be expected and should you decide to sell it or trade it later on, its still going to be worth a little something, for sure!

No.......

Guys, Steel wool of any grade can take the finish off down to the wood. Scratches down to the wood can not be taken out that way. Only a re-finish can. Even re-waxing at best might only help hide the marks and mars.

[Bob Faulkner]

I'm thinking I would stab myself in the face with a red hot ice pick before I took steel wool of any kind to my Smith!

[Desmund Nichols]

I noticed that under the G string, there is about 1 inch square or something that is basically scracthes due to slapping. Now I rectified the situation by makng sure my nails are cut before I play, but is there anyway I can make those scratches go away?

[David Powell]

Well, since my last post I have found a nice belt that has no exposed metal buckle parts. It is manufactured by Red Cap Industries in the USA from top grain cowhide for use in the automobile maintenance field where a buckle that would scratch a car's finish shouldn't be worn.

It is available from many suppliers, but I got mine from Automotive Workwear, Inc. They have an online store and the price is quite reasonable and the belt looks like any nice black leather belt. Look for scratchless buckle belt or no-scratch belt on their web site. These have a nice flat face of leather with no exposed metal. Two hooks on the back fasten the belt. The finish will get rubbed off the belt by the guitar (and that's OK) but a bit of shoe polish takes care of that.

[Jason Mendelson]

not sure how mine happened but they do... i keep my bass higher than my belt buckle... when I play upright I have my belt buckle on the side of me...

I think its from the keys in my pocket maybe?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v461/PerformanceNISMO/Ken%20Smith%20BMT%20Elite%20G%206/P1020081.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v461/PerformanceNISMO/Ken%20Smith%20BMT%20Elite%20G%206/P1020077.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v461/PerformanceNISMO/Ken%20Smith%20BMT%20Elite%20G%206/P1020078.jpg

[David Powell]

I had been tediously careful about my buckle only to find that it was rivets in my Levi's that were doing the smaller damage. So I no longer wear riveted jeans. The Red Cap belt I got is working really well so far.