Grant, you very gently and clearly illustrated the scenario flow I perceived as a problem. Thank you. I agree that there is a big cloud of ambiguity involved in our discussion. Let's put me into the role of a purchaser of a bespoke guitar: The builder delivers the instrument with a repaired neck, i.e., damaged and remedied with finishing materials of some sort. I'd think I was badly treated, whether or not the insult was visible at the end of the day. There's no way the builder would have chosen a neck blank getting such repair for a new instrument, and I, the customer, would feel badly treated if that was done. I'd need to be confronted by a very persuasive builder indeed to accept such parts in a new instrument. Such a neck belongs on a spare-parts special, priced accordingly. That's my level of expectation for a new commissioned guitar. We're not talking craftsmanship, we're discussing damaged goods. Now, for me as builder of my own instrument, I am free to do as I like and use such components as I choose on my own instrument. They're for me. And if the builder had chosen to use a (oops!) dented neck for his commission, and made the dent go away before finishing the neck, then I think he was behaving as a proper craftsman and doing a good job. The neck needed a dent steamed out before the finish was applied. On a good day he got a good deal on a fine neck with a dent, because of the dent, and knew that he could remedy the dent an come out ahead financially by exercising his skills. Before the finish was applied, the neck was flawless, thanks to craftsmanship and patience. The dent wasn't disguised, it was removed. No covered-up damage. Nothing to talk about. Same thing if the builder, after a whole dictionary full of magic words passed his lips, took his shiny new finished neck with its shiny new dent back to the workbench and rid himself of the dent and refinished what needed refinishing, that's also nothing to talk about. I think each of us wants nothing to talk about.
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