Hairline cracks on guitar neck under fretboard - Pictures

[stef89]

These cracks are on both sides of neck right under the ebony fretboard. They start from the body joint and go all the away up to the nut. Are they caused by the freboard drying or something? Also do they affect tone or sustain?

 

[stef89]

Re: Hairline cracks on guitar neck under fretboard - Pictures

I just realised. I think its just the fretboard sticking out. Not a neck crack.. ?

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Hairline cracks on guitar neck under fretboard - Pictures

That's actually the bottom edge of the fretboard. When they masked and then scraped the paint off the edge of the board they just didn't go down far enough. I've seen it many times on Gibsons with and without binding. If a guitar dries out the wood contracts due to a lack of moisture thus making the line a bit more visible since it gets sucked in and on clear coated glossy guitar (unlike your thin satin finish) it can crack the paint in that area and around the nut, also very common due to owners letting guitars dry out in winter months.

 

[stef89]

Re: Hairline cracks on guitar neck under fretboard - Pictures

That's actually the bottom edge of the fretboard. When they masked and then scraped the paint off the edge of the board they just didn't go down far enough. I've seen it many times on Gibsons with and without binding. If a guitar dries out the wood contracts due to a lack of moisture thus making the line a bit more visible since it gets sucked in and on clear coated glossy guitar (unlike your thin satin finish) it can crack the paint in that area and around the nut, also very common due to owners letting guitars dry out in winter months.

Thanks for the reply. Thats good news then, its not a crack

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Hairline cracks on guitar neck under fretboard - Pictures

Yeah, not a crack nothing to worry about, just cosmetic. Be thankful you have have a thin satin finish otherwise it could look like this, random google image...

I've seen that MANY times here in NY during the winter when people don't humidify their guitars and the humidity drops drastically. The wood contracts, the paint is hard and can't contract so it just cracks.

 

[stef89]

Re: Hairline cracks on guitar neck under fretboard - Pictures

Yea that would look awfull, even worse would be if it was clear coated

 

[uOpt]

Re: Hairline cracks on guitar neck under fretboard - Pictures

Ebony just doesn't move very much in sync with maple and mahogany, not the way rosewood does.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Hairline cracks on guitar neck under fretboard - Pictures

Anytime you have 2 different woods (or materials for that matter) with paint over a join then you will get some movement/shrinkage cracking like that. Look at MOP inlays on headstocks for example.