Question About a Cracked Finish

SabbathFan0220

SabbathFan0220

New member
I just bought a late 90's Guild on eBay, which is in great condition with one exception. I noticed some cracks going across the back of the headstock at the joint...should I be concerned about this? You have to hold it in the right light to see them. The finish is nitro I believe.

I could either:
1. Send it back (the seller accepts returns, but I got a pretty good deal and I'm not sure I'll get the same deal on another like it)
2. Get it repaired/touched up
3. Leave it alone

Thanks guys.

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Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

Looks like a wee bit of checking in the lacquer, not structural in any way.

I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

I wouldn't worry or some would say gives your guitar character. Looks ok to me though.
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

I have had to wait years for my Gibson LP Goldtop to start checking like that.
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

Number 3. It looks like hot to cold and cold to hot a lil to quick finish checking. Should be fine. Holds a tune? Good action?
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

Doesn't look structural, just some temp. swing checking, so long as guitar stays in tune and plays well I wouldn't mess with it, it's minor and on the back of the neck.
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

There's also a fair amount of flex in that area of a guitar, which I suppose leads to more finish checking in that area. It's fine...did someone say that already?:D
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

Lacquer checking to a degree is normal Gibson's are notorious for it due to the finish being so thick. I would just leave it but try to keep the instrument out of excessive heat/cold and most importantly is keep it properly hydrated and should stay the way it is.
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

Haha alright then, we all agree. I thought it was just checking but given the placement, I wanted to be sure it wasn't a more serious structural problem.

Thanks guys.
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

Looks like it has a pack of hot dogs on the back of its neck.

(actually, it looks kinda nice like that)
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

Could be the guitar was exposed to very low temperatures, this usually cracks nitro like shown on the picture. But that is very localized damage, maybe it was just a wrong mixture or too thick coats that lifted up the previous ones.
 
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Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

I'm gonna go with the unanimous majority and say: enjoy it, love that guitar to death and then see its cracking as the first signs of charachter of a guitar you will grow old with, her first wrinkles and token of all the times you and her harmonized and how you made her smile.
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

I'd take a very close detailed look at the way the guitar sits in the case as the case gets closed with the guitar inside. If the case is not the original, some slight adjustments might need to be made or even a more suitable case used.

Beyond that, if it seems stable and stays in tune, i wouldn't worry too much about it.
 
Re: Question About a Cracked Finish

That sometimes happens on stress prone and/or flexible parts of guitars, especially if the guitar lives in a place with "actual" weather. As long as the wood is not cracking, it's fine. I'd leave it alone. It's not visible from the front, and it would do no good to have it touched up.
 
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