ksdaddy Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 A couple years ago(?) I posted about my Hopf Saturn 63, which stayed in it's original HSC most of the time. I've owned it since 1986 and maybe the last 6 or 7 years it's been doing something weird. It has a clear plexiglass or some kind of acrylic pickguard, which, for the past 6 or 7 years, has seemingly been 'sweating'. I'd open the case after a few months and there would be beads of water all over the guard. Nowhere else, just the guard. At first I thought the guard was deteriorating in some odd way but it would clean up and look like new (save for almost 60 years of yellowing). I can't say I noticed any moisture anywhere else...just the plastic guard. That was at my old house; nothing changed, no major switches in humidity, heat sources, storage, nothing. It just started sweating. In 2012 I moved into my new house. Same thing. At this point I'm still not seeing any deterioration of any parts of the guitar but I began hanging the guitar on a hanger, NOT in the case. End of problem. To this day I don't know what was going on but that's my fix. If I ever take it anywhere I'll use the case but not for storage. By the way, that was the ONLY guitar it happened to. Fast forward to this summer, I score an early 80s LYS guitar, made in Quebec, the forerunner of the Seagull line. It resides in what appears to be an older Japanese HSC, black with yellow interior, kinda on the thin side. I've seen lots of older Yamaha FG's in them. The guitar isn't 'sweating' but it has almost a whitish oily film all over it. At first I thought it just needed a good polishing, which it got. Can't recall if I used Gibson or Martin polish but it was standard pump bottle stuff, not Lemon Pledge or car wax or garbage of any kind. It's maybe been in the case a week. I just now took it out and the whitish residue is back. It reminds me of when I used a humidifier and didn't use distilled water...it's that kind of residue. Wipes right off, sorta... maybe leaves a little smeary residue. Nothing weird in the house (except me). It's currently 42% humidity in the living room where the LYS lives. I don't care about the case, that can go away, but it still leaves questions. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Best answer I can give you is to sell me the Hopf. I've lusted after it for years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 ha that dub,, he's a big help aint he!! I think I read some where.... where the case is trapping gasses where some plastics and/or finishes are effected. There was I think a while back a lengthy debate in this message board with an expensive Gibby archtop (there was a few ugly moments in this post I recall) I don't think there was ever a real conclusion, L5 Larry may have had some reference points in that one.,.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digger Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Are you sure your dog hasn't been.....? Never mind, silly idea~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted November 13, 2015 Author Share Posted November 13, 2015 Hmmm, Maggie squats and Dobby is a Jack Russell Shorty so wither one would be a sight to behold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digger Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Hmmm, Maggie squats and Dobby is a Jack Russell Shorty so wither one would be a sight to behold. Grin~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 You might try putting some Saran Wrap over the pick guard for a couple weeks and leave it out of the case and see what happens. Then you might know whether it's the case or the guard. I'm not sure but I think Saranac Wrap works best for trapping volatile stuff. Maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 You might try putting some Saran Wrap over the pick guard for a couple weeks and leave it out of the case and see what happens. Then you might know whether it's the case or the guard. I'm not sure but I think Saranac Wrap works best for trapping volatile stuff. Maybe. This is good. It's the same as clingfilm isn't it? I was going to say very fine sanding and then some sort of varnish....boat varnish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Closest thing resembling what you're describing, was what happened to my old 1966 Gretsch Country Gent. While stored in the case, the out-gassing of the Nitro binding, ended up not only destroying the binding, little by little, but it also turned parts of the Gold hardware, green. I had to get the entire guitar, re-bound , and I did manage to clean up, the bits of hardware that had gone "green" with bar soap, and baking soda! But, that rebinding was a costly repair. Consequently, the guitar hangs in my living room, on a guitar hanging stand, and is only cased for transport. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted November 13, 2015 Author Share Posted November 13, 2015 ...was what happened to my old 1966 Gretsch Country Gent That was a sad fate for many Gretsches in the 60s. To this day I don't know if there's a definitive explanation as to why the plastic used in that era went bad. I'm starting to feel a little ill right now because in 1987 I bought a '68(?) Country Gent that practically had the hang tags for $450 and an old parlor guitar worth $100. I decided I wanted something else and sold it for $550. I bought a 1935 Gibson L-7 from Elderly Instruments for $475. I did take the CG to a little hole in the wall store in Bangor, owned by Sam Viner. Sam and his brother owned Viner's Music for decades and it is legendary. They sold out but he maintained a little shop downtown. I walked in, hoping to feel him out for a trade (didn't happen). He did show me one guitar he just got in and was putting out for sale.....a 1966 Lake Placid Blue Jazzmaster for $400. Excuse me, I think I'll go cry for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 @ ksdaddy: Could it come from a specific antistatic treatment using tensides trapped within the acrylic scratchplate and thus on theory staying forever? To me it seems the only thing that makes sense. The behaviour is that of a substance mixture with low "inner balance humidity" and thus collecting water like if it was hygroscopic, but without absorbing it as it did if it was its "real" equilibrium moisture content. It just adsorbs it on the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drog Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 It could be a chemical reaction with the case materials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 This particular guitar has a SMALL amount of binding deterioration. It was limited to two small areas and I believe I knit the weak spots together with super glue before too much damage was done. I'm now wondering if the case is not at fault but the haze might be a result of the binding outgassing. I've left it out of the case for a few days and I think I'll put a basket case POS acoustic in the LYS's case for a week and see if it hazes. if it doesn't I have my answer. No case unless it's going somewhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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