New Gibson J-45-Standard lacquer question

[robinisrobin]

Hi all,

I recently bought a new Gibson J-45-Standard standard online and it arrived yesterday. After playing it after a few hours (which I loved), I noticed three lines running beneath the saddle of the guitar (see pictures attached).  The discolouration also runs through the darker edge of the front of the guitar, so I'd guess this is a finishing issue. Could you please let me know your thoughts? Due to covid and the factory closing I waited some months for the guitar to arrive but now I'm bummed out and thinking about returning it and asking for an exchange. Could you please let me know your thoughts?

[Dave F]

Hard to tell from the pictures but the lacquer looks fine. Looks like you have some silking in the wood grain which is very normal. I have a few guitars with that. Notice how it’s a mirror image which is how it should be. 

[fortyearspickn]

Welcome aboard R2  -   and congrats on that beauty !     Assuming you mean the two parallel lines running perpendicular down from the bridge with a faint one in between - as Dave noted, it is normal.  Regular wood grain fluctuations - there are a few different kinds. Many prefer seeing them, and will select a guitar that has some 'character'.  If I were me,  I wouldn't even consider returning it.   G'luck! 

[kidblast]

silking,, yes,, that's the word...  I was searching my brain for it earlier when I checked this post a while ago.  thx Dave!! 

[BoSoxBiker]

Welcome to the forum, robinisrobin.

I never knew what it was called, but I totally dig it. I'd keep it for sure.

My 2018 HB Standard cherryburst has a ton of it that is visible with the right light reflection angles.  I should try to take a pic of it sometime. I considered asking about it, but had seen it before on pics and decided it was a none-issue. I am not at all trained in the world of wood finishing, so take anything I say on the subject fwiw.

[zombywoof]

Silking is the shiny reflection of the medullary rays.  But I tend to think of it as being most visible running across the grain like waves.    This looks different to me and more akin to what fiddlers refer to as  "mineral streaking" which occurs from peculiarities in the growing condition.  Then again, I don't build them.  I just play them.

[62burst]

"Yes, Robin". Google some images of "guitar top cross-grain silking". It's present on your very nice looking J-45, but the silking is running perpendicular, through  the lighter areas of grain that you'd noticed running down from the bridge into the dark area of the sunburst. And as Dave was saying, those areas are symmetrical to the center seam of the top, since the top is made from a set of two halves bookmatched at the center. They can be lighter or darker, with thinner or wider grain lines, depending on seasonal growing conditions. 

Looks fine- enjoy your new J-45.

[robinisrobin]

Thanks all for the warm welcome and taking the time to respond!

Great to know this is just a quality of the wood. I'm now seeing it as a cool bonus feature instead of a defect. Playing in has been great joy the last couple of days and comming from my Ibanez starter guitar it really has been an eye opening experience. Thanks again!

[Dave F]

Here's a J-200 I had that had similar grain

 

 

[Twang Gang]

Yes, common and nothing to worry about.  Here is one that has a natural top and you can see how they run all the way from up by the neck to the base of the guitar:

Edited July 10, 2020 by Twang Gang

[BoSoxBiker]

Here's Mine.

 

[MissouriPicker]

Yeah, wood grain kind of looks like that.  Twenty years from now it will likely still look like that.  .....Enjoy your J45!  There’s a reason they are legendary.

[robinisrobin]

Thanks guys, those are some real beauties above!

[Jinder]

As has been said, this is totally normal...please don't be alarmed! I know how it feels when you spend big money on something and you're unsure about an aspect, but this silking/mineral streaking is just a natural visual quality of that particular top. Personally I love it and think it adds an extra edge of individuality to your instrument. 

My SJ200 has some pretty particular grain patterns which set it apart from other examples and add to its personality...these are all high-end organic instruments and their uniqueness is something to be treasured in my opinion 🙂

Enjoy!

[Holiday Hoser]

That Bird is truly a beauty Pat!