seabeesw Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 Hey all. So, I was gifted a cherry red J45 standard back in December. A couple months after getting it I started to notice a couple hairline cracks on the lower bout. They’re both bookmatched, in the exact same spot on both sides of the center seam. I’m not sure yet if they’re actual cracks or just finish checking from grain irregularity, but they’ve definitely gotten larger/longer since I first noticed them. I’ve attached some photos. Has anyone ever had this experience with nitro finished acoustics, or Gibson acoustics in general? I kept it well humidified all winter, didn’t take it out in the cold or change the temp too quickly because I know nitro will check pretty easily with shrinkage from drying or cold to warm changes. It’s kind of concerning to me being as the the guitar is only a few months old. Any feedback would be appreciated 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 There might be little you can do, as wood and their finishes will move a little anyway, despite your attempts at humidification, until that particular guitar finds it's settling point. If those cracks progress further I would have them repaired from underneath and install a couple of pre-emptive strike cleats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 It's very difficult trying to tell from a photo if a dark line is a crack or part of the grain. First thing I'd do is document it - good photo with a ruler to show exact length so you can tell if it gets longer. That, of course would indicate a crack, not grain. Second, while waiting to see if it lengthens - I'd bring it to a luthier, or an expert in wood sales or finishing for an opinion. Then, if they are certain it's a crack - I'd bring it back to the retailer.... before their return policy expires. If it has - have them provide you with direction on how to proceed, no doubt having it sent to a repair facility certified by Gibson within their warranty. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 ...that, too! Good advice! Forgot it was 'new'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 Just guessing here. The wood may have been cracked prior on the other side prior to the top being put on. If you bought New. I would be taking it to a Gibson warranty shop. And get them to inspect the underside to see if the cracks are longer on the inside. And measure from centre to crack . It could very well be a resin in the wood fail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 It's really hard to say what those lines are from the photos alone (the top is also blindingly bright). Can the lines be felt or are they located underneath the lacquer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryNimda Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I agree with everyone else, you should take it to a qualified luthier for inspection. The picture with the full-frontal is really great. Beautiful guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seabeesw Posted March 21, 2022 Author Share Posted March 21, 2022 On 3/19/2022 at 2:49 PM, Leonard McCoy said: It's really hard to say what those lines are from the photos alone (the top is also blindingly bright). Can the lines be felt or are they located underneath the lacquer? They can definitely be felt when you run a fingernail across them. I’m just unsure of whether or not it’s just finish cracking from a deeper spot in the grain (maybe where some filler was used, like slimt suggested). Theyre almost identical to each other too, which would stand to reason as the tops are bookmatched. The only issue I foresee being a problem Is that my girlfriend bought it from a third party retailer on Reverb (New but listed as “like new” because the guy wasn’t an authorized retailer. She didn’t know about non-transferable warranty or the fact that Gibson only offers service to the original buyer, and even then only for guitars bought from authorized Gibson retailers. Had I known her plan I would have stopped her and gone through an official Gibson retailer. She just wanted to do something nice for me) so I’m currently trying to coordinate with the original buyer to get the warranty work done if the guitar does need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seabeesw Posted March 21, 2022 Author Share Posted March 21, 2022 18 hours ago, OrdinaryNimda said: I agree with everyone else, you should take it to a qualified luthier for inspection. The picture with the full-frontal is really great. Beautiful guitar! Thanks man. I’d wanted a cherry J45 ever since I saw the custom shop model they turned out in 2014 or whenever, and was super stoked when they made it a standard finish option. Imagine my surprise when I got one as an unexpected gift, and then imagine my disappointment at discovering my dream guitar has potentially catastrophic material failure. I’ve taken some steps to really make it my own. Nickel keystone tuner buttons. Removed the UST and replaced the tusq saddle with a compensated bone one from Bob Colosi. Also replaced the bridge pins with matching red dot bone pins (also from Bob Colosi). And I know it’s a little goofy, but I put a custom engraved truss rod cover on it that says “Rosie”. I’ve been considering removing the tortoise pickguard and replacing it with a black j45 teardrop guard (to match the black head plate), but I’m still on the fence about it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Im not to sure about filler. These are split for the book match grain. Im betting there was a crack prior to being glued together and mounted to the rim. Im also betting it was not detected at the time. But the crack was barely noticeable to detect at the refinish , assembly and QC prior to boxing up. I bet it started as a very fine slice. Then proceeded to get longer. I used to have that issue with Brazilian In the raw it looked real Nice. At the time of the finish , it looked really Nice. After going through the drying process when the clear dried up. The barely seen cracks started showing through. Some through the sap wood , a few in the bookmatched quartersawn grains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 4 hours ago, seabeesw said: They can definitely be felt when you run a fingernail across them. I’m just unsure of whether or not it’s just finish cracking from a deeper spot in the grain (maybe where some filler was used, like slimt suggested). Theyre almost identical to each other too, which would stand to reason as the tops are bookmatched. The only issue I foresee being a problem Is that my girlfriend bought it from a third party retailer on Reverb (New but listed as “like new” because the guy wasn’t an authorized retailer. She didn’t know about non-transferable warranty or the fact that Gibson only offers service to the original buyer, and even then only for guitars bought from authorized Gibson retailers. Had I known her plan I would have stopped her and gone through an official Gibson retailer. She just wanted to do something nice for me) so I’m currently trying to coordinate with the original buyer to get the warranty work done if the guitar does need it. In that case, these are hairline cracks. The top might be under too much stress or tension, which may or may not be humidity or climate-related. If these cracks are not looked after, they might expand into more than just hairline cracks. The guitar might have also received some trauma otherwise (e.g. falling onto the pin strap) to cause such instability in the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvi Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 put a flashlight on the "cracks " with a mirror inside the git, if light shines thru your cracked, just an idea, cheers... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 New Voter ID Test: Shine a flashlight in the voters ear - if any light comes out the other ear - a Poll Watcher fills out his ballot for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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