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white les paul studio, hairline crack at the seam of the neck joint


cliftonclyde

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Hi,

 

This is the best pic I can take to describe what I am talking about, but I will try and thanks for looking.

 

I have an alpine white les paul studio about 5 years sold. I noticed something on the seam of the neck joint that looks like a very thin black line. Looks like it is on the joint of the neck on the seam on the side. I am wondering if anyone else noticed something like this on their les paul. Strangely enough, I had a white jackson Dinky that did something simular.

 

Here is a link to the pic...should I be concerned? Everything seems fine and it never goes out of tune.

 

Thanks to all!

 

http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h126/cliftonclyde/?action=view&current=SS858418.jpg

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I agree with callen, odds are it really is only a finish crack, I can figure if not a full neck crack, maybe weather made the finish expand and it found the neck join the best place to crack when expanded. And yeah, although probably pricey, a tech will fix it right up.

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yeah that is kinda what it looks like. It doesn't look like it is a wood crack. Its right on the seam' date=' maybe the paint loosened up over the years or something. Thing stays really well in tune and all. [/quote']

 

Wood moves around over time, not much. paint doesnt move, it cracks.

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the joint flexed more than the paint can handle and the paint now reveals where the joint seam is. don't lift the guitar by the neck unless you're holding in right next to that joint (to avoid undue flex). the further away from the neck joint (toward the headstorck) you lift from the more potential stress you load on that joint - especially true with the heavy body of an LP. as the others have said, keep and eye on it and if the seam starts to widen, take it in to luthier.

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Wood's dimensions alter with changes in temperature and humidity, and hairlines can develop. It can be minimised by allowing the guitar to remain in the case so that it can acclimatise to different conditions. Might be due to some physical stress, but it would be helpful if there were better pictures.

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Hiya

 

I have exactly the same crack on 3 of my Gibsons. An 07 Flying V, 07 Reverse V (both came with the crack!!!) and a 2002 ES137C. All of them are transparent finishes and I can see it is a nitro crack only and in all 3 cases the wood joint is sound. The 135 has been like that for 6 years, no problems.

 

It sucks cosmetically but sadly part of the game of owning a Gibson. My 8 year old Les Paul on the other hand has been put through hell and while theres a little checking on other parts of the body, the neck is fine... It's hit and miss.

 

Over and out

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Hi' date='

 

This is the best pic I can take to describe what I am talking about, but I will try and thanks for looking.

 

I have an alpine white les paul studio about 5 years sold. I noticed something on the seam of the neck joint that looks like a very thin black line. Looks like it is on the joint of the neck on the seam on the side. I am wondering if anyone else noticed something like this on their les paul. Strangely enough, I had a white jackson Dinky that did something simular.

 

Here is a link to the pic...should I be concerned? Everything seems fine and it never goes out of tune.

 

Thanks to all!

 

http://s63.photobucket.com/albums/h126/cliftonclyde/?action=view&current=SS858418.jpg[/quote']

 

Ignore it for now. It's Most likely a finish crack due to expansion and contraction of the wood at a different rate from the lacquer. Guitars finished in nitrocelluolose lacquer are more susceptible to this because the finish eventually becomes more brittle with age as the solvents continue to outgas. That's why you routinely see older Gibsons with finish checking and even lacquer flaking off in spots. IMHO, it's time for Gibson to stop using that junk and move to a UV-catalyzed polyester thin coat that doesn't continue to degrade with time, but they've promoted it as some kind of mojo tone inducer, so they've stuck themselves (and you) with it.

 

It's probably *not* an indication that there's a stability problem with the neck or the glue joint. I've got glued-neck lacquer-finished guitars that have had a crack line around the neck joint for 40 years, and they're rock-solid stable.

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Myself hum ...

 

Very well could be nothing to be addressed ... If it were my guitar

 

 

Think i would have a tech take a look at it , better to be safe than sorry and to me that line looks too straight across because finish cracking for the most part are not straight lines they deviate to some degree .

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  • 1 year later...

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