Ahhh just noticed a problem with my SJ-300

[Gibson101]

I just grabbed my SJ-300 to strum a little bit and noticed the finish on the backstrip is raised up and slightly cloudy in a few spots, almost seems as if it could just flake off, very distressing. Just wondering who I should call at Gibson to have this looked at, or any thoughts on what to do? Any help would be great thank you. I am so bummed right now.

[dwolf]

First off, don't panic. Sometimes finish problems can be due to rapid temperature or humidity changes. You want to monitor carefully--a thermometer/hygrometer is an essential tool and you want to make sure you are watching conditions closely, humidifying as needed, guitar in the case when your not playing it, etc. Particularly if you live in an area that gets really cold. Heaters dry the air. There's lots of discussion on the internet--but you might already know this, so, I'm assuming that your guitar hasn't been exposed to extreme or rapidly changing conditions. Sometimes, for whatever reason, lacquer may not adhere properly and may lift over time. Since it's at the backstrip, there may be an underlying seam separation. I'd first contact Gibson Montana and see what they advise. Finish problems are usually not under warranty, but I'd sure ask. If it's a structural problem like a seam separation it may well be covered. If it is just a lacquer problem with no underlying structural issue, it can be fixed. I had a '93 J-200 that had a similar problem around the tuner grommets on the face of the headstock. Circular areas of cloudiness and lifting. I've seen a few 90's Gibsons with this. My repairman is very, very good, and he was able to fix it where it was completely invisible. He explained the process--he carefully applied a solvent with something like a micropipette and was able to get the lacquer to lay back down. Again--it was a flawless repair. I had the guitar for another couple years and it never recurred. Nice thing about lacquer is it's repairable. Don't panic, call Gibson and see what they advise. It will be OK.

[gearbasher]

My '95 SJ-45 Deluxe showed the same thing, cloudy finish about 2 inches long on the back/center strip. I noticed it about 5-6 years ago. I left it alone and it hasn't changed. I think it was caused by over humidification, but I could be (and probably am) wrong.