“Weather Checking” on a 339

[Tech21]

I have asked about this phenomenon before but I have found some photos of it.

 

Photos of this so-called “Weather Checking” on the back and front of a 2008 ES-339

 

 

Does anyone know what exactly this is?

What is it caused by and is it (or could it turn) serious?

 

I can’t imagine Gibson letting this guitar out of the gates in this condition in 2008, so has it happened in less than 2 years?

If so, is there any chance that all the newer ones out in the wild will start showing this problem when they get a little older?

 

And this isn't the only 339 that I have seen for sale with "Weather Checking" on it.

 

Thanks

 

T21

[rocketman]

It looks more like the top and back are splitting than "weather checking" of the finish. But I may be wrong (hard to really see). They're made out of a maple/poplar/maple laminate. I'm not sure how much they're prone to splitting than other tops though...

[KL]

This sort of thing generally results from the guitar being moved rapidly from one set of environmental conditions to another. It will not affect the structural integrity of your guitar as an instrument, it is the finish that is affected. It can happen to a brand new instrument. For example if it is shipped and gets very cold and then the carton is opened in a warm room the finish can crack straight away. To avoid this happening when a guitar is shipped or travels anywhere it should be left in it's case to warm up to room temperature for 24 hours before opening the case (or packaging). If you are a gigging musician it can be hard. For example when I travel to gigs at this time of year it's really cold. I try to minimize the time from moving my guitar cases to the vehicle and then from the vehicle to the venue at the other end etc. You should not travel with guitars in the trunk of your guitar if possible, as they will be exposed to more extreme temperature changes. Carry them in the car (in their cases) with the air conditioning on. If it's a comfortable temperature for you it will be better for them. You should not leave guitars in the trunk of your car on a hot day . . . they will get cooked very quickly. Avoid leaving guitars out of cases on stands or hanging on the walls as they will be exposed to wide fluctuations in temperature throughout the day. A lot of people leave their guitars hanging on the wall like ornaments, but this is a good way to expose them to wide fluctuations in temperature, especially if they are hung on an outside wall (ie a wall that the outside world is on the other side of, rather than another room in your house) as those walls are subject to the most temperature variation. Leaving guitars on stands or hanging can also lead to damage of the finish from the stand or hanging device. Do not leave your guitars (in or out of the case) next to heat sources like radiators etc. Sometimes you can get away with leaving guitars lying around, I know lots of people that do, but why risk it? Expensive guitars with nitrocellulose finishes are particularly susceptible to damage from bad storage.

[L5Larry]

KL- You forgot the most important part:

 

DO NOT, under any circumstances ever PLAY your guitar. It will always lead to irrepairable damage to your instrument such as string damage, fret wear, fingerboard wear, pickguard scratches, forearm haze, fingerprints on the finish, wear of the tuning gears, finish damage to the bridge saddles and pickup covers, plug scratches near the jack plate, and finish wear around the strap buttons. Playing your guitar will also cause you to have to re-tune it, which could lead to string breakage, and the eventual need to install new strings, which will ruin it's collector value due to the "replacement strings", and restringing your guitar will lead to scrapes and scatches on the tailpiece, headstock and tuner posts. Playing your guitar will also cause wear and tear to the potentiometers, switch and jack, causing the need for further maintenance and repair.

 

Everyone knows that a guitar should always be left sealed up in it's case and never played.

[Tech21]

To my untrained eyes it still looks like cracks in the wood and not in the finish.

 

All my guitars were shipped from the UK in the depths of winter, loaded into a container with the outside temp below 0°C spent 6 weeks in a container on the deck of a ship, passed through the tropics, over the equator, back through the tropics, and delivered to the other side of the planet, NZ, where they stood on Wellington docks at the height of a rather hot summer, temps of mid 30's°C (god only knows what temp the inside of the 40 foot HiCube container got to) waiting for customs clearance and were all absolutely fine when removed from their respective cases/gig-bags... no "weather checking" or anything...

This is why I am very suspicious of this term "Weather Checking" being used to describe what looks to me like the wood starting to split.

 

Has anyone here actually had any first hand experience of the finish of a guitar they own splitting or cracking due to the cold or heat?

And I am not looking for anecdotal references like ... "a bloke I once knew said that".... "A friend of mine had a cousin who said that".... "A guy at work knows this person who had a guitar that"....... "I once read that".... "I once heard that".... I am not interested in stuff like that, I am only interested in first hand experiences of this problem.

 

I am afraid I can only see extreme humidity causing this type of thing and not small changes of temperature, even though I do appreciate that "Relative Humidity" and temperature are directly linked.

 

 

T21

[KL]

KL- You forgot the most important part:

 

DO NOT' date=' under any circumstances ever PLAY your guitar. It will always lead to irrepairable damage to your instrument such as string damage, fret wear, fingerboard wear, pickguard scratches, forearm haze, fingerprints on the finish, wear of the tuning gears, finish damage to the bridge saddles and pickup covers, plug scratches near the jack plate, and finish wear around the strap buttons. Playing your guitar will also cause you to have to re-tune it, which could lead to string breakage, and the eventual need to install new strings, which will ruin it's collector value due to the "replacement strings", and restringing your guitar will lead to scrapes and scatches on the tailpiece, headstock and tuner posts. Playing your guitar will also cause wear and tear to the potentiometers, switch and jack, causing the need for further maintenance and repair.

 

Everyone knows that a guitar should always be left sealed up in it's case and never played.[/quote']

 

I play my guitars every day. I have shipped my guitars all over the world and so far have been very lucky with them not getting damaged. I have no problem with playing wear. It really depends where you live and what the climate is. I have lived in a tropical climate and in freezing cold conditions and my guitars have travelled with me. By taking care of them I have had many years of service from them and they remain in great playing condition and require minimal adjustment from time to time.

 

The post was about splits in the finish which are generally avoidable with a little care, and are not caused by normal use of the instrument like all the things you list in your post.

[KL]

Has anyone here actually had any first hand experience of the finish of a guitar they own splitting or cracking due to the cold or heat?

And I am not looking for anecdotal references like ... "a bloke I once knew said that".... "A friend of mine had a cousin who said that".... "A guy at work knows this person who had a guitar that"....... "I once read that".... "I once heard that".... I am not interested in stuff like that' date=' I am only interested in first hand experiences of this problem.

 

I am afraid I can only see extreme humidity causing this type of thing and not small changes of temperature, even though I do appreciate that "Relative Humidity" and temperature are directly linked.

[/quote']

 

Yes I have seen this,

 

I shipped a Fender lap steel once that was an old custom colour (black) one. It was in the winter and the finish got a 6" split in it. It was very well packed at it was due to the temperature changes it experienced.

 

Gibson actually print instructions on their cartons (or did the last time they shipped one to me) when they ship advising the recipient not to open the carton until it achieves room temperature.

[cdntac]

While I don't own this guitar (I cropped the pic below to show the body of the guitar close-up) I have used it --- and let me tell you....it's checkered! It does give it a bit of a cool, unique look though.

 

It was explained to me that temp changes caused the finish to checker and that it happened rather quickly (most of the time it's not possible to allow it to acclimate in its case).

 

[Dub-T-123]

Is that Ted Nugent?

 

Man look how disgusting his hand is. Geez.

[cdntac]

The hand is slightly blurred from moving so fast (I took the pic).

[KL]

Here's what Gibson themselves say on their website:

 

Never open a cold case in a hot room, and vice versa. If you do encounter extremes in temperature and humidity, leave the instrument in its case so that it can slowly acclimate to the change. Opening a case in a heated room after it's spent a few hours in the unheated trunk of a car could have the same effect on lacquer as pouring boiling water into a cold glass. It will crack right before your eyes. the proper acclimation time depends on the severity of the change. When you decide to remove the instrument, gently crack the case open for a time to allow for a gradual change in temperature.

[Tech21]

Yes, I have also seen old guitars and very heavily used guitars with cracks in them, old isn't the issue here.

The 339 I posted photos of is less than 2 years old... and it's not the only 339 advertised with "Weather Checking".

What I want to know is have 339's got a problem with : -

1) the finish

2) is there a problem with the type of wood they are made from

3) are the materials the top and back are made from under seasoned

4) has the manufacturing process introduced stress problems in the top and back

5) is there a fundamental design flaw in making a 335 smaller and calling it a 339

 

I would really like to get this cleared up before I decide to buy one, or do I just play safe and go for a 335?

 

Thanks

 

T21

[Murph]

I bought a first year ('07) 339 in Sept of '08 from Musicians Friend, and it sat in a truck in Marion Illinois over the weekend because MF didn't get it out for 2 days. It went straight to work and gigged almost every single weekend until Jan. of 2010. I live in Illinois. Mine has gigged all through the winters, ect. Has NO ISSUES.

 

I bought an '08 Studio Les Paul to take the strain off the 339 because it's my favorite guitar.

 

I think you can be stupid and crack one that bad, but if you take care of it and use a little common sense you'll be fine.

 

Best of luck.

 

Murph.

[tbonesullivan]

this is why my gibsons and heritages never get taken out of the house during the winter. I've got plenty of other guitars with non-lacquer finishes. If i really had to take one, It would go straight into the car, and then straight into where ever.

[GibSinCity]

Looks like someone sat on the case while she was in it.

[whoobla]

Could be alot of things. My gtrs,les paul,tel, es 339 , martin hd 28 stay in a climate comtrol room at 45% - 55% relative humidity, and when taken out I follow the case procedure. Ask yourself where you store it ?? Humidity , do you take it from very cold to warm ?? I live where it gets dry and very cold in the winter so I'm extreme about.

[lespaul339]

That doesn't look like weather checking to me, but I could be wrong. All I know is if that happend to my 339 I would cry.