Why does lacquer crack like this?

austinrocket

And is it an issue? It's on a guitar I've been offered on another site 

https://imgur.com/gallery/8PG6U

Funkfingers

The finish is less flexible than the wood that it covers. The clear lacquer on my 2006 LP Goldtop is crazing in exactly the same way - only not so much.

clarkefan

People pay good money for that cracking!   I recall people alternating putting their Rx Les Pauls in warm then freezing environments to try get the nitro to crack... 

57Deluxe

me too on my 2007  white Studio LP

http://i61.tinypic.com/2uj4gmo.jpg

underdog

Mine too on 2015 junior 

HHwarner

Its a Gibson

Funkfingers

HHwarner said:

It's a Gibson

We have a winner!

Jonathanthomas83

Any way top prevent it? Not fancying my LP going like that in a few years time. :-/

WezV

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Any way top prevent it? Not fancying my LP going like that in a few years time. :-/

Get it resprayed in a different finish.


its always a possibility with nitro.  Some formulations craze less, but most will still do it.

gibson spent a long time changing the formulation to prevent it with some success, but it still happened.  I think they have given up trying in recent years as people are more accepting of it as a characteristic of nitro.

austinrocket

Does it de value a guitar then? 

StuartMac290

It's funny, it's never happened to any of mine, and I've been gigging and touring with Gibsons for about 28 years!

Those are famous last words right there. 

GoldenEraGuitars

austinrocket said:

Does it de value a guitar then? 

Certainly not. As mentioned above, people pay decent money to get that sort of natural ageing. 

It gives the guitar some character with being forcefully aged 

Jez6345789

I read somewhere that regular polishing with a soft duster helps prevent this. due to some molecular eff3ct.

sounded like pseudo science especially if thermal stress is the biggest culprit.

think the guy saying had two les Paul’s of similar age or bought together one as his number one which he wiped down after every gig and one that lived in the case was only used as a spare.

the spare showed normal checking the wiped down and used one did not crack.

probably just internet wisdom.

WezV

The difference in thickness of finish, batch of nitro or subsequent storage conditions will have a lot more affect than that 

lustycourtier

I’d love my 335 to check

WezV

lustycourtier said:

I’d love my 335 to check

Leave it in the car overnight when it’s freezing and bring into a warm house in the morning.  It may not happen the first time, but it will normally get it in the end