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Post subject: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:29 pm
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Hello,
I'm a newbie to a Fender world, not long ago i have bought my first American Standart stratocaster - 2014, HSS, Jade Pearl Metallic.
Today while changing strings and cleaning my guitar i noticed some strange cracks on the body. They are very hard to notice, i can see them only on some sharp angle and bright light. Looks like they are under the lacquer - i can't feel them by my fingers, the lacquer finish is still solid and does not have any damages. I'm keeping my guitar very well, i never dropped it. Can anyone tell me what is it and why it hapened so?
P.S. I can't make any photo because those cracks are really hard to notice, but i have found one, that looks familiar. Please, notice, that it is not my guitar on the photo.
Image


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:12 am
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Cracks looking like the ones in that pic may be a result of sudden large temperature changes, like straight from room temperature to freezing winter temperatures. This was also suggested on the Russian forum the pic is borrowed from (if one can trust the google translator).

On your guitar, I just can't say anything. The "only on some sharp angle and bright light", "can't make any photo because those cracks are really hard to notice" may also suggest it's just the wood grain shining through. Jade Pearl Metallic is an odd color, different light and different angle make it look different, so one possibility is, it's just the paint playing its tricks.

Take special care of your guitar (hardshell case...), and try to forget the 'lookalike cracks' in your everyday life but check every once in a while (e.g while doing setups, string changes) if the situation gets worse. Contact the seller if you need to.


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 5:19 am
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Roadie
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I Google searched fender and the finish color and got a result from someone else that might explain the issue with the metallic paint.


"The fact is that the multi layering to create the metallic look has layers of finish that don't bond well together. If you drop it hard, the layers will likely separate. BUT THIS SHOULDN'T KEEP YOU FROM BUYING THE GUITAR if you are careful with it. I think some of the metallic finishes are gorgeous. But because of how they accomplish the metallic thing, yes they will be a bit more fragile than standard poly finishes which are easier to touch up if dinged and less damaged if dropped. Just don't drop it."

https://www.strat-talk.com/threads/metallic-finishes-bordeaux-cracking-being-fragile.395477


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 9:57 am
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Thanks for answers.

On your guitar, I just can't say anything. The "only on some sharp angle and bright light", "can't make any photo because those cracks are really hard to notice" may also suggest it's just the wood grain shining through

Really i also think so, because i never dropped the guitar and never damaged it other way. So i guess that happened because of the shrink of the wood and maybe because of the climate conditions. Some say that many guitars that have thin lacquer finish have the same problems even in magasins and they think that is because of the technological process in making fender guitars with solid colors. Sunbursts and laminated tops don't have such things.
Also If the guitar has been dropped i think there would be really worse things and damages.
I was just wondering and looking for answers. I am not giving it any attention, just noticed and decided to ask about such things, maybe someone will tell me why it happened so.


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 10:18 am
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Heres some images of my guitar, the place where those cracks are the most noticeable
Image
Image
Image
Image


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 10:35 pm
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Nice looking guitar. :)

Btw, that is a poly finish, not lacquer.

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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 10:51 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
Btw, that is a poly finish, not lacquer.


+1

And it's likely the reason why the color coat cracked. Lacquer is organic in composition and "breathes" just like the wood beneath it. As ambient thermal changes occur, it expands or contracts just as the substrate below. Polyester is a synthetic and less pliable -- it tends to fracture when exposed to extreme temperature variations.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 12:15 am
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Just for the record, nitro finishes crack with sudden temperature changes, too.
There's even a gyrogearloose relic method for getting that vintage Gibson style weather checking: heat the guitar thoroughly, then cool the surface suddenly...
(In my 'hood, "everybody" knows that after suffering through a six hour travel, covered with a tarp in the rental trailer, at -20° C, any '58 Gold Top really needs to sit in its case quite a while when the band arrives to the Crazy Reindeer Restaurant...)

BTW, on that strat-talk-drop-down-theory; I just don't buy that. A dropped guitar would have other damage (local paint chips, knocked off or sunken in strap buttons, neck pocket fractures etc; and with Gibsons, broken headstocks) long before the whole paint surface would crack.


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 7:30 am
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jmattis wrote:
Just for the record, nitro finishes crack with sudden temperature changes, too.

Not nearly as much, which is why nitro paint was used on cars. It has aging issues, but that's not much of a factor here.

In any case, changes in humidity is as much of a problem, depending on the wood. Which is why you see the stripes going parallel to the grain. Temperature expansion works in all directions, while humidity changes generally expands the wood against the grain (trees can have their bark crack in droughts, but won't get shorter or taller). A pull against the grain causes cracking with the grain.
And the force of wood expanding/contracting is strong enough to break even the strongest paint, whether polyurethane, polyacrylic or nitrocellulose.

For what it's worth, humidity problems causing lacquer problems are in my woodworking experience more often seen with kiln-dried wood than air dried wood stored for years.


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 9:16 am
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arth1 wrote:
Not nearly as much, which is why nitro paint was used on cars. It has aging issues, but that's not much of a factor here.


My point precisely.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 11:20 am
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arth1 wrote:
jmattis wrote:
Just for the record, nitro finishes crack with sudden temperature changes, too.

Not nearly as much

That's not what I was saying, either...
Funny, though, Fender disagrees with you: Tech Talk, Finishes :wink:

But one clarification: an AmStd HSS 2014 is polyurethane, not polyester. Fender called it just 'urethane', probably to separate from 'poly' which is commonly used with Japanese polyester guitars.
Damnation what a nitpicky day. :oops:


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:44 pm
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Yep, humidity is a real problem. I live in a dry climate and always have a humidifier working im my room and a portable weather station to control the level. The place where i have bought this guitar conversely has a a very wet climate and as i see the condition of this strat, looks like it was keeping in a hardshell case for a long time haven't been played even - it looks like new exept those cracks. So i guess, the climate changes affected this time.


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 4:56 am
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Have to say, mate, I can't see the problem. From some angles, both my CS and AmSpec have visible grain lines under the finish. Doesn't seem very professional to me (for a guitar builder) but they both play great and that's all I care!

I appreciate, though, that you say the marks are very difficult to photograph - pretty much impossible, to my eyes! On what I can('t) see, I'd just play it...!

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: What happened with the finish?
Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 8:46 am
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Quote:
Have to say, mate, I can't see the problem. From some angles, both my CS and AmSpec have visible grain lines under the finish. Doesn't seem very professional to me (for a guitar builder) but they both play great and that's all I care!

I appreciate, though, that you say the marks are very difficult to photograph - pretty much impossible, to my eyes! On what I can('t) see, I'd just play it...!


Thanks. I don'see any problem too in fact, i just wanted to know what it is, that's why i asked. I also think it is not professional for fender, to have this, anyway, let it be so. I also play my guitar and don't matter about anything else - it's very great. I'm just curious :)


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