I bought an American Vintage Hot Rod '62 Stratocaster and if you look at the finish closely there are several vertical lines in the finish that don't quite look like checking but i'm not really sure what they are. perhaps i am seeing the grain due to the thin finish? I was wondering if this is normal of if mine has some defect.

Hello Jeroman,

Firstly welcome to the forum.

I'm a '62 hotrod owner and sure enough
those same phantom lines show in my finish
Most agree these are glue lines where where the
wood is joined together. It doesn't bother me.

Nikininja, a owner of a '57 hotrod has also reported
the same issue with his great looking red guitar.

I love that neck on the '62,
Best of luck with yours.

Cheers.

I thought it was paint sink on the body joins caused by the thin finish. My customshop guitar has it too as do a few other CS owners. Nothing to worry about.

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No no and no

aha, ok. i also have a custom clasic tele (in teh honey blonde) and never noticed it on that one. my hot rod is in sherwood green and it seems to show up in more than just the two places the wood would be joined. maybe it's just a peculiarity to the wood that the body is made of. iirc crazing usually occurs horizontally due to the way the wood expands. these don't really "crack" the finish but look more like the "sink" described above.
thanks for the friendly responses a nitpicky question!

Perhaps its just sinking into the wood regardless of body join positioning. I'm sure those hotrod paintjobs are made to age early. Ive a customclassic strat in the same colour as my hotrod too. Thats the other one thats sinking, despite the finish being polyurethane. Its stamped in the neck pickup cavity.

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No no and no

Hello Nikininja,

Yes, were on the same page just
a bit differing terminology.
My '62 is white so it's pretty hard to notice.

Cheers.