It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 11:00 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Problem? White spots on Strat's skunk stripe
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:07 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:11 pm
Posts: 112
Can someone please tell me what these spots are from? Is it finish cracking? Air bubbles?

And is this a problem? It doesn't affect playability but I'm wondering if this defect will harm the neck in the long run. I recently purchased this guitar from GC used who did not mention it. Is it a big deal? Thanks!

Image


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Problem? White spots on Strat's skunk stripe
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:11 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:08 am
Posts: 9034
Location: Louisiana
It looks like the finish is lifting. How does it feel to the touch? Hard for me to say from a photo. Does it feel as though the finish is gone or a bubble if you apply pressure to it? It could be where glue had been on the wood and wiped off. I'd have to feel it and inspect in person. Good luck!


Last edited by fhopkins on Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Problem? White spots on Strat's skunk stripe
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:15 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:29 am
Posts: 4238
Location: Pgh Pa
+1


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Problem? White spots on Strat's skunk stripe
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:35 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26418
Location: Tombstone Territory
+2

Some type of molecular reaction is causing the finish coat to de-bond from the wood.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Problem? White spots on Strat's skunk stripe
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 10:14 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:57 am
Posts: 13164
Location: Peckham: where the snow leopards roam
fhopkins wrote:
It looks like the finish is lifting. How does it feel to the touch? Hard for me to say from a photo. Does it feel as though the finish is gone or a bubble if you apply pressure to it? It could be where glue had been on the wood and wiped off. I'd have to feel it and inspect in person. Good luck!

A perfect diagnosis.

The fact that it is just on the walnut stripe rather than the maple suggests it might be to do with the slightly "oily" nature of that wood which has failed to take the lacquer properly on this occasion, though I think Mr Hopkins' glue traces hypothesis is convincing. Perhaps someone just wasn't quite as careful prepping the timber on this neck as they should have been: lacquer normally goes onto walnut perfectly well with only the normal sanding and de-greasing operations done on it.

We more often see this problem on the black plastic dot markers on maple fingerboards. If it is out of warranty there is nothing much to be done about it unless you want the hassle of re-finning it. Which is perfectly possible, of course.

And I'm not sure if it would apply to this situation but guitar finish issues are normally specifically excluded from the maker's warranty. You'd have to check with Customer Services about that, if the guitar is less than a year old.

On the plus side, it is unlikely to hurt the playability of the instrument in the slightest.

Cheers - C

_________________
Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Problem? White spots on Strat's skunk stripe
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:28 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:11 pm
Posts: 112
Thanks for the thoughts, gents. If I was being picky I would say that the stripe itself seems possibly a little more raised than the maple neck. Though, the white spots themselves don't appear to be bubbly.

The neck is stamped "Hector Montes," a luthier in FCS who crafted the earliest EC Strat necks. Either way, this guitar is 22 years old so I'm not that concerned. It doesn't affect playability. If it's not a stability concern than I'm not really bothered with it. I don't plan to ever sell the guitar.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Problem? White spots on Strat's skunk stripe
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 1:07 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:34 pm
Posts: 67
Location: Scotland
Fender had a problem with this around the early 90's. The lacquer finishes were not adhering properly on the maple necked guitars. It was particularly bad if the guitars were prone to damp conditions. They didn't admit to this back then but the problem was resolved later. If your guitar is 22 years old and stored in the right conditions it should be OK now.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Problem? White spots on Strat's skunk stripe
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 6:03 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:57 pm
Posts: 3
I have that on my 4 month old highway one in only one spot and I can feel the uneveness but the guy who was the warrantee guy said it was not a warrantee issue, (so I'm SOL) he photo'd it on his cell phone and sent it to Fender. Nothing. I am very disappointed in a new guitar. I have an American Special 1 year old and no problem. :x


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: