So I'm not here to wine, more to find out if this could develop into a real problem with my 2011 American Standard Strat..

I didn't notice this in the store, but when my 5 year old was holding my guitar (gently) I saw the light reflect off it differently and there are 2 straight lines, just under an inch apart the run from the bottom of the bridge to the bottom of the guitar. Thinking it was just where the pieces of body wood were joined, I felt it, and you can noticeably feel a little ridge where each of these lines are.. Looking closely at the rest of the body, I can see a few similar lines but I cannot feel them, so they are not a concern to me.

What I'm worried about is that this might be the body splitting? There is no crack in the finish yet.. And as long as its going to stay this way I can be happy. But if it starts to become more noticeable I will worry. Anyone seen anything like this before? I do have a picture I can post where the lines are visible. Almost seems like the body wasn't quite sanded to completion in this section before the finish was put on.

Thanks!

Yea, my Epiphone is the same way. It's not even so much as they didn't sand it well enough. It's more that wood grains get flip-flopped during the joining phase so you won't end up with a bow going in the same direction. So where one piece may be "cupped" in one direction, the next piece you join to it should be cupped in the other direction (by looking at the grain).

Keep in mind, I'm only talking about the grain, not a "cup" as in a cup shape of the surface.

Two lines less than an inch apart? I don't know what that could be without pics.

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It's completely normal. I kind of prefer it. To me (and this is just me being quirky) if I can see the wood grain under the paint it means that the pain is thin and the guitar will resonate well.

In the '70s Fender used polyester. It was thick, sanded easily, and looked great, but the thick polyester was like a noise reducing cocoon.

To me the thinner the paint the better. Have you ever noticed that the best sounding Strats always have little or no paint?

So no, I wouldn't worry about the lines.

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1975 Sunburst Stratocaster rosewood finger board
1979 Stratocaster with roseowood finder board
2001 Candy Green Clapton Stratocaster
2007 Andy Summers Inspired Telecaster
2007 '51 P-Bass
2012 Taylor 110
2015 Mystic Ice Blue Deluxe Stratocaster Plus

Thought I would post a pick. Where you can see those lines, you can also feel them.


DSC_0025 by ishbits, on Flickr

As long as they don't become more pronounced, I won't worry.

I would worry too much, but remember wood is a beathing thing. So remember that it will expand and contract with difference in tempreture and moisture level.

I had a white USA strat that was only a few years old and it had similar parallel ridges under the finish. I think Fender went to thinner finishes a couple of years back and this is the result. The wood continues to dry out and the grain pattern shows thru here and there. I doubt there's any reason to worry about the wood splitting, it's pretty tough wood.

If it's new and you our not comfortable with it can you take it back and get another one
Good luck