D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

[Curlington]

D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Happy Holidays to all. Here is my D40CE. The serial number is CRM000002. Evidently, she was the second one made, so that dates her to 2001-2002, I believe. I played her and liked her a lot. Lots of projection and very balanced. The necks on the Corona CEs were thicker than those without the built-in box preamp. I also kind of like the snakehead on the CEs as opposed to the wider headstock on those without the built-in preamp. Then, obligations interfered, I took a hiatus from playing, lent her out, and she was returned to me with severe finish cracks radiating from the bridge. Opened up the sound, though. Dave

 

[dane]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Hey Dave,

Putting the cracks aside for a moment, that’s still a nice guitar. When you got it back, were you given any info on how the cracks in the finish happened? Please don’t get me wrong, I truly feel for you and know how I would feel if I loaned a guitar and had it returned with obvious cosmetic damage. But I also have to admit that the way they radiate from the bridge has me rather curious.

I’m far from an expert but I did have the finish crack on one guitar long ago when I was still young and dumb from opening a cold guitar case in a warm room. But the resulting damage cracked the finish all over, not just in an isolated area around the bridge. Again, I’m no expert but the cracks on your guitar remind me of stress cracks. Perhaps from a very hard hit to the bridge, or from extreme pressure applied to the bridge area, such as would happen when forcing the case closed with a music book, or something else with very little give sitting on top of the guitar. I don't know. As I said I'm really curious how this happend. You may want to take a light and mirror and check the braces on the top to make sure none are loose or damaged. I would also do a tap test to see if any of them rattle just in case it did take a hard knock.

Odd looking cracks to be sure. If you figure it out what happened, let us know.

Dane

 

[capnjuan]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

... Again, I’m no expert but the cracks on your guitar remind me of stress cracks. Perhaps from a very hard hit to the bridge, or from extreme pressure applied to the bridge area, such as would happen when forcing the case closed with a music book, or something else with very little give sitting on top of the guitar ...

+1 They don't look like conventional thermal stress fractures ... it looks like the bridge took a hit depressing the deck :?

 

[killdeer43]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Agreed.
Here's thermal stress on parade.

It was self-inflicted and I remember the exact time and place it happened. And I have two witnesses!

Joe

 

[evenkeel]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Gotta agree with dane and the good capn'. That just does not look like thermal cracks. Impact to the bridge seems a lot more likely. Still a very handsome guitar.

FWIW I'd grab a mirror and a flashlight and take a peak inside just to make sure all the braces are intact.

 

[chazmo]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Happy holidays to you too, Dave.

I would have that guitar examined by a luthier. I am not certain, but I think the guys are right that this finish damage could be a result of impact or stress. Is the guitar bellied up at all? If so you might indeed want to have the braces and bridge plate examined and the guitar might be showing signs of humidity/dryness damage.

Anyway, keep us posted.

 

[Curlington]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Thanks all for the comments and insight. I lent her to a friend for his (somewhat troubled at the time) teenage daughter. I was fond of the daughter, she was showing promise as a musician/artist, and I was calculating that a really nice guitar would inspire her. It did for a while, but the musician part did not take permanent root, sadly. I know better than to lend a fine Guild out, but do it anyway on occasion, for my own good reasons. I was told with great apology that she was left in the trunk overnight and they thought that was the cause of the cracking. The guitar, not the daughter, ha. These are life-long family friends and I just shrugged it off with a poker face, said these things happen, and did not press for details. On reflection, it is obviously logical that pressure on the bridge would have caused it.

In an unhappy coincidence, I put new strings on last night while watching the (Go!) Ravens win, read the posts this morning, and realized I just missed a window of opportunity to mirror the inside to look at the braces. I will check it out at the next chance, and thanks for the heads up in this regard. I would love to get one of those insight cameras from Santa but doubt he will be so generous. Maybe I will get one of those folding mirror things instrument things instead. Cheers, Dave

 

[Curlington]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Chazmo: I just read your message. Funny enough, I am scheduled to see a luthier tomorrow, but had not planned to take this guitar. There is no substantial bellying to my eye. Undoubtedly, the friends did not use the planet waves soundhole hydrator as I had instructed. Could drying out cause bellying that then caused the cracking? My recollection is that the friend was strongly implying if not saying that it was an acute event, i.e., we opened that case and were shocked. Dave

 

[capnjuan]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

... These are life-long family friends and I just shrugged it off with a poker face, said these things happen, and did not press for details.

Hi Dave: well ... 'no good deed goes unpunished' but your compassionate gesture would have gotten you onto this year's LTG All-Star team ...... if we had one. :wink: Best wishes,

 

[chazmo]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Chazmo: I just read your message. Funny enough, I am scheduled to see a luthier tomorrow, but had not planned to take this guitar. There is no substantial bellying to my eye. Undoubtedly, the friends did not use the planet waves soundhole hydrator as I had instructed. Could drying out cause bellying that then caused the cracking? My recollection is that the friend was strongly implying if not saying that it was an acute event, i.e., we opened that case and were shocked. Dave

Dave, I do think bellying could cause it, but probably it's a combination of things -- particularly the overheating of the guitar. The key thing now is to get the guitar stabilized in correct humidity and to make sure the braces are not loose. If eyeballing the thing doesn't show belly or bridge lift, the guitar is probably fine, Dave... still, I'd have your luthier take a look.

 

[GuildsSing]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Hi Dave,
Ditto to capn, you are a good man for lending out your Guild. And good things happen to nice folks, like maybe more Guilds. I can understand the checking concern and structure check in order. Having said that, my three oldest guitars are all checked or crazed. Maybe it's just me but I really like the look. A certain artistic beauty. When the structure check is done, I would give her the love she needs and look at it as beauty, a reminder of your kindness.

Dan

 

[Curlington]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

I hadn’t given much thought to the altruistic aspects, but thanks for the acknowledgments. These are many-generation friends that I grew up with and are like family. The lend-out in this case was a no-brainer to me at the time. I have another lending tale but will leave it for another time/thread. I will let you all know what the luthier says about her. She is too young for such wrinkles, but I agree beauty is in the eye of the beholder, skin deep, etc. What counts is the soul, and she has soul. Also, I am toying with a D-35 on clist locally. Too busy right now to follow through, but who knows what the future will bring. Dave

 

[curt]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Change this a bit... I've experimented with getting lacquer to reflow with stress cracks and have had some success. I'd pop that bridge and check under the hood. Sand it with 1200P and spray the entire with over thinned lacquer to get it to flow.

 

[taabru45]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Change this a bit... I've experimented with getting lacquer to reflow with stress cracks and have had some success. I'd pop that bridge and check under the hood. Sand it with 1200P and spray the entire with over thinned lacquer to get it to flow.

Really? :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[GardMan]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

I do think it possible that those are just lacquer checks from a thermal shock, without any physical blow or impact to the bridge area. My D-55 got thermal shocked in shipping from New Jersey thru a February deep freeze, and arrived pretty severly checked... some of the cracks radiate from the bridge just like those in the pics of this D-40, others radiate from the pickguard, and some from pre-existing "dings" that seem to provide a weak spot where the finish crack begins.

My theory is that the bridge, being attached to the top, affects the way top contracts/expands as it warmed or cooled rapidly, thus generating localized stresses that cause the finish cracks to originate there... I think it's probably for the same reason that you often see a similar thing with check marks radiating from the edge of the pickguard.

Personally, I wouldn't do anything to it...

 

[curt]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Those against the grain crazy cracking are only cause by stress. The bridge is the hight point on the top and has significant load so it doesn't take much to get that crazy cracking.

A couple of the guitars I've worked on.

http://www.midstateguitars.com/guitarsintheshop.html

 

[Bobby McGee]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

My D50CE (Carona) developed thermal stress cracks from flying in the belly of an airplane. Outside temperatures can get down to -70F.
I had similar issues with Westerly Guilds that were exposed to the cold.

At first I was upset, but after one strum, it was no longer an issue.

Bobby.

 

[curt]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

I see those cracks as stress from the guitar being abused by baggage people. Checks happen when the finish can't keep up with the wood expanding / contracting that happens against the grain, not with it. Now if that were a polyurethane finish I would agree with you. Below is a picture of my 58 Gretsch which has a little checking which is along the spruce grain line.

 

[capnjuan]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Hi Curt; thanks for the comment and pic. A year or so we played around here trying to find words that distinguish what's on your guitar ... 'finish checking' in the traditional sense and what's on this threaded guitar ... also called 'finish checking' but more accurately stress fractures.

Also think maybe Gardman is on it here; could be temperature wanting to make that top distort or deflect and that bridge acting like a barrier of some kind ... that those cracks don't start there ... they end there.

Thanks again for the pic ... what 'vintage' looks like.

 

[taabru45]

Re: D40CE Corona – Finish Checking

Another advantage of having a Tric (foam) case in the cold climates...lots of thermal protection. Steffan