Finish Checking - Can it happen to a boxed-up guitar?

[brycycle]

Paul,

i received a '77 Walnut 4001 that i don't believe had any checking prior to shipping.

i kept it in the box, in the case until it was room temperature - but to my disappointment the bass is checked mid-body front and back.

could this have happened en route going from the back of a truck (passed through Winnipeg where the temp. is roughly -30C), to a sorting plant (warmer), back onto a truck, etc?

thanks

[phlemmy]

i certainly don't think it's outside the realm of possibilities. i'm sitting on one now for a buyer who wants to wait till spring before i ship it to him for that reason.

[leftybass]

How long was it in transit...?

[brycycle]

in transit for one week.

exposed to temperatures as low as -15F.

[jingle_jangle]

It's possible, but not too likely.

I've received Ricks from very cold climates to my shop in SF, where it was 60°F. Transit times varied from a couple of days to a week or so. I've never had any checking happen in transit. I've never had any customers send me their instruments any way except by ground, where temperature transients are gradual, especially considering the box and case's protection.

My first two new Ricks were shipped Next Day Air when I got them; one from LaCrosse (Dave's) and one from Colorado (Wildwood), at this time of year. Pulling the cases out of their factory shipping boxes, I got a blast of frigid air each time. I left them for a couple of days in my office.

[brycycle]

hmmm...

well i received 2 Rics the same day - the 4001 and the 4002.

both left to acclimatize for the same amount of time.

the 4002 had no checking (thankfully).

[winston]

Bryce I had a similar experience with my JG350 Liverpool model. The seller swore on a stack of bibles that there was no finish checking when he shipped it to me. I have always wondered if he was telling the truth. After reading Pauls' comments I suspect not.

[brycycle]

i'm still trying to figure it out. i don't see any sign of the checking in the photos the seller sent me.

depending on the lighting, they could have been concealed/hidden in the pics...but i truly don't suspect the seller would have done this.

strange - how it happened to one bass and not the other...though i'm sure there are many factors i'm not taking into account (routes, time in transit, how many times it went from inside to outside, etc)...

bottom line; it's a shame as the finish is beautiful with no sign of buckle rash, hardly even the slightest markings on the back.

[leftybass]

If it's any comfort, I know of a Walnut Rickenbacker guitar, a rather famous one, pictured in a couple of different reference books......When I got a chance to handle it in person, it had a fair amount of checking in the clearcoat that doesn't show up in any photographs I've seen of the said guitar.

[brycycle]

interesting, thanks John.

[ajish4]

Hey Bryce,

Was the Walnut packed like the 4002 was?

Another point, when I took pictures of my '73 BG dead on, you didn't see ANY checking....when you took an ANGLE shot, the flash was picked up in the checking and reflected back. I'll check my around for BOTH pictures, so you will see the difference.

Sorry to hear the bad news.

[jingle_jangle]

Bryce, it's still my impression that the double insulation of the corrugated carton and the case do a lot to ease the sudden transition from cold to hot that causes checking. For a finish to check, the temperature change has to occur in seconds, not the five to ten minutes it takes for heat or cold from outside to penetrate the packaging in a case such as this. I suppose it's possible that the varnish on this instrument was unusually brittle for reasons of age or treatment in its past, but still I think this is unlikely.

[leftybass]

To add to my earlier post, the Walnut guitar I mentioned has, to my knowlwdge, never ever been cold or transported through extreme temperature changes. My guess is that it has stayed in the same location since it was made....

Now...has it gotten too warm in it's lifetime? Dunno.

[jingle_jangle]

John, so it could possibly be a situation peculiar to that guitar. Perhaps it was treated with a solvent wax product (stay away from Johnson's "Pride") at sometime in its history; perhaps it was the particular and unique combination of the colors used, the wood, and the conversion varnish mix used on one day or one week at RIC when the guitars were being painted. Hard to know, unfortunately.

[ajish4]

Ok,

As promised...here are the pictures of my 73 4001 BG.

It took some doing to get the "checking" to show up.

A simple camera angle, can hide a multitude of sins!