Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Is there anyway to prevent checking? Why does it happen? And is it more common in solid colors or bursts? Thoughts?

I think checking is usually caused by rapid temperature changes. An example would be when a cold instrument is suddenly exposed to a much warmer environment. The wood may expand quicker than the finish so the finish can crack. I believe hollow body guitars are more prone to this due to the warmer air being able to get inside and cause the wood to expand even quicker. I have seen checking on bursts and solid colors so I don't think that matters much.

I think it's the clear coat that usually cracks, so color shouldn't matter. Impacts can cause checking. Checking that does not follow the natural wood grain or is radiating out from the neck joint may mean trouble.

When clear coat checks, it can take the color coat with it, exposing bare wood in the cracks. There's no hard and fast rule to this, however.

jingle_jangle wrote:When clear coat checks, it can take the color coat with it, exposing bare wood in the cracks. There's no hard and fast rule to this, however.

OUCH, I didn't know that. I just assumed it was the top coat as well.

Extreme changes in humidity can cause checks as well. On my only Rickenbacker that has a minor checked finish, the checks radiate from "stress" points like screw-holes. This isn't the case with old Fenders - they seem to check anywhere and everywhere....

Thanks for all the info!

I agree especially when you go from very cold to room temp. Up here in Canada many a ricky purchaser has regretted not letting their ricky fully acclimate to room temp before cracking the box