Is flaking paint on neck joint a problem?

[tbonesullivan]

 

I don't think that's the case anymore. It happened on the older ones, but not the newer ones. At least mine don't have it!

It has been fixed, and it never affected all of the hamers. I have a bunch of Hamers from the 90s and the only place they have a little finish lifting is on the nut, which is graphite and paint usually doesn't stick anyway. I have seen pictures of Hamers with a lot of it though, but all were from the 90s.

 

It is supposedly a problem with finish bonding caused by glue.

[HANGAR18]

8 years... that is plenty of time for the finish to outgas a lot and become more brittle. The nitro also can shrink a bit, and just due to the different rates of expansion of two pieces of wood, that area gets a lot of stress.

 

Well, that makes sense. I just got a look at the back of the headstock and saw a bunch of cracking that looks like a bunch of big letter "H" 's. The cracking isn't visible in good light alone. I was only able to see it because I just happened to catch a glimpse of a reflection of the bright light source itself (daylight lightbulb) in the glossy back side of the headstock.

 

That part I don't think I'll mess with that at all. One day it will officially be an "old guitar" and will probably look like an old guitar by then.... maybe another 15 years. It will have character when it gets old. I think I'll just get a needle thin brush and some gloss black lacquer and touch up the neck joint and be done with it. Other than that, I keep the guitar hanging on a padded Hercules guitar stand (with a dust cover) in a climate controlled and monitored environment year 'round. I think that's the best I can do for it.

[DavesNotHere]

Yes, with fender style guitars you don't get neck pocket flaking. Instead you get neck pocket finish cracking, usually on the top of the neck. Got it on my Two hamer bolt ons, got it on my Fender Tele.

 

 

Heritage bolt ons get it too.