Lacquer Checking

[lb61906]

Any of you guys experiencing lacquer checking on your Heritage guitars. Just curious as my one my guitars has developed some checking despite being store properly and not being exposed to significant changing in temperature. Not bummed about it, was just wondering if it was normal for a two year old instrument.

 

Happy New Year fellas,

 

J

[HANGAR18]

Yep. Heritage uses old school nitro lacquer which will naturally react to aging. An old H157 I now wish I hadn't sold had some natural checking setting in.

[DetroitBlues]

It happens too with changes in humidity. Gives it character.

[HANGAR18]

and then there's rapid altitude or temperature changes too.

[JeffB]

Only the headstock of my H150 has a bit of checking going on. The body just has dings and scuffs.

Its very dry here.

[hobokenheritage]

My 525 and 530 both have varying levels of finish checking, and neither is more than a few years old. Conversely, my 1998 575 has none, so I'm not sure what accelerates the process (all these guitars were bought used at various times, so I was not in control of the environment they were stored in for the life of the instruments).

[Yooper]

My 150 GT is checking enough to be called "reliced". Immersion in the Midwest's humid/dry cycle and the altitude change from Colorado did the trick.

 

Oh, well. None of us are looking younger, but we can still sound better than ever. Plus no more stress over dings and dents.

[ElNumero]

It also depends on the composition of the nitrocelluose lacquer. I had heard that Heritage changed their formula in the last couple years in an attempt to circumvent the checking. I don't mind it all, I have a VSB 150 that is very checked on the backside, in fact, if you hold it against a light a certain way, it looks like a broken mirror! Then I have my Millie DC (shown in my Avatar) that was purchased from Wolfe about a year and a half ago, and it already had some finish checking on the top while at the dealer. As some have pointed out here, its a natural phenomenen and it indeed adds character to a guitar.

[yoslate]

It also depends on the composition of the nitrocelluose lacquer.

 

Just as Will said. You can keep the environment the guitar "lives" in pretty stable, but the conditions under which the lacquer is mixed and sprayed have an effect on how it ages, as well. Some tricky chemistry going on there.

[varminthunter1]

Yes, I also have finish checking on my 535 ASB Plain top, guitar is just 3 years old i think.

[HANGAR18]

It also depends on the composition of the nitrocelluose lacquer. I had heard that Heritage changed their formula in the last couple years in an attempt to circumvent the checking. I don't mind it all, I have a VSB 150 that is very checked on the backside, in fact, if you hold it against a light a certain way, it looks like a broken mirror! Then I have my Millie DC (shown in my Avatar) that was purchased from Wolfe about a year and a half ago, and it already had some finish checking on the top while at the dealer. As some have pointed out here, its a natural phenomenen and it indeed adds character to a guitar.

 

Does playing a Heritage guitar while wearing spandex bike shorts have a negative effect on the lacquer? hahaha

[ElNumero]

 

Does playing a Heritage guitar while wearing spandex bike shorts have a negative effect on the lacquer? hahaha

Not sure Danny, but I am willing to do a controlled test on this for you and report the results. Actually, I prefer to play them while wearing the attire that is preferred at most nudist colonies!

[Yooper]

Actually, I prefer to play them while wearing the attire that is preferred at most nudist colonies!

 

How's that for a selling point? No buckle rash, at least.