Is this cracking on my neck normal

[neilshelter]

hiya

this is my 2000 fender U.S.A Strat... the neck has some odd "vein" like cracking in the laquer... this can't be good right? i liked the feel at first but now they seem a bit too scratchy in my hand?!

any ideas of the cause? is it serious/terminal?

thanks guys!

 

[-CB-]

Thats not really "normal" but its not unheard of.  That is not laquer, but poly finish, and it is a finish crack, not wood.  Finish cracks dont follow the grain.  The neck has expanded, and the finish has not, and hence, the cracks.

Fender has traditionally not regarded this as a warranty item. 

The fix... is to LIGHTLY sand the neck to ease what the crack feels like.  You can use something like 320 paper, then switch to something like 400 paper.  You'll remove a little material with the 320 but Fender finishes are thick...  The 400 will be fine enough to give you a nice feeling finish.  Be prepared to use a LOT of paper, poly will clog it.  You MIGHT consider one of those synthetic steel wool products (scotch pad things).  Get one in "fine" texture to go over the 320 grit sanding.

If you're REALLY want to fix it up, you can always go 320 grit, then just lacquer over the poly.  Lacquer will work on a Fender finish.  Three or four light coats and you can just leave it at that.  Using something like Deft "semi-gloss" aerosol will leave a nice feeling finish that will buff out naturally where your hand rubs it.

Or

Just get a replacement neck from Warmoth <ggg>  but.. really the condition does not warrant a replacement neck

 

[neilshelter]

thanks for the reply CB, much apprecieated!

Neil x

 

[Jay Davidson]

Actually I'm willing to bet that this is a Nitro finish which is extremely prone to cracks such as these.  Nothing can really be done to prevent these cracks from happening, it's just the nature of the beast.  Several years ago Warmoth offered a Nitro hybrid finish that had the same thing happen as well.  We stopped offering it after we received way too many returns for them.  Personally I think it looks cool so I wouldn't mess with it unless it's something you can feel and is bothering your hand.

 

[SkuttleFunk]

I am by no means a finishing expert, so CB's reply makes me curious:

Q: If one was to sand the Poly finish and then shoot Nitro over it, wouldn't the finish cracking in the Poly soon propagate itself to the Nitro? I'm not getting my head around applying a finish over and unstable (cracked) finish will not end up with cracks in this newly applied finish sometime down the road. Am I missing something here?

Q: I Nitro a softer finish than the Poly? If yes, then maybe this is how it would not crack when applied over the Poly ... but I thought (and maybe incorrectly) that Nitro was a harder, less flexible finish than Poly

all the best,

R

 

[-CB-]

Q: If one was to sand the Poly finish and then shoot Nitro over it, wouldn't the finish cracking in the Poly soon propagate itself to the Nitro?

Good question, and... my guess is it must work - for a while - because its something that is done.  Maybe its because the poly is then thinner, or the nitro gives and flexes more... or maybe the the neck has now settled a bit.  The practice of overshooting has been used for a long time though.

Q: I Nitro a softer finish than the Poly? If yes, then maybe this is how it would not crack when applied over the Poly ... but I thought (and maybe incorrectly) that Nitro was a harder, less flexible finish than Poly

Nitro tends to get harder with age.  In fact it gets VERY hard with age.

Makes me think, if Warmoth was having problems with nitro necks coming back there was some issue that they were unable to master.  Either one of moisture content and stability (I tend to think that that is not the case), or one of application/prep., or one of materials selection.  The line of reasoning is that Fender and Gibson both make nitro finished necks, no issues.  Lowly refin folks like moi (and countless others) do necks in nitro, and its takes a looong time for problems to develop.  So I'm wondering if something they did, or used, or used for prep (ie, sealant) was at fault, or if the nitro they used was of the right consistency.  There are many different blends of nitrocellulose lacquer.

 

[Alfang]

Could be just a bad batch of chemicals,,,,,

Chevy rolled out a couple million vehicles in the 80's that the clear coat failed after the last loan payment was made.

It looks like a neck thats been exposed to direct sun, (through a window?) for an extended period. looks like the cracks are more on one side of the neck.

That would be the side faceing the window, was the guitar  leaning fretboard side against a wall?

 

[-CB-]

And... fwiw, 2000 Fender USA Strats were not nitro necks, but satin poly.  Only the Vintage RI and CS were nitro then.

 

[CD]

Personally I think it looks cool so I wouldn't mess with it unless it's something you can feel and is bothering your hand.

+1

 

[neilshelter]

yeah i'm not going to mess with it, it's just that i thought it looked cool to begin with then it panic'd me, but if it's safe and non terminal to the neck i'm back to thinking it looks cool again  :glasses9:

it's kept either cased or in a dark room 90% of its life i guess the previous owner may well have kept it near a window though, that certainly makes sense!

Cheers again guys

 

[Alfang]

It's up to the owner, And your not alone, a lot of people, for whatever reason like old crappy looking stuff, I dont care. 

I like new stuff, I like it shiney, sparkley etc...I got an EVH Frankie, in the begining of the tour, not the end.

I got an old fricken House too, anyone wanna buy it?  $500,000.00, for an extra $100,000.00  i'll throw a few bricks through the windows and kick down a door.

 

[CD]

:laughing7:

 

[neilshelter]

if its a choice between leaving a nice neck with some dings and bits alone or spunking $400 for a decent replacement to be shiny and sparkly ill leave well alone and put the money towards a new project.

you know, now I'm happy with my crappy neck I might go and relic my car, then maybe shave some patches off my cat to "age" it a bit.  :help:

 

[Alfang]

LOL , shave patches off cat....

 

[jackthehack]

Post that baby on eBay as a "reliced" 2000 USA Fender neck and you'll probably get $400 for it....