I just checked out a 73 LPC

[Pal]

The price was good $2500 but it had aftermarket tuners, bridge and Seymour Duncan pick ups. It has all the original parts except for the tuners, OHSC and original bill of sale. It played and sounded great. It looks like a closet queen, so clean.

I was just about to pull the trigger and thought maybe I should give it one more look over And that's when I noticed it. There is a small separation across the entire side of the guitar, what looks like where the two pieces of the body were glued together. I did the fingernail test and it is evident across most of the body. It may just be the finish but I would have to suspect that this could be the beginning of a much larger problem.

The guitar is local to me and I expressed my concerns, the holes from the original tuners and the crack (for lack of a better word) on the side. He refused to move on the price and I said I would get back to him in a few days which he seemed pretty cool with.

I just wanted to ask if this crack/slight separation is common among the Norlins? And is it a stay away situation? I wish I had pics but didn't have my phone on me.

 

[Progrocker111]

You mean the lowered finish on the pancake body seam? In the middle line of the body side? If so, yes, its fairly normal, cause there is a seam in the pancake body.

 

[Pal]

Yes exactly. Thanks

 

[ARandall]

We'd need pics to be sure of what is going on.....or at least I would anyhow. My pancake custom seems in good condition there, but there is certainly a lot of finish on my guitar. Wood splitting tends to pull the paint apart, whereas sinking will tend to be a smoother dip

 

[acstorfer]

If all you're seeing is a seam and there's no separation, that is 100% normal.

And yes, two pieces of the body were indeed glued together.

 

[Progrocker111]

Actually there is:

maple top - thin layer of maple or mahogany - upper mahogany plate - thin layer of maple or mahogany - lower mahogany plate