NGD: 2021 Junior…with crazy checking

[lunchbox]

I just picked up my new to me 2021 Junior. When the guy opened the case I saw this crazy finish checking. I’ve never seen it this bad on such a new guitar. It’s supposedly just over a year old. IDK what happened to it, but I think it actually looks pretty cool, especially on a Junior.

Has Gibson been having problems with their finishes lately? Or is this just a one-off? The guy lived in Portland, OR. It gets cold, but not like Chicago or Buffalo cold. Not even close. WTH??
Has anyone else seen this lately?

 

[BDW60]

Looks nitro finish sink on the whole top — I think it’s a cool, worn in look especially on a Jr. But it does seem quite soon for it to have happened.

Still, on that guitar I would be fine with it.

 

[lunchbox]

Looks nitro finish sink on the whole top — I think it’s a cool, worn in look especially on a Jr. But it does seem quite soon for it to have happened.

Still, on that guitar I would be fine with it.

I actually like it too. If it was my brand new dream R4, then I’d be pissed. It’s just weird for a guitar that’s like 1 year old.

 

[ARandall]

When I was picturing crazy checking I wasn't imagining just a half dozen lines or so.

 

[sonar1]

Cold trunk. Warm house. Too quick on opening.

Cool guitar!

 

[01GT Eibach]

To me, that checking gets caused more by quick and dramatic temperature changes more than its age. You can have old guitars with no checking at all.

 

[danohat]

My Lester is 30 years old with no checking.

 

[lunchbox]

When I was picturing crazy checking I wasn't imagining just a half dozen lines or so.

Unexpected for a 1 year old guitar, imo. Those cracks run bottom to top on the front of the guitar, but there’s none on the back at all. I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’ve looked at thousands of guitars throughout my life.

That’s crazy…to me. (I can’t believe I now have to add ‘my truths’ to my MLP posts.)

 

[mudface]

The serial number indicates 2019

It’s nearly 4 years old

 

[Dilver]

I don’t get it. My 18 and 20 Juniors both show no signs of checking whatsoever. And all these recent Juniors show only vertical checking - there’s no horizontal checking at all. Strange…

 

[sonar1]

I had a pristine 1951 L4c with no checking.

Arrived at my brother’s cabin with a fireplace in the winter of ‘73.
Waited a half hour before opening the case.
Immediately saw a haze appear on the face of the guitar and quickly closed the lid!

Too late. When I reopened the case a couple hours later, there was checking on the top only, just like the pic.

 

[Neffco]

I put my 16 out in the cold and brought it in by the fire. Nothing.

 

[mudface]

My 2004 R7 was left out in the car during a snow storm over night. Not intentionally,... simply forgot it was there. The next day it was still near zero when I got it out. I opened the case outside in the cold and the damage was already done. For 16 years not a blemish to this.....

 

[cooljuk]

Checking isn’t about age, other than the nitro must be cured and an older guitar has probably had many more opportunities to check. It’s about the lacquer and temperate changes the instrument is subject to.

I’ve had lacquer, even just sealer coats, check on me the night after I sprayed them, when I had a rented garage space for a paint shop in Colorado.

I’ve also had a hard time getting some older finishes to check, or hold a check, when forcing it in a large cold freezer.

It’s really got more to do with the finish blend than anything else.

 

[danzego]

That seems pretty extreme, especially for a production level Gibson. That’s either intentional or very poorly taken care of. I mean, we’ve had some cold winters here in the Portland area the last few years (I live nearby, out closer to Mt. Hood), so maybe it was a garage guitar?

With that said, if you got a fair price on it, if it’s a great player, and if you’re cool with the way it looks (I would be if those first two boxes were checked), then enjoy it!

 

[lunchbox]

I had a pristine 1951 L4c with no checking.

Arrived at my brother’s cabin with a fireplace in the winter of ‘73.
Waited a half hour before opening the case.
Immediately saw a haze appear on the face of the guitar and quickly closed the lid!

Too late. When I reopened the case a couple hours later, there was checking on the top only, just like the pic.

I was 3 years old when that happened. lol

 

[lunchbox]

That seems pretty extreme, especially for a production level Gibson. That’s either intentional or very poorly taken care of. I mean, we’ve had some cold winters here in the Portland area the last few years (I live nearby, out closer to Mt. Hood), so maybe it was a garage guitar?

With that said, if you got a fair price on it, if it’s a great player, and if you’re cool with the way it looks (I would be if those first two boxes were checked), then enjoy it!

Yeah, I’m ok with it. It’s a first world problem really.

I paid $1349 with HSC, a Lollar high wind P-90, Faber aluminum compensated bridge and Gotoh strip tuners. It was a good deal, and I’m happy. The cracks don’t really bother me. But I was surprised.

 

[InTheEvening]

Haven’t noticed it on my 2020 Junior but I will say it looks pretty sweet. They’d have prob charged a couple extra grand for that checking from the Murphy Lab.

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

As Mudface pointed out it's a June 17th, 2019 guitar.
I think the "damage" is more related to user care or absence of than finish specs.

That guitar is the tits, Man.
I'd love to own one to beat it up!
Rock it, my Man, Rock it!