Weather checking on vintage sunbursts?

[dangeneau]

Hi everyone...

A question for you who had the chance to have a close encounter with a few original vintage sunbursts. Do they all have heavy weather checking? Did you see some which had no checking at all? What in your opinion is the proportion?

But for a few exceptions, I do not notice this finish checking in the "Beaty of the Burst", but it might only be that the photograps are not precise enough.

Thanks,

Dan

 

[ElectricMagick]

It depends on each guitar. I played a 57 earlier this year and it had considerable checking, but i have seen pics of 52's with absolutely no checking. The lacquer they used did not change between the goldtops and bursts. Changes in temperature cause the checking. It just depends on what conditions the guitar was stored in.

 

[pinefd]

It depends on each guitar. I played a 57 earlier this year and it had considerable checking, but i have seen pics of 52's with absolutely no checking. The lacquer they used did not change between the goldtops and bursts. Changes in temperature cause the checking. It just depends on what conditions the guitar was stored in.

+1

And to add to that, I've seen 'bursts with very vivid color that were also heavily checked, and other bursts that were very faded with no checking.


Frank

 

[JJ Blair]

My '58 has zero checking. My '59 has serious checking.

It really depends on where the guitar was, and what kind of treatment it had over the years.

As to what Frank was saying, the sun causes the fading, but not the checking, so it's very possible to have either without the other.

 

[dangeneau]

Thank you guys, I wondered why aging a historic Les Paul always meant heavy checking (think Murphy). So from your answers it could be aged, faded, etc. with no checking at all.

Good to know...

Dan