cracks in neck pockets

[wilkinsi]

Just got a call from the guy who's setting up my DK1. Appears that the neck was removed in order to repair the binding and headstock. The cracks are hardly noticeable. Should I be concerned?

[CharvelRocker]

Is it in the pocket or just in the finish? It's not uncommon for them to be in the finish. If it's in the wood you have an issue.

EDIT: This is from a guitar I sold almost a year back.





As you can see, the neck shifting under tension caused the clear to move and crack, which is very common in bolt-ons, more so in guitars smaller neck heels But it does not extend into the wood. I would go and visually inspect it.

[Super_shredder]

nothing to be worried about, ive got it on most of my bolt ons

[missionguitars1]

nothing to be worried about, ive got it on most of my bolt ons

+1 - my Model 2 has a nasty one. Got it really cheap 'caus everyone thought it went through the wood!

[wilkinsi]

Went to inspect it earlier today. The cracks on my DK1 look similar to the ones pictured, only suggesting the clear/finish has cracked. Had it gone into the wood, how would I notice? Would I be able to see the wood through the paint? I'll try to take some photos of it when the guitar is returned to me, which shouldn't be too long now.

[CharvelRocker]

I HIGHLY doubt it went into the wood if it looks like the ones picture and the wood is still rigid. The guitar would had to taken some kind of physical trauma to crack it in the wood, in which case there would be some physical evidence somewhere else on it due to the force that would required to cause such a crack

[Carbuff]

Well, they took it off to do a headstock binding repair. That might indicate some sort of trauma. Did it have theses cracks when you gave the guitar to the guy?

[wilkinsi]

It wasn't cracked until Reverb got it back from Fender UK. Music Inn spotted the problem and insisted I take a look before they go ahead with the setup.

[rjohnstone]

You run the risk of finish cracks anytime you put a neck on a guitar.
No "trauma" is required for this to happen.
That act of properly seating a neck can cause finish cracks. Especially if it was a snug fit to begin with.

[Axewielder]

You run the risk of finish cracks anytime you put a neck on a guitar.
No "trauma" is required for this to happen.
That act of properly seating a neck can cause finish cracks. Especially if it was a snug fit to begin with.

+1...I've got a newly refinished body that got those cracks merely from test fitting the neck on there. It was fairly snug, but not crazy tight or anything.

[wilkinsi]

How do they get the damn thing on without cracking the finish at the Jackson factory?

[rjohnstone]

The paint is probably still a little soft when the final assembly is done.

[CharvelRocker]

You run the risk of finish cracks anytime you put a neck on a guitar.
No "trauma" is required for this to happen.
That act of properly seating a neck can cause finish cracks. Especially if it was a snug fit to begin with.

I'm saying it would require trauma to crack the wood, not the finish...

[rjohnstone]

I'm saying it would require trauma to crack the wood, not the finish...

My bad.
I agree, it would take trauma to crack the wood.
Like a retard I once saw who kept forcefully wiggling a neck from side to side in the pocket trying to get it to come off.

[CharvelRocker]

My bad.
I agree, it would take trauma to crack the wood.
Like a retard I once saw who kept forcefully wiggling a neck from side to side in the pocket trying to get it to come off.

Ouch... personally, two reasons I never yank a neck off under tension anymore is that one, it will lead to finish cracks like you've never seen, and two, it will rip the threads for the screws out of the neck holes over time. My CX is about getting due for some dowels in the neck screw holes because that is how the previous did all the truss adjustments (heel adjusting neck from hell).