Finish Cracking!

[bdraper]

I recently bought a new Kentucky KM-900 mandolin and recently I've noticed several significant cracks running through the finish. The cracks follow the grain of the wood. Aside from cosmetics, the instrument is not effected (tone, playability, etc). I've only had it a few months and it's never left my house. The temperature in my house is consistent (around 65 degrees). I guess my question is, is this normal? This is the first mandolin I've owned. I know that the finish is thinner than on, say, my Les Paul for example. If anyone has any experience with this issue please reply. Thanks in advance. :mandosmiley:

[mandroid]

Temperature change shocks .. I'd Guess.. have several from opening my guitar case in a cold room .

[bdraper]

Yeah, I'm not so sure. Like I said the temperature in my house is consistent, only fluctuating 5 degrees or so daily. The reason I ask is that I had the same problem with a Gibson Les Paul a few years back. Gibson agreed it was a defect and replaced my guitar for free. I'm wondering if there's something similar going on here. Keep the posts coming, please!

[multidon]

I am a bit suspicious that all of the cracks are following the grain of the wood. Typical lacquer "checking", cracks caused by temperature fluctuations, are in the finish only and go in various directions, resulting in the "checked" pattern for which it is named. Sounds to me like something is going on here. Perhaps you should talk to your dealer about it. Usually finishes are not covered under warranty but if it can be shown it was a manufacturing defect of some sort you may have recourse.

[bdraper]

Multidon, By "following the grain of the wood" I just meant that the cracks are running north to south (bridge to headstock). I do see the "checked" pattern on the back of the body, which I actually kind of like. I bought through The Mandolin Store. I don't think they offer much as far as a return policy.

[EdHanrahan]

Even if the temperature is consistent, relative humidity is another thing. "Relative" because whatever level of humidity is stated for the great (cold!) outdoors will be a much lower percentage after the air is warmed to indoor levels.

Remember that warm air is able to absorb more moisture than cold air. So 90% humidity relative to 95F is pretty wet, whereas 90% humidity relative to 5F is pretty dry.

A stated outdoor humidity of 40-50% could easily become (just guessing here) 20% or less relative to your indoor 65 degrees. And 20% is dangerous territory for acoustic instruments, where shrinking wood can cause finish cracks, among other symptoms.

[trevor]

Best to ask at The mandolin Store, they have a good reputation for customer service.

[multidon]

Well if it indeed is checking I believe you will just have to live with it. One of the risks of buying a lacquered instrument. Manufacturers exclude finishes from warranty for very good reasons.

[Folkmusician.com]

If the mandolin was not checked when you received it, it would most likely be the climate in your home causing this. Your mandolin would have survived a boat ride across the sea, storage in warehouses, shipping to the dealer, then shipping to you. If it survived this without checking and has started checking since it has been at your house, it is safe to assume that either the temperature or humidity levels are to blame.

[Dobe]

Embrace the checking.

[foldedpath]

Embrace the checking.

My main acoustic guitar (a nice Santa Cruz) has some finish checking, due a winter night in North Dakota when I shouldn't have left it in the truck cab for a few hours. At first I was horrified, but later learned to appreciate it as a "life of the road" kinda deal, along with all the other battle scars over the years.

The finish checking on my guitar is completely random though, and I'm suspicious of the OP's checks following the grain lines on the top. If it were a guitar, I'd try to get a mirror inside with a strong light source outside the top, to make sure it's not an actual crack. Easier said than done on an F-hole mandolin though. Got any dental mirrors handy?

[bdraper]

Once again, I'm not talking about the checking. I'm talking about the top of the instrument. Checking on the back has been there since it arrived on my doorstep, which I'm completely fine with. My concern is about the large, bridge to headstock cracks in the top finish (once again, I'm not saying that the cracks follow the wood grain exactly, they just run just north to south). As previously stated, I do embrace the checking. I'll try and post some pics, although I'm not sure they'll show anything.

[Folkmusician.com]

ok, that does warrant further investigation. The pics would help. :)

[J.Albert]

Just wondering, how "recently" did you buy it?

When it was shipped to you, what were the ambient temperatures -outside-?

If they were below freezing, when you brought it into the house, how long did you wait before you opened the box?

One of the prime causes of lacquer checking is sudden temperature changes, particularly from cold to warm.

That said, it seems I recall reading a while back where C.F. Martin "holds back" their instrument shipments when temperatures are unusually cold. Though I can't say how that could be affecting them -this- winter!

[bdraper]

114211I bought it in December of 2013. Outside the temperature was about the same as it is now. 45 or so degrees at night. Definitely not freezing. I waited 48 hours, as per The Mandolin Store website, before I opened the box. I've included some pics of what I'm talking about. They're a bit hard to make out, but they were the best pics I could get. If you click on each pic you get a somewhat better picture. 114210 114212 114213 114214 114215 114216 114217 114210

[bdraper]

I'm not wanting this thread to die just yet. If anyone has any experience with this please let me know. Based on my crappy photos, is this "normal"? Do you think it could warrant a replacement? I'd like to get a bit more feedback from you all before contacting the retailer. Also, it was November of 2013 when I purchased, not December. Thanks.

[Folkmusician.com]

That is just checking. It would be perfectly normal on an older instrument. Whether or not it is normal on a new instrument depends on the conditions it has been exposed to. It is always a tough call as the better finishes tend to be more prone to this. You may trade it for a different mandolin that has a slightly thicker finish or a different formulation and ultimately downgrade your mandolin.

[truck2242]

I bought a km-950 used here not too long ago. It arrived with a little of that on the treble side where you get a pinky rub. It now has more in that area but higher up toward the neck. Appears like deep grain lines. Since it is a player for me I don't mind very much. Has a great tone and volume. Does seem to be very thin finish. It has not experienced any real extreme temperature changes.

[shortymack]

Check....1,2.....check.......1,2.

[bdraper]

Thanks for the input everyone. It's unfortunate that one can spend so much $ on an instrument and 3 months later the finish is all jacked up. The checking on the back is fine. It's the larger "cracks/checking" on the top that bums me out a bit. Does anyone think that the finish may start chipping off at some point? These small cracks turning into something much worse?

[trevor]

Again, why not talk to the seller?

[Steve Davis]

114211I bought it in December of 2013. Outside the temperature was about the same as it is now. 45 or so degrees at night. Definitely not freezing. I waited 48 hours, as per The Mandolin Store website, before I opened the box. I've included some pics of what I'm talking about. They're a bit hard to make out, but they were the best pics I could get. If you click on each pic you get a somewhat better picture. 114210 114212 114213 114214 114215 114216 114217 114210

Do you leave the strap laying on the top of the mandolin when you close the case? I marked my Eastman by doing that and the marks look similar.

[bdraper]

Mainly because according to The Mandolin Store website for returns "the instrument must be in route back to us the next business day after the initial 48 hours from the time the instrument was delivered. You will be refunded the cost of the instrument less shipping." It's been much longer than 48 hours and I highly doubt that they would replace it since the cracks/checking on the top were not there when it showed up at my house. I'm trying to get opinions from others that have more experience with mandolins before I contact the seller.

[bdraper]

Steve, no I do not. I always take the strap off before putting it in the case. :mandosmiley:

[trevor]

There's no harm in talking to them, they have more experience than most people on here. If I had been the seller I would prefer that a customer came to me first.

[yankees1]

You now have a distressed mandolin at no extra charge !

[sliebers]

I have the almost the exact kind of checking on my mandolin of 7 years. I live in Minnesota and humidify in the case along with a dampit tube inside the mandolin. This winter has been so cold for so long, the humidity level in my house is consistently below 20% even with a whole house humidifier going.
The mandolin that checked is a nitro-cellulose finish that has never checked in the 7 years I've had it, until this winter. It's my second, so I don't play it as much. I missed a couple days of checking on the humidity and found the checks.
Not sure if that's what happened to your Kentucky, but the type of checks looks identical to mine.

[Eric C.]

My 950 has similar checking (and some finish damage on the neck. It sure sounds wonderful though.