Members MDLMUSIC Posted October 17, 2008 Members Share Posted October 17, 2008 Not sure if I should be posting this here or in DYI, but here goes. I have an Applause AE28 electric/acoustic guitar that plays pretty well, but doesn't look so great. There are a couple of cracks in the thick plastic-y finish. It doesn't seem like there are any cracks in the wood itself, just the clear finish. I'm assuming my best bet is to remove the finish to eliminate the cracks. Would sanding be the best way to go? Or is there some kind of chemical remover I could use that would not damage the wood? If I sand off the finish, should I put something else on or leave it natural to let it "breathe"? Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cripes Posted October 17, 2008 Members Share Posted October 17, 2008 Short of stripping and refinishing there's nothing that can be done. Looks like extreme temperature swing kind of damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kimona Posted October 17, 2008 Members Share Posted October 17, 2008 Hmmm... I've seen those same kind of cracks on other Ovation/Applause guitars. I don't think there's any easy fix. I'd protect the bridge and neck, carefully strip and sand the top, then refinish with clearcoat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members panhandler Posted October 17, 2008 Members Share Posted October 17, 2008 If it sounds good... let it be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cripes Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 Wicking in fast CA might fill the crack to some invisible extent but that's a tricky job that takes a very steady hand. Edit: On second thought don't. It could darken the wood beneath the finish and turn out terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 leave it alone. It doesn't affect the tone. You'll never see a 1970s vintage Gibson without finish checking.if you sand this down and refinish it (unless you're a pro) odds are good it will be worse afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AndrewGG Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 I agree, don't touch it. The finish is probably polyurethane and very, very tough to get off.Unfortunately Ovation/Applause guitars are prone to stress and temperature cracks much more than all-wood guitars where all the wood can move around sympathetically.When you have a rigid plastic bowl and a piece of wood attached to it which wants to expand and contract...somethings gonna give; and it's always the wood/finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scottgd Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 What to do about cracks in guitar finish Nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gary Palmer Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 You've basically three options; 1. Drop filling with thinned clear polyurethane. Tends not to be invisible mending. 2. Sanding and scraping back to the wood surface and re-finishing. Can take an age to complete, but only you can decide upon whether the effort is worthwhile. 3. Live with the flaws while avoiding extremes of temperature and humidity. At the end of the day, possibly the best route is - regardless of what you decide to do - diagnose the cause of the problem and resolve it before further cracks develop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Florida_Gator Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 I agree don't mess with it. Probably not worth the effort, and may come out worse. A custom (self-designed) pick guard could hide a lot of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 every single one of my old Yamaha Dynamics has the same crazing and finish checking as this one does, so far...and some are over 50 years old...I haven`t had any trouble with any of them, and I own 29 at this time, excluding my old first run classicals and the other makers models I have. It`d be nice to avoid extremes of temperature but our place has no insulation in the walls, they`re concrete and there are no double windows in our building...in fact I`ve started to think theres no building code at all in Japan... so I can`t actually control how cold the guitars get at night, I can see my breath in out bedroom when I wake in the morning. And I won`t even start on humidity here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 zenbu, that Yammy top looks great (to me). lots of character. These cracks in the finish are most often caused by rapid changes in temperature, when the wood warms or cools at a different rate than the finish applied to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members babablowfish Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 zenbu, that Yammy top looks great (to me). lots of character. I agree. The crazing really gives that old git a great look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 12Gauge Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 Don't worry about it. It's adds character. Have you ever seen Willy Nelson's guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 I agree with the others who said to leave it alone. It's not hurting anything. Short of a professional refinishing by a qualified luthier, you probably wouldn't be satisfied with a "spot" touch up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted October 18, 2008 Members Share Posted October 18, 2008 Don't worry about it. It's adds character. Have you ever seen Willy Nelson's guitar? Poor old Trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mjuenem Posted October 19, 2008 Members Share Posted October 19, 2008 I would leave it alone. I have a crazy theory that the cracks must make the top back and sides more compliant and therefore livelier and more responsive, possibly enhancing the tone, if not at least the volume. Maybe the tiny unseen cracks in the older guitar's finish are part of the mysterious recipe... Zenbu, the cracks in your guit looks like my face. Granted I'm no religious icon, but if you ever sell it on the Bay you might get a few more bucks for mentioning the resemblance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mjuenem Posted October 19, 2008 Members Share Posted October 19, 2008 It would be interesting to know in the OP's case whether or not any of those finish cracks follow the internal bracing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted October 19, 2008 Author Members Share Posted October 19, 2008 It would be interesting to know in the OP's case whether or not any of those finish cracks follow the internal bracing... Not a clue. But some seem to follw a pattern while others are random. I guess I'll just leave it alone as most of you have suggested. I'm sure that you're right that it was temperature extremes that caused the cracks. I have been known to leave my guitar in the car between gigs and here in the Mojave Desert an outside temperature of 125 degrees is common. I imagine it must be over 200 in the car. I'm probably lucky the plastic bowl didn't melt. Of course I could always paint over it like I did my 30 year old Applause. Hasn't seemed to affect the tone any, and I've been using it outdoors and in for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members danielquinn Posted January 21, 2020 Members Share Posted January 21, 2020 i have the same problem with my Ovation. Above comments answered my question. I'll go with character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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