Are finish cracks at the nut normal?

[Gravetone]

First things first. This thread is in no way meant to be bashing Epiphone or Musicians Friend.

I bought an Epiphone ES-339 Pro P-90. When it came today, I noticed that it has cracks on both sides of the neck, radiating out from where the nut meets the fretboard, about 1/2 inch long. It only seems to be finish deep, I twisted the headstock and it seems solid. Musicians Friend is being really cool, they will exchange it, but they are out of red, they only have blue and black. I want red, I really don't want the hassle of shipping, I'm thinking of just keeping this red one. It plays great, and sounds great. So, does anyone else have an Epiphone that has cracks like this? In my Ibanez and Jackson guitars, the finish cracks happen at the neck joint, is this the same sort of thing?

 

[BGood]

It is stress related. Headstock got some pressure on it, not enough to do important damage, but it is there. If it receives another hit of the same, it might cause more important damage down the line.

Hard choice, but if you keep it safe and only play at home, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Cozmik Cowboy]

Normal? yes. Normal new out of the box? No. Ask how long it will take them to get red back in.

 

[Antigua]

I bought a Union Jack a few year ago that arrived like that, but much worse. It's structural, not just the finish. If you remove the nut you might be able to see the crack. What I did was open the crack slightly with tooth picks, drizzled warmed up hyde glue into the crack, clamped it for a day, then repaired the finish, and now it's as good as new. But if you can return it, I'd sooner do that.

 

[Cozmik Cowboy]

Titebond is what they use at the factory. That goes for Gibby too. Anything else is for the corksniffers.

That's what Alembic uses, too.

 

[IGRocker]

My old Custom has a similar finish crack. I don’t recall when it showed up. I play the strings off of it and don’t worry since it’s a finish crack.

 

[mmn]

As said, on a new guitar it's cause tor concern. Likely some stress on the headstock caused it and there maybe underlying damage. Risky to keep it.

 

[RR-Ramblers]

First things first. This thread is in no way meant to be bashing Epiphone or Musicians Friend.

I bought an Epiphone ES-339 Pro P-90. When it came today, I noticed that it has cracks on both sides of the neck, radiating out from where the nut meets the fretboard, about 1/2 inch long. It only seems to be finish deep, I twisted the headstock and it seems solid. Musicians Friend is being really cool, they will exchange it, but they are out of red, they only have blue and black. I want red, I really don't want the hassle of shipping, I'm thinking of just keeping this red one. It plays great, and sounds great. So, does anyone else have an Epiphone that has cracks like this? In my Ibanez and Jackson guitars, the finish cracks happen at the neck joint, is this the same sort of thing?

I'd send it back and wait for another red one. It will always bother you that its there and down the road hurt the value. Finish cracks are nearly impossible to fix and can only get worse.

 

[fumblefinger]

If it is a "finish crack" then it can be fixed. But as others have said, these cracks don't appear without some force being applied to the neck. In Epiphone's case it generally comes from the fact that the cardboard shipping case doesn't support the neck far enough up to the headstock to dampen any inertia generated when the shipping handlers throw the case around. In all honestly it could have happened between MF and your house.

I agree, it should go back. It will just irritate you for as long as you own it and make it difficult to sell down the road. Here's what Sweetwater does when this happens to theirs - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Epiphone-J...643399&hash=item5da7be0adf:g:MS4AAOSw5oheoHft

And this is what generally happens to it - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Epiphone-L...617173?hash=item1f0ee11115:g:HLwAAOSwaTJepyEB

 

[Raiyn]

down the road hurt the value

It's an Epiphone, a Chinese one at that. The last consideration anyone should take into account is resale value.

Play the **** out of it and don't let the free "relicing" (is that even still a thing?) bug you.

 

[PaulH]

I've got a 62 Wilshire RI from Gibson that has cracks starting to run under the black coating on the headstock & also arround the neck joint coating. Never been dropped, never been gigged but mostly stored with strings loosened. Never had them at purchase 4+ years ago & now unsellable.

 

[soulman969]

Guess I'm not the only one to have taken advantage of MF's generous STOTD pricing on this model. Hell of a great guitar for $349.

Something caused this to happen post manufacture and US inspection and unless I could assure myself there was no structural damage my position would be like most of the others. Had mine also arrived with finish cracks in that area I would be sending it back for a replacement. But it's your decision.

 

[TimTheViking]

First, I'm no expert. But if I read you correctly, you pulled on the headstock to try to open the crack and could not. Might be superficial like Strats get around the neck joint. I got an ES-335 Pro a couple years ago that played great but had a crack that was around the same spot but much worse. Something to keep in mind since you have your heart set on red... Epiphone has a lifetime warranty so if it is structural, you're covered down the road if it gets worse. Especially if you call them about it now.

 

[Raiyn]

First, I'm no expert. But if I read you correctly, you pulled on the headstock to try to open the crack and could not. Might be superficial like Strats get around the neck joint. I got an ES-335 Pro a couple years ago that played great but had a crack that was around the same spot but much worse. Something to keep in mind since you have your heart set on red... Epiphone has a lifetime warranty so if it is structural, you're covered down the road if it gets worse. Especially if you call them about it now.

∆ This ∆

 

[fumblefinger]

Fender neck pockets acquire finish cracks because the neck is not glued in place. So whether we like to admit or not, the neck can and does move around a bit. This pressure does indeed produce finish abnormalities. Besides that, if you talk to any stress engineer they'll tell you that sharp corners are the birth place of cracks. Like the one that exists at the nut shelf. Honestly the industry could eliminate 90% of the cracking at this location if they would simply radius the corner of the nut shelf and the matching nut. But that takes time, and increases the cost of the instrument, so they've decided that it doesn't pay off against the small percentage of the cracks. Look, I worked as an aircraft mechanical/systems engineer for over 30 years. I know a bit about cracks and crack propagation. And I've repaired a number of these "finish" cracks on Epiphones and one or two Gibsons. Send it back.

 

[Raiyn]

Honestly the industry could eliminate 90% of the cracking at this location if they would simply radius the corner of the nut shelf and the matching nut. But that takes time, and increases the cost of the instrument,

No, it wouldn't, not really. Once you change it in the CNC file it takes essentially the same amount of time. It might be an extra tool change. Then you either sand the plastic nut or alter the mold. Depending on how wild you want to get with the corner radius a jig for knocking the corners off the nuts wouldn't be that hard until the new molded stock is ready. It might make the setup a bit more "fun" but as far as slapping them together - not so much.

The place you're going to run into a time issue is when you start hand fitting bone which ain't happening on a factory Epi.

I do like the idea, and aside from the corksniffers screaming about how the edges aren't straight on the binding or whatever they whine about I see no reason not to do it.

How deep a radius do you propose? Something easy like the bottom of a Rubbermaid container or a full on U shape?

 

[fumblefinger]

True, CNC makes life a whole lot easier. Really a .03" radius would make a big difference. The thing that makes it even worse is that the grain is perpendicular, so the "crack starter" is right in the end of the grain, rather than across it.

I've seen Epi touting their low rejection rate. But even a rate of less than 1% compared to their volume is significant.

I think most of the nut shelf cracks come from their poor shipping packaging. Cardboard doesn't cushion much. Looking at the pic, the piece at the top of the box holds the headstock in place fairly solidly. But the neck support area is pretty flexible and there isn't enough paper to do anything except fill space. So the shipper takes a pallet of guitars that have been stacked laying down and slams it down on the dock or in the truck. The resulting energy generated by the body moving up and down, but the headstock being held in place, looks for a place to escape. And it finds it at the nut shelf.

 

[Raiyn]

True, CNC makes life a whole lot easier. Really a .03" radius would make a big difference.

Heck that small of a radius could be handled nut side by a couple swipes on sanding sponge.

 

[danv]

First things first. This thread is in no way meant to be bashing Epiphone or Musicians Friend.

I bought an Epiphone ES-339 Pro P-90. When it came today, I noticed that it has cracks on both sides of the neck, radiating out from where the nut meets the fretboard, about 1/2 inch long. It only seems to be finish deep, I twisted the headstock and it seems solid. Musicians Friend is being really cool, they will exchange it, but they are out of red, they only have blue and black. I want red, I really don't want the hassle of shipping, I'm thinking of just keeping this red one. It plays great, and sounds great. So, does anyone else have an Epiphone that has cracks like this? In my Ibanez and Jackson guitars, the finish cracks happen at the neck joint, is this the same sort of thing?

Reviving the thread with a similar issue. Is this a cause for concern/reason to return a new Les Paul? thanks in advance!

 

[IGRocker]

Reviving the thread with a similar issue. Is this a cause for concern/reason to return a new Les Paul? thanks in advance!

Looks like a finish crack to me. Very similar to the one on my LP too.