Crazing/Checking?

[teleman3726]

Hope you guys can help.
I'm interested in acquiring this box and the seller to his credit attached a pic - which I've attached - of what he says is crazing. (I always thought the finish cracks are checking, but that's another story).
What do you guys think this is?
Can it be removed? and will it affect the value of the box?
Thanks to all that help.

[spiral]

Isn't crazing a pottery term and checking is a guitar term?

To me that looks like a poly finish, and it also looks like they are from a sudden stress like the guitar falling or something hitting it. I say it is poly because of the milky-white peeling around some of the cracks. If that is the case you can't spot fix it, the guitar would need to be refinished. I bought a guitar on eBay and something fell on the case in shipping and it looked exactly like that.

[edit]
I stole this photo from Vol. Knob at the TDPRI board but you can see how poly acts more like a sheet of plastic.
polyremoval.jpg

[fordfanjpn]

+1
Definitely looks like cracked poly from being hit or bumped into something. Not an easy fix, but fwiw, it's probably just cosmetic.

Bill

[teleman3726]

Acutally, it's a nitro finish - Campellone.
But it looks horrible and clearly like the guitar was dropped, scraped, or something.

[Bill C]

I had a Fender Jag years ago that had finish cracks like that all over the body - could it be caused by a sudden temperature change? I'd ask the seller. If he's honest enough to point out this issue, I'd assume he's unlikely to hide something about the guitar's history. Maybe ask Mark Campellone for an opinion too ...

[NiAg]

>>> it's a nitro finish

So no issue then for a seamless repair.

>>> Can it be removed?

The finish can be partially or fully removed in the damaged area and repaired as good as new with no 'witness line' between the new finish and the old.

>>> and will it affect the value of the box?

In my opinion, a competent repair of the described damage will truly be as good as new.

Now, if this damage is accompanied by other damage that is not shown in the pic, it can be a different story as to repair and value.

[teleman3726]

Thanks, guys.
I'll pass. No idea what else might be wrong and there's a no return policy.

[MGI]

If it's nitro- then it's very easy fix. Fill out the cracks with acetone, using thin pipette, it will melt lacquer, then spray a few layers of MacFadden nitro lacquer on previously lightly sanded surface, and, after drying - polish it.
Any local luthier will do the job.