How long does it take Nitro to begin to crack?

[MrSuperstar]

Hi guys, I've always hated heavy relic for being so unnatural.
Yet I must admit that I've a particular love for small cracks in the nitro (I think Fender calls "journeyman" this type of condition).

Since I have an "high gloss nitro" painted Private Stock PRS on the way to my home, I want to ask you how long does it take nitro to begin to crack?

I've read comments like these on the internet:
"unless it's the vintage nitro like the Graveyard I, Paul's 85 and Joe Walsh 594 have, it won't check. PRS used an acrylic basecoat under their nitro top coat. The acrylic is hard enough to prevent the nitro from checking by restricting movement of the wood. That said, the nitro top coat will wear and show wear pretty easily"
or
"a PRS nitro formulation is going to contain a fair amount of plasticizers to prevent checking from happening. Aged finishes aren’t really what they’re aiming for".

But I honestly don't know anything about the chemical formulas that PRS uses in its paints, I just know my guitar it's high gloss nitro.

Can anyone help me?

 

[bodia]

If you keep it in the case when not playing, and in a stable climate, it may never check. If you want to speed up the process, expose it to some drastic climate changes. In the middle of winter, assuming you live somewhere that gets cold, leave it in the case in your trunk for a couple of days. Then bring it in to your toasty warm house, and immediately open the case. It may check before your eyes.

 

[MrSuperstar]

In the middle of winter, assuming you live somewhere that gets cold, leave it in the case in your trunk for a couple of days. Then bring it in to your toasty warm house, and immediately open the case. It may check before your eyes.

I live in Naples (Italy, EU) and in winter at most it's 32 fahrenheit (0 celsius). Do you think this is enough cold?

 

[bodia]

I live in Naples (Italy, EU) and in winter at most it's 32 fahrenheit (0 celsius). Do you think this is enough cold?

Yes, I would think that would be cold enough.

 

[veinbuster]

If you keep it in the case when not playing, and in a stable climate, it may never check. If you want to speed up the process, expose it to some drastic climate changes. In the middle of winter, assuming you live somewhere that gets cold, leave it in the case in your trunk for a couple of days. Then bring it in to your toasty warm house, and immediately open the case. It may check before your eyes.

This hurts just thinking about it.

Note that when you open the case like that, the guitar will get wet, most notably all the metal parts.

 

[RickP]

If you keep it in the case when not playing, and in a stable climate, it may never check. If you want to speed up the process, expose it to some drastic climate changes. In the middle of winter, assuming you live somewhere that gets cold, leave it in the case in your trunk for a couple of days. Then bring it in to your toasty warm house, and immediately open the case. It may check before your eyes.

So funny how times change. All my life I’ve gone to extensive effort to keep this from happening... it used to be considered as evidence of past guitar abuses or lack of care. Now, with the oddity of relic’ing a thing, they’re actually making nitro that is more likely to, even intended to, crack and check. Like worn out, faded, or torn jeans. Something that used to indicate old, worn out, abused now is cool.

I’ve apparently lived a long time.

 

[El Fenix]

I was PISSED when I got the first ding on my DGT.

No way I would intentionally throw it in the freezer to try to check the finish.

 

[MrSuperstar]

So funny how times change. All my life I’ve gone to extensive effort to keep this from happening... it used to be considered as evidence of past guitar abuses or lack of care. Something that used to indicate old, worn out, abused now is cool.

Well, I hate the heavy relic and the lack of paint on the instrument too, but here it is something completely different: a vintage look to the instrument, rather than a "brand new" look.

Also I wouldn't want the thread to fall into the evergreen "relic s*cks" topic.
Mine is a specific question about how long it takes for the paint to crack, how to speed up this process and especially if it's possible to have it on a High Gloss Nitro PRS.

 

[Em7]

I picked up guitar in the mid-seventies. Back then, we never allowed a guitar to undergo drastic temperature changes for this very reason. The process of allowing a guitar to sit in its case for a couple of hours after bringing it from the cold is still ingrained in they way I treat my guitars. Heck, I still do it even with guitars I know are poly coated. However, then again, I have never seen checking and handling marks as improvements in a guitar's esthetics. I have always taken steps to maintain a guitar's finish to as close to factory I can manage while not keeping a case queen.

 

[RickP]

Well, I hate the heavy relic and the lack of paint on the instrument too, but here it is something completely different: a vintage look to the instrument, rather than a "brand new" look.

Also I wouldn't want the thread to fall into the evergreen "relic s*cks" topic.
Mine is a specific question about how long it takes for the paint to crack, how to speed up this process and especially if it's possible to have it on a High Gloss Nitro PRS.

Well said, and point taken. No intent on derailing the thread and I encourage others not to do that. I was more referring to the change in opinion on checking in general, rather than other intentional appearance mods.

 

[garrettb]

It depends on the formula.

Like your quotes say, the modern nitro typically used by PRS is not very prone to checking. But if you got the old school nitro ("cracking" nitro as PRS call it) and you leave it out a lot, it'll be likely to check a little as the seasons change.

I've had a couple pure nitro bodies from MJT and while they naturally checked, it's nowhere near the extent of a journeyman relic. I have another MJT body with the journeyman style relic treatment. It came all checked to hell. I don't normally search that out, but it sure makes the guitar feel comfortable under my arm.

Long story short, don't count on your PS looking like a relic any time soon. You could try the compressed air trick, but I wouldn't take that risk on a PS.

 

[MrSuperstar]

You could try the compressed air trick, but I wouldn't take that risk on a PS.

don't worry, I would never ever give my little girl that treatment

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

I was PISSED when I got the first ding on my DGT.

No way I would intentionally throw it in the freezer to try to check the finish.

Same. It broke my heart. Same time when I got first ding on my stratocaster I laughed! Go figure...

 

[CandidPicker]

My boss and I had some thoughts on this:

He spoke to me this evening and asked why do people still write checks?

My reply was elderly people who carry little to no money, but don't use credit cards are more likely to write checks.

Somewhat confused, I asked, "Is there some other form of checking we need to discuss?" Boss said, "No, I don't think so, unless hockey games are your thing."

I said, "No, I was thinking that many vintage and collectible guitars with certain finishes have what is called 'finish checking,' that usually occurs over time as part of the wear ant tear on the instrument. Some collectors consider finish checked guitars to be desirable, though very few unchecked vintage guitars exist today because most guitars have been loved and played by guitarists down through the most recent 60 or so years."

My boss said, "Ever been concerned about a guitar's balance?"

I said, "What?"

Boss said, "I need to balance my checkbook later this month. I've thought about things for quite some time now, and part of the joke I keep telling myself is that I'll never quite figure out just how your brain comes up with this stuff."

I said, "Me neither. Time to go home, eh, boss?"

 

[Broseph]

Love me some checks. Have some starting to happen on a 15 yr old strat. My thin nitro S2 was heavily checked by the time I purchased.

 

[MrSuperstar]

Love me some checks. Have some starting to happen on a 15 yr old strat. My thin nitro S2 was heavily checked by the time I purchased.

Can I see some pic of your S2?

 

[Alnus Rubra]

So funny how times change. All my life I’ve gone to extensive effort to keep this from happening... it used to be considered as evidence of past guitar abuses or lack of care. Now, with the oddity of relic’ing a thing, they’re actually making nitro that is more likely to, even intended to, crack and check. Like worn out, faded, or torn jeans. Something that used to indicate old, worn out, abused now is cool.

I’ve apparently lived a long time.

“worn out, faded and torn...”

You’ve just described me!

 

[Broseph]

Can I see some pic of your S2?

Scroll thru the pics and you’ll see the checking. It’s on both sides but easiest to see on the black.
https://briansguitars.com/products/...594-singlecut-thin-nitro-prototype-whale-blue

 

[Broseph]

I hope with time it’ll fade and crack some with use. Would love if it became naturally relic’ed after years. Def a keeper for me. My fav guitar.

 

[MrSuperstar]

Scroll thru the pics and you’ll see the checking. It’s on both sides but easiest to see on the black.
https://briansguitars.com/products/...594-singlecut-thin-nitro-prototype-whale-blue

Seems kinda cool, buddy