How common are cracks in the maple over the control cavity on 58-60 Bursts?

[VonPrikler]

I am talking about not finish cracks, but actual cracks in the maple itself, over the area of the hollowed-out control cavity?

Just curious because I have seen several photos now which show obvious cracking around the area of the knobs, but knowing that the maple seems to be very thin in that area due to the cavity routing, I was wondering if it would be common for that thin maple to actually form cracks all the way through...

 

[hoss]

Hmmmm...good question. The Beast has cracks there and so does Eric Ernest's Memphis Mojo.

 

[VonPrikler]

Exactly - those two are great examples.
Just something I have been wondering about. My guess is after decades of use, a knob or two could be bumped from above, and form a crack in that area... just curious if those are finish-only cracks, or actual cracks in the maple itself (?)

 

[J.D.]

Good question on Bursts. I haven't seen it on any reissues, but have seen it quite a bit on SGs.

 

[RAB]

None of the six original 1957-60 LP Standards I owned had cracks in the tops over the control cavity location and only one was a closet queen!

 

[mistersnappy]

Not just a Burst issue, my 52 conversion has a crack there. It as always been there for as long as ive owned it (over 25 years). Maybe when it was refinished the maple cap was thinned a bit? The work was done before I owned it.

 

[Rev.WillieVK]

I think most of these cracks come from the knob(s) getting pounded down from the guitar falling or something falling on the guitar. Sometimes it's finish only but I think that if it got hit hard enough to crack the finish there, the wood probably flexed enough to crack as well.

EE - does the Memphis Mojo Burst show any cracks on the control cavity floor?

 

[mbowen]

I think most of these cracks come from the knob(s) getting pounded down from the guitar falling or something falling on the guitar. Sometimes it's finish only but I think that if it got hit hard enough to crack the finish there, the wood probably flexed enough to crack as well.

EE - does the Memphis Mojo Burst show any cracks on the control cavity floor?

I agree -Dropped or hit on the knobs causes the cracks.9-1108--Whitey was the only burst i have owned that had the crack there .Mike B.

 

[Tom Wittrock]

Closer look at Whitey:

 

[boogieongtr]

Of the 3 that I have repaired they all had this in common. Too deep of control route and an over sanded top left the area between the bridge volume & tone holes vulnerable to an easy break. Of the ones I have measured the thickness of the maple was just over 1/16" at that area. It wouldn't take much of a blow to crack the maple. With the correct thickness of maple at that area it could withstand a substantial blow and not break.

 

[moonweasel]

Wow! A 16th, that's crazy. Tom, is that normal for a burst era LP? Thanks.

 

[Jimi_AlnicoII]

I imagine sweat getting in there over decades of playing can probably start to expand the wood a little and allow cracks to form more easily.
So a sweaty player and a lot of use of the volume knob could be the reason in some cases.

 

[abalonevintage]

Memphis Mojo is definitely not a finish crack.

Peter Green Les Paul has some.

The only guitar, that I can think of, that may have been "finish" only is this Firebird. It definitely does not go through the wood.

 

[Brad737]

My 56 Custom had a crack there as well. Kim at Historic Makeovers told me that was fairly common.

 

[Tom Wittrock]

Wow! A 16th, that's crazy. Tom, is that normal for a burst era LP? Thanks.

If this is a question for me, I really have no idea.
I never measure that stuff.

 

[j45]

Mine had 'em for sure (9 0636).

 

[VonPrikler]

Thanks for all the great responses! Extremely interesting! And stuff you never really hear much spoken about.

I guess my main follow up question is.... did it ever "bother" you? Having such amazing guitars... did those little cracks "get to you" or annoy you?

Or did you just ignore them?

Me? I am so OCD that I think I would obsess over those cracks every time I opened the case, not wanting to do even more damage I guess

 

[Black58]

Case whack? Them ol' cases had a "carved top", too! How close and OFF was that carve? :ganz .. :hmm