Faded wood down the back of acoustic

[Jordanrs1980]

Hi All,

I have this Taylor 315ce, circa 2002, that I recently obtained. There appears to be a section of wood on the back, straight down the middle, that has faded (pic below). Is this damage? Or does it indicate the guitar is dried out? There are no cracks, just the faded wood. I just ordered a dampit in case the humidity is the issue. Has anyone encountered this before, and is low humidity the answer, or is there something else I should be considering? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

http://imgur.com/a/S0QjV

[fazool]

Drying out would not cause that. It's hard to tell what that is, really. It could be that the prior owner reglued a separated seam and that's where his refinish work was, but its hard to tell.

[Jordanrs1980]

Thanks so much for the quick reply. The previous owner was my brother so I am certain there was never any work done to the guitar at all. He bought it brand new in 2002 and just hadn't been using it recently. I didn't notice it till I got home and took it out of the case.

If anyone else has some thought I would love to hear it. My main concern is this will somehow lead to a crack down the middle.

[John Arnold]

No worries. It is sapwood. That is the part of the log just under the bark.

[Jordanrs1980]

Originally Posted by John Arnold

No worries. It is sapwood. That is the part of the log just under the bark.

I looked up some images of sapwood on a guitar and I don't think it is quite the same as whats happening here. I also checked with my brother and as far as he can recall the finish on the back was consistent and uniform when he got it. I can't seem to find any other 315ce images that replicate it. They all appear to have a consistent finish across the back. Here's a few more images with a flash. Might be a bit easier to see. It literally just looks as if the color has been fading away.

http://imgur.com/a/77VKj

http://imgur.com/a/mRrL5

[jeff crisp]

I wondered if it was sapwood before I saw the picture. After seeing it, I'm quite sure it's sapwood.

[ManyMartinMan]

I can't say whether it has always been there and no one noticed but it appears to be a variation in the wood from when it was a tree. It is too uniform and located only where the book-matched 2-piece back is joined. Not what I would call sapwood but........

[Jordanrs1980]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I am sure you guys know better than me, so I will work with the assumption that it is sapwood or some kind of variation in the wood that has always been there. It doesn't bother me, I was just concerned I had a problem on my hands. Thanks again!

[mirwa]

I would not definitely say its sapwood, so I differ from others, it may be, however from that photo I question that.

It could also be lack of stain, yes Taylor stain their guitars, it could be a reaction with the UV finish to the glued back strap internally or a multitude of other reasons.

In reality, a Luthier who knows what they are doing would need to look at it up close to confirm.

IMO, whatever the reason for the colour difference, I doubt its anything to do with a structural issue, more cosmetic.

Steve

[Rodger Knox]

Is there a possibility that the strap was under the guitar in the case? It looks like it might have been attached and pulled straight up the back while the guitar was in the case. I don't think that would cause the fading, but it might.