New Guitar, fingerboard crack? Not sure what to do?
 

I just started playing again after years of not playing. I ordered a new Cordoba Fusion 12 Orchestra Cedar top ($850ish). It just arrived and right away I noticed these large wood pores or cracks in the Ebony fingerboard. My heart sunk...

I'm really not sure what to do. Is this normal? Should I exchange it? Please help.

*EDIT*
Not sure why the images are not loading? If you right click on the broken images and select, "View Image", it does work.


A close up
https://ibb.co/K94N32j

Another shot, not so close.
https://ibb.co/87XkwLh

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...bcf9aeb823.jpg

If it's a new guitar and there's literally anything about it that you don't like, send it back. With the return policy for most retailers, you don't really even need a reason. In this case, you've got one anyway.

"Open image in new tab" works too.

Pictures no worky

It looks like this is the thin side piece added to the side of the fret board that obscures the fret slots. Not the cleanest of work ,but no real case for concern. My Cordoba Orchestra Fusion is much cleaner looking than that; the fret board binding strip is pretty much invisible.

It may be a bit dried out but I don't see "cracked."

You also looked at the close up photo?

No, the closeup hadn't been posted when I posted...

Its small gaps in the glue joint between the fretboard binding strip and the fretboard. Fretboard binding is installed for a cleaner look down the sides of the fretboard, so you don’t see the slot cut in the board to install the frets. If its not loose, its probably ok. But it could also get filled to be less obvious -

It looks like poorly executed ebony edge binding that is pulling away. Bound edges are often white plastic or wood on steel string guitars. They may have wanted to maintain a cleaner all black classical-style appearance, so opted for ebony neck binding. Unless this is a one-in-a-million example sound wise, if you can return it you probably should. At an $850 price point most guitars these days will not have this sort of QC issue.

before i say anything, show me a picture of the side of the fretboard in that area. try to get the ends of the 1st and 2nd frets truly lateral.
hope that makes sense.

d

Is this what you asked for?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...824c2b360e.jpg

The fretboard binding is not pulling away. The gap is a loose glue joint due to insufficient clamping force or imperfect mating surfaces.

If you don't like it return it.

The fix takes about 3 minutes. Apply medium CA glue on gap area, sand area with 100-grit sandpaper until the gap is filled with sanding dust, scrape after CA is cured, and forget it ever happened.

I agree with Jon Wint.