Is this a finish crack or something far worse?

[dk3919]

As the title suggests I just noticed after coming back from a Church Retreat that there are two cracks near the ends of my bridge.

Yes I will get these to a guitar repair person / tech right away but in the meantime wanted to see if they
were a serious issue.

I've had my Breedlove American Series C25/CRe-H for almost a year now (bought new) and these two cracks along with another
fault (irrelevant, discussed in another thread) are making me really worry about the longevity of my instrument.

I purchased the guitar as a sort of lifelong purchase and with all these problems already forming I'm quite distressed.

Here are some pictures:

Album: http://imgur.com/a/JR09L

Crack 1:
a) http://i.imgur.com/TTkk5EF.jpg
b) http://i.imgur.com/2OP4X5n.jpg

Crack 2:
a) http://i.imgur.com/WMNxpQI.jpg
b) http://i.imgur.com/ATNjFuI.jpg

EDIT: I just realized I switched over to Medium Gauge strings for most of the guitar's life for the tone/volume. Did I screw myself over...?

Thank You,
David Kim

[David Eastwood]

How was the humidity at the church retreat?

[Scootch]

I would say finish cracks as they cross over the woods grain. I would assume a crack in the wood itself would follow the grain more closely.

Was it subject to an extreme change in temperature?

[dk3919]

Originally Posted by eatswodo

How was the humidity at the church retreat?

Oh man.. now that I think about it we were using a wood stove... (I heard they suck moisture out insanely).

It had to have been in the low 20s to the teens.

[bubbaprime]

They appear to be finish checks from the photos. Did your guitar experience any extreme temperature changes during your travel?

[dk3919]

Originally Posted by Scootch

I would say finish cracks as they cross over the woods grain. I would assume a crack in the wood itself would follow the grain more closely.

Was it subject to an extreme change in temperature?

That's what I thought too but the first crack is pretty on line with the grain.

And by extreme do you mean more than +/- 30 degrees Fahrenheit? (If so yes over a matter of an hour or two, however I did my best to keep it in the case whenever possible)

[bubbaprime]

Originally Posted by dk3919

Oh man.. now that I think about it we were using a wood stove... (I heard they suck moisture out insanely).

It had to have been in the low 20s to the teens.

I just asked at the same time you posted this... if your guitar experienced extreme temp. changes. I seriously doubt that it was exposed to the environment of the wood stove to create humidity cracking. It may be possible that checking occurred due to introducing rapid and extreme temperature changes. For instance, was your guitar stored outside in a car or car trunk and then brought inside to a very warm environment? This could cause finish checking.

[bubbaprime]

Originally Posted by dk3919

And by extreme do you mean more than +/- 30 degrees Fahrenheit? (If so yes over a matter of an hour or two, however I did my best to keep it in the case whenever possible)

If the temps were close or below freezing and the guitar was exposed to that temp (if the guitar itself was at freezing or below temps), then introduced to a 30 degree warmer swing (60-70 degrees ambient)... that could possibly be the cause of finish checking.

[dk3919]

I see, what makes you doubt the cracking was due to humidity?

Does humidity take a bit longer than 3 days to manifest in damage?

As opposed to temperature changes? (Yes it went from being in the church van for several hours into a relatively warm sanctuary)

[David Eastwood]

At this point, I don't think it really matters whether it was temperature, humidity, or a combination of both.

Fact is, the checking has happened, and is most likely not reflective of the long term stability of your guitar. Get it to a repair person you trust, and try not to worry too much.

[bubbaprime]

Originally Posted by dk3919

I see, what makes you doubt the cracking was due to humidity?

Does humidity take a bit longer than 3 days to manifest in damage?

As opposed to temperature changes? (Yes it went from being in the church van for several hours into a relatively warm sanctuary)

Assuming the guitar was properly humidified in the first place, it would (likely) take longer exposure than what your guitar experienced based on your description. This especially considering that you had the guitar in its case when not in use. The checking could occur with the quick exposure to temp change. Although extreme, consider this illustration: an ice cube being doused with room temp water often will crack due to rapid expansion. On the other hand, consider your guitar a sponge of sorts that has been saturated, but not dripping with water. The sponge left out to a dry environment doesn't immediately get bone dry... evaporation takes time. Again, the examples are a little harsh, but maybe they will help a bit.

[dk3919]

Originally Posted by eatswodo

At this point, I don't think it really matters whether it was temperature, humidity, or a combination of both.

Fact is, the checking has happened, and is most likely not reflective of the long term stability of your guitar. Get it to a repair person you trust, and try not to worry too much.

Thank you... really! I'm trying not to but being my first "expensive" guitar I'm a bit sensitive to anything happening to it.

[dk3919]

Originally Posted by bubbaprime

Assuming the guitar was properly humidified in the first place, it would (likely) take longer exposure than what your guitar experienced based on your description. This especially considering that you had the guitar in its case when not in use. The checking could occur with the quick exposure to temp change. Although extreme, consider this illustration: an ice cube being doused with room temp water often will crack due to rapid expansion. On the other hand, consider your guitar a sponge of sorts that has been saturated, but not dripping with water. The sponge left out to a dry environment doesn't immediately get bone dry... evaporation takes time. Again, the examples are a little harsh, but maybe they will help a bit.

Right. That certainly makes sense. Thank you for the rough but informative analogy!

[John Arnold]

I see, what makes you doubt the cracking was due to humidity?

Wood shrinks when subjected to low humidity, lacquer does not. While low humidity can cause cracks in the wood, it is unlikely to cause finish cracks, which often result from the fact that thermal expansion/contraction of the finish is much greater than wood. For that reason, finish checking due to the humidity occurs when the humidity is extremely high. The wood swells and 'stretches' the lacquer, which is brittle.
Thermal shock, especially involving temperatures below 30 degrees, is the normal reason for lacquer checking this time of year.

[dk3919]

Originally Posted by John Arnold

Wood shrinks when subjected to low humidity, lacquer does not. While low humidity can cause cracks in the wood, it is unlikely to cause finish cracks, which often result from the fact that thermal expansion/contraction of the finish is much greater than wood. For that reason, finish checking due to the humidity occurs when the humidity is extremely high. The wood swells and 'stretches' the lacquer, which is brittle.
Thermal shock, especially involving temperatures below 30 degrees, is the normal reason for lacquer checking this time of year.

I see, that makes perfect sense. Thanks for the explanation!

Another quick question... is it common for finish cracks to occur at the edges of the bridge like that because that is where the tension of the strings are first making contact with the top of the guitar?