Defect on a new Gibson SG Standard?

[TonyR]

Hi everyone!

Once again I’m in need of your help.
I just bought my dream electric guitar, wich is a new Gibson SG Standard.
At the store I didn’t notice anything, but at home with better light, I saw this two lines on the body, it is not very noticible
Is it a difect on the finish or on storage?
Can this be considered a malfunction?

 

[shreddy bender]

That is lacquer sinking. Your guitar is a 3 piece body and those lines are the seams. Nothing to worry about, but I would return it if it bothers you.
Black Is notorious for showing up every little flaw especially with a finish done in nitro.
Wherever you are located this guitar probably had some environmental changes on its journey from Nashville to you.

 

[zachspecial]

Hi everyone!

Once again I’m in need of your help.
I just bought my dream electric guitar, wich is a new Gibson SG Standard.
At the store I didn’t notice anything, but at home with better light, I saw this two lines on the body, it is not very noticible
Is it a difect on the finish or on storage?
Can this be considered a malfunction?

it probably got hit by a cold front or was in a dry environment on its way to you, the seam lines show with age anyway, if you love everything about the guitar i would keep it, but it you have ocd or the guitar is good but not great return it, but if you have a ringer i would just deal with it.

 

[TonyR]

That is lacquer sinking. Your guitar is a 3 piece body and those lines are the seams. Nothing to worry about, but I would return it if it bothers you.
Black Is notorious for showing up every little flaw especially with a finish done in nitro.
Wherever you are located this guitar probably had some environmental changes on its journey from Nashville to you.

Thanks for answering, I’m italian living in Brazil, so it took a long way here.
I liked this guitar cause the fretboard is darker than others and the arm feels nice to play.
I will think better if it bothers me and play more to check the sound.
Your answer helped a lot. Thank you!

 

[TonyR]

it probably got hit by a cold front or was in a dry environment on its way to you, the seam lines show with age anyway, if you love everything about the guitar i would keep it, but it you have ocd or the guitar is good but not great return it, but if you have a ringer i would just deal with it.

Thanks for answering, I liked a lote the darker fretboard and the arm feels nice to play, this guitar captivated me, but I have a bit of ocd so I’m still considering.
Probably I prefer the sound of my Gibson SG 60s tribute, cause of the P90s, I’m more into early Sabbath sound.
But I think this Standard can be more versatile.
Your answer helped a lot.
Thank you!

 

[shreddy bender]

Glad to help! Enjoy your guitar! The only one who sees the details is you. If you do your job as a musician, the audience will be none the wiser!

 

[zachspecial]

Thanks for answering, I liked a lote the darker fretboard and the arm feels nice to play, this guitar captivated me, but I have a bit of ocd so I’m still considering.
Probably I prefer the sound of my Gibson SG 60s tribute, cause of the P90s, I’m more into early Sabbath sound.
But I think this Standard can be more versatile.
Your answer helped a lot.
Thank you!

yeah im super into sabbath also that's why i bought a special, with the standard you can get a sound really close to the dio era stuff and if you wanna play in c sharp is easier to do with the abr1, good luck on your journey no matter what decision you make, and one more thing when i got my sg is had some bubbles in the comfort carve, it bothered me to death and i was super close to returning it but i didn't and now i have completely forgot about it and it doesn't bother me at all. just remember those cranks are just one step closer to Iommi's old boy

 

[Col Mustard]

I agree with many of these opinions.

To me, the most important thing about any guitar is the music to be made with it.
Decorations and cosmetic issues don't get too much consideration from a guy like me...
I spent most of my career playing instruments I bought used. All of my instruments had
dents and scratches, worn frets, etc etc etc... Such damage was never an issue.

Also, in the venues I played, stages were small and ceilings were low... winters were cold
and summers were hot. My bass and my guitars took a beating. If I damaged them, I took
them to a professional luthier and got them repaired expertly, so that they could continue
to make music. I did damage my own instruments, I'm a clumsy oaf. But it never affected
my music.

I never owned a NEW guitar until 2008. And I started playing in 1964 or so. I started gigging
in 1974 with my used instruments and never questioned this. I could never afford a new
Gibson, or even a new Fender. So I never experienced the angst of seeing the first dent in
a new instrument... until I bought my first SG. WOW! a pristine guitar! BOSH...

*laughs... I"m not saying the first dents and scratches don't hurt. They do.
But in the clear telescope of hind sight, I'll suggest that dents and scratches must be considered
"honest wear." If you live in Brazil, and you got a guitar that was made in USA and shipped all
the way to where you are, maybe any small blemish should be considered honest wear.
It's a long way, chugging along in a containership.

The alternative is a lot of hassle. Gibson may not be at fault... The instrument may have been
checked before shipping, but in transit many unknown forces may be applied to an innocent
guitar in a shipping container. Who is to blame? Who must be made to pay?

I would play the hell out of your guitar, to see. In the case of your SG,
this might NOT be possible... Plenty of hell left when you set her down.
If you think of your guitar in this way:
"How much hell is contained in this instrument?" then some small flaws in the finish
might not seem so important.

That's the way I look at my SGs. I am blessed to own two Gibson SG specials. I have pampered
them and rubbed them down with fine guitar care products, but I never fret over small dents
and flaws in their finish. I love the music that my SGs can make. Mine inspire me.

So if your new SG does this... if she inspires your music and enables you to play parts you
never knew you could, then she's doing what she's supposed to do. If so, you should keep
her and polish her dents along with the rest of her.

If not... then you should return her as damaged goods... and let her go to someone who values
her more than you do. And when you go to shop for another one, take your microscope along
so you can approve the "look" before you fall in love with the tone.

 

[TonyR]

Thanks for answering, I’m glad to hear from you that it is not a problem, cause the pictures don’t show very well, but you can feel this line in the front, bottom and back of the guitar, so I was concerned this could be a problem of durability in the future.
This guitar here costs at least the double, so is a big investment, it is my first new Gibson.

 

[Wound_Up]

it probably got hit by a cold front or was in a dry environment on its way to you, the seam lines show with age anyway, if you love everything about the guitar i would keep it, but it you have ocd or the guitar is good but not great return it, but if you have a ringer i would just deal with it.

Lacquer does that without any help from weather or heat or cold or being in a dry environment or anything else.

It happens because its nitro lacquer. It doesn't need any help. And that's likely all it took for it to happen on that guitar. Just the fact that they used nitro lacquer. It's called shrinkage. We deal with it in automotive refinishing, also.

Go watch any vid where Ted Woodford refinishes part of a guitar. He memtions the fact that it shrinks back almost every time. It's a known thing.

 

[LogicprObe]

Mine is single piece so no lines but I have a Tele that is a three piece and it shows quite clearly.
If it plays well, keep it!

 

[Gary Gretsch]

I would switch for another guitar. On my phone some look like buffer marks and one looks like the paint has a crack. If that is what I am seeing the Crack in the paint will get worse. I had the cracking paint problem with three Toni Iommi SG's before I got a good one. With the price of that guitar it should be perfect. At least perfect enough to make you happy.

 

[zachspecial]

Lacquer does that without any help from weather or heat or cold or being in a dry environment or anything else.

It happens because its nitro lacquer. It doesn't need any help. And that's likely all it took for it to happen on that guitar. Just the fact that they used nitro lacquer. It's called shrinkage. We deal with it in automotive refinishing, also.

Go watch any vid where Ted Woodford refinishes part of a guitar. He memtions the fact that it shrinks back almost every time. It's a known thing.

yes what you say is true but weather can cause abnormally large amounts of shrinkage or cracking, and shipping from america to brazil likely caused his problems.

 

[smitty_p]

Go watch any vid where Ted Woodford refinishes part of a guitar. He memtions the fact that it shrinks back almost every time. It's a known thing.

Ted Woodford is an awesome channel. I can binge watch his stuff for hours.

 

[jtees4]

Nice choice of guitars and color! Only you can decide on if you want to keep it, but I also agree with you that the dark board is nice, and not always easy to get one. So just think which is more important to you. Most people will never notice those lines, especially if a bright light is not shining directly on them or they are not looking so close which is usually the case. Good luck.

 

[TonyR]

Mine is single piece so no lines but I have a Tele that is a three piece and it shows quite clearly.
If it plays well, keep it!

Shouldn’t all Gibson Standard be single piece?

 

[shreddy bender]

Shouldn’t all Gibson Standard be single piece?

Most are 2 or 3 piece. Solid colours more likely 3.

 

[Norton]

it's impossible to tell from pictures.

but if those lines are SUPER noticeable AND you can feel them with your fingers... then there's a glue up problem. Which is Extremely unlikely.

If you can't feel them or dig into them then it's all good.

 

[John Scott Major]

Bom Dia!
Nearly all Nitro Finished guitars with 3 pieces will have some lacquer sink into the seams. I seriously doubt you will find a black one that does not have this "issue". This is a feature of a hand made, hand finished, Nitro lacquer guitar. Black shows it the worst. The "glitter" finishes are also notorious for this.

 

[Decadent Dan]

Shouldn’t all Gibson Standard be single piece?

They can be 1,2 or 3 pieces.
I’m pretty sure all the Custom Shop are 1-piece. Not sure about their solid color bodies, though I would expect it.
Just like I would expect a hard case with a Standard.