Curlington
Member
I think your assessment of the situation is spot on and objective. Super sorry this happened. The older Guilds are wonderful and I salute those of who put money into them to make them all that they can be.
That very much looks like a lacquer crack to me as well.I think that may simply be a lacquer crack cause by the flexing when the neck is removed. It has to be gradually worked back and forth up out of the dovetail. And I've never seen an example of a heel break like that shape. Normally it would follow a grain fault.
Look at it very closely under a magnifying glass, try to see if really is in the wood.
Even if it is a genuine crack, it's well glued and still structurally sound which may be what he meant.
Maybe ask him if he might consider a courtesy or discounted touch-up for the cosmetic issue, given your inexperience and the lack of disclosure? (Yeah, I do feel there's some duty to disclose that potential issue during consultation).
Hope that helps.
When I spoke to the tech he said it was a wood crack, not just lacquer.That very much looks like a lacquer crack to me as well.