What are these double, parallel "scratches" on neck?

[Petespix]

I recently bought a 1970s Guild 12 string, model g212 that is in very good condition, plays well with low action and sounds great. However the neck does have double parallel scratches in the finish running down the back of the neck, one on each side from the center. One is about 1.5 inches in length, the other about 3 inches. At first I thought these to be just cosmetic scratches. I've been looking at more used Guilds and see this same condition on many necks, here is an F112 currently on eBay that is worse than mine....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Guild-Acous ... dZViewItem

It seems to me that this condition is a problem from the inside out, that the double truss rods are responsible for the scratches. I'm wondering how serious is this problem to a Guild guitar neck. Can anybody with experience or knowledge of this please comment on it. Is this something that will destroy the neck in time? Will it only get worse if additional tweaking is done to the truss rods? Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Peter

 

[12 string]

Those aren't scratches, they are cracks going all the way to the truss rod slots, as you say. Some highly viscous red epoxy will seep in and stabilize the cracks and preserve truss rod function, at least if caught early. I don't know about that F-112 on eBay, it looks pretty bad. It is also a relisted item, having sold a month or so ago. At that time the seller claimed that they were in the finish only, and had to do with "lamination"; but it's a one piece neck. Evidently, the deal fell through. In the case of my two oldest Guilds the cracks were only 2-3" long and the repairs have held for years now.

 

[Dreamlander]

Hmmmm, i didn't know this problem really existed. Is it common with guild's double truss rod 12 strings, or with other 12 string guitars?

 

[chazmo]

Those aren't scratches, they are cracks going all the way to the truss rod slots, as you say. Some highly viscous red epoxy will seep in and stabilize the cracks and preserve truss rod function, at least if caught early. I don't know about that F-112 on eBay, it looks pretty bad. It is also a relisted item, having sold a month or so ago. At that time the seller claimed that they were in the finish only, and had to do with "lamination"; but it's a one piece neck. Evidently, the deal fell through. In the case of my two oldest Guilds the cracks were only 2-3" long and the repairs have held for years now.

Yikes! Wow, that neck looks bad. I agree that's problematical, though the rest of the guitar looked OK. This one will need some work.

 

[12 string]

Dreamlander, when I first noticed the F-112 had a problem I called my tech and he knew what it was before I could finish describing it. It seems to be a fairly common problem with older Guild 12ers, a possible downside to the twin truss rod construction. In other forums I've seen it being referred to as "fatal", but to my experience it isn't necessarily that bad. That one on eBay may be a fatality. My G-312 had a similarly short delamination in the three piece neck, at about the same spot, opposite the third fret. I did catch mine early, and I sure have my eyes open for it now, but the fix was simple, inexpensive and effective.

 

[Petespix]

I'll be checking into the epoxy fix when I go see a luthier working on a 6 string right now. I can't see a gap to seep epoxy into but if it can be done Randy can do it.

12 string, what other forums were you refering to?

Thanks for the help.
Peter

 

[12 string]

Hi, Peter. I can't remember where I saw people referring the "fatal Guild 12 string neck cracks". I'm pretty sure it was not LTG, UMGF, or AGF. I don't look at the others very often. I also have no reason to believe that those comments are valid.

That red epoxy has such high viscosity it will seep into the cracks all by itself, or so I'm told. It was no problem with my two Guilds which needed it.

David

 

[chazmo]

Hi, Peter. I can't remember where I saw people referring the "fatal Guild 12 string neck cracks". I'm pretty sure it was not LTG, UMGF, or AGF. I don't look at the others very often. I also have no reason to believe that those comments are valid.

That red epoxy has such high viscosity it will seep into the cracks all by itself, or so I'm told. It was no problem with my two Guilds which needed it.

David

Does it gum up the truss rod itself, 12 string?

 

[12 string]

I wondered about that, too, Chazmo. Didn't have a problem.

David