Does Tokai nitro ever check?

[bobwise]

My '80 LS-120 Love Rock has some stress cracks in the finish. A couple where the head meets the neck (scary to think it got flexed hard enough to crack the finish; reassuring that it could withstand that without breaking), and some concentric ones around the bridge volume control (like a bullseye -- apparently the knob suffered an impact and flexed the top over the control cavity).

But no weather checking, no crazing. It's got plenty of wear and patina and some weather checking would complete the look. It seems that very few of the nitro LS's I've seen pics of have any weather checking (of course, it doesn't always show up in pics).

Was Tokai's nitro more resilient? Did Tokai owners live in very temperate climates and not subject their guitars to sudden temperature changes? Or am I mistaken and it's just as common on Tokais as on Gibsons?

 

[kmarccoco]

my 1979 St 80 has no visible patina. BUt my Blonde 1980 St 100 does.... Ive always wondered if there were some binders in 7okai's nitro..

 

[settebello]

My blonde St100,witch is only 80 pieces later then Ken's, have no visible cracks.But its nitro for sure,i have made a acetontest.

Volker

 

[Anonymous]

I have wondered the same thing as Ken. My 1980 ST80 has no signs of crazing, my 1986 Fender 62RI certainly does.

 

[marcusnieman]

Alot of it has to do with where you live, the weather and humidic conditions and how much your guitar is subjected to the extremes of hot and cold.

Here in Texas, if I've got my gear loaded in my truck in August for the day prior to a gig that night with high temps in the truck of 120 degrees plus, that wood is going to expand. The nitro being warmed to the same temp will expand as well without any problem.

But take it into a venue that is freezing cold with the air conditioning blowing with a drastic 50 degree change in temp with NO humidity, you can literally hear the guitar react - pops, crinkles, strings slipping at the nut, etc. Checking happens.......

Conversely, same for the opposite conditions - going from the extreme cold of a Chicago winter into a venue with the heat cranked up, you know the rest.....

If you're just playing at home under stable conditions, your guitar will look like it.