AO Nitro Checking?

[guitarsammy]

Has anyone with an AO seen any checking appear in the nitro?

I've had one a while now, and it's been exposed to various temperature changes, but no sign so far. Seem to remember seeing lots of photos of checking on AV65s, but not sure I've seen it on any of the AOs? Maybe the lacquer formulation is different (or the poly sealer has an impact?).

[Marc]

I haven't. I believe the AO has a different formula as a lot of people complained about the American vintage finish being too fragile. The AO nitro probably contains a plasticizer(sp?) and is unlikely to check.

Having said that I have two American Vintage guitars only a year apart and one has a fragile finish and the other is normal.

To add to that some of the checking I have seen on AV guitars wasn't always good. Some looked great with thin straight lines and others had deep finish cracks in quite a random way. So I guess it didn't work out for Fender and they changed it.

[graceless]

No checking but lots of little 'holes' in the finish appearing where it gets dented. Kind of a weird one, that. It also reacts with some of my clothing in a strange way, leaving a black rubbery residue all along the lower body cut when i play sitting.

[Mondaysoutar]

I’ve only had mine a couple of years tops man, and it’s not really been exposed to any big temperature changes that might cause it. Few wee dings and that, but nothing major. The finish looks quite thin to me, but quite hard too so think checking’ll happen over time.

[flysky578]

No checking but lots of little 'holes' in the finish appearing where it gets dented. Kind of a weird one, that. It also reacts with some of my clothing in a strange way, leaving a black rubbery residue all along the lower body cut when i play sitting.

Same for me, two holes and whenever I have a shirt with something written on or dark blue t shirts they leave also stuff on it and it's quite annoying to pick these out.

I read once someone leaved his AO Strat in the car, then on the hot stage in the sun before they played and the finish literally falled apart of the guitar..but I guess that would do most nitro guitars under that circumstances.

On mine only the neck darkened that I have since late 2018 and played a lot outside private in the summer (what I'm glad for, because I dislike yellowed white)

[DavidG]

There's a little bit of checking across the lacquer of my strats fretboard, not the body though. I bought it used and abused, so I've no idea what it was put through for the checking to appear on the fretboard.

The body wear is as described by others, definitely a thin finish, but strong....dings and chips on the finish only. Still looks great.

[Mondaysoutar]

There's a little bit of checking across the lacquer of my strats fretboard, not the body though. I bought it used and abused, so I've no idea what it was put through for the checking to appear on the fretboard.

The body wear is as described by others, definitely a thin finish, but strong....dings and chips on the finish only. Still looks great.

Now you mention it, I’ve got quite a bit of checking and chipping on the neck of my JM, well the binding.

[Powdered Toast Man]

No checking on mine. My AO50's Strat has a really thin finish and it chips easily. But no cracks or wear through yet.

I did see one post on another message board where a guy who tours with his AO50's had the finish crack and then start flaking off in big chunks. The guitar is almost 80% bare wood now. However I'd wager that was a finish defect/failure on that particular guitar and not characteristic of the AO line as a whole.

I do know Fender changed the finish process from the AV series. They added a thin poly sealer coat on the bare wood before applying the nitro to help it bond better. As much complaining I see on the boards about how people miss the AV series, I know Fender and their dealers had a LOT of problems with the Flash Coat lacquer with guitar arriving with finish damage right out of the box. Lots of stories about dealers having to sell AV guitars at deep discounts due to finish chips and cracks.

The fact is that the nitro they use today is not the nitro of 1960. The formulation has changed because they can't use some of the same compounds that were in the original paint anymore. It's like how Gibson tort pickguards in the 50's and 60's were made of nitrocelulose but they can't make that stuff anymore due to regulatory changes.

[rhythmjones]

a lot of people complained about the American vintage finish being too fragile.

Complained? That was the best part!

[Powdered Toast Man]

a lot of people complained about the American vintage finish being too fragile.

Complained? That was the best part!

Mainly the dealers. Many of them were apparently having to sell AV guitars at a deep discount because they arrived with finish already coming off when they were right out of the box. And keep in mind Fender hiked the price on the AV by about $600 over the former AVRI guitars.

[Mechanical Birds]

I’ve spent so much time trying to find anything about the wear on the AV and AO guitars and somehow never find anything. I’d love to see some pics or if anybody knows of a thread where there are examples I’d love to see them

[Zeus]

a lot of people complained about the American vintage finish being too fragile.

Complained? That was the best part!

The finish wear on the AV65s largely looks pretty terrible to me, as though big flaky chunks are simply just falling off guitars which are barely a few years old.

Leo would be aghast!

That kind of wear bears no resemblance to how genuine 60s Fenders aged.

I’ve been vocally pretty ho hum about the AOs but one thing I think they unequivocally got right was the tougher finishes with poly undercoat.

[rhythmjones]

a lot of people complained about the American vintage finish being too fragile.

Complained? That was the best part!

Mainly the dealers. Many of them were apparently having to sell AV guitars at a deep discount because they arrived with finish already coming off when they were right out of the box. And keep in mind Fender hiked the price on the AV by about $600 over the former AVRI guitars.

That's actually literally how I got mine for so cheap, lol.

[JamesSGBrown]

If the AV wearing is anything like the flash-coat finish on the Marr Jag, you can literally just scrape off with your nails haha.