How to repair cracks in white nitro gibson finish

[BluzCruz]

I just bought a 2018 (still brand new) Alpine White nitro Gibson SG. Unfortunately, it arrived with some finish cracking which I think is due to temp changes between Michigan (where it originated) and California. It's not in a very visible location, so I might keep the guitar because they are hard to find currently and I like it. But I'm concerned about these cracks spidering out or extending to the top surface of the guitar.  It currently extends from the control cavity on the back, around the edge of the guitar, but not onto the top/front. 

Would a small brush with lacquer retarder or lacquer thinner melt the nitro finish back together and prevent further spreading of cracks? How cosmetically "clean" would that result be? invisible? visible but prevents future spreading of cracks? worse than leaving it alone? 

Is there a better approach? 

Frankly, I don't trust my local luthiers...every one I've tried over the years has done really boneheaded things...from putting a bridge in backwards, to setting up guitars with just bizzare adjustments due to a nut that was too low to start with...amateurish. I do most of my own work now but I haven't done any finish work. I wouldn't know who to trust and I certainly don't want to ship the guitar cross country again and risk more temperature based cracking. Any suggestions?

Edited July 19, 2020 by BluzCruz

[BluzCruz]

Oh well. No replies. I took it to a luthier and also consulted a luthier's forum. Opinions varied. But my local luthier said he thought the wood was broken and I should return it. I took it home and took the backplate off, put a little pressure on it and I could see the crack separate slightly. Yup...broken wood. Returning it to guitar center. 

[K9kaos]

Sounds like you are making a good decision. Hope they'll be able to replace it for you!

 

[Magnit]

A late reply and given the wood was cracking, not of much value, but here goes.

Nitro finish is in my opinion an inferior (or superior if it's your thing) finish as it's prone to cracking and wear off while its' alternatives are not. People who buy guitars with nitro finishes either likes the perceived sound of it or the reliced look the guitar gets as it wears off.

It smells nice though.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Magnit

[Eracer_Team-DougH]

Nitro is mailable .. so adding more Nitro to the finish will have it blend in.. 

but since this looks like your crack wraps around the body from the input all away around to the control cover, suggests to me something more than just a surface crack in the Nitro.

Nitro does "check" as it's called.. but only when it goes from say a cold trunk of a car (think -15) into a hot bar (think +75). 

going from store to courier , to courier to courier to you .. well  different story.

to me it doesn't have a hit mark like a drop.. but it suggest an impact of something to cause a top to back crack.

[edit: I take that back.. looks to me with the double crack or triple crack on the bottom that the guitar was dropped]

(p.s. you clean nitro guitars with lighter fluid; not car wax)

Edited May 8, 2020 by Eracer_Team-DougH

[BluzCruz]

It probably got dropped in transit  but it didn't really have any "impact" marks on the case or the guitar, just the crack in the body. It could also just be that the wood just cracked as it dried out...maybe it wasn't fully aged or else maybe humidity changes caused it to dry further and crack. Anyway, I returned it and guitar center promptly relisted it as a brand new guitar with no suggestion of the issue. Someone somewhere bought it and I hope they are happy with it but even though I got a decent deal on it, there was no way I was going to keep it with that crack in the wood. Too bad, it was otherwise great.