Can (should) I do anything to maintain the finish on this 82 headstock?

[bry4321]

I am scared to clean or even look at this for fear I will screw it up (although I did muster the courage to take out the tuning pegs to replace chrome w/black and avoided disaster so far). 

My biggest concern is whether the horizontal and vertical lines I circled may get worse. Not visually worse, but start to flake off or something along those lines, especially if I bump the headstock etc. You may be able to see additional checking/lines, including around the logo, and I wanted ask the HFC experts if there is anything I can or should do to prevent deterioration/flaking/etc. Like, drop in some clear CA glue or lacquer or something along those lines. Or should I just roll with it. 

EDIT: On closer look these aren't as bad as I thought. 

[Dutchman]

If it where mine I'd leave it as is. Just my 72 cents (inflation) 

[gorch]

I‘d get rid of these blue circles. Other than that it looks fine to me.

My 76 cents (continued inflation).

[topekatj]

[Hbom]

Hard to see on my screen but it looks like that's just the beginning of aging paint.

I think I see several more that will be growing in the near future, so you'll be chasing cracks forever once you get started.

Best advice I can offer is to forget about it. Play the hell out of it and enjoy the fact that you are lucky to have found it.

They didn't make many, and they don't make any, anymore.

[hamerhead]

1 hour ago, topekatj said:

This hangs in my shed. I should read it more often.

[bry4321]

Thanks for the replies. I edited the flowchart to add a choice that represents my typical course of action in life. 

[ARM OF HAMER]

                                It is what it IS as they say......................call it "PATINA" and every guitar gets some of it sometime in its life if you play it. I don't believe you have anything to worry about..................play your guitar and enjoy it. Here is my 1979 B&C'd Black Hamer "SUNBURST" and it had a ton of wear and tear and finish checking, NONE ever fell off.

[bry4321]

1 hour ago, ARM OF HAMER said:

                                It is what it IS as they say......................call it "PATINA" and every guitar gets some of it sometime in its life if you play it. I don't believe you have anything to worry about..................play your guitar and enjoy it. Here is my 1979 B&C'd Black Hamer "SUNBURST" and it had a ton of wear and tear and finish checking, NONE ever fell off.

Thanks, that’s fantastic 

[Jimbilly]

I've got a Gibson 'designer series' that is patina'd all to heck, it looks cool at this point.  

[HSB0531]

5 hours ago, Jimbilly said:

I've got a Gibson 'designer series' that is patina'd all to heck, it looks cool at this point.  

I used to get upset about the wear marks on #0531 until one of my guitar players saw it and gave a thumbs up.

I guess when a bass or guitar is 41 years old it's to be expected. 

[hamerhead]

A well-used guitar always looks better.

[Joe mama]

On 11/11/2022 at 5:30 AM, bry4321 said:

I am scared to clean or even look at this for fear I will screw it up (although I did muster the courage to take out the tuning pegs to replace chrome w/black and avoided disaster so far). 

My biggest concern is whether the horizontal and vertical lines I circled may get worse. Not visually worse, but start to flake off or something along those lines, especially if I bump the headstock etc. You may be able to see additional checking/lines, including around the logo, and I wanted ask the HFC experts if there is anything I can or should do to prevent deterioration/flaking/etc. Like, drop in some clear CA glue or lacquer or something along those lines. Or should I just roll with it. 

EDIT: On closer look these aren't as bad as I thought. 

sell it... ill buy it

[HSB0531]

1 hour ago, Joe mama said:

sell it... ill buy it

At the HFC price of htree-fiddy? 

[bry4321]

10 hours ago, HSB0531 said:

At the HFC price of htree-fiddy? 

Yes. Plus a Shelby. 😁

[Menehune]

IF the guitar has a nitro finish AND you've cleaned off wax and oils thoroughly using naptha (aka white gas, aka Ronson lighter fluid, aka Coleman fuel), you can use a very fine artist's brush to flow lacquer thinner into the clearcoat finish craze lines and impact points to heal them. Won't be perfect but will mechanically rejoin the adjacent finish sections and reduce the appearance of spider and bullseye checking.

If the nitro color coat layer is checked and you've ruled out a refinish, I think the best you can expect is to stabilize the clearcoat.