Ridges are forming in the finish of my 2017 J45...and I love it!

[jjrpilot]

When the J45 Standard first arrived, it was glassy smooth but now, as you can see, the varnish is slowly settling into the grain of the wood. I LOVE this look! This J45 Standard has really opened up and the tone has gotten richer and deeper as I've been able to play it almost daily.

I'm doing my best to avoid dings, and won't be abusing/relic-ing this guitar at all. I want it to show its age and wear honestly. I'm just keeping it clean and humidified. I'd love to pass this guitar down to my daughter some day.

[Rogerblair]

I like the look also. Give it 40 years and it’ll look like a Ruffles potato chip.

J45s are great guitars!

Rb

[CRM]

I always thought that was a sign that the guitar needed to be humidified a bit, of course my dad told me I was a couple of bricks short of a full load.....what ever that means...lol so I could be wrong as usual.

[simpl man]

Your guitar is finished with nitrocellulose lacquer.

The washboard effect usually indicates it's dry. Keep an eye on the humidification, but otherwise it's kinda cool looking.

[jjrpilot]

Originally Posted by simpl man

Your guitar is finished with nitrocellulose lacquer.

The washboard effect usually indicates it's dry. Keep an eye on the humidification, but otherwise it's kinda cool looking.

I definitely keep it humidified for sure!

[martingitdave]

It’s dry. Put it in the case with a humidifier or d’adarrio humidipack. Keep it in the case when not playing. You need more humidity, evidently.

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by CRM

I always thought that was a sign that the guitar needed to be humidified a bit, of course my dad told me I was a couple of bricks short of a full load.....what ever that means...lol so I could be wrong as usual.

It's contracting, which is a sign of low humidity.

[Simon Fay]

Actually, this does not indicate that the guitar is dry. Within a few weeks of being buffed to a high gloss, the finish will settle in very much as you see in this photo. It normally isn't as noticeable on lighter tops but if you place any top under direct lighting you should be able to see the finish telegraph the grain lines. Bear in mind, the dark gloss top greatly magnifies the finish topography. It also tends to be more noticeable on tops with wider grain. I'm not certain if super thick finishes do this (think cheap imports) but certainly quality guitars like Martin, Taylor, etc ... will have finishes that look like this very shortly after being built.

Of course, your guitar may or may not be dry - that is usually discovered through sharp fret ends or low action.

[jjrpilot]

Originally Posted by Simon Fay

Actually, this does not indicate that the guitar is dry. Within a few weeks of being buffed to a high gloss, the finish will settle in very much as you see in this photo. It normally isn't as noticeable on lighter tops but if you place any top under direct lighting you should be able to see the finish telegraph the grain lines. Bear in mind, the dark gloss top greatly magnifies the finish topography. It also tends to be more noticeable on tops with wider grain. I'm not certain if super thick finishes do this (think cheap imports) but certainly quality guitars like Martin, Taylor, etc ... will have finishes that look like this very shortly after being built.

Of course, your guitar may or may not be dry - that is usually discovered through sharp fret ends or low action.

I agree 100% with what you said about the finish.

I keep all my guitars well humidified with those Music Nomad humidifiers. No sharp frets, it’s all good ��

[davenumber2]

My J-45’s finish looks the same and it’s always properly humidified.

Simon is correct of course. A thin finish such as lacquer, which is also continually curing, will sink with the softwood even when perfectly humidified.

[catfish]

The top of my 2015 J-45 Standard looks similar as well, but with less pronounced 'washboard' effect.

[tippy5]

Agreed, I like the look too. Materials expanding and contracting accordingly.

[rokdog49]

The top wood of My Eastman E10 00 Sunburst looks like this. It is consistently in 45-50% humidity so I know it isn't dry

[brencat]

The finish is curing. The guitar is NOT dry. My old D-18 Custom shop had wide grained Sitka and looked exactly like his J-45 from day 1, and I have a humidity controlled environment here.

No issues — enjoy OP!