A couple of weeks ago I posted asking for opinions about using WRC tops for steel string guitars. My third WRC build (*almost* finished, but now currently back on my bench) developed some very strange cracks just after spraying (see pic). I've been letting it sit aside while I decide what to do about it. The finish cracks are very obvious. I had just about decided to sand the top back to bare wood and start over.
But while buffing out the finish (to see if it was salvageable) I noticed a more bothersome *development". There are three hairline cracks that run longitudinally down the lower bout. Two of them are about 1/2" on either side of the center line. The third is about 1/2" to the right of the High E bridge pin hole. The small amount of moisture involved in wet-sanding made them become obvious. Now they are just barely apparent, but they are definitely there
So my latest idea is that I should just bite the bullet and re-top the guitar. There would be a good deal of time involved in sanding back to wood, refinishing, attaching the bridge, and setting up the guitar, and if I did all of that only to have to take it all apart again later, I'd be pretty bummed. I'm thinking that I've either used an inferior piece of wood, or thinned it too much, or that the temperature stresses of going in and out of the house into the mud room for spraying have caused a failure in the wood (I was pretty careful to acclimate the room, and let the guitar acclimate as well, but... ). The back, sides, and neck assembly turned out fine.
I guess what I'm looking for is confirmation of my plan. Would re-topping the guitar seem to be a wise course of action at this point?
TIA,