How Much Is Too Much Checking?

[Ross Echols]

How much checking is too much checking? I didn't buy this tonewood but I set the deal up. So, I am careful not to openly take sides. Being new to my journey as a luthier I am searching for answers to alot of questions. I have attached 3 photos and 2 videos. They show a side panel with some checking and another photo of a crack. Not sure if it is a side or a back.

These are some fairly high dollar acoustic sets (Indian Ebony) and the group receiving them are rejecting the goods. I bought 4 sets in the same deal and I didn't have any problems. My thoughts are from my woodworking experience I could deal with that amount of end checking. I worked summers in my Mom's furniture restoration business. I learned alot about making things workout. Now the crack I would have to examine.

So, I wanted some luthiers opinion. What would you do if you received tonewood with these flaws?

[Alan Carruth]

I'm not entirely sure of what I'm looking at here, so I'm reluctant to say too much, but I consider any amount of checking in tone wood to be concerning.

Some of that does look like 'honeycomb checking', characteristic of too rapid drying. The outside of the piece gets 'case hardened' and can't shrink further, so the wood inside shrinks toward the outer surface. The ends of the plank can end up wider and thicker than the middle, and when you cut it open there are numerous cracks, such as are visible in the edge of one of those pieces.

I once got a nice plank of old 5/4" BRW 10" wide that was cut right along the radius. The pith of the tree was just in from one edge, and it showed some radial checking along that side. I kept cutting pieces off that edge, working out toward the bark side, to get past the checks. The usable width of that plank was 3". *sigh* Those old boys didn't always do it right.