New GT 811 - fret sprout and uneven top

[Edward]

Wow, man, allergy to nickel ...that stinks!  But yes, at least you have excellent fret alternatives; though costly they feel great! 

Edward

[McBrain]

Here's a few videos I found on YouTube of GT 811's where the bracing is also visible through the top in the same area.

https://youtu.be/qsBrsR0omSk?t=27
https://youtu.be/YYuBeJhM6mc?t=225
https://youtu.be/6M7nj4pF_Jo?t=200
https://youtu.be/kemkM4duiGk?t=309

In fact I haven't seen a video of a gt 811, where there are lights reflecting off the top and the bracing isn't visible. So I'm guessing the majority - if not all - of the GT 811's out there are like this. Most people probably just don't notice it.

[Edward]

I checked out a couple of those vids and looked closely to my oldest acoustics.
So fwiw, I have a 2008 RTaylor, style 2 (GC size body), and I can just barely see two lines of this "telegraphing" (that I've also heard called "witness lines") in the top near the sound hole.  And I mean just barely visible if the light angle is exactly right and reflecting just so.  Keep in mind this guit is forward-shifted X bracing, but these RTs were very lightly built/braced, and also purportedly had a thinner finish relative to the production line Taylors of that era.  All to say I think what you're seeing is simply a matter of the guitar's build parameters and, as the factory stated, variances in RH.  Mine is simply old and been played lots.  Rock stable in all ways so I never noticed it until you brought it up.  If it ain't causing you issues, enjoy it!

Edward

[McBrain]

I checked out a couple of those vids and looked closely to my oldest acoustics.
So fwiw, I have a 2008 RTaylor, style 2 (GC size body), and I can just barely see two lines of this "telegraphing" (that I've also heard called "witness lines") in the top near the sound hole.  And I mean just barely visible if the light angle is exactly right and reflecting just so.  Keep in mind this guit is forward-shifted X bracing, but these RTs were very lightly built/braced, and also purportedly had a thinner finish relative to the production line Taylors of that era.  All to say I think what you're seeing is simply a matter of the guitar's build parameters and, as the factory stated, variances in RH.  Mine is simply old and been played lots.  Rock stable in all ways so I never noticed it until you brought it up.  If it ain't causing you issues, enjoy it!

Edward

Thanks Edward. I am enjoying it immensely! Couldn't be happier with it.

The only reason I posted the videos was to demonstrate that this seems to be perfectly normal on guitars with v-class/c-class bracing, in case others notice the lines and become worried that it's a flaw or a problem.

This reply from from Taylor Customer Service is the reason I started looking for the lines on other 811's:
(I know it says "V-class" and "redwood top", but she probably copy/pasted it and forgot to change the details)

"The telegraphing lines will be present to one degree or another on every v class design, in the same way they should be present on every fan braced classical guitar.  The effect is technically known as bimetal coupling.  It occurs whenever two materials with different characteristics are bonded to each other over a significant length.  Here, the spruce braces underneath have a little different expansion and strength characteristic than the redwood top.  Since they are nearly parallel to each other, you can see the difference between the two materials show up right at the edges of the braces.
 
This is not to be considered a defect.  If the top were made thick enough to not telegraph, the guitar would not sound as good. It will never pose a structure concern of the guitar.  In fact, these guitars are far stronger and will age with greater stability.

The design of these guitars shares family history with fan braced classical guitars as well as parallel braced archtop guitars, both of which are known for showing these same telegraph lines.
Most spruce top guitars will show these lines slightly less, due to the top and brace stock having closer characteristics.  Any guitars with a less highly polished top, or lighter color will make it really hard to spot the lines. But rest assured, they are there."