Guild D55

Q: Couple weeks ago I hunted all over the country to find a D55 while selling my 1949 Gibson & F47CE Guild. I finally found one in Tx. I bought it & when it arrived the neck by the first fret has a little crack in it on top side. I don't think the seller was aware, as there are also varnish cracks on face (lower bow). The strange thing is the serial numbers have been blotted out. (That scares me). But the seller has offered to refund part of my money or just take it back so I accepted the partial refund and would like to get it repaired. I'm sending some pictures. How serious can a small crack like that be at this location? It bothers me a little if I chord the F chord using my thumb, and I don't hear a buzz. Please advise me on this.
Trent

A: What you have is called a whip crack. At some time, probably when the guitar was shipped, the case was dropped on it's back. The peghead and neck, behind the case neck support, whipped back and made that crack. A whip crack, by definition is held closed by the string tension. A little glue, a little finish work, it's impossible to make a crack completely disappear cosmetically, but it will be as strong as before and you won't be able to feel it. You avoid whip cracks by stuffing the case, behind the peghead, with packing before you ship.
        There is no question. This is a stolen guitar.  There is no other explanation for the obliterated serial numbers. If it was a factory second, it would have been stamped with a "2" and the numbers would have been left intact. The Guild office needs to track seconds as well as firsts. There is a tiny chance that the serial number is stamped somewhere else inside the guitar. Maybe on the neck block or tail block. I suppose that another explanation is that it was owned by a crazy numerologist who saved us all from destruction by obliterating that particular string of numbers. We can only thank him for that.
 
Steve Mason