Cracked soundboard repair tutorial acoustic and hollowbody. Buying an acoustic with top crack smart bargain or roll of. On the guitar repair workbench, gibson l37, 1934, archtop rebuild and restoration april 19, 2014 0. Stretch a large elastic band over the guitar to hold the plastic top over the soundhole. It cost me a pretty penny, but in comparison, fixing this crack probably isnt that bad. Now, an acoustic guitars top shouldnt be dead flat they are arched, typically with a 4.
Body repairs including cracks, splits and dents carried. They begun at the preamp cutout and because of the tension on that area of bent wood, they easily spread as the centre relaxed while the edges stayed in place, bound to the top and back. Top cracks to avoid at all costs are the ones that are near the neck to body joint that crack to the soundhole. These cracks typically fall into the category of closed cracks cracks. So the normal way of clamping the bridge for repair with c clamps was out of the question. This usually happens when the guitar is allowed to dry out, causing the two halves of the top to come unglued at the center seam.
Fix a cracked guitar top without hampering the tone. Professionals will often repair a crack or ding for you, but it can cost you. I purchased one of these spruce strips to repair a crack in the sitka spruce top on my martin om. Crack repair cleats in spruce, indian rosewood, and mahogany for repairing acoustic guitars with the tj. It arrived in my shop with an open crack extending from the bridge to the end on the lower bout and a sunken top. I do repairs for clients and guitar shops all over the united states. Returning a vintage guitar to original specifications can be a painstaking and costly process. Photo 2 it was clear that the soundboard was not coming back to a reasonable radius so the decision was made to replace the soundboard.
Undoubtedly, as the top was pushed downward, the top cracked, and the glue joints on the brace ends broke loose. Crack repair guitar blog the official taylor guitars blog. Contact your local guitar center store for pricing and more information about these repair and maintenance services. Then reaching from the inside of the guitar push on one side of the crack to open it up and message the titebond in.
We recommend repairing promptly, to prevent the crack from spreading. One of the most common instances is actually not a crack at all, but a centerseam separation. Located inside every guitar center store, our staff of experienced, certified technicians. Jan 05, 2012 taylor factory service centers and uv finishequipped service centers can repair cracks and, in many cases, make them disappear completely. I went tolowes and bought a spruce board and ripped it to size and prepared it to patch.
The problem is i have a guitar in for repair that has a split top, right down the center seam. Restoring an old kay archtop with guitars and caffeine. Repair cracks in tops and sides of an acoustic guitar. Aug 06, 2014 this left a hole about 1 12 x 2 at the bottom of the guitar where i could insert a stick of mahogany cutoff i had laying around with a magnet and the cleat on it. These prices apply to guitars in otherwise good working order. These tools are for repairing stubborn cracks, splits and punctures in acoustic guitars.
Martin will not repair if its deemed the guitar was not properly humidified. A guitar top may bow because of humidity or improper bridge and string tension. A small grouping of holes in the top and bottom bouts, at the front end of the body. After you apply the glue, it is important to secure. Guitar center repairs is your goto spot for expert stringed instrument repairs, upgrades and servicing. Its a really cool guitar, and even though its literally falling apart, john has managed to play the. Hello, im new here and ive seen alot of posts that might help me. Then i marked the stick at the location where it hit the guitar body.
Where the crack starts to peter out you need to use diluted titebond, up to ten percent diluted with water. Another defining factor of lackofhumidity cracks is separation in the guitars top as much as 10 to 15 thousandths of an inch. Acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger guitar. This open crack wont stay closed, even after the guitar s moisture content has acclimated.
It was easy for me to reach inside and press the cracks upward, opening them so i could massage in some glue. Feel free to contact us for help in having a crack or ding repaired. Make sure the grain of the cleat is placed perpendicular to the grain of the wood on your guitar. Most acoustic guitar cracks can be sealed with good adhesive or glue. At our shop, we use it in dozens of ways, but unless you understand its properties and know how to handle it safely, you can wind up in trouble in a matter of seconds. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing. Repairing cracks in acoustic guitars examples of cracks caused.
Fingerboard crack repairs during the dryer winter months with forced heating in temperate regions like here in usa, canada, norway and other parts of europe, i see the predictable increase of cracks in acoustic, bass and electric guitars that have not been maintained at the proper 4060% humidity range, with latefebruary, early march being. Tips on repairing acoustic guitar cracks proaudioland. In an effort to avoid a repeat, and keep the new adhesive from pulling up wood fibers if removed again, this bare area of wood beneath the guitar is usually sealed with finish. There were seven top cracks in total, five of which had been previously repaired, with glue blanketing the surrounding wood. Work undertaken included removing the damaged top and binding, building and bracing a new top, repairing several cracks and splits in the body, rebinding all body edges, refinishing the body, resetting the preamp as well as giving the instrument a fret redress and overall setup for intonation and playability. Press the glueside of the cleat to the upper interior of the inside of your guitar, directly underneath the crack.
This instrument arrived here in april and after 4 weeks of acclimation to return it back to equilibrium moisture content there were no improvements. I gave the wood to a friend who made cleats to close cracks on his guitar. A scalloped brace often appears to dip down towards its center and peak on either end. Though fixing a bowed guitar top is not difficult, it will take several days or even weeks. It was made in europe and after going through the process of wiring payment, it was shipped to me. Since the invention of the acoustic guitar, we flattopback repair peeps havent had a crack repair method that was designed for and suited to our needs. Ive rehydrated the guitar, the cracks are now well aligned, and id like to know what type of glue would give me the best results and whether cleating is necessary for the inside in this case. Its important to note that a ding or a finish chipout wont affect the guitar s sound, playability or humidification and repair is generally not something required for the performance of your guitar. Ok, i just bought an old guild d25m on ebay for an awesome price. The tension that caused the crack was from the humidity tanking. Give us a call to discus repair options and please be prepared to email a picture to us in order to receive the most accurate estimate. Medeer 26pcs guitar repair tool kit wire plier,string organizer,fingerboard protector,hex wrenches,files,string ruler action ruler,spanner wrench,bridge pins for guitar ukulele bass mandolin banjo. Here you see my way of repairing a typical top crack. Stewmac sells perfect tools for it, but when i want to get them to europe i pay the price of the tools, shipping cost and vat in holland.
There is a crack on it, which the seller mentioned and he also said that it hasnt grown any in the years that hes owned it. I plan on holding onto this guitar for a while, so i plan on getting it fixed. The sound of the guitar didnt change with the crack. Nasty acoustic guitar side cracks haze guitars repair. Knowing how to evaluate the seriousness of a crack will allow you to determine whether to call a repair person immediately or whether it might be ok to leave it alone for a little while. John also authored pg s guitar shop 101 column, hosted several pg diy videos, and is an authorized warranty technician trainer for taylor guitars. Offering a state of the art, temperature and humidity controlled environment, as well as a full staff of highly skilled and experienced luthiers, gibson is fully equipped to perform any and all. This guitar came into the shop last week, with a severely bellied top and a lifting bridge.
Acoustic guitar top crack acoustic guitar discussion. John levan has written five guitar repair books published by mel bay. How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar guitar alliance. Instrument repairs, maintenance and modifications guitar center. You can see a couple of nasty cracks along the shoulder. I have been repairing string instruments since 1964 and have been using it for repairing cracks and splits of this nature sucessfully for at least thirty of those years. A cracked guitar side is a difficult fix, especially when the sides of the split are uneven. This open crack wont stay closed, even after the guitars moisture content has acclimated to a relative humidity of 50% at 70 degrees.
Stewmac sells perfect tools for it, but when i want to get them to europe i pay the price of. My guitars got dry but the martin was the only one that cracked. Sometime during the life of an average acoustic guitar, it will likely develop at least a small crack. These braces are found behind the bridge area on an acoustic guitar top. May 22, 2016 acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger. While some cracks are relatively easy to repair its. Unaltered original examples are not always available to use as. I loaned it to my cousin when he sent it back it was damaged in shipping this was a few years ago ups pretty much screwed me by telling me i could not make a claim on it since my cousin sent it and they told my cousin he could not make a claim since he didnt own it. Acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger. Buying an acoustic with top crack smart bargain or roll. Since i couldnt clamp together, i needed to clamp with pressure, rather than squeeze.
If the end block is cracked all the way through, the back may need to come off and the block replaced again, not something youre going to do on a cheap guitar. Another defining factor of lackofhumidity cracks is separation in the guitars topas much as 10 to 15 thousandths of an inch. Cracks in the body of your solid top acoustic guitar are often cause by physical damage to the guitar or shrinkage due to a lack of humidity. The traditional repair is to glue a cleat inside the top, behind the crack.
The original top was shot with an aging toner under the clear. The crack clamp uses a thin wire to pull the cleat into place. Taylor factory service centers and uv finishequipped service centers can repair cracks and, in many cases, make them disappear completely. The crack, which developed mainly as a result of the guitar drying out, is located on the lower bout, extending along the grain from the treble side of the bridge to the binding next to the heel block. Apr 23, 2018 whether the crack is caused by humidity or by impact, there is no immediate danger to the guitar. Repairing a cracked cello top the pegbox maestronet forums. Now you can upload photos with your repair estimate request. The crack is visible when looking closely but it doesnt seem to be getting any bigger. Once the hole has been drilled you can dip a tooth pick into wood glue, press it into the hole, let it dry, then trim off the excess then sand it smooth. Thanks to the advent and availability of neodymium extra strong type of rare earth magnets, now we do. A technique used to decrease the mass of a brace and change the stiffness of the top. The first step of performing a repair on your cracked guitar is to assess. Acoustic guitar top crack posted in acoustic guitar discussion. Martin guitar performs warranty and nonwarranty repairs on martin instruments at the factory.
The spruce top has developed a long and wide crack that extends from the belly of the bridge all the way to the tailblock. The top will be removed, the wood will be joined together, cleats small support blocks will be glued to the underside of the body spanning the crack, and the top will be glued back on. Your guitar looks pristine for being 20 years old compared to my dinged up 1970 gibson j45. Super glue plays an important role in many types of guitar repair. By touching or rubbing the crack, you are working dirt and oils into the area, and this can make things much more difficult when gluing it back. With the hightech glues like gorilla glue on the market today, i am thinking about running a strip of glue on the inside of the top, down the length of the crack. To repair these cracks the stress must be eliminated by removing the pickguard and reattaching or replacing it. With all top cracks, timing of the repair is critical.
This video shows many more discoveries of preventive maintenance not performed and. The cleats woodgrain runs across the crack, not parallel to it, creating a strong repair thats also very small. If the crack is small you might be able to use cyano to repair it. Im on the west coast and didnt want to mess around shipping the guitar or driving to seattle to drop it at dusty strings so i had a luthier that is local here in the south sound do. The longer you wait to fix the crack, the less likely it can be done invisibly. You can even snap a picture from your phone from here. If you are interested in having repair work done at our factory, please contact customer service. Tips on repairing acoustic guitar cracks assess the damage. The bow in the top will begin to flatten in about two to three days. How to fix a crack in the top of an acoustic guitar.
Close the crack our crack clamp uses a guitar tuner on a smooth polyethylene base. Our hardenedsteel cleat cutter creates thin round cleats of wood to be glued across a crack on the inside of a guitar. If the damage is extreme, we may suggest a neck or body replacement. Second, if you notice a crack, your first instinct may be to touch or rub it. If you own an acoustic guitar long enough, chances are good that youll have to deal with the repair of a crack in the wood. I have five short cracks on a 40 yearold mahogany back gibson that were a result of lack of moisture. Because the breaks were quite old and dirty, i felt more confident in getting good adhesion with a modern glue. Is it possible to speak to the repair person working on my guitar. The crack was still wide open and a straight edge laid over the soundboard just behind the bridge revealed a dip from the bridge wing to the side. How to repair a crack in a solid top acoustic guitar our.
Its between 56 inches coming up from the bottom on the top. On the guitar repair workbench, gibson l37, 1934, archtop rebuild and restoration april 19. Make sure the guitar is well humidified so that the crack is nice and tight. Then a triangular strip is sliced out of the top and replaced with a matching strip of wood. Correctly repaired, you will never notice a change in tone. This video i put to use my new magnets and cleat the first crack in the bottom of the lower. Leave the cloth or sponge and plastic tops in place until the bow entirely disappears from the guitar. Most cracks we see here at finger lakes guitar repair are related to improper climate control or impacts with foreign objects. This guitar has already experienced some intense repair work with a very talented, honest, and incredible luthier. Top crack repair question the unofficial martin guitar forum. Top and back crack repair cleats tj thompson guitars. Top and back crack repair cleats tj thompson guitars pro. This almost always means the guitar got hold, the neck block shifted and the stress caused the crack.
A good crack repair should hold, as long as the humidity doesnt get out of hand again, especially in a newer guitar that shouldnt have much of any tension in the wood across the top. Sometimes a crack is indicative of a more extensive problem around the bridge plate or the guitar top. If your martin is a new guitar, calling them about warranty is a very good idea. This guitar has such a wide crack, that im going to have to splint it. Depending on the severity and location of the crack, a repair is as simple as stabilizing the wood and applying glue to secure it. It may take some work and a few tries, but with the right tools you can shine up your guitar and make even a damaged guitar body look new. Lay your guitar on a flat surface such as a table or bench inside your home. They decline to repair the finish and are content that the crack is stabilized. A slight crack or dent isnt impossible to repair yourself. Id like to have a go at the repair and assume i will need to remove the top.
Jun 28, 20 a bellied top can cause high action, bad intonation, and a weak sound. I had a spruce top on a guitar to patch and ordered the patches from stew mac along with other parts. I have fixed many cracks, but i was able to get them to close up really well with proper humidification. This video i put to use my new magnets and cleat the first crack in the bottom of the lower bout of the guitar top. The brace under the end of the fingerboard was loose at the end, too, but it is just out of view at the upper right corner of the picture. The order was received and all except the wood was correct and intact but the wood patch three ofthem taped together was ok. Heres how to pull a crack together and glue it neatly and permanently.
The lengthy crack on this guitar top s lower bout is due to low humidity, but dont fretthese types of cracks can be repaired. Most of the worst and hardesttorepair cracks happen on a guitars top. Monitor the guitar and wet the cloth or sponge every couple of days. This video shows many more discoveries of preventive maintenance not performed and what can and does happen, plus gluing the cracked top and. You can take it a step further by having some finish work done to make it look as good as possible if youre concerned about aesthetics. For this repair i chose regular yellow wood glue rather than hide glue. Can i repair a crack in the top of my acoustic guitar myself. May 18, 2017 here you see my way of repairing a typical top crack. Mar 29, 2019 i bought a very expensive acoustic custom shop guitar made by one of the top five guitar builders in the world.
Use a very small drill that a tooth pick will fill. That final repair was done about 8 years ago now and the guitar is still ok no crack growth. The good news is that the baby taylors ive seen dont have binding work, which makes it an easier repair job. With a classical guitar, top removal is horrible because of the bindings and purfling, but from what i have seen on the internet removing a cello top is more straightforward, consisting of slow careful insertion of a knife to break the. The type of crack you describe is fairly common but easily screwed up by incompetent repairs. Acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger guitar repair. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing outter. If you have a picture of your guitars condition, upload it to our estimator platform and well be able to get you an even more accurate repair estimate. Pat diburro top replacement 1 new england luthiers. The finish over the repaired crack can either be omitted, done for protection alone, or done invisibly nitrocellulose finishes only. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing outter cracks. First i placed the stick on top of the guitar with the magnet and cleat directly over the crack.