Cracked martin guitar top

Top crack repair on a vintage martin dreadnought youtube. 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. This pickguard was attached to the top of the guitar by melting the underside of the guard with a solvent. Oct 10, 2012 top crack repair and brace scalloping and reglue on the martin guitar october 10, 2012 cracks and divots, guitar builds and repair, martin, string instrument building and repair no comments. The top was obtained in a large purchase of old martin parts that i made in the late 90s. Pressing the pins in to hard see the martin care instructions which reference this as a cause. Is it possible to speak to the repair person working on my guitar. This one is subtle, but theyre notorious for spreading along the grain. Top cracks to avoid at all costs are the ones that are near the neck to body joint that crack to the soundhole. Vintage martin 1985 m38 cracked top acoustic guitar guitar. This guitar came into the shop last week, with a severely bellied top and a lifting bridge.

To repair these cracks the stress must be eliminated by removing the pickguard and reattaching or replacing it. This will cause the bridge to separate from the top usually along the back of the bridge opposite the sound hole. Cracking is likely if the problem isnt addressed and its dry season continues. To do this, we make a cleat and glue it over the crack. The plane of the neck angle on a dry guitar hits above the top of the bridge. Welcome to r guitar, a community devoted to the exchange of guitar related information and entertainment. Shop now and receve free shipping on your order today. This melts the glue holding the bridge to the top, allowing us to slide knives into the glue joint and lift the bridge. This martin d35 has a cracked top due to the pull of a shrinking plastic pickguard. Its between 56 inches coming up from the bottom on the top. Top warping from dryness which will make the top convex the center sinks more than 1mm. Cracks are caused by lack of humidity, impact, or in this case a shrinking pickguard that. The notorious martin lifting pickguard and pickguard crack commonly occurs on martin guitars manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s.

With the bridge removed, we can now start work on fixing the top. In this case, the two halves that form the top part of the instrument become unglued, leaving an unattractive opening. 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. We repair a cracked top on a 70s martin dreadnought. Sunken top across the soundboard between bridge and fingerboard. Depending on the crack, finish repair may not be advisable or necessary. The spruce top has developed a long and wide crack that extends from the belly of the bridge all the way to the tailblock. Kurt russell smashed a 150yearold guitar in the hateful. I plan on holding onto this guitar for a while, so i plan on getting it fixed. 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. Cracks are caused by lack of humidity, impact, or in this case a shrinking pickguard.

Cracked soundboard repair tutorial acoustic and hollowbody. Now, an acoustic guitars top shouldnt be dead flat they are arched, typically with a 4. Martin guitars from the 70s tend to have a lousy reputation, such that their values are probably as low as theyll ever get. I thought id spotlight a repair we did on a vintage 1968 martin d28 acoustic with a cracked bridge. The top chosen for this guitar is a new, old stock factory top that is from the same period as the guitar. Solid top acoustics are more sensitive than laminate top guitars, and will require more care.

Another defining factor of lackofhumidity cracks is separation in the guitars top as much as 10 to 15 thousandths of an inch. Acoustic guitar top crack acoustic guitar discussion. Performing artist series bcpa4 4string acousticelectric bass guitar natural. I bother to give the model number of the guitar so you can look them up online. The martin hd28 dreadnought acoustic guitar boasts the same design that made the d28 a classic herringbone top trim and martins timetested scalloped xbracing. 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. Cracks in the top wood are of particular concern because the top is generally a softer wood than the back and sides, and a crack can interfere with the soundproducing ability of the guitar. This open crack wont stay closed, even after the guitar s moisture content has acclimated to a relative humidity of 50% at 70 degrees.

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. They are structural cracks, but will not affect the longevity of the guitar even if they are left wide open and not repaired at all. If you are interested in having repair work done at our factory, please contact customer service. Most of the worst and hardesttorepair cracks happen on a guitar s top. The first step of performing a repair on your cracked guitar is to assess the extent of the damage. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing outter. One of the most common instances is actually not a crack at all, but a centerseam separation. Sometimes a crack is indicative of a more extensive problem around the bridge plate or the guitar top. This is a forum where guitarists, from novice to experienced, can explore the world of guitar through a variety of media and discussion. Experience over 180 years of music tradition the best selling martin guitar at maurys music is listed first. 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. Martin s traditional top oftheline guitar, and from a distance it looks pretty good, particularly without the tension of being tuned to.

Best selling martin guitars, martin d28, martin hd28. Its a perfect marriage of upright and electric tone. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing. The hateful eight guitar was destroyed beyond repair, and it appears a heap of money wouldnt do much to help, since the guitar was so rare. Refinishing a martin guitar, as with any guitar, is a difficult and timeconsuming process.

Actually, lots of people are afraid cracks anywhere in a guitar hurt the sound. If its a newer guitar, id take a lot of photos and contact martin about paying for the repair. Top cracks are very common among older instruments. Info on repairing a cracked top myself acoustic guitars. Acoustic guitars are largely made of wood and react to their environment. Martin acoustic guitars the unofficial martin guitar forum. The most common problem of this type is the separation of the center seam due to stress. Stripping and refinishing the entire panel to render an invisible repair on a small crack would be overkill to say the least. Jan 09, 2010 we have a cork board that weve cut a bridge shaped hole into, so we set that on the guitar to protect the top, and then heat the bridge with a 75 watt lamp. If you have guitar related questions, use the search field or ask the community. How to repair a crack in a solid top acoustic guitar our. This video shows many more discoveries of preventive maintenance not performed and what can and does. I worked hard to get this guitar and have enjoyed it, but am on the verge of selling it to acquire another martin.

Acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger. Today we fixed up a martin guitar that had several cracks in the top. Can i repair a crack in the top of my acoustic guitar myself. Heres a crack that happens when the guitar gets a heavy hit on the end pin. Ok, i just bought an old guild d25m on ebay for an awesome price. Dan fixes the problem and shows how to keep this happening from happening again. Also a closer look at the wooden block i made to closely follow and angle of the.

I took it home and fixed the crack, and now i have a nice mahogany guitar that i picked up for a song. The devil is in the details first, we make a cleat out of matching wood to go over the crack. Spruce has very little strength across the grain, and the pull of the strings is never in that direction. Jun 28, 20 a bellied top can cause high action, bad intonation, and a weak sound. Sharp fret ends extend beyond the edge of fretboard. This almost always means the guitar got hold, the neck block shifted and the stress caused the crack. Upon removing the bridge i suspected it had been reglued multiple times.

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. Feb 26, 2008 acoustic guitar top crack posted in acoustic guitar discussion. In this photo, i used the reflection of the lightbulb to help point it out. I just noticed my om42 has a crack in the top on the lower bout. From the outside, i was able to draw the whole business up really tight against a thick acrylic caul so the end block would be flat and solid as it was originally.

We have the martin 1985 m38 cracked top acoustic guitar in stock in our vintage collection. Before you take on the task, be sure that you are willing to put the time and energy into it. I bought a very expensive acoustic custom shop guitar made by one of the top five guitar builders in the world. Here you see my way of repairing a typical top crack. May 27, 2011 as for cracked martins on ebay, i suspect some of those guitars have led hard lives. Back of guitar looks very flat when it is dried out.

A scalloped brace often appears to dip down towards its center and peak on either end. Best selling martin guitars maurys music is proud to be one of the largest and most trusted authorized martin marquis dealers in the country. I added a clamp over the top and back of the guitar to further close the crack, but somehow forgot to take a picture of that one. Its about an inch from the center seam and runs from the bottom to the bridge. Stewmac sells perfect tools for it, but when i want to get them to europe i pay the price of. A bass for the performing artist, the bcpa4 features sapele back and sides, a solid spruce top, a jstyle cutaway body, and fishman f1 analog electronics for deep, rich tone pluggedin or unplugged. Buying an acoustic with top crack smart bargain or roll of. Acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger guitar repair. Tips on repairing acoustic guitar cracks proaudioland. One of the most common instances is actually not a crack at all. It sounds great all the way up the neck, and the action is much better than when i bought it last year.

How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar guitar alliance. These tools are for repairing stubborn cracks, splits and punctures in acoustic guitars. Certainly a quality guitar, lightly built and braced, is more likely to develop cracks than a heavierbuilt one. A poorly done finish may look worse than leaving it alone. The guy igot the parts from was a hobby guitarmaker in the nazareth pa areawho had literal closets full of old martin parts. Top crack repair and brace scalloping and reglue on the. Jul 17, 2009 three top cracks in this 1887 martin guitar extend from the bridge all the way to the end of the body. The guitar had had the bridge worked on previously with at least one bridge reglue being done. Martin guitars and strings remain the choice for musicians around the world for their unrivaled quality, craftsmanship, and tone. Cracking can also occur on the top next to the fretboard extension above the soundhole. A technique used to decrease the mass of a brace and change the stiffness of the top. This video shows many more discoveries of preventive maintenance not performed and. If you have cracks in your top and want to restore your guitar to its original glory. The real challenge to repairing most tight cracks is primarily with the finish.

Laminated woods rarely crack but you wont find the stuff in top quality guitars. Probably easily repairable with hide glue and a body clamp. Martin guitar performs warranty and nonwarranty repairs on martin instruments at the factory. New martin guitar factory city music martin guitar factory tour part 2 duration. Martin experienced the same strain during those years. Our full setup includes full diagnostics and inspection of the entire instrument, full inspection of all electronics, personalized recommendations for upgrades and improvements, full redress and polish of frets with 7 courses of fine sandpapers and micromesh with a complete high gloss buff on our arbor buffer, cleaning and oiling of fret board, tightening hardware, replacing any needed small. Used in all styles of music, the hd28 offers the deep bass response thats made martin dreadnoughts so popular. It can happen when the guitar is in a gig bag, or even inside a hardshell case. Repairing cracks in acoustic guitars examples of cracks caused. Youve probably all heard that the 1970s was a difficult decade for most guitar manufacturers. Most of the worst and hardesttorepair cracks happen on a guitars top. This is a crack in the endblock, a pretty nasty crack. Actually looks to be a separation in the top center seam. The acetate based cellulose plastic used in this period of martins history has proven unstable.