On curved surfaces that are difficult to cleat, glue-impregnated cloth such as muslin or silk may be used to reinforce the inside of a repaired crack. . The costs of a proper repair job including refinishing might exceed the actual value of the immaculate guitar I believe. no binding, no logo work etc.) This item has an extended handling time and a delivery estimate greater than 11 business days. The worst problem is both pieces of the neck can become damaged more in the removal process. Now, erring on the side of caution I decided to over-engineer this repair. We recommend repairing promptly, to prevent the crack from spreading. For a hairline crack, you can put a line of wood glue (aliphatic resin glue) along the crack and force it in with a suction cup. Wipe the excess glue and leave the bridge clamped at least overnight. Lower string action/fret buzz. Expanding wood glue is a popular choice by luthiers for the fretboard. Pop it in it's case and get yourself to a good repair guy. One extra step should be taken, which is to use a sprayable polyester primer. Cost of strings is not included. Apply the Adhesive Most acoustic guitar cracks can be sealed with good adhesive or glue. A back bow can usually be corrected with the aid of 250-watt heat lamps. I put a small amount of acetone into a plastic mixing cup. View a Martin Pickguard crack repair. Call it a "relic" then! In some cases, you might need to put a cleat across the crack on the inside. ), running closely alongside the neck all the way from the hole to the edge where the neck leaves the body. surgery will be to wick water-thin super glue into the crack. The crack has been repaired by a professional. 4 Use the correct adhesive 5 Secure the DIY acoustic guitar crack repair properly 6 Apply a proper finishing touch 7 Tips to reduce the chances of cracks on your acoustic guitar It's not beyond the realms of possibility that it could open again, running along the grain of the patch piece. The cost of fixing a cracked guitar neck depends on the severity of the damage. Hide Glue is used more rarely on modern acoustics, but was the exclusive choice for early luthiers. If the headstock is still attached to the neck (the headstock veneer often keeps it attached), gently - very, very gently - slacken off the strings. However, the second crack was not clean, like a compound fracture with shards of wood poking out that did not fit back together properly. You want to bend it a bit without breaking it. That time we fixed it but it's very sloppy. 1.8 Apply primer. So my next plan was to strip it down, reshape the contours on the body and try some funky finish technique on it. A warm, damp rag should suffice. Please allow additional time if international delivery is subject to customs processing. 1 Steps on How to Refinish an Acoustic Guitar. Superglue can be buffed and polished, and makes for an excellent filler material to fill in minor finish cracks. The wood glue expands, filling cracks and crevices, firmly attaching the length of the fretboard to the neck. Place the cloth aside with the glue side facing upward. #2. Set-up included $ 425+ With Fret Level add $110 $79 for blanks Restring & Tune Remove old strings, clean fretboard and polish tops of frets, oil fretboard, tighten loose tuners and hardware, stretch strings, tune to pitch, full truss rod adjustment, adjust any equipped tremolo or tailpiece and polish guitar. And with the crack. Finally using a polishing compound (I use Music Nomad Pro Strength Guitar Polish) work the area by hand to blend the repair with the finish. You can then use a razor blade to remove the excess before any sanding or buffing. Is this the case? 2. Then fill a bowl with poly finish (I use stewmac wipe-on in a small tin). . Symptoms of low acoustic guitar humidity damage (or a dry guitar) include: Sharp fret ends extended beyond the edge of the fingerboard. Bend it a little then test fit the jack plug. What this will do is to actually join the cracked area, making it stronger than before, and squeezing glue up thru the cracked area. After a little homework, it was obvious that there was no way to do a simple repair on thick poly finish and make it look nice. 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. I think screw clamps encourage people to really crank it down and damage the finish. Flatness or sinking of the back (a guitar's back should bow outwards) Creaking in certain parts of the body; A crack on the face right next to the fret board. You're afraid to touch it up with glue and sand it out - but you're willing to hit it with a heat gun and blister all the finish off? I poured a nickel-sized drop of lacquer onto the bottom of a plastic dairy carton, and let it sit for an hour to thicken. Mar 15, 2011 57 Kennesaw, GA. Jun 23, 2011 #13 Use the 1st and 6th strings to hold down the nut and align it with the fretboard. Place the wax paper over the glued crack. I HAD planned on inserting One Stainless Steel Screw to close. Sanding the repair smooth and then using a body filler and high-build primer to finish it. A crack running from bridge to the bottom of the face. Work small sections using a circular motion. 1. To repair these cracks the stress must be eliminated by removing the pickguard and reattaching or replacing it. Though these modifications aren't difficult, changing the shape of the neck will impact the playability of the guitar. There are a lot of companies that let you mail in . How to repair your guitar . You could also use a hot iron while covering the bridge with a towel. Here are the immediate steps to take. Add additional layers if needed until the surface is raised slightly above the surface of the guitar body and leave to dry. Menu Cart. Switch on your soldering iron and allow it to heat up Dampen a clean rag. Jul 16, 2008. For most repairs either hot hide glue or aliphatic resin is the right choice. a crack will affect the sound f a guitar ,any guitar. Returns: A cracked body is a serious damage and will bring down the value of the guitar below zero I fear. Don't fall into this trap though. Next, using a striking tool such as a regular screwdriver and a hammer gently tap out the nut. Dip the linen/cloth in the finish and apply it lightly to the instrument. 1.1 Disassemble your guitar. The longer you wait to fix the crack, the less likely it can be done invisibly. Photo 3. If the glueing is done well, and the excess is cunningly trimmed, the join should be barely noticeable. And I didn't remember Strat Plus having a thin trem block like that. There is one crack between the neck pocket and the neck pickup cavity that ist definetely in the wood. To fix a bellied top, the bridge first needs to be removed. Note: Superglue is not advised for use on nitrocellulose finishes because superglue and nitro generally do not mix. This one was definitely in need of a debelly job. Here you see my way of repairing a typical top crack. Fill the crack. If the headstock is just cracked, do the same - slacken off and get it repaired. Let it cure and the guitar will never break there. Excess is wiped away. Good luck . 1.3 Use Orbital Sander. Delivery: Estimated between Fri, Sep 30 and Fri, Oct 7 to 98837. Also a closer look at the wooden block I made to closely follow and angle of the. The thing is the grain of the patch wood runs longitudinally with the guitar side. Because of this and their highly toxic nature, Nitro paint jobs START at $700. Another slightly easier fix than gluing in a strip of wood would be to drill in from the side of the body at right angle to the crack with a long enough 1/4" drill bit, then gluing in a hardwood dowel. Fixing a Back Bowed Guitar Neck. Now, an acoustic guitar's top shouldn't be dead flat (they are arched, typically with a 4.5m - 6m radius), but this one was severely arched. One simply needs to heat the fingerboard surface for about 20 minutes with the stings tuned to . Building Classes. This is a Type Repair that I have done on many guitars before. I wanted to keep the cost down - the body came with all the hardware/pickups/etc. You don't need it THAT tight. There should be no issue with the repair done with Titebond on a guitar built with hide glue. However, the timing for the repair is critical because the separation often expands when neglected. This is a relatively straight forward repair, as said it is the common key crack. There are several ways of doing this; one of the simplest is perhaps placing a heating pad on the bridge. Cracks in the wood are usually repairable, depending on the degree of severity. Also, try and resist the temptation to run your finger over the crack to feel it. It shouldn't be dripping wet but should be damp. Then, leave your guitar laying flat with the clamps in place so the glue can dry. Yes. Cracks in the back of a guitar don't affect the aesthetics nearly as much as they do when they're on the front of a guitar, which can lead to some owners taking a while to get them fixed. 1,185. Most of that labor is sanding and buffing! But the other crack shows NO evidence at all of a crack. Apply a small amount of epoxy adhesive to the overlap at the edge of the crack, making sure it spreads across it in an even layer. Combined with installation cauls and strong magnets, they allow you to glue both the crack and the cleat in one operation. Cleaning out the crack. Use a cotton swab or rag to clean off any excess glue that seeped out from under the edge of the bridge. Generally, this will be the most expensive part of the repair because it is very time-intensive. So here's the video. Replacing A Broken Guitar Neck I told him that I could fix it. However, this one was located in such a place that threw me for a while. Clamps - I like the clamp type shown. I think it is not a good idea attempting a repair without detaching the neck off the body. It's feasible to repair a neck with a small crack, but it will require some minor structural modifications. How Much Does It Cost To Fix The Body Of A Guitar? Clean the area around the crack with denatured alcohol and a lint-free cloth to remove all dirt and debris from the area. Generally, this will be the most expensive part of the repair because it is very time-intensive. (Look on YouTube for how to do this.) The finish should come back to life when as you buff, but the repair will probably still be visible. Finish Repair There are also two little cracks in the finish outside of the neck pocket. The right repairing guitar trick to do here is wet down a small piece of a 1,000-grit sandpaper with soap suds and water. Finishes can be repaired - take it to a tech and the crack can be drop-filled and buffed out. Add a second layer if required once the first layer is dry. You can . Let that soak into the crack. Strip all the parts, fill the craks with Tite-bond, clamp it for a day and then sand it smooth. FINISH TOUCH-UP Once the crack is glued and cleated the next step is to finish the touch-up. [16] It will take at least 12 hours for the glue to dry. Don't go over one spot more than once or overlap.. Neck bow. The simple answer is there is no fix. 1.2 Completely remove all the old guitar finish. The Luthier will have to check to be sure it's a clean break. And dont worry, Gary Rossingtons main Les Pauls headstock was repaired with superglue in the 70's when it fell and broke. - but not a neck. Sep 30, 2017 #8 A The neck should be steamed out, the heel portion should be glued and clamped out of the guitar but a stepped dowel should be placed to keep it together. Cracks around the screws of the electronics on electric models. I took some pics with a borescope inside the guitar and the one crack is evident on the inside as well. It can take between 300-700 labor hours to paint the guitar and give the guitar a 100% mirror-polished finish. Again, loo Continue Reading Rachel Streich 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. This will remove any small scratches and will make the finish look super glossy. A solid finish on a Fender-style body (i.e. For that you will need: 1. The glue will run along the nut and penetrate the small space between it and the edge of the fretboard. 3 How to DIY Acoustic Guitar Crack Repair at Home by yourself? Hot Stuff thin is ideal for repairing hairline cracks, and this technique can be applied to general woodworking as well as to lutherie. I made up a fixture specifically to do this type of repair. To make the guitar totally playable again, you only need to glue the headstock back on. However, it now is definitely showing real damage, as the body has a crack that goes from the rear to the front of the body. Clean the area of the dent. one of these cracks is clearly open - a sliver of light shines through with a bright light shinning from inside. The other crack allows NO light. It was dropped on a ceramic tile floor a few years ago. 1.5 Remove all dust and mess. Make sure to cut all of the finish as it will break apart when you take out the nut. Randy Schartiger 58K subscribers Acoustic guitar cracked top repair by Randy Schartiger. To do this, the glue must be heated and softened and then the bridge is cut away. A crack on the back, neck or heel. Add a layer of fill to the dent and leave to dry. In other words, the blend will not result in the desired effect. The longer you leave a crack, the worse it'll get. If you get as far as repairing the crack, it now has to be treated as a neck reset to get the action . The bridge has lifted from the body. Stewmac sells perfect tools for it, but when I want to get them To Europe I pay the price of the tools,. spikypaddy Senior Stratmaster Jan 7, 2011 2,059 Devon, UK Nov 13, 2011 #12 softwarejanitor said: Weird trem claw you've got on that guitar. It has seen a a lot of use and abuse over the years. If you buy the guitar, get a bottle of "Thin CA" adhesive, it's a type not trying to thin it out yourself. The guitar back appears very flat. There are 2 steps to removing the bridge: Application of Heat: Heat helps to loosen the glue, so that the bridge can be removed easily. The real answer is to carefully reinforce the back side of the crack (depending on how long the crack is, and where it is) with what is commonly known as a "cleat of similar wood". Originally, the damage seemed cosmetic only. This video shows many more discoveries of preventive maintenance not performed and what can and does happen,. The complex answer is to strip the whole guitar, persuade the two sides to part company, glue and clamp, reassemble, and be happy. Over-engineering the repair. The Nazareth Guitar Institute has a full service instrument repair shop specializing in guitar repairs. Posted April 25, 2012. The heat lamps are positioned about 6 to 7 inches above the fingerboard surface. If you go beyond that, you'd be making it worse. There was a crack in the body probably since the day he "unwrapped it from the factory paper" as that is what he gave me as another reason he knew it was a brand new guitar. 4. A hump on the fingerboard where it meets the body. If your repair-guy decides immediately to slap in a load of epoxy, you might want to ask them why. how much depends on many factors.a crack in the neck because of the tension is a problem and likely wouldn't repair well unless it in the. 1.6 Use a Grain Filler (optional) 1.7 Now, you're ready to refinish your guitar. Lightweight wooden strips designed to nest in magnetic top and back crack cauls. This puts oils and dirt from your hand into the crack, which makes it hard to re-glue and can leave a dark line that can't be removed. You can take it a step further by having some finish work done to make it look as good as possible if you're concerned about aesthetics. A repair magnet in the bottom of the cup holds it to the metal lacquer can so it won't spill. These feather-weight (less than .8g), thin (.055), super strong cleats are the heart of this new system. Also, the cracks are pretty . Refacing a guitar body can cost as little as $200, while a professional paint job can cost as much as $600. You can do it on your own, but the process will take a lot of time and patience. Apply heat to the affected area until the rag is mostly dry. A simple way to do this is to run a scalpel blade back and forth along the crack, removing any grit and residue and then wipe down with a very small amount of warm soapy water. Located in: , China. 1.4 Use Hand Sandpaper. This will prevent the glue from bonding to the caul and clamps when it seeps out after clamping. When it snaps firmly into place and doesn't move around, test the guitar through your amp. Service Cost Brace repair $40 per brace and up crack repair $40 minimum and up Heat press neck $80 and up fret level (includes a set up) $160 and up FINISH TOUCH-UP Once the crack is glued and cleated the next step is to finish the touch-up. Hi, I've bought a very nice '86 MIJ Stratocaster that has a few hairline cracks around the neck pocket. Taylor Factory Service Centers and UV finish-equipped service centers can repair cracks and, in many cases, make them disappear completely. The guitar top has sunk. Paint and other material will only cost you around $50 to $60, it's the labor that's expensive. 7. It will look a lot better though and the crack is stabilized. For a more affordable option, try poly. How to repair guitar. Give us a call to discus repair options and please be prepared to e-mail a picture to us in order to receive the most accurate estimate. If my Guitar God can repair that, he can do the same to that crack. Jun 24, 2016. You don't want to glue your cloth to your workbench. Then apply one drop of ultra-thin or thin super glue to the face of the nut between the 3rd and 4th strings ( Photo 2 ). From the pics it almost looks like the crack is only in the finish. The crack in the headstock is gently opened up to expose the full extent of the damage and WEST SYSTEM Epoxy mix is generously applied to the crack. Step 2: Tools and Supplies. It comes with a cloth and all you have to do is apply a small amount of polish and then wipe it clean. To do this take a sharp blade that is easy to work with such as an X-acto and cut the finish that holds the sides of the nut. Gently push the long metal clip towards the hole in the centre of the jack socket. The repair will most likely be visible, and the wood will most likely need to be filled with a similar material. The last step after the bodywork is the polyester primer. Crack repair (Top, Body, Sides, Neck, Headstock & more) Transducer Pickup Installation on Acoustic Guitars (ex: K&K, Fishman, L.R.Baggs) Crack Repairs; A student of mine brought in his guitar and explained that his little brother smashed it up a little bit. I'm not sure if they are only in the finish or . I also did this one a bass body that had a larger crack. Then, you can start lightly sanding down the area that has the scratch, making sure that you only scratch the lacquer's topcoat. Cracks in the back of a guitar usually result in lower resonance and sustain. Repairing a Seriously Broken Acoustic Guitar-Cracked back, Neck Reset, Broken Truss Rod . It is possible to seal most acoustic guitar cracks with good adhesive or glue. #1. How Much Does It Cost To Repair A Cracked Guitar Body? kennesawbob Squier Talker. This seals the fiberglass much like a gel coat for a factory-perfect finish. The headstock is then clamped under pressure, taking care that the glue doesn't adhere to the block. Line up the side then glue and clamp. Talk to your repair guy and ask him/her to discuss the repair. Also, if dirt and oils accumulate in the seam, the glue will be less effective. The first step is to remove any dust or grit within the crack and surrounding area. On the same note, avoid running your fingers over the damage before the repair. A guitar I'm looking to buy (acoustic flamenco guitar, Alhambra) has a crack in the top (is that the correct term for the "audience-facing wooden panel"? It will draw itself through surface tension into the deepest parts of that crack. might be as low as $200 from a local luthier - whilst a full refin on a 335 could easily reach $600.. On curved surfaces that are difficult to cleat, glue-impregnated cloth such as muslin or silk may be used to reinforce the inside of a repaired crack. I've had that Thin CA travel more than twelve inches up a crack in a body . Luthier Tips du Jour - Crack Repair. What glue will be used is important for example. A good repair guy will be happy to chat about their plans. Fold the rag over itself 2-3 times to ensure the direct heat from the soldering iron will not be in contact with the timber and cover the dent with the damp rag. There are a few steps to repairing a lacquer crack. Reglue loose or cracked brace $50 Reglue detached brace $70 Minor crack repair in top back or side $65 Minor crack repair with internal cleating $80 Major crack repair with splint or patch $200 Bridge removal and reglue $150 + setup Bridge removal and reglue with under-saddle pickup $170 + setup Glue cracked bridge $45 Shave bridge $50 If done properly there should be a minimal or no visible repair. For polyurethane finishes however you should . The average restoration is between 1200-1500 for Nitro. Place the guitar neck support caul, like this one, on top of wax paper. If the damage is extreme, we may suggest a neck or body replacement. Take a look at this before and after picture if you'd like to see it for yourself. So, I have a guitar that is one of my "go-to" guitars. The repair is invisible, because I refinished the bass at the same time. In spite of this, the timing of the repair is crucial, since neglected separations often expand. Robert O'Brien of O'Brien Guitars demonstrates how to fill and stabilize hairline cracks in the back and sides of a guitar using Hot Stuff Original CA glue and pipettes. Last I heard a few years ago the repair was still intact. The starting cost of a guitar refinish is about $200 for the body while a professional custom paint job can cost $600 or even more.