Buying an acoustic with top crack smart bargain or roll of the dice. All top cracks are deep, as in they go all the way through. These braces are found behind the bridge area on an acoustic guitar top. 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. I deign a few minutes of your time with a humble request for advice, unworthy as i am. Instrument repairs, maintenance and modifications guitar center. This open crack wont stay closed, even after the guitar s moisture content has acclimated to a relative humidity of 50% at 70 degrees. I bother to give the model number of the guitar so you can look them up online. How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar guitar alliance. A small grouping of holes in the top and bottom bouts, at the front end of the body. This video i show how i level the guitar top cracks with single edge razor blade where i filled and sealed them with a very thin viscosity ca glue. Close the crack our crack clamp uses a guitar tuner on a smooth polyethylene base. Contact your local guitar center store for pricing and more information about these repair and maintenance services. Most cracks we see here at finger lakes guitar repair are related to improper climate control or impacts with foreign objects.
Depending on the severity and location of the crack, a repair is as simple as stabilizing the wood and applying glue to secure it. Repair cracks in tops and sides of an acoustic guitar. It is very important that you know how to recognize this and what to do about it should your guitar start. Our 2000 square foot facility is fully equipped to service all of your repair needs. Ovation 1984 ultra series, made in usa, prior to manufacturing in korea. When your peghead smacks the drummers ride cymbal and a piece of finish pops off, heres what to do. Dec 07, 2009 this ovation lx was in serious trouble when its bridge lifted off. It is good reason to get a small discount on the purchase price due to the minor cosmetic. Cracked soundboard repair tutorial acoustic and hollowbody. Top separation repair on bowlback ovation haze guitars.
It looks like the plastic running across the bottom of the joint on the outside broke off. I use these guitars for gigs and they seem stable, but i worry about the crack spreading. This video i glue the top back to the bowl and clamp with a couple wooden wedge type pieces i cut to help hold the guitar in place while. In this case, i suspect that the top wood was dryer than the braces when they were fitted. Heres how to pull a crack together and glue it neatly and permanently. Apr 14, 2018 martin top crack repair hand tool wood guy. 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. This almost always means the guitar got hold, the neck block shifted and the stress caused the crack. If you have a picture of your guitar s condition, upload it to our estimator platform and well be able to get you an even more accurate repair estimate.
Now you can upload photos with your repair estimate request. 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. Tips on repairing acoustic guitar cracks proaudioland. Im picking up a guitar from a repair shop tomorrow morning that had a crack like you described. It seems that many older ovations have a crack more than finish from the bridge to the rim, near the middle. Humidifying the guitar brought it up about half that distance.
Check out the price list then describe your repair for us and well get you a live estimate. They had me over and after hearing that i played guitar they pulled out an old ovation. So i recently met a great uncle and aunt i didnt know existed. So the normal way of clamping the bridge for repair with c clamps was out of the question. June 19, 2012 guitar builds and repair, necks, ovation.
The spruce top has developed a long and wide crack that extends from the belly of the bridge all the way to the tailblock. I squeezed some out onto the lid of a cottage cheese carton, and used the bent tip of a dropfill toothpick for my brush. I took it home and fixed the crack, and now i have a nice mahogany guitar that i picked up for a song. How to repair a crack in a solid top acoustic guitar our. Guitar center repairs is your goto spot for expert stringed instrument repairs, upgrades and servicing.
For about three seconds you see this beautiful mint guitar, and then a crack races across the top as the warm air in your house stresses the cold finish on the guitar. These prices apply to guitars in otherwise good working order. This usually happens when the guitar is allowed to dry out, causing the two halves of the top. If your acoustic guitar top is starting to separate or lift a little from the guitar sides, its usually a reasonably straightforward job to repair. It had had intensive repair in the past and the bridge had been refitted twice by guitar techs in germany. The ovation guitar company is a manufacturer of guitars. 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 first step of performing a repair on your cracked guitar is to assess the extent of the damage. The backs of guitars probably finish third in terms of frequency of cracks. First off, i hate ovations, and normally turn down the job when asked.
With all top cracks, timing of the repair is critical. These tools are for repairing stubborn cracks, splits and punctures in acoustic guitars. Let the glue cure for at least several hours the longer the better. Finish cracks in acoustic guitar tops ask the hfc experts. To repair these cracks the stress must be eliminated by removing the pickguard and reattaching or replacing it. Jan 05, 2012 taylor factory service centers and uv finishequipped service centers can repair cracks and, in many cases, make them disappear completely. One of the whole intents of this design is to be environmentally as stable as a guitar can be so neck repair ability was abandoned in favor of a neck that should go with out needing reset or repaired. The repair person decided to just use epoxy to fill the gap. One of the better ways to repair a top crack like this is to make a splint. 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. I got it very cheap because it sunk almost 38th of an inch at the sound hole. We offer guitar repair, maintenance, customization, warranty service and professional amplifier repair. After that, i never saw another crack down the centre of an ovation guitar. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing outter.
Stretch a large elastic band over the guitar to hold the plastic top over the soundhole. 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. There are no cracks in the top and it has flattened out pretty well from where it was if you put a straight edge across the waist of the guitar there is a 12 1 mm gap in the centre. Normally when gluing a bridge in place, bridge clamps.
Its definitely a proper ovation albeit a very plain unvarnished one. Super glue plays an important role in many types of guitar repair. There are a couple of cracks in the thick plasticy finish. Ive had a lot of gibson vintage guitars with top cracks and never had trouble with any that were repaired properly.
It is only a couple of years old and was shipped over from germany. The ovation elite has what i refer to as a grape cluster sound hole configuration. About six years ago the bridge slowly pulled out of the body until the guitar. These cracks typically fall into the category of closed cracks cracks. A finish crack makes zero difference in tone or structural integrity of an ovation. Instrument repairs, maintenance and modifications guitar. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. I was recently given an ovation guitar, but it is nearly unplayible because where the neck attaches to the body, it has come apart a little bit so that the strings are too high above the fretboard. It is very well documented in co that your ovation with a real wood top will crack or loosen up if you leave it out of the case andor do not. Cracks on the sides are repaired much the same way as top cracks, but repairs will usually look better cosmetically. Im working on a crack on the top of an ovation custom balladeer. Remove the guitar from any sources of heat, such as radiators or furnaces, to prevent the wood from drying out and worsening the crack. Removing ovation guitar neck for reset crawls backward.
Replacing guitar top on an ovation acoustic and hollowbody. Leave the cloth or sponge and plastic tops in place until the bow entirely disappears from the guitar. It is very important that you know how to recognize this and what to do about it should your guitar start to show these signs of dryness. Crack repair what caused my acoustic guitar to crack. Acoustic guitars are largely made of wood and react to their environment. At the bottom of the neck joint, see the cracked plastic and the glue on top of it. Repairing cracks in acoustic guitars examples of cracks caused. Buying an acoustic with top crack smart bargain or roll of. I was able to hold it together with hot glue, duct tape and some kind of putty. One of the most common instances is actually not a crack at all, but a centerseam separation. Buying an acoustic with top crack smart bargain or roll. Mar 02, 2009 i was recently given an ovation guitar, but it is nearly unplayible because where the neck attaches to the body, it has come apart a little bit so that the strings are too high above the fretboard.
A technique used to decrease the mass of a brace and change the stiffness of the top. Ive got a few cracks in the gloss top but not the wood from some severe temperature swings but that has not affected osund or performance. 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. A scalloped brace often appears to dip down towards its center and peak on either end. It doesnt seem like there are any cracks in the wood itself, just the clear finish. This ovation lx was in serious trouble when its bridge lifted off. Basically speaking, its a matter of some glue and some good clamping. Ovation crack repair top seperation from the bowl 1 light qball. This tempts me, if i can get a neck to suit i know os are more inclined to have breakages like top cracks and bridge flybys. Acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger. A friend of mine has an ovation with a crack in the soundboard.
I will be going to miami for a wedding at the end of may for a week and the guitar. Acoustic guitar cracked top repair by randy schartiger guitar repair. A closed crack is one that will leave no gap when the instrument is properly humidified. All you need is some super glue, a toothpick, and several grits of sandpaper i used a little red mahogany stain too. 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. Dec 15, 2008 hello, im new here and ive seen alot of posts that might help me. I have more than 350 videos on you tube these are just a few. However, if the damage is localized, use these simple guidelines to perform the repair. Acoustic guitar top crack repair continued, leveling and buffing. This video shows many more discoveries of preventive maintenance not performed and. 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. I like buying electric fixeruppers and selling them on, not on a big scale and not for huge profit either, i just enjoy passing the guitars through my hands and getting the broken ones playing again. This guitar had been previously repaired by ovation, however six months later the soundboard on this balladeer had bowed out to such an extent that the bridge had been lifted by about half an inch. A washboard texture which looks somewhat like corduroy is one of the first signs of dryness.
A cracked guitar side is a difficult fix, especially when the sides of the split are uneven. Conversly, an open crack exhibits a gap when properly humidified. Monitor the guitar and wet the cloth or sponge every couple of days. 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. Nov 04, 2011 im working on a crack on the top of an ovation custom balladeer. I do repairs for clients and guitar shops all over the united states. I have an applause ae28 electricacoustic guitar that plays pretty well, but doesnt look so great. Splint martin top crack finger lakes guitar repair. Stewmac crack repair tools fixe cracks and punctures in acoustic instruments. Ovation acoustic electric guitars for sale in stock ebay. If the damage is extreme, we may suggest a neck or body replacement. I have a balladeer and a custom balladeer, both from the 80s, that have the typical cracks.
There is a screw on the inside of the guitar that is screwed through the side of the guitar into where the neck joins the body, and i dont know if i can just screw that tighter to fix it or if i. Anyway, its a typical crack from the middle of the bridge back to the end. Sep 07, 2010 you bring it inside and immediately open up the case to see your new beauty. Top cracks to avoid at all costs are the ones that are near the neck to body joint that crack to the soundhole. Dec 15, 2015 if your acoustic guitar top is starting to separate or lift a little from the guitar sides, its usually a reasonably straightforward job to repair. This is because of the darker color of most side woods and the grain and grain fillers have a bit more going on to catch the eye and mask a crack than a top does.
You then take a piece of spruce, make a vshaped splint and glue it into the crack. Crack repair guitar blog the official taylor guitars blog. Ovation primarily manufactures steelstring acoustic guitars both 6 and 12string versions and nylonstring acoustic guitars, often with pickups for electric amplification. Good clamping is the secret to all good glue jobs and its not too much hassle to clamp most acoustic guitar tops.
Then i marked the stick at the location where it hit the guitar body. You can even snap a picture from your phone from here. This guitar has numerous cracks and requires restoration. Solid top acoustics are more sensitive than laminate top guitars, and will require more care. Kaman who owns ovation, responded positively to the issue of these cracks at least by 1980 and was bracing the tops differently, while using some cedar and laminates also. The longer you wait to fix the crack, the less likely it can be done invisibly. Repair of ovation balladeer bowed soundboard on ovation balladeer. Ovation ultra series acoustic, 1984 model, neck repaired. The tops are installed in a vacum mold type procedure. In addition, changed the fortification or thickness of brace under the bridge a bit. Second, if you notice a crack, your first instinct may be to touch or rub it. 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. Located inside every guitar center store, our staff of experienced, certified technicians. I have a right off the boat new guitar right now that has a sunken top.
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. Most of the worst and hardestto repair cracks happen on a guitar s top. Most of the worst and hardesttorepair cracks happen on a guitars top. Apr 23, 2018 whether the crack is caused by humidity or by impact, there is no immediate danger to the guitar. There are lutherie tools available specifically for this task. I have owned an ovation celebrity for over twenty years. First i placed the stick on top of the guitar with the magnet and cleat directly over the crack. Hello, im new here and ive seen alot of posts that might help me. The bow in the top will begin to flatten in about two to three days. While some cracks are relatively easy to repair its. 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. Im assuming my best bet is to remove the finish to eliminate the cracks. Ovation guitar repair london graham parker luthier.