Members EvilTwin Posted October 17, 2007 Members Share Posted October 17, 2007 My Guild GAD-25 was cracked (along the top seam from the bridge down to the endpin) from last winter, and I've been trying to get in touch with a friend of mine to fix it. But they're busy, I'm low on cash to begin with, and I don't trust most of the other repairmen in my area. Since this guitar is now going to be a "beater," I mostly care about making sure it's structrually sound (especially before winter). I've put together an electric guitar before, but this would be my first real acoustic repair. I have this for a reference: http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Structural/Cracks/LG2TopCrack/lg2topcrack.html So a few questions for our knowledgeable folks... -- Is a reinforcement patch necessary for every repair like this? (This is a long crack, after all.)-- Are the areas underneath this crack where the braces are located going to be so loose they require glue?-- How long should the crack be clamped for the glue to dry?-- What would you use for cleanup with a gloss top? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 17, 2007 Members Share Posted October 17, 2007 ET, can you post a picture so we can see how bad it is? And have you looked inside to see if the two little braces between the X are loose (use a dentist's mirror or one of those telescoping ones from an auto parts store). In general I would say it should be cleated with a small thin piece of wood (I've got some scrap spruce and mahogany if you give me an idea of the size). It will need to be clamped and that is a hard place to get into - my deep C clamps are just long enough to reach the bridge - to do it right you should build some cauls (wood blocks to distribute the clamping pressure without crushing the braces). The best glue for this is yellow (Titebond) which you can buy in small bottles at Home Depot. It sets in a couple of hours but I like to leave clamps on over night. You can use waxed paper to keep it from sticking to things like your clamping cauls. If the braces are loose like Fords article you will have to work some glue into them. Glue doesn't stick too well to old glue but it is pretty hard to clean up. Very likely they braces won't be loose and only the top seam is cracked. If the crack is stable you might be able to wick some thin CA (superglue, but make sure you are getting low viscosity kind - StewMac has little bottles) in from the top, then simply super glue some little cleats between the braces inside. With super glue you could reach inside and hold them in place while the glue dries - a matter of a couple of minutes. Wicking super glue into cracks in the braces also works, but it will be a pain to do inside the guitar (working by feel and with your little mirror). For repairing the finish - if you superglue from the top just scrape with a single edge razor blade, sand with about 1200 wet and dry and polish with some auto polishing compound (cleaner, not wax) - or if I send you some cleating material I'll throw in a little container of polish. If you don't use superglue you can "drop fill" it with a tiny bit of nitrocellulose lacquer (maybe an auto paint store), then scrape and polish. Frets.com should have a section on that under repairing finishes. Let see some pics and find out how bad the braces are first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EvilTwin Posted October 17, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 17, 2007 Thanks for the info, FK. I'll try to get photos back tonight...but I don't have any place to really upload them to online, so e-mail might be the only means I have of sending 'em. The crack seems fairly stable, and the guitar has been in a good humidity range for awhile now. Hopefully option two is appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flip333 Posted October 18, 2007 Members Share Posted October 18, 2007 I wish that was my "beater". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 18, 2007 Members Share Posted October 18, 2007 Kinda OT, but how pricey is it to replace the top? Sorry, I'm kinda toying with the crazy idea of replacing the bridge/top of my old yet sentimental beater. I'd really love a real Martin dread but all the ones I'm GASing for (HD-28, HD-35) are priced way out of my budget. I figure my beater's already "worn in" so why not just give it a "face lift?" ...and while they're at it why not shave/scallop the braces? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 18, 2007 Members Share Posted October 18, 2007 Kinda OT, but how pricey is it to replace the top? Sorry, I'm kinda toying with the crazy idea of replacing the bridge/top of my old yet sentimental beater. I'd really love a real Martin dread but all the ones I'm GASing for (HD-28, HD-35) are priced way out of my budget. I figure my beater's already "worn in" so why not just give it a "face lift?" ...and while they're at it why not shave/scallop the braces? Neil, I know it is done from time to time on fine old guitars that have had significant damage to the top (Trigger comes immediatedly to mind), but I would think it would be a real PITA. You would need to remove the neck (so figure the cost of a reset at $300), then I suppose you would remove the binding and split the top seam at the kerfing. The guitar would have to be in a nice tight mold at this point to keep the geometry from getting all wonky. Build a new top, brace it, inlay a rosette ($100 for materials plus a bunch of labor), glue it on, route the binding channel, finish it (might as well strip in all the way to bare wood) set the neck, locate the bridge, make a saddle and do the setup. There is bound to be some damage to gluing surfaces when you break seams open so you would have repairs to make there. If you are talking about your old Tak I do think it makes sense to have a new bridge put on it and the neck reset. And based on my experience with Kimsey scalloping the braces on my old Martin (and the incredible gains that made) I think you could go slowly and do that also. But I would guess that retopping wouldn't be worth doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted October 18, 2007 Members Share Posted October 18, 2007 I am really sorry to hear that. It would cost about $200 in Vietnam. But then you're looking at shipping. The F-65 I bought had a repaired crack that was advertised. I bought it anyway. So hang on to your beater. My old D-25 has been a beater since it was made in 1972. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jd-drafter Posted October 18, 2007 Members Share Posted October 18, 2007 my dad did a top replacement on the little parlor i have- but it's very "plain" no binding, or rosette etc.... of course when he got the guitar the back was split in 2 pieces and the top had been caved in or torn off- so it was really no place but up for it- he put a new back inside the old one- then added a aaa engleman spuce top, braced martin dread style and scalloped- now it's a sonic cannon- like a corvette motor in a miata body my dad says- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EvilTwin Posted October 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2007 Kinda OT, but how pricey is it to replace the top? Sorry, I'm kinda toying with the crazy idea of replacing the bridge/top of my old yet sentimental beater. I'd really love a real Martin dread but all the ones I'm GASing for (HD-28, HD-35) are priced way out of my budget. I figure my beater's already "worn in" so why not just give it a "face lift?" ...and while they're at it why not shave/scallop the braces? You might find this interesting: http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Structural/1887Restore/1887restore01.html For a repair that major, you could probably buy a nice guitar for the same price. But I know you can't really put a price on sentimental value. FK -- I took some pictures last night, but I didn't load them onto my computer at home. I'll get to that when I get home from work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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