It says your style is flamboyant or that its laidback. I have an applause ae28 electricacoustic guitar that plays pretty well, but doesnt look so great. The repair involves realigning the wood, gluing, and sealing. 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 start with 400grit frecut gold sandpaper, then work my way through 600, and 800grit. Dealing with a guitar finish repair using gluboost products. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing. Strings can be reused if desired, but the price for a restring will still be added. The super glue is ok, but it tends to dry to a dull finish instead of a gloss. Repair chips and cracks in finish fender stratocaster. This involves cutting a piece of matching wood as closely as possible to the crack itself and fitting the filler wood into the crack.
When you are satisfied with the results, apply a finishing layer. Once i am satisfied that the cracks and ding are built up with c. The cracks may be loosely spaced or very tight, and can appear on any part of the guitar. Guitar headstock repair and acoustic guitar crack repair.
There doesnt appear to be a crack in the wood, but i can feel the cracks in the finish when im playing open chords. Although there is no real way to prevent getting scratches on your guitar other than never playing it outside of your living room, there are some ways of removing them. Most cracks we see here at finger lakes guitar repair are related to improper climate control or impacts with foreign objects. When repairing cracks it is usually a two part process. I have a 10yrold nitrofinished guitar wa very, very fine crack in the finish along the center seam under the bridge. It doesnt seem like there are any cracks in the wood itself, just the clear finish. One of the most common instances is actually not a crack at all, but a centerseam separation. We offer refinishing with a matching color for an additional charge.
A guitar s look is a major part of the statement that guitarists make to the world about themselves. This will hide any cosmetic flaws that were caused by the original damage or the repair processes. Also i tried pushing both side of the crack but apparently nothing moves. Unlike lacquer cracks, finish scratches are caused by rubbing something on the outside of the guitar. Repairing hairline crack in poly finish telecaster. Whether you are in need of a professional set up, neck reset, sound enhancement or even refinishing we do it all and we do it right. No light or naptha will penetrate the crack, and it is very tiny. Rout for pickup or bridge priced per job and includes disassembly and reassembly. Removing scratches from guitar finishes lacquer repair.
Im assuming my best bet is to remove the finish to eliminate the cracks. Luthier and instructor, robert obrien, shows how to fix hairline cracks in a brazilian rosewood guitar back and then repair the finish. Obviously scratches are a part of life, but on occasion we want to spruce up our instrument and erase some of the wear and tear associated with playing. Some of these cracks will never materialize into an external crack, where as, others will. Our gold level service centers and uv finish equipped service centers can repair cracks and, in many cases, make them disappear completely. Its a wonderful guitar and i would like it to be perfect. Acoustic guitar crack repair align crack, glue, reinforce and seal.
I recently bought a used epiphone zephyr regent jazz box, and found two very thin hairline cracks in the polyurethane finish right by the nut where you would hang the guitar. Our gold level service centers and uv finishequipped service centers can repair cracks and, in many cases, make them disappear completely. Tips on repairing acoustic guitar cracks proaudioland. Cracks are one of the many ways that coatings film forming transparent finishes and paints can fail. John also authored pgs guitar shop 101 column, hosted several pg diy videos, and is an authorized warranty technician trainer for taylor guitars. Cleating installing small patches of wood inside guitar to reinforce repair as necessary.
Repairing hairline crack in poly finish discussion in finely finished started by andrewnelles. Most finish dings arent too concerning, but inspect the ding closely to make sure the impact didnt crack the wood. You can fix a guitar poly finish in a few different ways depending on the nature of the problem at hand. If you drop a poly guitar, the poly will crack and sometimes even shatter in that area. There are a couple of cracks in the thick plasticy finish. None of my poly guitars have finish cracks either, except for my ebm. I had a bone installed a few years back, but therecwas no crack in the finish there at all when i sold it. Some of these cracks will never materialize into an external crack. Most of the worst and hardesttorepair cracks happen on a guitars. Finish checking, or weather checking as it is also known, refers to the pattern of small cracks, usually comprising a series of parallel lines, but sometimes loosely checkered, that can appear on certain guitars with nitrocellulose finishes. For this reason, the lacquer used to fill a chip or crack can continue shrinking weeks after a nearly. These cracks typically fall into the category of closed cracks cracks. As an instruments wood expands and contracts with moisture content stress is placed on the finish.
Repairing cracks in acoustic guitars examples of cracks caused. Taylor top crack and finish repair finger lakes guitar repair. Here are some pics of my ebm that got dropped and resulted in some pretty heinous poly cracks. If the damage is extreme, we may suggest a neck or body replacement. Modern polybased guitar finishes are hard plastic, and when theyre damaged, pieces fall off. Fixing crack in the lacquer the steel guitar forum. Conversly, an open crack exhibits a gap when properly humidified. This is an extremely common, somewhat expected condition on older instruments with lacquer finishes. Repair prices as of april, 2019 maple street guitars. Finishing such as for control knobs and necks fret installation. 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. Nitrocellulose lacquer naturally ages over time, giving the guitar a yellowish, antique quality, often with accompanying spider cracks, also known as crazing.
Luthiers mercantile international offers the largest selection of tonewoods, professional tools and parts for the custom guitar builder. Superglue can be buffed and polished, and makes for an excellent filler material to fill in minor. There is nothing worse than a nasty chip, ding or crack in your favorite guitar. Learn how to repair a polyester guitar finish in an hour using solarez polyester uvcure resin. Taylor factory service centers and uv finish equipped service centers can repair cracks and, in many cases, make them disappear completely. Fixing a small chip in your guitars finish issue 174 september 27, 2012 this issue of trade secrets is a video.
They occur in a variety of forms to include checking, crazing, cracking, alligatoring, and mud cracking. Repairing a crack on an instrument luthier tips du jour. The backs of guitars probably finish third in terms of frequency of cracks. Fix a guitar poly finish with help from an experienced guitar builder and repair. Finish crack in polyurethane how to repair the gear. Ive had poly chip off the side of the neck and other spots too.
Some epoxy glues that you see in hardware stores will dry to a nice gloss to match the surrounding lacquer. These scratches usually only exist in the clear coat of the guitar. I have a 1999 american strat that has a couple of chips in the finish. If its used, it plays well, and you got a good deal on it, id definetly keep it by common on teles he must mean common on all bolt on neck guitars, they crack right about there from the screws stress. If you choose to have the finish repaired as well, the time and cost of the repair will be considerably higher. Make sure the grain in the filler wood matches the grain in the guitar as closely as possible.
Guitar repair handmade guitars luthier school guitar. How to repair acoustic guitar finish guitar repair bench. 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. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing outter cracks.
Repair a crackled finished if it has a cracked appearance all over it like spider webs, then as mentioned above you have whats called a checked finish, this occurs from nitrocellulose lacquer being used and an extreme of heat or cold has happened. This video shows many more discoveries of preventive maintenance not performed and what can and does happen, plus gluing the cracked top and. The chips are fairly small but go through to the wood and have cracks that are about 1cm long coming out of them. Headstock repair we charge per crack to repair a borken guitar headstock. And i even put a strong torchlight in a dark room to see if the light went through the guitar from the inside out but it didnt. However, if its a new guitar, bought and paid for as new, id take it back, no reason to even be asking questions. I will apply multiple coats, waiting a few hours between each application. Each strip is pulled across the fill once or twice. Binding installation you can repair finish cracks with superglue. Professionals will often repair a crack or ding for you, but it can cost you. This video i put to use my new magnets and cleat the first crack in the bottom of the lower bout of the guitar.
Checking will vary according to the extremes the instrument has been through. How to age the finish on a nitro finish guitar our pastimes. 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. How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar 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. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing outter. Dan erlewine demos three of his favorite finish repair tips. Mark off chipped cracked area with tape 2s around chip. How to touch up and repair electric guitar finish guitar repair. A slight crack or dent isnt impossible to repair yourself. Its probably for that reason that most players do not do so, without negative consequence. How to repair a crack in a solid top acoustic guitar our. Guitars with multiple cracks will be done at a discounted rate per crack. John levan has written five guitar repair books published by mel bay. Most of the worst and hardestto repair cracks happen on a guitar s top.
The best kept secret in bass guitar repair is superglue. To repair these cracks the stress must be eliminated by removing the pickguard and reattaching or replacing it. Repairing large, open cracks that can not be pushed back together requires splicing. Checking is a mild form of cracking and doesnt go all the way through the finish. 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. It is critical for you to know the potential causes of guitar cracks so that you can protect your instrument and avoid the recurrence of the damage. 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. Using the right product to repair these issues is very important to a good end result. The finish over the repaired crack can either be omitted, done for protection alone, or done invisibly nitrocellulose finishes only.