|
|
#1
12-12-2009, 09:11 PM
|
|||
|
|||
On the quest for knowledge - finish vs. structural cracks
Hello all. Of those you read it, I recently got a OM21 and noticed a crack on it. I took it to my luthier near here and found out it is only a finish crack. However, I was wondering what the easiest way to tell is? I thought it might be structural until he said that, and I even got a second opinion to confirm. I am just wondering if there is some special way to determine?
Also, finish cracks have no effect on playability if I remember correctly.... right?
__________________
I may have a few Martins and Fenders... and a serious purchasing problem. 
|
|
#2
12-13-2009, 09:20 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Get a small mirror and a flashlight and look on the inside. I have a couple guitars with cracks that I fixed myself. You just take a small piece of wood and glue it with the grain going perpendicular to the grain of the guitar. Put it on with super glue. Doesn't affect the sound and keeps the crack stable and prevents it from getting worse.
__________________
|
|
#3
12-13-2009, 09:52 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
You can look at the crack under good light and magnification.
Superglue can be used to repair a crack and the finish. The superglue might show a halo around the repaired area because it's harder than the finish but if you use clear fingernail polish it can be blended in much more easily.
|
|
#4
12-13-2009, 12:30 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Follow the above instruction only if its a beater on which you don't mind messing up the finish.
__________________
"Still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest." --Paul Simon
|
|
#5
12-13-2009, 12:54 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Hopefully anyone owning one of your (You make some fine looking guitars) guitars wouldn't dream of putting superglue on it.
|
|
#6
12-13-2009, 01:00 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
ya i will also have to suggest not to use superglue, especially for fixing cracks, it does not dry flush as white glue will and is irreversible should something go wrong. If you have a small, flush crack that you want to repair yourself (Ie. a humidity crack) drop some white glue in and maybe water it down if the crack is really tight, clamp it and your good. For any more serious crack take it to a pro.
AS for finish cracks, its usually pretty easy to tell, they tend to be very very tight and thin
|
|
#7
12-13-2009, 01:24 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
As with any repair, either learn the right way to do it- or take it to someone good. The edges of the crack must be reapproximated, with humidity or clamps or both. Putting glue in an open crack will make things worse, not better. I agree that super glue is not ideal. I prefer hot hide glue for a number of reasons, but white glue works well too.
__________________
1943 Gibson J-45 Martin Custom Shop 000-28 Authentic Aged 1937 Voyage Air VAOM-4 IBG Epiphone J-200 Aged Antique
|
|
#8
12-13-2009, 01:27 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
From Frets.com, brief pictorial on finish checking/cracks vs wood cracks;
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musi.../crackid1.html
__________________
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean,
|
|
#9
12-13-2009, 01:37 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I experienced the same thing with my Gibson J-100 Centennial. I opened up the case once and saw a crack running with the wood grain about 4 inches on the top up from the end of the guitar. I freaked out thinking I just cracked my top from not humidifying it enough in our Ohio winters. As I looked closely I could see it in the finish but not really the wood. Being that it ran with the grain it was not easy to tell. But if you look inside the guitar with a mirror you can tell if it is the top wood that is cracked. Luckily it was a finish craze which was confirmed by my repairman. Gibsons are know for these, I have an old J-45 from 1967 and it is full of grazes. Does not effect anything except looks and actually after a while they add character. But the first one was scary. Keys is to say thats good my guitar is aging and go on.
Steve
__________________
Steve 2020 McKnight Grand Recording - Cedar Top 2005 McKnight SS Dred 2001 Michael Keller Koa Baby 2014 Godin Inuk 2012 Deering B6 Openback Banjo 2012 Emerald Acoustic Doubleneck 2012 Rainsong JM1000 Black Ice 2009 Wechter Pathmaker 9600 LTD 1982 Yairi D-87 Doubleneck 1987 Ovation Collectors 1993 Ovation Collectors 1967 J-45 Gibson 1974 20th Annivers. Les Paul Custom
|
|
#10
12-13-2009, 08:30 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Thanks for all the help. I was honestly just attempting to gain more knowledge, I am not really interested in performing any repairs myself.
__________________
I may have a few Martins and Fenders... and a serious purchasing problem.
|
|
#11
12-14-2009, 01:06 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I've got a secondary question about this.
Can heavy finish cracks lead to cracks in the wood itself? I've got an old Fender Villager, and those guitars are notorious for deep to the wood cracks in the finish. And I wonder if it might be wise to refinish the top in order to prevent cracks in the wood. And fwiw, i'm not at all concerned about any sort of devaluation of the guitar as a result of this. I just want to protect the wood.
__________________
Something something, beer is good, and people are crazy.
|
|
#12
12-14-2009, 11:07 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Well, I have read that finish cracks can cause more cracks, and bigger finish problems can leave wood exposed, thus allowing more chance of harm. Sadly, I don't know beyond that, hence why I opened this for questions. Another question on my end as well, does the flashlight trick work for showing cracks that go all the way through the guitar? I was going to try this just to double check my luthier. Also, a crack on the back, jagged (somewhat parallel to the wood grain) and near the bass end... that would most likely be a finish crack, correct? Just thought I would get opinions
__________________
I may have a few Martins and Fenders... and a serious purchasing problem.
|
|
#13
12-14-2009, 11:11 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
For whatever reason, Martin's nitro finish seems to be more prone to finish cracks. I have always, always kept my guitars (all Martins) properly humidified, and on two separate occasions, upon very close inspection, I have found finish cracks on the backs of two different guitars. They do not harm anything. I had a great guitar tech touch them up and blend them in for around $60. It looks good as new, though, I would never try the repair myself!
|
|
#14
12-14-2009, 11:33 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I believe in the mojo of cracks and scrapes, as long as they don't cause actual tonal damage. My dad's guitar taught me that they are only better with age and wear - I just have to make sure that I am not going to have other problems too.
__________________
I may have a few Martins and Fenders... and a serious purchasing problem.
|
|
#15
12-21-2009, 12:09 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Hate to resurrect a dead topic, but my roommate had a question and I didn't have a great answer: Just because a crack goes with the grain, that doesn't mean it has to be a structural, correct? I know that going with the grain is generally a bad thing, and normally indicates a structural crack, so he is worried about his that has a similar crack to mine (on the back along the grain, jagged, apparent, can feel with the fingernail, etc.). His acoustic is a Takamine and he just doesn't have the ability to see the luthier I did. I know it is worthless without pictures, but he wanted me to ask anyways.
That being said, mine was only a finish crack according to three different sources and definitely did not go through the wood, so I don't know why he is so worried since it seems to almost be identical - just at slightly different places. Thanks for all the help and advice.
__________________
I may have a few Martins and Fenders... and a serious purchasing problem.
|
