Taylor 912ce bridge issue

[Wookie]

Hi, i have an oportunity to buy an used Taylor 912ce. This guitar is only one year old and the overall condition is superb. The bridge has a tiny crack and i'm not sure, if the bridge is damaged or it's just normal.

Please see the image below. What do you mean? Green ist the natural wood grain. No doubt. But the red area ist the issue.



Thank you for your help.

[mattwood]

No expert here but that would concern me as it is longitudinal along the bridge. Looks like a stress fracture to me.

[Wookie]

Thank you for your opinion.

Here is another picture. It's not really sharp, but you can see it. Can someone make a diagnosis?

[Sage Runner]

The green color in the photo is most likely leftover black dye residue that settled in the open grain of the porous wood. From your pic. Definitely appears the bridge has the beginnings of splitting behind the Bridge pin holes. With strings off You could force some glue into the beginning crack. It may hold for a while but the tension and pressure of the strings and pegs will likely be an issue down the road. I would be hesitant to buy the guitar unless I could get a price reduction that would cover having a new bridge installed by a competent luthier. Unfortunately Old growth High grade dense jet black Ebony is very scarce now. Most Factory Ebony wood now used is Gray in color. Has to be dyed to look Black. Most Ebony used now is light weight open grained not like the dense tight closed grained Ebony of old. Most Ebony used these days is more prone to produce hairline cracks and in the case of fret boards they wear down pretty quickly. Its my opinion Quality Dense varieties of Rosewood can be still had and is actually the best option these days for Bridges and fret boards. Some old luthiers have stashes of old premium Ebony. The good stuff is still out there.

[mcduffnw]

Hi Wookie

Yes you do have a very very slight hairline crack forming there. It may never get worse than what it is right now...but...there is the chance it will become more severe over time.

You might want to try and email Taylor here in the USA, show them your pictures in the email and ask their opinion about how big of an issue it is, or could become, and ask how it could be fixed, and how much it would cost.

It is a potential problem, but it is not a difficult issue to fix for Taylor or a high level Taylor repair station where you live.

Get in touch with Taylor USA and see what they say. If you like the guitar enough, you could perhaps get a lower price set for it taking into account how much a possible repair or replacement might cost to have done.


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[YamahaGuy]

It is common for ebony bridges to crack, especially when they're dry. That's why I put lemon oil on mine at every string change.

An Eastman I sold to a friend was not cracked when I sold it to him but now it is. He hadn't changed the strings for many months, and uses humidipaks when he remembers. I recently changed the strings and put some lemon oil on it. Hopefully it doesn't get worse.

I'd pass on the Taylor unless it's a great deal.

I've seen brand new Yamaha A series with cracked bridges at a dealer known for having a dry climate inside.

A huge plug for humidifying your guitars.

[Wookie]

Thank you very much for your replies. It was very helpful.