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in for some top cracks and playability issues, neck is underset by almost 1/8" with significant hump at the joint...just got the strings off and got a better peek under the circus tent and... how the what the why? i just... really I... ummmm....can anyone guess what is going on here? Tempted to hand it back over any half-measure foolery. Third Japanese built one in this year but I've not seen this sort of hijinx...

I working through a long top crack repair on a c.1964 Fender Newporter and need to do a little touch-up on the clear coat. The top coat is matte over a do-do brown stained mahogany top, I'm guessing around a 10-20% reflectivity. Questions: 1. What top coat product did Fender use on these? 2. What should I use that has great self-leveling qualities and will melt into the old finish? <>

It was attacked by a Martin Dreadaught on a small mountain stage resulting in a faceplant. The top is Redwood. I was able to get it to glue up fairly well and have done some splice and drop fill on the vertical cracks. I'm curious about suggestions for the deep cross grain areas. I am hoping to not re-shoot any lacquer and just rub out the finish with some Kovax dry sanding. It was never high gloss buff to begin with and it's a personal…

Hello looths! Long time lurker, first time poster here all the way from New Zealand. I have recently acquired this 2008 Martin D-35 for a very cheap price ($1000 NZD - around 600 US!) it's dried out in a very cold environment and has two substantial cracks running all the way across the top, one large side crack, and a previous side crack repair that's been done quite poorly. I'm only about 3 years in to this repair journey and this is d…

Hi all, I got a Do Santos DSMSCC RC in shop, the Spanish heel has failed , or rather collapsed into the soundboard, splitting it on both sides along the grain, a broken brace just under the fingerboard extension , cracks on both sides on the top/side bindings, I measured wood humidity on the fingerboard 9% and inside the (very inaccessible) body 11% The normal procedure would be to re-humidify before jacking or clamping back into place ,…

Question about splines: At what point are they necessary? My question is primarily regarding the crack to the left between the bridge and the sound hole as well as the crack at the upper bout that runs along the fingerboard extension. I have already glued them both and used the TJ cleats that run the full length of the cracks. I have already splined the lower bout crack that runs from the bridge to the binding as it was super gappy and d…

A customer brought in a Gibson ivory top A3 mandolin. It's in good shape and has all the parts. He found it at the local thrift store here in Bishop. He wants it mechanically sound. Here are the problems: 1) Everything that comes into the shop has a shrinkage component and the effects of course very from instrument to instrument. This instrument is no exception and the results of that shrinkage, in this case, are severe. The top, ba…

All - looking for recommendations on overall approach for repairing this nasty side crack right at the edge of the tail block. My initial thought is that either the top or the back needs to come off in order to properly glue and clamp the main split. Thanks in advance. Images

YouTube video on how to Glue a Cracked Top Brace With Hot Hide Glue 

Im 6'-6" with hands to match. I can squeeze my hands into most flattops, but a friend asked me to look at his 1930's Tiple. It has multiple back cracks that I can get to with props and TJ's crack system, but there are also plenty of loose braces. Looks like I've got to pop the back off, but I feel the long back cracks should be stabilized first. Would you hesitate removing the back? or is there a way to address the loose braces from out…

Hello again folks, how is everyone! So I'm curious about what people here think about re-tops, who's done them, and what sorta ballpark rates you've charged for past completed jobs. I've got a bit of a wild one here, so strap in if you've got a couple minutes for story time! Back in 2012, I traded an HD28V of mine for a cool 1966 D-35 that needed some work. Basically, the body and neck of the guitar were fine apart from…

Hey All! I hope everyone has been loothing and living as well as possible. I'm checking in to ask for an opinion. I have been asked to fix or improve some top sinking/splitting of a Mahogany top 1930ish L-0 that sits between the bridge and the junction of the X-brace. It's showing signs of wanting to crack further but neither seems to be all the way through the top. I have removed the bridge plate cleanly and have tried wetting the…

Hi folks. I have a Martin DX1 in for crack repairs. I was feeling around and discovered two huge cedar plates glued to the top. Many gluey fingerprints and spots which leads me to believe they aren’t stock but want to make sure before I remove them. I looked online for a bracing diagram but no luck. Does anyone have any info on this? Much appreciated ! Images