Guitar Repair

[Slingy]

Hello, first post here. I was refered here by another forum member for my repair question. Looks like a great resource so I'll be reading over the forums a bit too.

Anyways the guitar is a store bought classical that suffered a crack at the base of the headstock and travels along the center where the tuning posts are. It is all the way through up to the second post, and continues up to the third post where it is not all the way across. Here is a photo of the headstock and one of the guitar.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa254/S.../crackLarge.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa254/S...ssicalLarge.jpg

Anyways I'm new to repair but I'd like to do this myself, I work at a hardware store so I have access to whatever clamps, glue, and tools I may need.

Thanks.

[Setch]

Does is close up completely if you apply pressure to the crack?

[Slingy]

Does is close up completely if you apply pressure to the crack?

Yes, no pieces are broken off, and when pressure is applied you can barely see it it.

[jaycee]

From your description of the break and the pic, does it run from the bottom of the headstock to the side and the first tuning peg, then from the first tuning peg to the second one but from the inside to the outside of the head,

If it is running between the shafts (dowels) of the tuning pegs then it may be a case of the holes needing to be "eased" a little, being that the shafts may be a little to big for the holes causing pressure and the break.

If this is the case then I would remove the row of machine heads, open the break without causing it to split anymore, fill the crack with wood glue (preferably Titebond original) although a good wood glue should suffice, clamp the repair, leave for 24 hours.

When you have done that push the shafts through the holes to see how easilly or difficult they go through. It should be a snug fit so that they don't move about or bind as they go through. If there is any binding a light sanding of the holes to relieve the binding should do the trick.

It's worth waiting to see what Setch has to say on this as well before you go any further unless it is apparent that what I said is the problem

Edited November 14, 2007 by jaycee

[Setch]

If the cracks had closed completely when squeezed, I'd have suggested a generous application of wood glue (Titebond preferably) and clamping up overnight. However, if the crack won't close, you have a more complex job ahead. Do as Jaycee suggests, remove the tuners, then see if you can close the crack, then get back to us.

[Slingy]

Thanks for the tips. I went ahead and removed the tuning machines and pegs because I dont want to get glue on the moving parts. Plus I'm not sure how to get glue into the area where the crack is thin. It seems it will be much easier with the hardware off. I know we sell three kinds of Titebond so I'll pick some up tommorow at work and some c clamps. This is as far as I can pull on it or it feels like I will crack it further.

[Mattia]

Titebond ORIGINAL is the only glue you want to be using for 99.9% of all guitarbuilding. Titebonds II and III are OK for non-critical joints that require heat and moisture application, like, say, laminating wood binding. But that's about all I can come up with.

[jaycee]

Thats a better picture.

You could try and get as much glue in the break as possible, and the chances are it would hold. But the split nearer the top hole the D string one would have little or no glue in at all.

What I am not sure of is the ammount of pressure exerted on these areas when the guitar is strung, and if doing the above would compromise the repair.

From the picture, it looks as if the crack would taper off and come out of the back of the headstock just past the last peg hole, I would be tempted to complete the break gently so that it follows its natural course. What you are faced with then is a clean break where you can apply the glue to the whole of the area and have a good strong repair.

With some cosmetic work on the headstock you wouldn't know it had ever been broken.

But as I said earlier wait for replies from Setch and or Mattia and see if they have any other suggestions

[Slingy]

Thanks again, got it all glued up and clamped down for the night. Not worried about getting it perfect, just playable. Looks like there's going to be a little ridge from the break at the base of the headstock. I should have clamped it down and across too, to pull it in tighter.