Official Luthiers Forum!

Well this time I really screwed up and split the top as I was doing the final fitting. Yes it was pretty stupid and shows a lack of any kind of skill but that’s another story. One thing I’ve learned from the wonderful members here at the OLF is that most things can be repaired. My guess is that I can repair this and it will be fine. The good thing is that it is at the edge of the upper right bout. Although I have never repaired a split I think I can do it. Once I get some glue in there (tight bond) I will compress it like joining a top. I can also place a patch behind it for extra strength. I don’t think a patch would cause a problem considering where it’s located.

Any remarks or suggestions would be appreciated. If I replace the top I will not be able to give the guitar to my father for Christmas. I was planning on at least showing him the guitar even if unfinished as he is about to leave for 3 months.

Thanks as always.

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

Clean hands, wood glue, and I'd probably clamp it together with tape,
perhaps with a thin block on the face and back to keep it from wanting to
fold as it is taped or clamped. Not much else to it. Looks like there was
some splintering toward the waist, but hopefully that can fall close enough
to the edge to land under the purfling.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Hide Glue

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

It is quite possible that most of this damaged area will be routed away when you glue it up to the guitar and route the binding and purfling channels. If it were me, I think I would use titebind and glue it back together like you were joining the top plates. Clean hands are a must or it will show later on.

By the way, this kind of thing happens to even the most seasoned of us. Dont feel bummed out about it. The thing that makes a good luthier is how well you can repair the mistakes so that it doesnt show in the future. I know I am getting plenty of experience at it

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Reguards,

Ken H

Don't feel bad about doing this, it happens and it can be fixed.  I did this to a back about 8 months ago when gluing it to the rims when I got a go bar outside the overhang and didn't notice.  It snapped a chunk off of the lower bout almost exactly the same size and look as your break.  I used LMI white glue to make the repair and used tape for clamping.  Both Ken and David are right that it looks like the majority of it will go away when you do the binding and perfling.  Clean hands, tape and glue and you will have this fixed in no time.  Personally, now that I am using hide glue for a lot of my gluing tasks, I would use HHG to do the repair if it were to happen to me now.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

I like HHG for this type of repair. It seems to be the least noticable of all glues especially if you can get the split to close fairly well. No one will know... except all of us...

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"