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I'm finally getting around to fixing up my old Gurian steelstring and I have a couple questions. Here they are:

1. I have a crack in the top about 3 inches long right along the grain. What is the best way to repair this? Here's a link to a pic of the crack: Gurian top

2. What style/size guitar would you say this was? Here is another link with some pictures:
More Gurian pics

3. The top really looks like cedar, however it seems almost all Gurian guitars had spruce tops. Is it possible for spruce to have this color, or am I nuts and it is cedar?

4. The neck/headstock looks like mahogany. Are there different types of mahogany, and if so, any idea what this one is?

5. Finally, any other tips on restoring an old guitar? This is one of the easiest playing, best sounding acoustics I have played. Even though it's beat up, I think this old guitar still has some mileage left on it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

John

John that is a cool old guitar. Seems to be a candidate for some hide glue after cleaning the crack with deionized water, check Frets.com. A couple of diamonds at least inside, Frank shows how to attach them to a clamp before gluing to a guitar top. Cool idea. My guess on the top without seeing it in person, a darkened Sitka top, nice medullary rays in the crack pic. The bridge pic I'd be thinking the top was German maybe, kind of like Englemann. Or, it could be a really light cedar top? I have cedar tops in light, medium and chocolate colors.

Hey, how'd the fret ends on the Schramm turn out? Did it just need a wintertime drink?Dickey38382.0866203704

Hi Bruce,

After running about 5 gallons of water through my humidifier, the guitar has returned to just about normal. There is just the ever so slight edge on the frets which a couple swipes of sandpaper should take care of.

That's good advice about repairing the crack. I'll go check out frets.com. The picture you posted of Ford fixing that Martin was incredible. That's actually what inspired me to try and get the Gurian back in shape. If he could fix that Mrtin, surly I can fix a crack and refinish a guitar. I think you're right about the spruce, I've just never seen it that dark before, although it is 30 years old if that makes a difference. I'm still working on the Gurian plans and will post some pics soon when I get a chance.

Cheers!

John

More than 70% of what I know about resto and repair came from reading and re-reading Frank Ford's articles. (The other 30% is still being accumulated the hard way.) He has a lot of good stuff about restoring finishes, too, ranging from touchups to whole instruments.

Good luck on the Gurian — and be sure to take plenty of good "before and after" pix to for show and tell!

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