My baby is cracked ! somebody get a doctor!

Costs are rising and times are tough.
Please consider a donation to keep this
place going.

Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.

This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.

We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.

You are logged in as Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >>Discussions >>Lutherie >>

Page: [1]

Message

<< Newer Topic Older Topic >>

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

My baby is cracked ! somebody get a ...

Its a bad day when you find a crack in your guitar! I don't know if these pictures show it well enough, but it extends from the rosette along the fret board. I can stick the top of my nail in the crack. I don't think the top is completely split.

Can I fill it with wood glue? I'm worried about the neck because the heel on the same side has a small gap where it meets the sides. Like the glue is gone. I also found a crack in the fretboard .

Another separate issue is the tie block. You can see in the pic that the trebble string holes have dug in and elongated the holes. I was getting ready to cutba new saddle and raise them a hair to get more tone. The action is very low. But the tie block might be the culprit, reducing the break angle. Right?

The guitar is a RSC 1aFb 1996. Its a bit of an odd model I know. It falls somewhere around a 2f -1f hermanos sanchis Lopez.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

Attachment (4)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 13 2014 21:22:19

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to JasonM)

Its caused by low humidity. The fingerboard shrinks and pulls the top apart. If you raise the humidity the cracks will probably close. Don't put glue in the cracks all it will do is cause the cracks to swell and pucker when the humidity rises. My advice is to ignore it.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 13 2014 22:35:05

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to JasonM)

Thanks mr. Shelton!! I feel much better after hearing that. I keep the guitar out of the case on a stand in the living room since I play it and am too lazy.

What about the tie block? Id like to keep the action as low as I can because of hand injury. if I filled the holes and re drilled new ones or replaced the block, would it be worth the effort for a little extra break angle? Or Would you say it's a non issue

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 14 2014 3:29:29

n85ae

Posts: 877
Joined: Sep. 7 2006

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to JasonM)

My Blanca has three cracks in the fretboard like that. At first I was really upset,
Richard Brune checked it out, and said live with it ... I have, and eight years later
I don't even notice it anymore.

It doesn't seem to hurt anything, and I really like the guitar anyway ...

Jeff

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 14 2014 5:11:43

Cloth Ears

Posts: 152
Joined: Apr. 26 2005

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to JasonM)

I am sorry to hear of your problem, very frustrating I am sure.

If you live in a dry climate (summer heat or winter snows), then get a hygrometer and a case humidifier.

Planet Waves humidifiers are popular.

If you live in the UK where a humidifier is not usually required except long snowy periods,
but plan to go to dry summer Spain, then get hold of this kit to ensure your guitar does not suffer the shock of environment change.

I am guessing from your profile that Baltimore is deep in snow right now and the air is dry?

Furthermore when in a dry climate, keep the guitar in the case with the humidifier and hygrometer when not in use.

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 14 2014 9:04:19

BarkellWH

Posts: 3458
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to JasonM)

Regarding humidifying your guitar in a dry environment, instead of buying a humidifying kit or a case with built-in humidifying nodes, you might consider a simple solution my flamenco guitar maestro Paco de Malaga suggested. Buy a plastic soap dish with a top and an every-day kitchen sponge. Punch holes in the top of the soap dish and place the thoroughly soaked sponge inside. Put the top back on, and place the soap dish with wet sponge in the top of your guitar case under the guitar's headstock. Of course, you must keep the guitar case horizontal in order to maintain the soap dish in place.

I have been using this method for years with good results. Although the humidifying soap dish and sponge are in the headstock area of the case, the humidity produced is dispersed throughout the case.

Bill

_____________________________

And the end of the fight is a tombstone white,
With the name of the late deceased,
And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."

--Rudyard Kipling

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 14 2014 11:37:32

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to JasonM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: JasonM

What about the tie block? Id like to keep the action as low as I can because of hand injury. if I filled the holes and re drilled new ones or replaced the block, would it be worth the effort for a little extra break angle? Or Would you say it's a non issue

You don't need much break angle for the a guitar to play well. If yours is playing properly there's no need to do anything. If you're concerned about the wear you can have the holes plugged and re-drilled.

Re: humidity
another option from the ones already stated is to put a damp sponge in a ziplock bag with a few pin holes in it and dangle it in the soundhole with a paper clip or clothes pin hooked to one of the strings but be careful not to get the interior of the guitar wet. The "Planet waves" system works great but is a little expensive since it you have to buy a new one every three months.

_____________________________

John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 14 2014 13:58:29

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to jshelton5040)

Good to know about the tie block thanks.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have / had the planet waves kit, but yeah, Ive used a sponge in a bag. Past years I kept the guitar in a different room so I bet the living room is a drier climate.

Bill, I bought my first guitar from Paco de Malaga, the other Sanchis. I kind of regretted buying it because I never liked the sound of the basses

If Richard Brune told you not to worry, then Im good with it too. I'd be much more worried if my guitar was a Brune anyway.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 14 2014 16:28:28

HemeolaMan

Posts: 1514
Joined: Jul. 13 2007
From: Chicago

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to JasonM)

I like to use old prescription or medicine bottles with sponges. Punch holes in the bottle and throw a sponge inside.

_____________________________

[signature][/signature]

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 15 2014 18:30:26

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to JasonM)

quote:

Past years I kept the guitar in a different room so I bet the living room is a drier climate.

If you live in a climate that gets very dry in periods, then you shouldnt bet about what is dry and what is dryer, you should monitor humidity.
A lot of these cracks could be avoided if the owner of the guitar had a hygrometer, looked at it 2 times a day and knew when to take action.

_____________________________

Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2014 8:03:17

constructordeguitarras

Posts: 1676
Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

RE: My baby is cracked ! somebody ge... (in reply to JasonM)

Regarding the gap between the heel and the side: There should not be glue between the side and its slot in the heel/tail block.

_____________________________

Ethan Deutsch
www.edluthier.com
www.facebook.com/ethandeutschguitars
www.youtube.com/marioamayaflamenco
I always have flamenco guitars available for sale.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2014 23:52:36