Crack beneath golpeador

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mafein

Posts: 3
Joined: Oct. 5 2015

Crack beneath golpeador

Dear Members is that crack serious? Should I worry?
It seems that it has no effect on sound. As the crack is under golpeador, where most golpe is done, can it get worse with golpe, after some time? Can this be treated, if yes how much would it cost in Germany or in US/UK etc. ?

Thanks
Ferhat

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 3 2023 18:33:43

yourwhathurts69

Posts: 115
Joined: Sep. 16 2009

RE: Crack beneath golpeador (in reply to mafein)

I've got this same kind of crack (but on the bass side) on one of my guitars, too. I'd be curious to hear how much people think it actually affects the guitar and if it can be easily glued from the inside to not have to remove the golpeador.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 4 2023 4:51:23

estebanana

Posts: 9197
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Crack beneath golpeador (in reply to yourwhathurts69)

quote:

ORIGINAL: yourwhathurts69

I've got this same kind of crack (but on the bass side) on one of my guitars, too. I'd be curious to hear how much people think it actually affects the guitar and if it can be easily glued from the inside to not have to remove the golpeador.

You could have it cleated on the inside, or covered with a fabric tape applied with glue. Then when the tap plate needs to be replaced remove the tape and have the crack glued. Or leave the tape and replace a grain with a tapered sliver of wood prepared to fit in a widened crack.

Since the tap plate is basically a giant piece of tape the crack will be marginally safe, but if you really want to address the crack the goloeador needs to be removed. The thing to be careful of is getting and goop off the tap plate into the crack. If it was a really expensive guitar I’d remove the tap plate and do the proper job. If it’s not an expensive guitar I’d go with fabric tape behind the crack and monitor it to see the crack doesn’t get longer.

It’s kind of your call depending on what the guitar means to you and if it’s your only guitar forever. It’s a matter of priority based on your budget, time and how many guitars you have, plus the meaning of this guitar to you. I’m not up on what people in the US are charging for tap plate work, it used to be about $80.00 USD when I left ten years ago. That would be for cutting it, buffing the edges and putting it on with thinned white glue and letting it dry in your shop for five days.

For cracks you have a basic set up fee, say $100.00 USD then for lengthy cracks charge like a gigolo… maybe 20- 25 bucks per additional inch…

( bear in mind there’s triage crack repair or workman like crack repair, and then there is a whole other level of restoration work whereby you make repairs invisible. That’s a different order of price, time and difficulty. )

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 4 2023 5:25:25

Ricardo

Posts: 14231
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Crack beneath golpeador (in reply to mafein)

Unfortunately it is right where the golpe strikes occur, which will probably make it grow over time if you don’t cleat it now. If it was some where else the tape that Estebana suggests would be a good indefinite temporary fix. The reason you don’t want it to grow is if it goes underneath the bridge, it can cause a weird disphonia or overtone vibration that affects the entire voice of the guitar, To fix it means to remove the bridge and etc, so too big of a job it would then be better to just buy a new guitar man! So just get it cleated ASAP and no worries.

By the way, this probably occurred due to humidity dropping quickly (unless you physically dropped or damaged the guitar somehow), so you might need to monitor the humidity as well.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 4 2023 15:52:33

mafein

Posts: 3
Joined: Oct. 5 2015

RE: Crack beneath golpeador (in reply to mafein)

Thanks for the replies 😊, I bought it second hand from Spain, which I didn't notice at first, as it is Álvarez y Bernal Especial 10, which is not a cheap guitar, I worried about it a bit. Currently no weirdness on sound, tomorrow will take it to a luthier.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 4 2023 18:39:46

mafein

Posts: 3
Joined: Oct. 5 2015

RE: Crack beneath golpeador (in reply to Ricardo)

Do you think after cleating, the risk exists to damage? As crack is where golpe takes place, I am worried. Luthier said he will glue from inside. Would cleat be better than glueing, pros cons?

Thanks

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 6 2023 10:03:18

Ricardo

Posts: 14231
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Crack beneath golpeador (in reply to mafein)

quote:

ORIGINAL: mafein

Do you think after cleating, the risk exists to damage? As crack is where golpe takes place, I am worried. Luthier said he will glue from inside. Would cleat be better than glueing, pros cons?

Thanks

You glue the crack then cleat it or patch it…like suture a wound. It will end up being the strongest part of the entire top once it is done.

_____________________________

CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 6 2023 12:00:21

estebanana

Posts: 9197
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Crack beneath golpeador (in reply to mafein)

If the crack cannot be coaxed to close back up, which it probably won’t if the plastic is still on the top, cleat will strengthen the crack line but won’t entirely fix it.

The way to really do it right is take the plastic off and draw the crack back together and glue it. Then cleat it, and or use a repair tape with hide glue.

In my opinion cleating and glue from inside is only a temporary solution until the plastic is removed and the repair is done correctly. Is there a guarantee the temporary solution will keep the crack from getting longer? No, no guarantee.

The bridge and the lower transverse brace are at this time acting like huge cleats stopping the crack from moving vertically along the grain. Will that stop the cracking? Who can say? Nobody can say. You can’t ask a person not doing the work who hasn’t seen the condition in person to give such an opinion.

Really the right way is to take off the plastic and do it right, or just take a chance that a temporary fix will do, but it’s only a suggestion, no one can say it won’t crack more.

And here’s the difficult part, we can’t see the inside of the guitar, it’s possible the crack happened next to a fan brace. In that situation is much more difficult to use cleats and that may set up stress lines. This is why I say consider tapes.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 6 2023 20:00:10