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Old 02-12-2010, 12:52 PM
pete12string pete12string is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Central New Jersey
Posts: 694
Default Brand new guitar - Top split at seam

I have a guitar that is only about 4 months old. Custom built. Spruce top. Ebony fingerboard. I thought I was humidifying correctly, with a damp sponge in a zip-loc bag with some holes poked in it placed in the case by the headstock, but the fret ends started sticking out past the fingerboard. I didn't think that was a very big deal. I knew they could be filed down, and I thought that maybe the ebony hadn't settled enough before it was used in building the guitar. A few days ago, however, I took the guitar out of its case and played it for about 10 minutes. As I was wiping it down before putting it back in its case, I noticed a split in the top along the seam running from right below the bridge down to the end. The room humidity is about 35%. It was suggested that maybe the humidity inside the case was higher and bringing the guitar out into a lower humidity could have "shocked" it and caused the split. I have a number of other guitars (Taylors, Martins, Nationals) and have never had any problems. Two questions: Does that sound likely that the difference in humidity between the case and the room could have caused the problem? Is a split along the seam on the top of a guitar repairable so that it will be "as good as new", and about how much should that type of repair cost?
I thought I was doing everything right. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
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