Best method to fill gouges in soundboard underneath lifted bridge.

[Steve N]

Need advice from the repair gurus on this site. I am prepping a dreadnauht soundboard for a new replacement bridge to correct for the lifted, cracked original. The old bridge has been removed and I have cleaned and lightly sanded the footprint area of the top, but have encountered splinter type gouges that were caused by the old bridge lifting up and taking spruce fibers with it. They run with the grain and the deepest is around .020" deep but only to the imprint of the bridge itself, not visible when the new bridge will be attached. Should I use some sort of filler to fill and level these voids, or simply clean the spruce thoroughly and let the new glue fill in the gaps? I want the strongest most durable glue joint that I can get. Also, it was suggested that I try Titebond III glue, instead of my usual standby, Titebond II. Any pros or cons on this? Thanks for any info!

[gitnoob]

If you have a lot of level gluing surface, then change nothing. Nobody uses wood filler -- it shrinks and has no holding power.

If the damage is extensive, then you might need to excavate and patch. Generally a spruce patch is used, but I don't think the species matters as much as building up the area to give you a level gluing surface.

And I'd use the original Titebond. I think II and III are both intended for outdoor applications that require water resistance.