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Martin HD 28 Cracked Bridge
I have been playing my HD-28 for just under 2 years. For the first 16 months (through 2 winters) I was very careful to put it back in the case with the humidifier after every time I played it. I was under the impression that the first year was the most likely time for humidity to be a problem. This past summer I started leaving it out because I thought the humidity was high enough, it had been over a year, and I was really tired of kicking the case (I seriously have a scar on my foot from catching the latch). Fall came around, I was playing it everyday so I left it out and made sure to put the humidifier in the guitar when I wasn't playing. I figured if the sponge in the humidifier started to dry out in under a week, I would put it back in the case (apparently a bad assumption). That started happening in November and I put it periodically back in the case to re-hydrate through the beginning of December.
Mid December my guitar started buzzing and I noticed a hair-line crack in the bridge. https://imgur.com/LBZofrA I took it to an authorized martin repair place and they said it was dehydrated so they wouldn't ask Martin to pay for it. I called Martin and they said I had to take it to an authorized dealer before they would do anything. 1. Now, I know humidity is important for guitars, but is this really normal? I have had a number of other wooden musical instruments including a viola and another solid wood Alvarez guitar and I have never experienced a crack. I feel like I have babied this instrument way more than my others and I cant help but feel like if this crack happened in a few months of drying, it was bound to happen eventually? 2. They re-humidified it for 3 weeks and then tried to repair the crack with super glue and ebony dust twice and said that each time they brought the strings back up to tension, it would pop and split open again. They said they would not try to fix it again and that I could either continue to play it as is (which they said was fine, it sounded fine?) or pay minimum $250 to replace a bridge. Any suggestions on what to do? They also warned me that in removing the bridge, there might be damage done to the lacquer when prying it off.. should I send it back to the factory to be repaired? 3. In regards to guitar design: Is there a reason why the bridge pins are not staggered? Day job is an engineer and that is something that stood out to me when I first noticed the crack propagating through all of the pin holes. If designed something like that and it continually cracked, I would get heat for it. Is there sonically a reason for it, or has it just become traditional and they don't want to mess with it? 4. It seems to me that it would be more difficult to make any glue stick to a hydrated substrate. Is it possible the re-humidification is what is causing the glue joint to pop? Sorry for the long list questions, but I really appreciate any help. |
#2
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Martin HD 28 Cracked Bridge
Send it back to the factory.
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#3
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If so, the split might be cosmetic, in which case it can be filled with coloured epoxy and then levelled, looking near new. Quote:
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I'd suggest taking it to a different authorized repair centre for a second opinion. Quote:
Some guitars are made with pin holes not on the same line for this very reason. Another factor not discussed is tapered pins in holes. Martin doesn't taper most of their pin holes, but uses tapered pins. Even with tapered holes, wedging tapered pins into the holes can cause a bridge to split. Do you use more than light thumb pressure to seat the pins in the holes? Quote:
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#4
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The filling technique isn't really a repair, it's more a cosmetic cover up. Which is fine because like they said it might be perfectly fine as is and last many more years. But bringing it back up to tension and then the cracks 'reopen' is indeed odd. If they are filled then... they are filled and there is nothing to reopen. IT sounds like they tried to clamp it shut too but then it would be odd that they filled it with dust.
Do you see the cracks anymore or are they filled in and flush? If the guitar plays well now then imho just leave it or get it properly filled so you don't have to constantly look at it. |
#5
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#6
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I am assuming the buzzing was fixed based on his word alone. First off the buzzing was only happening when I was capoing or baring higher on the fret board , at first I thought it was just one of the frets popping up. I guess it still could have been if it was dry. However, I will say that there was a night and day change. It was fine the night before (I even did a recording, no buzz) and the next evening it was buzzing. When I noticed the crack, I assumed that because it happened so abruptly it was the crack? It had been a while since I had changed the strings, beginning of August. I was also aware of the sensitivity of the pin holes and did not press them in very hard. My biggest concern is that the bridge is somehow not stable at the base glue joint, which is why the crack may be moving/popping when it is brought up to tension. I just don't want don't want to to spring for a new bridge if the cause of the crack in the first place was aided by a faulty glue joint which should be covered by Martin? |
#7
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I assume the photo you posted is before the repair, as I do not see any glue or filler there? What does it look like now? I've glued a few bridges with this kind of crack through the pins and as of yet, I have not had one reopen. However, I am not a professional repairman so my sample size is small, limited to my own instruments and a charity case now and then. My method is to start by closing the crack, even made a clamp to help with that, then I wick thin CA into the crack. If they're filling the gap with dust and flooding that with CA, I can see it opening again under tension. The CA has no strength to hold in tension under that scenario. If it's going to hold, the crack has to be closed. High quality fresh CA is a must as well. Quote:
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Also, $250 seems a little steep for a bridge replacement on a new guitar where replacement parts are available. My repairman will handcraft a vintage replacement bridge in BRW for that amount. One other thing, there is always some risk of finish damage when removing and replacing a bridge. Skilled repairman will generally do clean work, but you have to accept that there is some risk. Plus, Martin now routes away the finish and a tiny bit of wood making a "pocket that the bridge sits in now. This makes bridge removal bit more touchy. |
#8
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I just picked it up yesterday, its seems like either way I wanted to see where it stands. Here are the after pictures: https://imgur.com/a/MgdQo It plays great, no buzz I don't notice anything wrong at all. Is it worth chasing? I just noticed the one middle pin is sticking up higher than the others... Kind of annoying, but a problem? |
#9
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Don't be tempted to push the pin down. It's quite possible that the pins not fitting properly is what causes the split in the first place. IF you push it down you are essentially driving a wedge into it. If it really drives you crazy then loosen the string all the way and see if you can gently push it in. Proper keyhole slots would have been a good option for this bridge too (or any bridge for that matter)/
I'd just leave it. If it gets worse then you will need a new bridge. |
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Tags |
bridge, crack, martin, martin hd-28 |
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