#16
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Have you looked inside the instrument to see if there is damage that perhaps caused said crack in the bridge?
And why CA glue and not Epoxy? (for the experts) |
#17
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Good point.
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I’d be inclined to use superglue rather than epoxy because it flows better. There’s a good chance medium viscosity superglue will penetrate the full depth of the crack and thin viscosity certainly will. Fine ebony dust can be created by sanding the bridge with 400 grit or similar. You could then wick some thin super glue into the crack and carrying on with light sanding until the crack disappears. There’s little to lose by trying this method and the crack will be invisible and I suspect won’t reappear. A replacement bridge is more expensive and would be non-original. Ebony is very prone to shrinking and cracking even without the help of bridge pin holes and pins. If every crack results in the need for a replacement part... |
#18
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No internal damage; luthier recommendation needed.
I did have my local luthier look inside the instrument, and we could not see any damage internally. What I need is a recommendation for a luthier somewhere in the vicinity of Florida who is willing and able to do the superglue job! The luthier nearby was not willing to do that. Nigel Forster recommended a guy in Ohio, Greg Maxwell of Dogwood Guitars.
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#19
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#20
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Thanks for the info. I love how experienced people on here are willing to give advice.
As to the CA glue- what type should be used? My guitar has bridge cracking issues as well... |
#21
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I see a lot of agreement that CA is a cosmetic fix. If it is cosmetic . . . why bother? That's why I favor bridge replacement.
To clarify: I have never succeeded at repairing a cracked bridge. They have always failed again. The only failure I've seen in my work is through the saddle slot, however. |
#22
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Cosmetic? Sort of...
A superglue and ebony slurry repair will take a few minutes and cost next to nothing. A replacement bridge is a bigger job and therefore more costly. I see no reason not to try the superglue fix and if the crack reappears consider a new bridge.
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#23
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all true
CA, aka 'superglue' is indeed magical stuff. But it has no surface tension, wicks everywhere, and goes into places where it isn't needed, whether or not the person applying the stuff intended it to get there. I am hyperconservative when using the stuff, and putting it on a cracked bridge whose crack goes down to the unfinished wood on the top underneath the bridge, and the crack for sure goes through the height of the bridge top to bottom, so the glue is able to get to the soundboard...unknown and unpredictable results are on offer. I have no idea whether anything particularly bad results, but CA will make its way to the bridge/soundboard intersection, and I have no idea how much that will matter if the bridge comes to need replacing.
Just a thought from someone who's never dealt with a cracked bridge. |
#24
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I am often asked why this crack is so common. Ebony is a brittle wood, and drilling 6 holes in a line and applying 180 +/- pounds of force is a textbook way to separate it into two pieces. |
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Tags |
bridge crack, replacement bridge, superglue |
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