Advise needed - dropped guitar, cracked top

[Szk]

I need some advise on this one. What's the best way to go about fixing this? Cracking stops right at the braces, so structure doesn't seem to be compromised. No cracks visible elsewhere.

Brand new guitar, dropped on the tail block after hanging up to dry the finish.

[redir]

Oh such a bummer man! Well you built it so it's time to learn some repair skills

I would guess that this crack will come together well since it's fresh and has not sat out for a long time. when you push the crack together is it tight?

If so then what I do is use blue painters masking tape and stretch it across the crack to 'clamp' it. IF you are using HHG that would be best but Titebond will work too. Get the glue in there real good then clean it up with a damp cloth and tape it up. Then use a piece of plexiglass and clamp that along the crack so keep it level.

If the crack is not tight and it's difficult to level it then there are other procedures you can use.

In extreme cases you will see in this picture I bandsaw two cauls out of 2x4's and line them with cork so I can clamp the top if the tape is not strong enough. You won't be doing this on yours though as the crack is so close to the edge. Note that there are columns on the inside of the guitar to take the clamping pressure and level the crack with the plexiglass caul. :

[Truckjohn]

I would re-top it because of the large crossgrain crack/damage to the top at the lining/tail block.

If it was simply the long grain crack - glue it and cleat it and off you go... Cross grain cracks like that are bad!

That's a pretty significant boo-boo there. I don't like the way the top looks like it crunched crossgrain right inside of the linings/tail block. That's bad... Because there is now nothing to support the string pull.

Did you use a Taylor route here? Is there a good reason the crossgrain crack follows such a nice, neat straight line - or are you just unlucky?

Rout the bindings back off, cut off the top, and make a new one...

[mirwa]

Yes, I have to agree.

That is not a nice situation.

The crack running along the body with the grain, redir has shown excellent photos of how to clamp it up.

The rear block crunch, Mmm, two options:

- yes change the top,
- open the join at the back in the sides, remove the tail block, flatten and brace the crunch with a second skin about 1 inch in length over the width of the crunch, trim your tail block down to height, reglue it all back together.

Steve