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Need help - Hairline Bridge Crack
Hey guys. This is my first post and being a member of the Talkbass community, I figured I'd check here and see the input I can get.
I recently picked up a Martin OMJM (used), but after I got it home, I noticed a hairline crack in the bridge. Below are pics of the crack and the bridge plate. Is this severe and need immediate repair? How much should I expect to pay for a repair/replacement (if needed)? I was informed by a friend that it may have cracked due to lack of being humidified properly. I thought the bridge crack was cause by someone pushing the pins in too far since the crack runs centerline along the holes in the bridge. Your thoughts and advice are much appreciated. I love this guitar and it's my first "real" acoustic guitar and I don't want to have to return it. |
#2
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This can usually be repaired with thin CA (super glue) and a little bit of ebony dust. It is not an expensive repair.
This is not usually cause by low humidity. Pushing the pins in too far is a possible cause, but soft plastic pins do not add much force. Bone pins are a different story. The overwhelming cause is 150+ pounds of string tension, acting on a piece of brittle wood (ebony) with six holes in it. |
#3
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I am assuming you simply copy-pasted your first intro from Talkbass.
__________________
Fazool "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter" Taylor GC7, GA3-12, SB2-C, SB2-Cp...... Ibanez AVC-11MHx , AC-240 |
#4
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Sorry. I wasn't too clear. I meant to imply that the two sites are identical in form and layout trying to give credibility that I wasn't a troll or anything. I've got the same username over there too.
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#6
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Ahhh OK gotcha.
__________________
Fazool "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter" Taylor GC7, GA3-12, SB2-C, SB2-Cp...... Ibanez AVC-11MHx , AC-240 |
#7
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personal opinion only
I think the OP is owed a new bridge if he keeps the guitar, professionally installed. Speaking only for myself, I couldn't feel comfortable over paying for an instrument, finding it had a serious flaw, and being satisfied with home remedies as repairs. A broken bridge doesn't heal and I think it would have a serious effect on resale value, it sure would for me if I was shopping for such an instrument.
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#9
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Tom
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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything |
#10
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I've known people to have guitars with cracks like that that go unfixed for many many years. I'm not saying you don't need to worry about it, you should get it fixed but it's not a severe as you may thing. JA's method is what I would do in this case as well. No need to remove the bridge. The great thing about ebony is that it is so easy to hide the repairs.
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I appreciate the input. |
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I'm not a pro, but I'm fairly handy and have a pretty good eye for detail and spotting repairs. I've fixed several similar cracks over the years and I usually can't find the the repair even though I know where it is (was). None of my few such repairs have ever failed.
I'd expect to pay $50 or less for repair, perhaps nothing if the shop where you bought it has a good repairman. Probably $100 or more to replace the bridge. It bothers me a little that the crack extends into the wing, but I'd still rather have it repaired than replaced. Pulling a bridge is not rocket science, but there's certainly more risk than repairing the existing bridge in place. |
#13
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I average 8-10 of these repairs a year, over the last 31 years. You do the math. |
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John: I was tempted to say hundreds but thought that might be over the top. So between 248 to 310 individual or 20.6 doz to 25.8 doz.
Tom
__________________
A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything |
#15
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Unless one can find a drop-in replacement, more like $250.
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