Titebond 3 for top crack?

[Tele1111]

Hey guys,

I was looking at an acoustic bass that had a crack in the top below the bridge.
At first the seller said it was a finish only crack. Upon further questioning, he then told me it was indeed through the wood, but he had glued and clamped it.
He said he used titebond 3 to glue the top.
My question is, is this the correct or appropriate glue for this type of repair?
I’m passing on the bass, but just curious about the glue choice. I’ve been told this is not the correct glue. Can you help clear this up for me?

Thanks,

Mark

[RustyAxe]

It depends on what the seller meant. If he rehydrated it to close the gap (no glue), and then cleated using Titebond there should be no issue. If he squirted Titebond into the crack itself to seal it, he screwed up, and that gap will never close properly even with good humidification. Of greater concern is that the seller KNEW he had cleated a crack, but then represented it as a finish crack. I'd pass, too.

[charles Tauber]

Franklin makes a number of "types" of Titebond glue, most notably Titebond (original/I), Titebond II and Titebond III. Each has slightly different properties for different intended purposes.

Those using Titebond for guitar work usually use the original. The other types will work but aren't best suited to the purpose for most things guitar related. (Titebond III offers increased water resistance and is sometimes used for gluing purflings to bindings prior to wetting/heating for bending. The III can reduce the chances of the bindings and purflings separating while bending.)

The type of glue used is often less important than the quality of/approach to the way the work is done.

[cobalt60]

Originally Posted by RustyAxe

It depends on what the seller meant. If he rehydrated it to close the gap (no glue), and then cleated using Titebond there should be no issue. If he squirted Titebond into the crack itself to seal it, he screwed up, and that gap will never close properly even with good humidification. Of greater concern is that the seller KNEW he had cleated a crack, but then represented it as a finish crack. I'd pass, too.

Yeah, this is the distinction. TBIII is strong, dark in color, and the most water-resistant of the three. In a repair like this, those premium qualities make no real difference for a small cleat.

[redir]

Pretty much what Charles said. I would only add that any experienced luthier or repair tech would not use III by choice so that most certainly means the guy who 'fixed' it didn't know what he was doing and so it's probably not done well.

If a crack is tight then you pretty much don't need to clamp it but even using masking tape across the crack acts as a decent clamp. But if it was loose then the guitar should have been hydrated and the crack held shut with clamps while the glue dries. Then typically it gets cleated on the inside when appropriate.

[Tele1111]

Thanks guys,

Here’s what he said he did:


“I applied the glue and flexed the top to make sure to work the glue all of the way through the crack, I then clamped it down so that the crack closed up. The reason that the crack didn't move is because of the braces, bridge plate, and rosette plate, which are all holding strong, so there was no need to add any additional patches on the inside.”

It sounds like he did exactly the wrong thing. But maybe after reading this you guys can tell me. I appreciate the responses.

Mark

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Tele1111

It sounds like he did exactly the wrong thing. But maybe after reading this you guys can tell me.

It is difficult to say without pictures. However, usually a crack that runs under a brace locally detaches the brace. (The crack is usually due to movement of the wood. If the brace stayed fully attached to the top, the top would not have cracked.)

What is equally concerning, if not more, is the lack of openness or honesty about an article that is being sold.

[Tele1111]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

It is difficult to say without pictures. However, usually a crack that runs under a brace locally detaches the brace. (The crack is usually due to movement of the wood. If the brace stayed fully attached to the top, the top would not have cracked.)

What is equally concerning, if not more, is the lack of openness or honesty about an article that is being sold.

I agree Charles. That’s exactly why I passed on the bass. I was curious though, if he did the repair correctly. This was a two and a half week exchange of messages, and my suspicions were running high. In the last message he sent, he stated that he was a “certified luthier.” That statement was way out of line with everything he had told me to that point.

Thanks very much for your reply.

Mark