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I'm sure this has been covered many times but I can't find a comprehensive thread that goes over the entire procedure. If someone can point me toward one, please do.

So this is my No. 1, a Martin Dred kit. The top was glued up when the RH was a little high & it suffered a very dry winter which resulted in the bridge coming loose & a crack opening up.

The crack extends from the purfling up to the tape.


Here's a tighter view.


My simple question is what would be the best way to repair this? I suspect the answer is not so simple.

The crack is pretty tight. I can push down on one side to open it up & inject some HHG. Will the water in the HHG cause the wood to expand a little and tighten the joint?

I suspect that cleats on the inside would be a good idea but I can't get my hand down there on the inside.

Thanks,
Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

You need to also clamp on the top to keep the joints flat. HHG is the ticket for this

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Frank Ford has some good info on crack repairs over at Frets.com

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Another day, another dollar.

I really hate those kinds of crack, because few clamps exist out there that can reach it... and they're usually expensive.

I sometime clamp from the outside to keep things flat. Once wood shrinks, it most likely will never grow back so if it opened too much you will need to fill it with additional wood to close the gap. Make the patch wedge shaped and it will virtually disappear.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

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