| Author |
Topic: To repair or not repair...cracked Franklin |
Niklas Widen
From:
Uppsala, Sweden
|
Posted 3 Apr 2008 9:11 am |
|
On my beloved 1984 Franklin D-10 there's a crack in the wood below the C6th neck, about 7", stretching from the changer. I've been told this crack has been there since the guitar was new and that it hasn't evolved since.
Having read some earlier threads on the subject in the archives, I've come to the conclusion that these things happen and in most cases won't affect the tone or playability of the guitar. However, I keep worrying about the crack evolving and it makes me almost afraid to take her out to gigs.
My question now is: Do you think I should repair the crack (I know a piano repairman who would surely do a great job. I would rather let Paul Sr. work on it, but that's not a possibility for me) or should I let it be, stop worrying and just keep on playing? The main concern about repairing is if it would have a negative effect on the value of the guitar. This guitar has quite a special history, being Paul's personal studio guitar in the 80's (she "sang" Song for Sara) and the prototype for the well-known red/yellow "Dire Straits" guitar. So I wouldn't want to mess anything up, but still feel comfortable playing the guitar, since that's what it was made for.
Any thoughts?
/Nicke W |
|
|
 |
Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
|
Posted 3 Apr 2008 10:02 am
|
|
If it's stayed the same, not changed by now I doubt that it will go any further.
Ollie Strong has a crack in the wood on his 3 or 4 year old Fulawka on the top at the changer end of the E9th neck. It hasn't changed in the last two years. |
|
|
|
Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
|
Posted 3 Apr 2008 10:14 am
|
|
A lot of Blanton's get cracks near the changer,It never seems to affect them.If you really want it fixed I would let you're local piano guy do it because Nashville has a different humidity than where you live ,and the crack might open up again.Where I live it's as dry as a desert.
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
|
|
|
Dan Burnham
From:
Greenfield, Tennessee
|
Posted 3 Apr 2008 11:57 am How to Fix
|
|
Niklas,
I took an old shobud to Duane Marrs about 5 years ago with a similar problem. It was Duane's opinion that it should be fixed and not left alone.
So what did Duane do?
Duane took a drill with an extremely long bit and drilled a hole directly underneath the crack as if he was tunneling under the crack. Keep in mind this was under the surface of the top. He then put some glue on a dow rod and slid the dow rod in the newly made hole in the top. He cut the extruding piece of dow rod off and told me that would solve my problem. It worked, and I never worried about it because Duane said so and that was good enough.
I hope this helps,
Dan
_________________
BMI S12 Zane Beck's Tuning
www.danburnham.com |
|
|
|
John Roche
From:
England
|
Posted 3 Apr 2008 3:07 pm
|
|
| drilling a hole, that what drummers do with cymbals when they crack. |
|
|
|
Dan Burnham
From:
Greenfield, Tennessee
|
Posted 4 Apr 2008 5:07 am It does the trick
|
|
John you are right. It worked fine on the old shobud I had.
Dan
_________________
BMI S12 Zane Beck's Tuning
www.danburnham.com |
|
|
|
Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
|
Posted 4 Apr 2008 6:35 am
|
|
If you look at the changer end of many steel guitars, there is the highest propensity for cracks to develop there around the rout for the changer. If the crack is behind the changer, there will be the tendency for the wood to warp upwards if the changer tension is pulling on it.
NO crack should just be left alone and not worried about. The reason most folks want to just leave it be and hope for the best is that you have to take the guitar apart to fix it in most cases.
There are several good repairs for changer end cracks. Sometimes you get lucky and catch the crack when it first develops. You can work some glue in, clap from the sides with a nice bar clamp and all is well. If the crack has been there for a while and the wood has warped due to the stress from the string pull on the changer and the crack has opened up a bit then you will never be able to just glue it. You can take the guitar apart and take a Dremel tool with a 1/8" or smaller bit and from the underside of the guitar you can rout through the crack up to within about a few milimeters of the top surface. Then you glue in a splice of whatever wood the top is made of. You don't destroy the finish on the top this way and the crack is no longer an issue structurally. You will still see the crack from above, but you won't open up a can of worms with the finish if you have a lacquer finish. If you have mica, then no problem. |
|
|
|
Theresa Galbraith
From:
Goodlettsville,Tn. USA
|
Posted 4 Apr 2008 1:49 pm
|
|
Niklas,
Some good advice here, but you can call my Dad at 615-865-4754 |
|
|
|
Paul Redmond
From:
Illinois, USA
|
Posted 5 Apr 2008 2:33 am
|
|
Paul , Sr. has always stood behind every guitar he has ever built 100%. I would suggest calling him even though he is now retired. You might just be surprised at the results. He's a tremendous person to do business with at any level. In my dealings with him in the past, he has been a man of his word and then some. His word is an iron contract.
PRR |
|
|
|
Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
|
Posted 5 Apr 2008 7:21 am
|
|
Bill Hatcher's advice is excellent, and the same ways I would normally approach a crack; Usually with Titebond (about the only glue luthiers use except for superglue on nuts, saddles and other special applications) and solid clamping for 12 hours (you have to pull the crack apart slightly or drill a very small, short hole and use a blunt hypodermic needle to inject the glue) the crack will be as strong, if not stronger, than the guitar wood. If it's a lacquer guitar you can fix a crack through the finish with clear lacquer after the repair and many times it'll be invisible (lacquer melts into itself; you have to do a lot of wet sanding and polishing, however).
The other thing that prevents further damage is installation of one or more splines across the crack; these are small pieces of wood glued across the crack with the grain running at 90 degrees to the crack grain. If aesthetics are not an issue they can be glued right over the crack; if the area is visible on a solid-color (not formica) guitar you rout the area exactly, fit the splines and glue them, and touch up the finish. 6-string headstock breaks are repaired using the second method; acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin and other hollowbody instrument tops repaired using the first method (on the inside of the guitar).
Personally, if the crack runs all the way through and is accessible from the bottom I'd glue at least two splines on it - that will permanently stop it from spreading.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
|
|
|
