Is my steel guitar doomed?

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

I know I just started a thread, but this is an entirely different topic.

I got my one and only D10 from the forum last year. When it arrived from FedEx, it was evident that the guitar had been dropped because the divider inside the case had been cracked. The guitar seemed fine though, because I didn't see any cracks. I shrugged it off, knowing the case would be an easy fix and I wouldn't have to go through the lengthy claims process.

Today I started dissasembling my steel. When I took off one of the end plates, I noticed a crack starting on the side. Then I realized there was an odd line almost hidden in the felt of the undercarriage, going all the way across the length of the guitar.

I'm doomed, aren't I?

Embarassed

Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

Wow, that's not what I'd like to see, either? I can't help but think a call to Jerry Fessenden would be my next move, surely with his experience, he could advise you? Hang in there Dave!
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I'd ask Jerry, but here are my thoughts:
It's between the necks, so there's little string tension acting on it.
The cabinet screws into the endplate on either side of the crack so it can't really go anywhere.
I REALLY don't think it's going anywhere.
You COULD remove the felt, smear some wood glue in the crack, and put some clamps on it for a week.

Were it my guitar? I'd take some measurements to establish the baseline, and play the damn thing. Gig it, drive it around. If it's stable, breathe a sigh of relief. If it moves, glue it and clamp it. Or order a Mark Giles cabinet. But I really suspect it's probably stable.

CAVEAT: I'm neither a carpenter nor an engineer. I'm a trucker who thinks he has common sense.
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Storm Rosson · From: Silver City, NM. USA

From the pix u posted, I think that can be fixed.I've fixed split 6 string solid bodies that is pretty much the same.John Widgren is a forumite and an excellent, cabinet finisher I can say his work that he has posted, most recently an S-10 Emmons,is testament that his work and knowledge is A+ top notch quality. I could go into a long and tedious trail of drivel on how I would approach it but you should pm John and have a talk with him as this is right up his alley and he really is a pro...Stormy Smile

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

One other thing that just occurred to me. It's under felt. Now a tale. Several years ago, my uncle saw a good quality Gibson dreadnaught in a dumpster with the headstock broken off. An annual canoe camping trip was coming up at my whole family loves music (this uncle does a good Mac Wiseman impression) so he thought this would be a good river guitar, so he slapped a wodge of epoxy on there to hold it and fill the gaps. This was over thirty years ago and it's still a river guitar.
A putty knife and some epoxy under the felt would probably outlive you.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Ron Pruter · From: Arizona, USA

Dave ,
Here's how I would fix it. Yes, a pretty big job but very doable. First dissemble the guitar, carefully labeling everything for quicker reassembly. You want to get at that crack. I'm assuming it runs the full length. Cut away the cloth so you can get at the crack. Clamp it up so it is all pulled up tight and straight.You're doing this so you can drill, maybe a dozen pilot holes for screws that will go in at about 20 Degrees of angle to pull the crack shut. Be careful to not go through the top. Get yourself some slow drying epoxy.
Mix it up, loosen the clamps to re-open the crack. Get the epoxy in the crack pushing it in with an old piece of x-ray material. Re-clamp. Install the screws to draw up the crack. Clean up the squeeze out with alcohol. Make sure the the top pieces are parallel. Let it dry then do what you can to make the removed cloth look good and reassemble. It should be solid as a rock. Good luck. Email me if you have more questions. Ron Pruter
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Jerry Roller · From: Van Buren, Arkansas USA

Here's how I would at least consider fixing it. Leave it assembled. Put the endplate back on to keep the necks from pushing apart. You may have to remove some C6th pull rods.
Clean away the flocking right at the crack. Clean out any debris in the crack and blow it out with compressed air. Spread the crack as much as possible without further cracking it. Put Elmers Carpenter glue in the crack. Have some sticks of wood cut for a really tight fit from the back apron and wedge them in between the apron and the edge of the top deck which would close up the crack as though it were clamped. Wipe off the excess glue that is squeezed out of the crack and sprinkle some black flocking along the repair and let it dry, pull the sticks of wood out and blow off the excess flocking, put the endplate back on and forget about it.
Jerry
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Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Thank you for all the suggesstions.

Does anyone know how to get in touch with Mark Giles?

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Mark played at the SWSGA show last month. The officers of the organization will know how to reach him.
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Andrew Roblin · From: Various places

As Lane said, cracks and complete breaks in acoustic guitars can be repaired.

So I think fixing your steel would be an easy, if unusual, job for a good luthier.

Stay positive. I'm pretty sure this can be fixed. Might not even be too expensive.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I've rebuilt quite a few pedal steels but it's a bigger job than I'd care to take on.
I think contacting Mark Giles is the right idea.
Have him build you a new cabinet.
Other than that, you won't be happy.

John Macy · From: Rockport TX/Denver CO

Jerry can send you a new cabinet, too. I recently had him change a lacquer body to a mica body...give him a call. www.fessendensteelguitars.com Of course, Mark's bodies are world class!
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Rockport, TX
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Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

How long ado did this dastardly deed happen?
I would certainly go after FedEx.
They did something similar to an Emmons of mine and I took them to court and it resulted in a $4,800 settlement in my favor.

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Thanks for the suggestions! I've decided on just removing all the innards and gluing it up for a week. I've been wanting to change the finish to a veneer anyways, so this is a timely opportunity.

Doug Earnest · From: Branson, MO USA

Jerry Rollers solution should be fine. He's a pretty smart fella and a fine craftsmen who has actually done work on lots and lots of guitars.

You would be surprised how many of those wonderful sounding old ShoBud permanents are not fastened in the middle. The very small glue joint from the front to back decks did not hold. A crack in that same direction really isn't any different.

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Sorry, Erv I just saw your comment. This was back in June of last year.

There's an update though, and it's got me puzzled. I'm feeling what seems like glue residue along the long crack. I think someone may have tried to fix it. It might've not been fedex after all...

I have also found 3 other cracks:

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Bill Moore · From: Manchester, Michigan

Not that I have seen very many Fessenden guitars, but I have owned two and looked at a lot of photos of various ones. I have never seen one with flocking on the underside. The earlier ones had a clear finish on the bottom, newer ones were painted flat black. I suspect that the flocking was applied to cover up the repaired crack. Looking at the most recent pictures shows some of the flat black paint that was covered by the endplates.

That doesn't mean that it can't be repaired successfully, I think it just means it was not repaired properly the first time. And someone tried to hide the repair work. Maybe some rough handling caused the crack to to re-occur. Jerry Fessenden would be able to verify whether the flocking is original. Maybe a new cabinet would be a good investment.

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

I was wondering if the flocking was original... it was applied all over the fretboard screws, making them difficult to find.

Storm Rosson · From: Silver City, NM. USA

More glue and clamps, Dave you mite want to geet a 5-10 ml syringe with a 16 or 18 guage blunt needle to inject in those cracks. I can see where you probably shouldn't try and spread a couple of them. They are cheap and available at most decent HW stores like Lowes, HD,I get them from Amazon.You can inject the cracks well and then clamp it and squeeze the excess out also you have to clamp the freshly glued cracks or your just fartin in the wind....Stormy

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I've been watching this for a few days. I've had a little eye surgery, so I can't really tell....but could that longitudinal crack that runs the length of the guitar be a glue joint seam? Is it perfectly straight and has it separated down that line? Is there a tongue and groove where the 2 cabinet decks are joined or is it just that lap joint? That looks like it would be thin right where that crack is.

Otherwise, it's not unusual for the changer end to develop splits because there is so little material there. You see that on many lacquer finished guitars.

I don't know if Fessys are flocked or not, but all the guitars that I have owned with flocking has it done over the screws. I would think that would be the last step.

If it were me, I'd get it touch with Jerry, let him see some pics and get his advice on the construction and how best to repair it. Best of luck.

Dave Stroud · From: Texas

Thanks, Jerry. I think this picture will show how the crack is not where it was glued at the factory:

It was glued at the lip, but broke at the lip's weakest point.

If there's one thing that doesn't seem like it would make a good bond, it's new glue on old glue... the new glue wouldn't be adhering to the wood. Wouldn't a correct repair require sanding away the old glue before re-gluing? And it probably wouldn't be best to sand away all those wood fibers that once aligned perfectly.

Storm Rosson · From: Silver City, NM. USA

Unless the glue somehow failed, I have never seen a crack/split or break in the actual glue joint.Any modern adhesive like elmers carpenter glue, tite bond, etc. are Aldehyde with or without additional co-polymers and the glue joint using that typpe of glue when applied and clamped for the recomended time indicated on the container for a complete bond,is consistantly stronger than the wood it's used on...just sayin in my experience with the wide world of glues and adhesives.One cannot emphasize enough how critical the clamping is for a strong long lasting glue bond...Stormy

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Yes Stormy, that's why I was saying due to my eye deal I couldn't tell if that long line is an actual crack there or if it is just the original glue joint. I can see it is definitely cracked at the very end there.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

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