CRACK AND DAMAGE REPAIR

Cracks and Seam Separation- The best time to repair a crack on your instrument is now...before it has time to accumulate dirt and grime or worse...run like a bad pair of panty hose! Cracks that go unrepaired can sometimes cause more serious repair problems, especially if tension knocks them out of alignment or causes them to spread  and knocks more finish loose.
Avoid contaminating open cracks with cleaners, polishes or dirty hands and if relevant, remove string tension to avoid stressing a crack even more. You would be shocked to see how many instruments with broken pegheads or bridges lifting off the top come in ....strung up to full tension. Yikes!
Short, tight cracks can often be glued back together with relative ease but longer cracks will usually require "cleating" to stabilize and strengthen the repair.

Spruce Cleats

Cleats are normally made from the same material as the panel which they are reinforcing. The small square shaped cleats above were placed in the center of the top, between the 2 tone bars to reinforce an open center seam. While this is a common method to reinforce a repair I avoid them if at all possible.

Cracks, Splinters and Missing Chips

Open Cracks and Holes-   Cracks that have spread open and can not simply be glued together can be filled with a splice of wood matching the surrounding area if necessary.
Likewise, damage that results in an open hole with missing wood can sometimes be fit with a patch made from similar wood.  

Cracks Caused by Dryness I see allot of cracks that could have been avoided. In fact the majority are caused by a lack of humidity.The affect that humidity has on your instrument cannot be overstated.  I receive many instruments in need of crack repair due to dryness during the winter. If you are unaware of the affects that humidity changes have on your instrument you may wish to read my Care page detailing symptoms of dryness and how to keep your instrument properly humidified. More about humidity cracks.

Severe Damage- Is it worth repairing or should I just go shopping for another instrument?  I will help you with that one too.
Most of the time, inexpensive instruments ($500 and under) that have suffered severe damage are hardly ever cheaper to repair than replace. Holes thru the top, side or back, broken necks and other serious wounds are normally the kiss of death and unwise to attempt on an inexpensive instrument. The first draw back is obviously cost, the second is the fact that many are made from laminates, and the third is likely to be the finish. Certain finishes are very difficult and expensive to repair. More about finishes
 

For valuable or sentimental pieces that are worth our salvage efforts I will do my best to educate you as to the projected outcome and my abilities to put humpty dumpty back together again.