# PLEASE help! there's a crack under my bridge!



## lucieczhang (Jun 16, 2013)

Hello, friends!

My guitar has been sitting in my room since I got it during Christmas, and since I'd been away for school, I hadn't touched it until a few weeks ago. I tried tuning it but I would hear cracking sounds and whenever I played an open string, the pitch would drop little by little right away and so it would never stay in tune. Now, I've loosened all of my strings and I heard cracking sounds while loosening them because of the picture. There is a long crack running under the bridge which is standing up at an approximately 15-degree-angle. I'm very worried.

Thank you so much for any help or advice you can give! You're wonderful









Sorry for the terrible phone quality!!!


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

It is clear that the entire bridge has lifted right out of the body. It is unplayable in that condition and needs repair. Question is, cost and is it worth fixing. What is the guitar worth?


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Yes, that's not a home repair job for anyone with no experience. Heck, I build and or mod electric guitars right down to the last screw, and I wouldn't even begin to attempt to repair what you have there. It needs to go to a luthier or, if not worth the repair cost, the scrap heap (or maybe a donation somewhere, but off the top of my head I can't think of any organization that would want it).


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## WannabeGood (Oct 24, 2007)

I think that is totally salvageable. Does not appear to be a difficult repair but as keto states, not really for the home repair enthusiast. Proper clamps will be needed. Shouldn't be difficult or expensive for a luthier.

Regards.


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## lucieczhang (Jun 16, 2013)

Of course, it was only worth $100, so it's understandable that it would become unplayable so quickly. I should have thought this out better...Oh well! Life goes on! Thank you all for your encouraging advice! I shall go into a store and try to get it repaired.


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

What kind of guitar is it ?
Did you buy it new ?
Might be a chance of getting it repaired under warranty(maybe ?)
There are two issues going on although they are related,the glue has let go from the bridge and the top seems to have split because of it.
Depending on the value of the guitar,my first step might be to contact the dealer .

edit...I see it was a $100 guitar,I'd try to repair that myself,take the bridge all the way off,scrape away the old glue and reglue it.
It's probably not cost effective to have a repair done by a luthier .


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## lucieczhang (Jun 16, 2013)

Thanks, Bubb! If I do decide to do it myself, how can I ensure that it won't crack again?


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

Truthfully,(trying to be tactful here),at the $100 level,you couldn't really ensure anything .
All you could do is try and get clean gluing surfaces,and get the bridge in the right position and clamp it up.
If it was me,I'd glue the crack first and then reattach the bridge.

Let it be known,I'm not a guitar repairman,I just mess around with wood and tools .


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

if you bought it from any reputable store, you could probably have that fixed/replaced under warranty.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

Not only is the bridge lifted, but the top is cracked cross grain and looks as though projecting straight through the bridge plate (inside the guitar), so the proper repair would involve more than a routine bridge glue.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

dradlin said:


> Not only is the bridge lifted, but the top is cracked cross grain and looks as though projecting straight through the bridge plate (inside the guitar), so the proper repair would involve more than a routine bridge glue.


That's what I was thinking also. Perhaps a bridge sized piece of wood, glued and screwed inside the guitar if possible, before the bridge was glued back on. Of course, the pin holes would have to be re-drilled. The bridge would then hide the screws.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

Guitar101 said:


> That's what I was thinking also. Perhaps a bridge sized piece of wood, glued and screwed inside the guitar if possible, before the bridge was glued back on. Of course, the pin holes would have to be re-drilled. The bridge would then hide the screws.


I don't know how your particular guitar is constructed, however here are some repair comments.

Screws... no place for them on a guitar top.

The proper repair would be to remove and replace the bridge plate. That is not for the inexperienced to tackle.

The added mass of wood patching the bridge plate would diminish the responsiveness of the guitar. However on an economy guitar a patch is likely the best approach.

Put a mirror in the guitar and shape/fit a piece of paper to match the bridge plate then use that as a template to cut a maple patch (maybe about 1/16" thick) and a clamp caul. Glue the patch with titebond (yellow wood glue) and use a sheet of wax paper between the patch and caul so you don't accidently glue the caul. A clamp caul should be used on the top too so to distribute clamp pressure. Don't put 10 pounds of clamp weight on the top else you will cause other damage. Light weight and deep throated clamps to do the job are somewhat of a specialty tool that you won't find at a local hardware store though. And the patch should be done before glueing the bridge.

Clean all glue remnants from the bridge and top and glue with titebond. There must be not gaps in the mating faces for a proper glue joint. Again, suitable clamps must be used in concert with proper joint prep else you can bank on a repeat failure in the future.


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## lucieczhang (Jun 16, 2013)

I bought it at Future Shop, so hopefully I'm under warranty, but I couldn't find any papers in the box.


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## lucieczhang (Jun 16, 2013)

Thanks so much, dude! That certainly sounds like a lot of things I could do wrong, so I don't think I'm going to risk doing it on my own. Thanks, though, dradlin!


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

A general recommendation would be to not buy a guitar at Future Shop. Return and get your money back then seek to purchase a legitimate instrument from a legitimate instrument retailer.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I'm sorry to be blunt, but if I understand things correctly, we're discussing major repairs on a $100 guitar.

My advice is to discard the guitar and buy a new one, and spend as much as you can afford. It might be wise to look at used guitars.

In my opinion it is not worth repairing. The cost of labor alone would outweigh the cost of a new one.


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2013)

lucieczhang said:


> I bought it at Future Shop, so hopefully I'm under warranty, but I couldn't find any papers in the box.


If you still have the bill of sale, they should honour that.
But, as *dradlin* suggested, get a refund. Don't exchange
for another inferior guitar.


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## lucieczhang (Jun 16, 2013)

Milkman said:


> I'm sorry to be blunt, but if I understand things correctly, we're discussing major repairs on a $100 guitar.
> 
> My advice is to discard the guitar and buy a new one, and spend as much as you can afford. It might be wise to look at used guitars.
> 
> In my opinion it is not worth repairing. The cost of labor alone would outweigh the cost of a new one.


You're not being blunt at all! I completely 100% agree with you. I'm going to take it to the store and return it! Thanks so much, everyone! Much appreciated.


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