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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Just got a country artist off ebay. plays GREAT! Made in 1976, and I believe previously owned by a member of this board! So in a way it's come home. It has the usual cosmetic problems associated with a 28 year old used guitar, but one thing concerns me which wasn't disclosed: a fine crack in the fretboard which is in only one fret, the last one that runs into the soundhole. It looks like it goes thru 3/4 of the fret, top to bottom, and is not into the top. It runs from the end of the exposed end, up to the fret. I had a friend of mine look at it, and he said, no problem, just dab some very thin glue into the crack and problem solved. He also agrees with me that it's a great playing guitar, even with the crack. I was wondering though if any of you knew what kind of glue to use? THANKS! |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | try using lemon oil to swell it up first.
most of those "cracks" I have seen in ebony boards were surface because the wood dries out. |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | used lemon oil. crack is better, but still there. at least, for the time being, it won't get worse. I know that crazy glue would work, but I think it's too thick. Would a stew-mac thin glue work? |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Oil it up again & give it a few days. It might take a while.
Brad |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | an4340
Al and others, including me, are politely saying that fretboard cracks are usually the result of drying and ageing and are not any thing to worry about. Trying to remove the evidence of somebody's irresponsible attempt at repair with super glue on a quality fretboard that stands out like a drunk's wet pants, is very difficult. |
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Joined:
February 2003
Posts: 299
Location: Netherlands | The Adamas I ordered from Al last year got stuck in the mail and sat in it's case in summer heated storage for about 4 weeks.
It arrived with quite a few cracks in the ebony fretboard which were glued by a luthier using thin superglue grom stewmac. He oiled it up with lemon oil 7 times before gluing. No trace of evidence after scraping and buffing. If you plan on doing this youself, buying a big can of vaseline is a good idea. you can build dams with it to keep the glue inside, so it won't go running everywhere over the neck. Applying the glue with a brush is another good idea.
Usually cracks in fretboards are not the result of ageing but of poor maintenance. They are nothing to worry about though. The adamas plays and sounds like a dream.
BTW: When oiling up the fingerboard, don't forget the bridge.
Good luck,
Martin |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 255
| The best repair for ebony cracks is. Take fine ebony dust. Take your finger and smash it into the crack filling it with ebony dust. Then you wick in very thin loctite or superglue-- Cyno glue. Then you level it and dress the fingerboard. When done right the crack is fixed and looks great. Sometimes disappears all to gether depending on the color of the fingerboard.. If you wait for the crack to close naturally even better then do this.
Oiling the fingerboard might contaminate the crack not allowing glue to stick... |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | OK,
Here's the plan. Oil it every other day for two weeks. If the crack disappears I'm good. If it doesn't disappear then let it dry out for awhile, and combine luther's and grove dudes advise. I don't know how, but I'm glad to hear it's repairable. The country artist is such a sweet guitar. If you guys can get your mitts on one you won't be disappointed.
PS: Groove dude, do you know how your luthier dried the crack, prior to glue application? Or did he? |
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Joined:
February 2003
Posts: 299
Location: Netherlands | I don't think he did, but just let it rest for a few days. Raw ebony contains quite a lot of oil, that's why it's prone to drying out.
But you could consult www.mimf.com, the musical instrument maker's forum. They are willing to help. (Even though many of them don't consider Ovation's to be real instruments).
But Luthier444 has more experience than me. I only did some crack repairs, but he is a pro AFAIK.
It IS a fact you have to repair it ASAP to prevent the crack from getting contaminated, as he says.
Martin |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I consulted another pro:
Here's another method, no more oil, clean crack with hydrogen peroxide, then use thin #10 stew mac glue. The thin viscosity will run deep into the crack and should not leave an obvious witness line. lots of options. I'll let you know how it turns out. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 265
Location: Warrenton, Virginia | Hi: an4340
Al and Bailey are correct IMHO. I own the same guitar as you do. Don't use glue.....it's natural over the years that ebony spreads a bit.....put some fret oil on it and don't worry.....I have a martin that resembles the same problem that you have described. Funny...My CA Ovation has never given me the problem you describe and I have had it for about 28 years. Anyway just use sone fret oil. |
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Ebony fretboard crack country artist -- glue?
