Dan is the "Bob Ross" of lutherie. His delivery has such a calming cadence to it which always gives me confidence when making guitar repairs. Nobody has taught me more than Dan. Thanks, Dan & StewMac!
I did this DIY a few years ago to an old Alvarez acoustic with the same type of crack. I used two strong magnets, one directly on top of the crack, and one stuck to the cleat with two sided tape. The magnets naturally find each other and stick together to act as a clamp while the glue dries. It worked pretty well.
A hygrometer is a must! I have a (poorly made) Seagull Pepino guitar. I believe the wood was not seasoned well enough. But in the winter my apt gets brutally dry and even with a damp sponge in a plastic bag with holes in it (inside the sound hole) the guitar still cracked. My luthier fixed it (along with a saddle fix to fix the poorly set intonation). The humidity thing is real, though. Especially in winter. I put damp sponges in a plastic bag with holes in it in all my guitar cases in the winter--and I never leave them out on the stand. Dan is a treasure, for sure.
I wish I could explain it. So many StewMac videos all with great information, knowledgeable luthiers and hardworking folk. But I keep coming back to watch Dan even though he's trying to share the spotlight.
Very cool. I was wondering what a cleat was when I read the video description, then when I saw what it was, I chuckled because I fixed a crack in an old arch top I once had by using a popsicle stick as a cleat.
Helpful tips. I just happened upon a classic Levin guitar, made in Sweden. Nylon strings, beautiful tone, so easy to play. It did come with the bridge torn off, since some nut job had put high tension steel strings on it. I got the bridge succesfully glued back on, and it sounds wonderful. The body does have a few cracks, so I will have to address that. This video was most helpful. I did some research, and found the serial number chart for Levin guitars. It turns out mine is a 1954 model! A good 20 years older than I initially thought. Definitely worth restoring.
I have learned a lot from watching these videos and from reading Dan's books , but something I've notice about every guitar dyi UA-camr gets wrong is that not everywhere in the USA has the same weather pattern. My winters are wet and humid while our summers are hot and very dry. Right now outside humidity is 23% while inside is 37%. Your best tool have is a hydrometer to closely monitor the moisture in the air, so you'll know if you need to humidify your guitar or run a dehumidifier.
Great tip. Thanks for sharing. What kind of music shop would place a boutique guitar in a sunny window? Sounds like the sort of place to steer clear of.
I inherited a tiple and a balalaika from the guitar teacher I had in high school. They both had cracks in the tops and were unsellable, so his sister told me to keep them. I took them to a repair shop who said it would be hundreds if not upwards of a thousand dollars to fix them. They are not high-end instruments, so I think I'm going to use this video as a guide and try to fix them myself. Thanks for making the video!
I have many guitars but only one is really special. '68 Goya folk guitar. Dad's first guitar, my first guitar and my son's first guitar. It got impact cracks from living under my dorm bed in the late '80s. Bashing punk tunes out of it was needed at my sucky military school, but that didn't help either. Before my son was born dad gave me the guitar but first he had it repaired professionally. Cost nearly it's value, or more, but a job well done. My son is very careful, and it's his favorite guitar to take to school where he has lessons and jam sessions with kids...but now it's cracked again. Luckily he likes his $70 Strat that I fixed up and his Boss Mini amp and he's big enough for a 25.5 scale guitar now. No more classic acoustic going to school. I am determined to fix it myself. Meanwhile, I will fix some guitars at a school I taught at, for free, to be sure I know what I'm doing. I doubt I'll ever be a great player, but I do like modding and fixing and setting up guitars. Living in NZ it's lucky I can do the StewMac membership as the shipping cost is otherwise a real burdon along with the exchange rate. And I am done with Ali Express...EVERYTHING they sell is terrible.
Just out of curiosity… Does the cleat really need to be that large? If the grain were perpendicular to the split wouldn’t you be able to use a very thin clear?
WOW! I had a crack on a top just like the one described. Bagged it up overnight and it closed up so tight I had to look to find it. Glued it with thin set and glued a cleat on with tightbond using magnets. GREAT FIX! Thanks so much!!
Respect your elders brothers I’m a machinist and I learned some of the best tricks in the book from old Timers. The man that came up with that magnetic trick was pretty slick in his thinking. Truly a nice job on this
As usual, I’m late to the party, but the information is ageless...just inherited a late ‘60’s Hagstrom with about 4 cracks running with the grain...gonna try the glue and cleats wherever there aren’t braces...thanx for the excellent video, Stewmac!, cheers, Bill
i have a Larrivee Parlor guitar that got horrible cracks in it (looked like a cut that needed stitches).. i got some portable dehumidifiers, and placed them in the room.. and also some of those square moisture absorbers and put them in the guitar case.. and although i didn't glue the cracks closed yet.. they did close up on there own
@@micsayre Well buddy, i'm in the Philippines.. and the level humidity here is grossly abnormal. if i could send you photos and videos of how the humidity had compromised or destroyed items made with Wood, Leather, cotton or even paper.. you would think otherwise.. (tons of things i kept inside my luggage bags got FILLED WITH MOLD). Bamboo Flutes and Wooden Saxophones were starting to get filled with mold. A leather belt i had, became mold city. i had 3 guitars that were fine until i brought them here.. then the Bridges started getting loose and disconnecting on them.. i complained to the building's office managers & of course that got me nowhere (they simply think i'm trying to get them to pay for things that were damaged and go into denial mode. They told me i was the only one who had complained about such a thing. Then one day one of the building handymen came by to fix something electrical, and i showed him my humidity and MOLD issues, and he said he gets the SAME thing). I got a Taylor Mini GS Bass, and knew that i had to do something extreme to save it from what had happened to the others.. & so far, what i said i did in the comment above has helped. The level of mold has almost disappeared.. and my Guitars & that Taylor Mini GS has been fine.. so far. i'll add, my electricity bill from using air coolers is ridiculous. So, when you're in abnormal, judging with a normal mindset is not correct. Someone once told me "One Lid (pot top) doesn't fit every pot.."
Dan are these cletes better than using the Stew Mac cleat maker for the driil press I have that set up but these look more substantial in the video. Great to see you on youtube.
I think the idea of the cleat maker is to use the same type of wood, like mahogany cleats look better and maybe work better on a mahogany guitar, same for spruce. Also the cleat maker sets you up with the string pull trick, which is awesome.
@@richardweinberger6302 oh sure and I would expect these cleats to be available in spruce or cedar or mahogany as well but they really looked much more substantial in the video compared to the spruce ones I've made.
@@stewmac I was looking for it today and am unable to locate it...have a Fender Montclair with two cracks and I also need to find a nut for it...nice guitar but someone left it to rot and I am working on it now...
That's a pretty cool trick with the magnetic film. I do have to ask though what kind of wood is that on the sides and is it a laminate or solid through to the inside.
I use a pair of strong magnets. I put tape on the top one to protect the finish and I tape my cleat to the other one. After dry fitting a couple of times for practice, I'll glue the cleat and match up my magnets. I just wish that the SM scissor jack wasn't prohibitively expensive like all else SM......
Awesome video..I have the exact same problem in a Fender I just bought so your video couldn't have been any better suited to what I was looking for. I feel confident enough to give this a go now!! Thanks for the handy tips and tricks too! Cheers, Pete
@@brandonsmith984 If you're referring to the top, it's not ziricote. Looks like spruce to me. Ziricote is typically used on back and sides of a guitar.
That’s some fancy work. Any advice hiding a thin crack in black satin finish? (Fender Newporter Special) I’m going to try the sponge trick and then glue it from the inside. I just noticed the cack on the back of the guitar. ????
I have a crack in a vintage Ovation. I don't think it is through the wood. It seems to be just the veneer. Should I have it repaired before selling it?
Hey Dan I was wondering if you could do a video about fixing tongue lift? On a acoustic guitar. If you have a video on that already please send me the link. Thank you so much and love watching and learning from you're video's.
Do you test your bottled hide glue? I’ve heard of inconsistency between batches, so I haven’t used it for instrument repair (yet) - just household projects.
I'm looking at a guitar that has a crack from humidity and I'm hesitant to buy it because I am worried there might be more issues with in then it seems. If not its a pretty good deal. I am not sure what to do because I do like the way it looks. I guess I should go and play it to and take a closer look. Any recommendations on what to look out for? Also that is a beautiful guitar.
My uncle Dan - good name, eh? - was born in Longreach, Queensland. Edge of the desert. But he moved down to the North Coast of NSW, took up surfing, took up guitar. One Christmas he went back to Longreach to visit his parents, and took his beloved White Falcon to play a few gigs at the pub. When he got their, after a day or two, the poor White Falcon had arched up like a longbow. Strings nearly half an inch above the frets. "And that's when I realised that guitar," he said, "is a coast guitar."
You can find the magnetic film on Amazon. The cleat holder was custom made. There's a chance we have something like it available someday, but hard to say when.
After all these years Dan is still the best there is.
With the possible exception of his cousin, Mark.
And still willing to both pass on his experience and learn from others.
Frank ford and john reuter
Yah I’d say his cousin is better at some things…..
Dan is the "Bob Ross" of lutherie. His delivery has such a calming cadence to it which always gives me confidence when making guitar repairs. Nobody has taught me more than Dan. Thanks, Dan & StewMac!
Dan is a national treasure. his experience and relaxed teaching style is unsurpassed and he is a genuine and humble individual.
I did this DIY a few years ago to an old Alvarez acoustic with the same type of crack. I used two strong magnets, one directly on top of the crack, and one stuck to the cleat with two sided tape. The magnets naturally find each other and stick together to act as a clamp while the glue dries. It worked pretty well.
Holy cow. I just saw this after I said the same thing!
A hygrometer is a must! I have a (poorly made) Seagull Pepino guitar. I believe the wood was not seasoned well enough. But in the winter my apt gets brutally dry and even with a damp sponge in a plastic bag with holes in it (inside the sound hole) the guitar still cracked. My luthier fixed it (along with a saddle fix to fix the poorly set intonation). The humidity thing is real, though. Especially in winter. I put damp sponges in a plastic bag with holes in it in all my guitar cases in the winter--and I never leave them out on the stand. Dan is a treasure, for sure.
Dan is the Best, he is a national treasure
Like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Statue of Liberty or Mount St. Helens...?
I wish I could explain it. So many StewMac videos all with great information, knowledgeable luthiers and hardworking folk. But I keep coming back to watch Dan even though he's trying to share the spotlight.
Very cool. I was wondering what a cleat was when I read the video description, then when I saw what it was, I chuckled because I fixed a crack in an old arch top I once had by using a popsicle stick as a cleat.
You just made my day!! 😊
Helpful tips. I just happened upon a classic Levin guitar, made in Sweden. Nylon strings, beautiful tone, so easy to play. It did come with the bridge torn off, since some nut job had put high tension steel strings on it. I got the bridge succesfully glued back on, and it sounds wonderful. The body does have a few cracks, so I will have to address that. This video was most helpful. I did some research, and found the serial number chart for Levin guitars. It turns out mine is a 1954 model! A good 20 years older than I initially thought. Definitely worth restoring.
I have been watching your videos for years and it never gets old. I have learned so much from you sir.
The wood on the side of that guitar is insane.
Black Limba!
Actually, it is black and white ebony.
I was thinking ziricote, but it could be pale moon ebony as well.
@@gabewilliams7462 Pale moon ebony? I have never heard of it but it sounds romantic!
@@stewmac But, is it a good tonewood? Just curious.😁 Great video!!!!
My all times Hero, reminds me so much of my Dad, who used to work on instruments just for fun. He passed away 4 years ago.
Sounds like he was a cool Dad, he lives on through you and in the music, Brother.
I have learned a lot from watching these videos and from reading Dan's books , but something I've notice about every guitar dyi UA-camr gets wrong is that not everywhere in the USA has the same weather pattern. My winters are wet and humid while our summers are hot and very dry. Right now outside humidity is 23% while inside is 37%. Your best tool have is a hydrometer to closely monitor the moisture in the air, so you'll know if you need to humidify your guitar or run a dehumidifier.
Anyone else feels relaxed when watching Dan videos? Love them
Big time. Most of these videos I will never need but I watch them anyways. Check out the Warmoth videos too. Aaron is super cool too.
Yep. Love his videos, watch them all the time. Just wish they were longer
a lot...love him
What a beautiful guitar
Great tip. Thanks for sharing. What kind of music shop would place a boutique guitar in a sunny window? Sounds like the sort of place to steer clear of.
Ha! No doubt!
Helpfull video, thx
But please tell us:
where to buy the magnetic cleat holder please..
Never knew how important a luthiers are. Now that I own a guitar I know exactly how important they are!
What type of glue did you use to fill in the crack?
I inherited a tiple and a balalaika from the guitar teacher I had in high school. They both had cracks in the tops and were unsellable, so his sister told me to keep them. I took them to a repair shop who said it would be hundreds if not upwards of a thousand dollars to fix them. They are not high-end instruments, so I think I'm going to use this video as a guide and try to fix them myself. Thanks for making the video!
I feel like I am watching the guitar world's Bob Ross watching this video.
Happy little accidents 👍
That’s so true
He’s relaxing to listen to.
His cousin is just as calming..
Dan is the man! Love watching this guy work his magic.
That magnet film trick is amazing. What a helpful video!
I can watch StewMac videos all day! Thanks Dan!!!
Dan Erlewine, still the king!
I have many guitars but only one is really special. '68 Goya folk guitar. Dad's first guitar, my first guitar and my son's first guitar. It got impact cracks from living under my dorm bed in the late '80s. Bashing punk tunes out of it was needed at my sucky military school, but that didn't help either. Before my son was born dad gave me the guitar but first he had it repaired professionally. Cost nearly it's value, or more, but a job well done. My son is very careful, and it's his favorite guitar to take to school where he has lessons and jam sessions with kids...but now it's cracked again. Luckily he likes his $70 Strat that I fixed up and his Boss Mini amp and he's big enough for a 25.5 scale guitar now. No more classic acoustic going to school. I am determined to fix it myself. Meanwhile, I will fix some guitars at a school I taught at, for free, to be sure I know what I'm doing. I doubt I'll ever be a great player, but I do like modding and fixing and setting up guitars. Living in NZ it's lucky I can do the StewMac membership as the shipping cost is otherwise a real burdon along with the exchange rate. And I am done with Ali Express...EVERYTHING they sell is terrible.
Disappointed that the cleat holder and magnetic film still don't seem to be available at StewMac. This would be a nice tool to have.
Just out of curiosity… Does the cleat really need to be that large? If the grain were perpendicular to the split wouldn’t you be able to use a very thin clear?
WOW! I had a crack on a top just like the one described. Bagged it up overnight and it closed up so tight I had to look to find it. Glued it with thin set
and glued a cleat on with tightbond using magnets. GREAT FIX! Thanks so much!!
Do you by chance know what kind of magnets? Pulling strength? And where did you get the cleat..I need to do this but don’t have the clamp he’s using.
Can you tell me where to buy the magnetic cleat holder please. Is it in a kit with the magnetic viewing strip. I could not find it on your website :-)
Respect your elders brothers I’m a machinist and I learned some of the best tricks in the book from old Timers. The man that came up with that magnetic trick was pretty slick in his thinking. Truly a nice job on this
Great video. Thank you
As usual, I’m late to the party, but the information is ageless...just inherited a late ‘60’s Hagstrom with about 4 cracks running with the grain...gonna try the glue and cleats wherever there aren’t braces...thanx for the excellent video, Stewmac!, cheers, Bill
Excellent demo! That magnetic film is cool stuff
i have a Larrivee Parlor guitar that got horrible cracks in it (looked like a cut that needed stitches).. i got some portable dehumidifiers, and placed them in the room.. and also some of those square moisture absorbers and put them in the guitar case.. and although i didn't glue the cracks closed yet.. they did close up on there own
"...dehumidifiers..." exactly the opposite of what is suggested
@@micsayre Well buddy, i'm in the Philippines.. and the level humidity here is grossly abnormal. if i could send you photos and videos of how the humidity had compromised or destroyed items made with Wood, Leather, cotton or even paper.. you would think otherwise.. (tons of things i kept inside my luggage bags got FILLED WITH MOLD). Bamboo Flutes and Wooden Saxophones were starting to get filled with mold. A leather belt i had, became mold city. i had 3 guitars that were fine until i brought them here.. then the Bridges started getting loose and disconnecting on them.. i complained to the building's office managers & of course that got me nowhere (they simply think i'm trying to get them to pay for things that were damaged and go into denial mode. They told me i was the only one who had complained about such a thing. Then one day one of the building handymen came by to fix something electrical, and i showed him my humidity and MOLD issues, and he said he gets the SAME thing). I got a Taylor Mini GS Bass, and knew that i had to do something extreme to save it from what had happened to the others.. & so far, what i said i did in the comment above has helped. The level of mold has almost disappeared.. and my Guitars & that Taylor Mini GS has been fine.. so far. i'll add, my electricity bill from using air coolers is ridiculous. So, when you're in abnormal, judging with a normal mindset is not correct. Someone once told me "One Lid (pot top) doesn't fit every pot.."
I wouldn't even try to do this. I'm too clumsy and impatient, but I love to see Dan doing his thing.
Dan are these cletes better than using the Stew Mac cleat maker for the driil press I have that set up but these look more substantial in the video. Great to see you on youtube.
I think the idea of the cleat maker is to use the same type of wood, like mahogany cleats look better and maybe work better on a mahogany guitar, same for spruce. Also the cleat maker sets you up with the string pull trick, which is awesome.
@@richardweinberger6302 oh sure and I would expect these cleats to be available in spruce or cedar or mahogany as well but they really looked much more substantial in the video compared to the spruce ones I've made.
Always great to see Dan at it!
Hi Stewmac, you should sell the cleat holder and magnetic film
We will be soon. :)
I have an identical crack in my acoustic bass, thanks for the tips
What glue was used? Thanks
Magnetic film . . . never heard of that. Brilliant idea.
Thanks for sharing all your knowledge with us Dan. You are the best.
These are the best repair vids bar none!
You make this way easy for noobs. Guitar center wanted 400 bucks to do this to my Taylor
Thank you so much for the awesome and practical content
I love learning new things I can't get enough thank you Dan 🎸😎👍
Gorgeous guitar
Can you tell me where I can find the cleat holder/positioner with the locator film? I didn't see a link.
We'll be selling it soon.
@@stewmac I'm waiting for that magnetic cleate holder.
@@stewmac I was looking for it today and am unable to locate it...have a Fender Montclair with two cracks and I also need to find a nut for it...nice guitar but someone left it to rot and I am working on it now...
I would also like to buy the cleat holder and viewing film but can’t find it!
This stuff is why I finally went with an Emerald X30. Arrived in Virginia in tune.
Really appreciate the straight to the point video. Well done.
That's a pretty cool trick with the magnetic film. I do have to ask though what kind of wood is that on the sides and is it a laminate or solid through to the inside.
They call that pale moon ebony. It's a variety from Southeast Asia.
Yes, it's also sometimes called black and white ebony. The trees tend to be small and it's pretty rare to find sets of it large enough for guitars.
This is EXACTLY what I needed. Thank you, Sir.
Great video. Clever tricks
What glue are you appling into crack?
I use a pair of strong magnets. I put tape on the top one to protect the finish and I tape my cleat to the other one. After dry fitting a couple of times for practice, I'll glue the cleat and match up my magnets. I just wish that the SM scissor jack wasn't prohibitively expensive like all else SM......
What tape is that you're using at 1:35? Is that just plain masking tape? NewB thanks
Awesome video..I have the exact same problem in a Fender I just bought so your video couldn't have been any better suited to what I was looking for. I feel confident enough to give this a go now!!
Thanks for the handy tips and tricks too! Cheers, Pete
I love the videos with Dan
3:35 how does your hand go under the line, dan? im calling the police.
Hold on, what? What kind of illusion is this?
Amazing production, diction, explaining, rythm. Thanks so much ( and funny I just got this problem with a guitar of mine). Fixing time!!
That’s a beautiful looking piece of wood, what is it?
I think it is Zicorite!
@@brandonsmith984 If you're referring to the top, it's not ziricote. Looks like spruce to me. Ziricote is typically used on back and sides of a guitar.
Matt Rogers Why on earth would he call the top ziricote?
The top is Italian (European) Spruce and the back and sides are black and white ebony.
@@stewmac Thanks or replying. It looks stunning.
Thank you Dan.
Straight to the point. Love your videos! Thank you!
Can I use super ca glue for the cleat? Or does it need to be something like tite bond wood clue? This was a truly great lesson. Thanks so much
What kind of glue is he using?
The sides of that guitar are beautiful!
That’s some fancy work. Any advice hiding a thin crack in black satin finish? (Fender Newporter Special) I’m going to try the sponge trick and then glue it from the inside. I just noticed the cack on the back of the guitar. ????
I have a crack in a vintage Ovation. I don't think it is through the wood. It seems to be just the veneer. Should I have it repaired before selling it?
Great video as always. Any advice for f-hole mandolins that don't have interior access?
Hey Dan I was wondering if you could do a video about fixing tongue lift? On a acoustic guitar. If you have a video on that already please send me the link. Thank you so much and love watching and learning from you're video's.
Galser's shop is the best!
Good stuff Dan! Thanks for sharing the tricks!
Great knowledge.
congratulations for the shirt
Great video. You’re a wonderful teacher.
Thanks Dan.
Thanks Dan
Hello! I have a question: Do we keep the bowl with water and a sponge inside the guitar when leaving it inside the polybag overnight?
Yep, a makeshift humidor of sorts in hopes the humidity swells the crack shut.
Wow! That guitar is beautiful! What brand is it?
It’s a Poling Sierra and I’m the owner. 😊
Great help thankyou
You are the best .. Thanks ..
Mad skills!
Do you test your bottled hide glue? I’ve heard of inconsistency between batches, so I haven’t used it for instrument repair (yet) - just household projects.
How about a link to that cleat holder system?
How do you repair a lattice top? there is no space for the cleats.
Is acrack sometimes just at the clearcoat?
Hello Dan, I have a crack on the back of an arch-top Jazz guitar, with F-Holes. Any way to repair that? No sound hole to get your hand in there.
Brilliant! The expert at work. Respect 👍
I'm looking at a guitar that has a crack from humidity and I'm hesitant to buy it because I am worried there might be more issues with in then it seems. If not its a pretty good deal. I am not sure what to do because I do like the way it looks. I guess I should go and play it to and take a closer look. Any recommendations on what to look out for? Also that is a beautiful guitar.
So where does one find that cleat / magnet tool?
Is that magnetic cleat holder available thru Glaser?
Dan is it possible to fix seam lines showing under poly electric guitar finish?
You don't clamp the inside cleats while the glue dries?
Where can I buy those cleats?
No clamp to hold the cleat in place?
Moving from a very dry climate to a very humid climate, how much time is need for my guitars to acclimate, before I do a set-up?
How do you wipe the glue after you place it
Good Lord this is incredible information! 👍
My uncle Dan - good name, eh? - was born in Longreach, Queensland. Edge of the desert. But he moved down to the North Coast of NSW, took up surfing, took up guitar.
One Christmas he went back to Longreach to visit his parents, and took his beloved White Falcon to play a few gigs at the pub.
When he got their, after a day or two, the poor White Falcon had arched up like a longbow. Strings nearly half an inch above the frets.
"And that's when I realised that guitar," he said, "is a coast guitar."
Where do I buy the magnetic film and cleat holder?
You can find the magnetic film on Amazon. The cleat holder was custom made. There's a chance we have something like it available someday, but hard to say when.