Is it possible to fix or stablize a crack on my guitar?

[st.bede]

This looks like a crack. What can I do?

[Gitterbug]

This is definitely a layman's view, and I accept no responsibility if your precious guitar gets ruined. I'd line the crack from both sides with masking tape and carefully fill it with thin superglue, such as Locktite 406 or Zap thin. After removing the tape, scraping, sanding with 400 wet or dry and polishing with whatever. I'm posting this as a starter. More experienced/knowledgeable members please chime in!

[olejason]

You need to determine if the crack goes all the way through and, if so, whether or not it is stable. That first picture looks more like a surface scratch than a crack but hard to say without more pictures.

[jads57]

Go to a qualified luthier to make a proper determination. My Martin
OM 21 had several back cracks that cleated from the inside. Still one of the best sounding flat tops I ever played!

[Stringswinger]

It looks like a finish crack (pretty common right by the binding IME). If I am right, it can be fixed, but why fix it? Guitars age, just like we do. Unless a guitar needs a structural repair to play right, I just leave them alone. It is the same with my body. Elective surgery? No thanks.

[Alter]

Even if it's a crack that goes all the way through it can be fixed. I had a flamenco guitar with a crack, a luthier widens it a bit by cleaning it, then inserts a file of wood, glues it, sands it and works on the finish on the area a bit. Afterwards you can't even tell there was a repair there..

[deacon Mark]

It looks like a finish crack (pretty common right by the binding IME). If I am right, it can be fixed, but why fix it? Guitars age, just like we do. Unless a guitar needs a structural repair to play right, I just leave them alone. It is the same with my body. Elective surgery? No thanks.

I agree this looks not like a crack. Pretty easy to figure out you just get a mirror inside ( inspection mirror from any Lowes, Home depot) and see if the cracks go all the way through. You can also simply use your hands and see if you can force it closed or open it a bit with pressure. A crack on the rim in this fashion is easily repaired if that is the case but as cracks go it would not be something awful.

Also, take note of the advice not to do things unless they need it to keep them in playing order. As we play guitars over the years no matter what from day one when it was new, if you play much at all then everything is downhill. It will not look better or newer. I certainly do not want a beat-up guitar that I give no respect to, but they are not hands-off items. In fact, by definition our hands are always on the guitar. I will never forget the day my dad gave me his Barker guitar in 1982. He had played it since 1965 many hours. The body and finish were in excellent condition no real dings or scratches that stood out. It has a beautiful, aged nitro looked. Then when you look at the back of the guitar the same thing, except the finish on the neck had worn down and was not at bare wood but you knew the guitar had been played a lot. That is a clue that the guitar was a real winner. It was respected and played.

However I must admit that Bill Barker was still making guitars and I was hanging around his shop, so he simply refinished the neck. He did this because he said that it would protect the wood better and it cost me $150. Resist the urge to do things that simply are not needed or add any value.

[jads57]

Trigger: The story of Willie Nelson’s Guitar | Stringjoy

[st.bede]

Thank you everyone. I will figure out if does go all the way through.

[RJVB]

Thank you everyone. I will figure out if does go all the way through.

That may be hard; even if it does go through it will most likely be under the kerfing with with the plate (top? bottom?) and side are joined.

[st.bede]

That may be hard; even if it does go through it will most likely be under the kerfing with with the plate (top? bottom?) and side are joined.

uggg… I will see what I can see.

[wintermoon]

nothing to see, trust me. Stringswinger nailed it in post 5 just a finish crack which = nothing, just cosmetic
enjoy your guitar....

[Gitterbug]

Try to breathe throuh it.

[sgosnell]

If there is kerfing, the glue holding it in place should hold everything in place. Not every hollow guitar has kerfing, and I can't tell what sort of guitar that is from the photos.

[deacon Mark]

See of you ran run a .10 string in the crack and it goes through, try in multiple places.

[st.bede]

Thanks everyone… I tried the above string suggestion. I was not able to get the string to go in at all. That makes me think that it is only cosmetic. FYI it is a PM100.