E-minor7 Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 As mentioned in the other thread, I can't control this writing-box atthe moment. First time it happens and I give this theme a go anyway.To check the error from another angle also. A serious question though : Regarding fixed cracked tops. Do you think repairs inhibit the over allvibe-ability and color original sound - and is there a limit in scar-length and number of cracks fter which the issue becomes crucial ?? To which degree is a top-repair devaluing* – sound-wise and that only. . . don't notice the thick/thin font - it's a part of this strange prob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 I am having no writing box problems Em7. As for the top cracks I only had one dreadnaught(Guild D-40) That I played before and after top crack repairs. Here is what I found: the(repaired) cracks due south of the bridge affected the tone but not much, the cracks in the east-west area of the sound hole affected the tone nil, they were all small(less than 3"), except for the center seam. It was my first good acoustic, I found it in a basement where it had sat for years. It did not take the drying out process well and I knew nothing about taking care of a solid wood guitar. It was an excellent sounding guitar until I replaced the bridge plate, never liked the sound again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 That's a tricky one. Top cracks that require cleating are going to increase the mass of the top, which should in theory impact on its responsiveness. Given that most of us damp the top vibrations to some extent by our arm position while playing, it's hard to know if top repairs would have noticeable impact on tone unless they were numerous, and overly-done in terms of the number and size of cleats. This is a question probably best answered by a vintage restoration specialist, or someone like Tom Barnwell with extensive experience in older instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 One good thing about a guitar with a handful of smallish top cracks: they tend to sound nicely opened up ;). Seriously, though, 2 or 3 small cracks, repaired or otherwise, would not (does not) discourage me from a great sounding guitar. A small cleated repair (especially on the back) does not trouble me, as well. Ten cleats on an old guitar, and I might consider the field of choices available. Also consider the surface area of all of these cleats still probably doesn't equal the surface area of the pick guard on some super jumbos or square shouldered Gibsons. Finding a great sounding old guitar with a major crack repair is entirely possible, and this makes some very interesting vintage boxes more affordable. One would only realize the disadvantage when the time came to move the guitar along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Double post. Damn writing box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Personally I don't think it affects the tone. I've never owned a guitar that's developed a crack. But I've owned a guitar with a crack and it's sounds great!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 That's a tricky one. Top cracks that require cleating are going to increase the mass of the top, which should in theory impact on its responsiveness. Given that most of us damp the top vibrations to some extent by our arm position while playing, it's hard to know if top repairs would have noticeable impact on tone unless they were numerous, and overly-done in terms of the number and size of cleats. This is a question probably best answered by a vintage restoration specialist, or someone like Tom Barnwell with extensive experience in older instruments. My operating assumption and experience is that even a moderate number of well done crack repairs have almost know impact on sound quality. Of course, older guitars have more cracks just because they are old and since we only fool with old guitars, I guess we see more. I have a friend who has many prewar Martin dreads, and he claims guitars with cracks sound better. He plays one such -- a 37 D-18 -- which is the best Martin I have ever touched, and I have touched quite a few great guitars[biggrin]. I won't go that far, but I really see no consistent difference in tone between perfect guitars and those with a few well executed repairs. Let's pick, -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningDownTheR Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Em7, are you having problems with your browser/java? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Maybe if you have dog hearing you will notice it. But other than that I have never heard any difference in my guitars which had top racks repaired - cleats or no. The key is getting the finished touched up right so it is hard to see where the crack even was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 26, 2013 Author Share Posted November 26, 2013 Em7, are you having problems with your browser/java? No probs other places than here – and they are still disturbing. Maybe if you have dog hearing you will notice it. But other than that I have never heard any difference in my guitars which had top racks repaired - cleats or no. Apart from that, I agree with what's been said about cracks, repairedcracks, cleats and clue. I have a few refurbished tops around andthey don't seem to have suffered. At the other hand I didn't knowthem beforehand. One of my Mart. HD-28V's however, had a crack down the mid-seam, which was so narrow it could only be seen during winter. Not because of light, but humidity (for those who don't know). I glued that myself or stuffed it with a thin line of wooden-pasta last winter and wasanxious to see what would happen when summer came. Apparently nothing – and nothing in tone either, I'm glad to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gov Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 i've pondered similar thoughts before. what impact does a respray have on the the "vintage" tone? what about pickguards? etc. Recently I was in a real world situation where a guitar i fell in love with found to be missing a tone bar--and the tone bar closest to the bridge at that. the guitar was being sold as is and so i hemmed and hawed, sought counsel and opinions (thanks again Vintage Licks--couldn't have been more helpful to me). After a long deliberation took a chance on paying for the tone bar to be replaced at my expense but with the option to refuse buying the actual guitar once the work was complete. as others have said, i was ecstatic to have no less excitement at the sound of the guitar after the work was done. i'm certain some type of highly sophisticated device could have picked up before and after differences but the two less highly sophisticated devices hanging off my mid head could not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol fred Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Livemusic is having my (his) CW repaired. When it's finished if we can talk him into posting a clip Danville, Nick, Node and I will compare it tp pre crush days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Top cracks, holes or repairs have no affect whatsoever on the tone of a guitar from what I can hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted November 27, 2013 Author Share Posted November 27, 2013 Does Trigger have such thing as a tone at all. . . It surely has a bridge tho - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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