J45 top crack

[J45joe]

Hi

i have an early 2000s j45.  Got a slight crack in the top many years (~13) ago.  Seemed stable.  Now it seems it may have grown a bit. I looked inside and the crack doesn’t seem to have gone all the way through.  The braces seem to be acting as cleats.  Can I leave it alone?   If I need to fix it, can I use magnets and tite bond or do I need a luthier?

Thanks

Joe

links to pics here 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gHR...w?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18t5...w?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lcj...w?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C08...w?usp=drivesdk

 

 

 

[jedzep]

Well, it won't get better on it's own, and will eventually at least challenge your tolerance of it.  Without it opening up clean through it's more or less a cosmetic repair which is tricky to make look good on the gloss burst top, so if it were mine I think I'd keep an eye on it, but ultimately use a pro for fixing it, especially if you live where access to skilled luthiers is abundant. It's good that it's not in line with the bridge.

[Leonard McCoy]

Shifts in temperature or humidity cause the top to move, hence there will be times when cracks are more prevalent and open. The crack doesn't appear to go very deep into the top wood, as if a solid object cut the top ripping it at an angle or something. It is difficult to tell what the appropriate fix is without hands-on review of the trauma. A competent luthier is recommended for way too many reasons to elaborate on here.

[J45joe]

Thank you both!  I appreciate the responses.  
 

Thanks!

joe