zigmundwah Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 I have an opportunity to pick up an ES 137 at a good price. My only concern is that it has a small (approx 1 inch) crack emanating from one of the tone knobs, that goes all the way through the wood. Is this likely to grow, affect tone/value, etc.? Is it an easy repair, or...? Any feedback would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uyasgali Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Anything can be fixed. Do you know what caused the crack? It runs from the tone knob to where? I think all of the ES137's are laminated, meaning that it is a three layer sandwich (maple inside, poplar in the middle and maple on the outside). A picture would be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigmundwah Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 Hey, thanks for the quick response. Here are some pictures... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uyasgali Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Yes it can be fixed but what caused it? It sort of looks like a cut... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I wouldn't worry about it either. Use it as ammo for driving a really hard bargain though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alg146 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Any ideas about perking up es137 gold hardware? Do I have to buy new ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Do you mean gold hardware that came with the guitar? I don't know if I follow you. Gibson's gold hardware is notorious for being plated real thin & wearing off easy as hell. If you are determined to renew the gold hardware, you have to either replace it or remove the existing hardware & take it to a lowrider car guy who gold-plates anything you bring him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I have an opportunity to pick up an ES 137 at a good price. My only concern is that it has a small (approx 1 inch) crack emanating from one of the tone knobs, that goes all the way through the wood. Is this likely to grow, affect tone/value, etc.? Is it an easy repair, or...? Any feedback would be appreciated! 1. Will it get worse? I had a crack about 1/2 inch long at the sound hole on my 79 Guild D40. Although it is true that a crack on a laminated top is less likely to spread it should be repaired to eliminate the possibility entirely. You can take it to a good repair person who can not only secure the crack but can probably make the crack itself look a lot better. In my case the crack wasn't that visible and I simply used a small piece of trimmed popsicle stick glued to the rear surface of the crack with Elmers Glue. From your photos it looks like the crack is close enough to the F-hole to allow access for something like that to be done. The reason this repair does the job is that most cracks spread because of expansion and contraction of the wood due to temperature and humidity changes. Reinforcing the back side of the crack prevents that from happening. 2. Tone? No, it will not effect the tone in the slightest. Think about it this way. Unlike an acoustic flat top most semi acoustics have a 2-3 piece fairly thick laminated top. Acoustic players are rightfully concerned with the grade and quality of their guitar tops. On that type of guitar the vibration of the top is critical. Imagine trying to sell one of those guys on a guitar with a 3 layer laminated top that is as thick as a semi acoustics. To be fair I suppose in theory your crack could have some effect on your tone but I doubt if it could be detected by even the most sophisticated sonic measuring devices. Don't worry about it. 3. Yes, of course it's going to effect the value. The upside for you is that you should be able to use it as a bargaining chip during purchase negotiations and deduct that depreciation when you buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesboy323 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I have an opportunity to pick up an ES 137 at a good price. My only concern is that it has a small (approx 1 inch) crack emanating from one of the tone knobs, that goes all the way through the wood. Is this likely to grow, affect tone/value, etc.? Is it an easy repair, or...? Any feedback would be appreciated! It is not likely to grow much but have it stablized. If the repair is done properly you will forget all about it. It will affect the value so that has to be reflected in the price you pay now, but if you dig the way it feels and sounds, go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.