glue job?

kirax05 · #1 April 1st, 2006

Hello.

I recently found out that my acoustic guitar has a strut (i'm not sure if you call it that) inside the body of the guitar that seems to be half unglued.. like the glue must have dried up since it's starting to come off. Although the other half of it still seems nicely attached to the back of the guitar.. i'm worried that it will come off soon and then i'll really have a problem on my hands. it seems so minor that getting technicians involved just might end up a waste of time and money.

But since it is a guitar... I'm sure you can't stick any kind of glue in there.

Is there a special glue that can be used for gluing the strut back on the body? or will krazy glue actually work just as well?

I also attached 2 pictures of it... but i don't think it really helps..

Thanks in advance!

Kirk Lorange · #2 April 1st, 2006

I wouldn't use crazy glue, kirax05. I think that white wood glue would be the go, the kind that goes transparent when it dries. Get it from the harware store, it's made specifically for gluing wood. Make sure you prop something inside the guitar to keep it flush and pressed tight while it dries.

nocat · #3 April 1st, 2006

I'm surprised it doesn't rattle when you play...?!?

allthumbs · #4 April 1st, 2006

Not crazy glue. You might have to use a little inventivness to figure out how to clamp that after it is glued. UGB will have some tips for you, I bet.

Ultimate Garage Band · #5 April 1st, 2006

From your pic I can't tell if it's the top brace or the bottom brace. They're called braces btw.

Use wood glue not super glue. I need to know if it's a top or bottom brace because the fix is different with each.

kirax05 · #6 April 1st, 2006

oh wow thanks everyone! i figured krazy glue wouldn't be good.. lol

okay braces then... inside my guitar.. there seems to be 4 of them.. and it's the 3rd one from the top (2nd from the bottom) that the glue seems to drying out or something.

i don't think clamping down will be too much a problem... i have weights that can hold it down..

rattles? there are times where it does sound like something's ripping inside.. i thought it was coming from the nut.. :S

thanks again!

nocat · #7 April 1st, 2006

So, is it on the top, or the bottom... Or both...???

kirax05 · #8 April 1st, 2006

umm.. so what exactly do you mean by the top or bottom?

how does a top brace look like compared the a bottom one?

...sorry.. n00b question.

nocat · #9 April 2nd, 2006

The top being the side with the hole... the bottom, No hole...!!! LOL

kirax05 · #10 April 2nd, 2006

o__O

hole? lol... I can't tell? if i set it up... then i don't see the brace that's peeling off?

MAYBE it's a bottom one?

lol.. how different are the gluing procedures?

Ultimate Garage Band · #11 April 2nd, 2006

Maybe more accurate terms would be either a top brace or a back brace? Is the brace attaced to the guitar top, the piece that has the sound hole and bridge attached to it, or the guitar back, the piece that touches your ribs/belly when you play it?

kirax05 · #12 April 2nd, 2006

OH! that makes sense now..

then it's a back brace since it is semi-attached to the back of the guitar

Ultimate Garage Band · #13 April 2nd, 2006

Ok, with that you can lay the guitar flat on it's back and use a suitable weight to hold the brace in place while the glue dries. Be careful not to have too much lateral force or you could split the brace. The goal is to get the force straight down through the brace to surface of the back. Hopefully it won't take too much pressure to get a tight fit. You only need to keep the weight on it for the first 30 minutes to an hour but if you want to leave it on overnight that's ok too. The glue should dry overnight.

kirax05 · #14 April 2nd, 2006

thanks! i will indeed try that.................. once i ask more n00b questions. --;;

by 'lateral force' .... you mean..?

and what do you recommend as a good wood glue for this type of thing?

this will be interesting.. first time attempting to fix my guitar and change strings all in one go!

Ultimate Garage Band · #15 April 2nd, 2006

Some braces lay somewhat flat to the board, other braces are more glued 'on edge' so they stick up in the air quite a bit from the surface, like over 1/2" to 3/4". These are often carved to a soft edge. If you apply too much pressure side to side, lateral, they can crack and snap along the grain line. You only want to apply pressure straight down. How hard do you have to push the brace to make it contact with the surface of the guitar back? Any wood glue will work fine btw.