So, can a cracked acoustic guitar be fixed? Does an acoustic guitar crack on its own? Will a cracked acoustic guitar still last long? How does a cracked acoustic guitar sound? There are so many questions when it comes to cracked acoustic guitars, as it happens typically to some guitar owners.
In this article, we are going to find out if there are still ways to fix an acoustic guitar that has already cracked. We are also going to find out if these cracks can only happen by accident; the acoustic guitar can also have cracks on its own without any force used on them.
What Are The Reasons Why Acoustic Guitar Can Have Cracks?
Mishandled And Accidental
Sometimes, cracks in the acoustic guitars can be mainly attributed to being mishandled. If you are not careful in carrying, travelling, or even playing with your acoustic guitar, it can acquire some damage into it, leading to cracks. If your guitar hits a wall with enough force, it can result in some crack, or if it slips from your hands and falls to the ground while you are playing, it can also result in some damage.
Dryness
Aside from accidents, acoustic guitars can also crack on their own without any force used in it. The usual reason why acoustic guitars crack on their own is dryness. If the humidity of your place is very low and consistent with being that way, the wood of the acoustic guitar will start to dry out, and its arch will start to flatten, which could result in it being concave when it totally dries out.
The common signs of dryness for your acoustic guitar are sharp fret ends, having lower action due to a flatter top, a washboard texture on its top, and the loss of top or commonly known as back arching.
How Can Cracks Affect The Sound Of Your Acoustic Guitar?
If your acoustic guitar already has a crack that is maybe severe and could be very hard to fix, its sound can be significantly affected. The first thing you will notice is that it has less sustain than before. You can easily notice that your acoustic guitar does not have the same sustain before when you play a chord.
Another thing that will change in your acoustic guitar if it has cracks is it will have less resonance than before. Sustain and resonance are really great factors to knowing how good your acoustic guitar sounds, and if your guitar is affected by this, then it would really be a huge problem for you.
How To Fix The Cracks On Your Acoustic Guitar
Top
For the top side, the most usual crack you see is not really a crack but is called a center-seam separation, which happens when the guitar is dried out and causes the two top halves to separate at the center seam. Fixing it can be done by spraying over the crack to cover it, especially if you hate looking at it. One thing you should avoid in this situation is to run your finger over the crack, as it can add more damage to it.
As these cracks are usually because the guitar was dried out, one thing you should do is to put more humidity into it by putting a trash bag over its body for more than a couple of weeks. If there is some improvement with the cracks, you can proceed by using super thin glue to the remaining parts to be able to seal them all the way.
Side
The side of the acoustic guitar is the thinnest part, and they are usually in the right position to be frequently damaged from impacts. Although some acoustic guitars have to brace on their sides, there is still a chance that they can crack if there is enough force from an impact, as braces are not a bulletproof way to avoid cracks for your guitar.
Similar to the top side, you can also repair the cracks in the side part by using super thin glue. However, for its aesthetics, you will have to use wood grain or grain fillers to help cover the cracks. It is also essential that your guitar will still look good after fixing its cracks.
Back
Although the back side of an acoustic guitar usually is the thickest among the three, improper humidity can still cause damage to it. If the crack on your guitar is located in its back, the procedure would still be the same for all of it. You will still need to put some humidity into it before applying anything to the wood. After some time, use proper adhesives to seal the cracks.
Severe Cracks
There are also some situations where the cracks in your acoustic guitar would need a splice of wood to close up the crack. It is important that the splice would fit perfectly with the crack for it to close the hole without having any blank space. Still, use the proper adhesives to cover the crack using the splice of wood.
So, can a cracked acoustic guitar be fixed? Yes, there are ways to fix the cracks on an acoustic guitar. Although, there are some possibilities that your guitar will not be the same again even if it is fixed, especially if the damage is really severe. Even though cracks can be fixed, the best thing to do is to prevent them from happening by properly taking care of your acoustic guitar.
