Would you buy a guitar with a cracked top?

[steamfurnace]

I was watching eBay on a JF30-12, that went pretty cheap. It looked pretty good in the pictures, but the description mentioned two cracks in the top that had been "professionally repaired." I have seen that described several times on used Guild jumbos. I bought a used Takamine EF381C with a cracked top, but sold it fairly quickly and bought an EF381SC, because the cracks, although stable, were pretty evident on that black, glossy top.

 

[SMan]

If I could see the crack in person and determine if it was repaired correctly I would have no problem buying it. If it was online it would have to be a really good deal to take that kind of chance. I have guitars with repaired cracks (which you would have trouble finding) and they don't bother me a bit.

 

[jgwoods]

I have bought and sold guitars with cracks in the top. As long as the price is right it can be a real good way to get a nice guitar for short money. Properly repaired cracks don't bother guitars much. It even says that in the Guild owners manual.

If I was comparing two virtually identical guitars, one with cracks repaired, one without cracks at all, I would just buy the uncracked one, unless I could save about $300 by buying the cracked one and I was pretty sure of the repairs.

 

[adorshki]

If I was comparing two virtually identical guitars, one with cracks repaired, one without cracks at all, I would just buy the uncracked one, unless I could save about $300 by buying the cracked one and I was pretty sure of the repairs.

Second that.

 

[devellis]

A well-repaired crack shouldn't be much of an issue. A badly repaired crack is worse than an unrepaired crack by a considerable margin. I'd certainly want to check out a guitar with a repaired top crack, both to see how well the repair had been done and to determine if there were other issues. Tops crack primarily due to dryness or trauma. Both of those causes can also mess up things in less visible ways, like loosening braces.

Top cracks that are left unrepaired for a long time become trickier to repair well (as crud gets into the crack) and may need old wood to be excised and new wood grafted in its place. That's a tricky job to do really well and requires finding wood that has similar grain. Then, finish has to be matched to the original.

Functionally, a decently repaired crack top shouldn't impair the sound of the guitar noticeably. I agree that a crack diminishes the worth of a guitar and that its price should reflect that.

 

[Ridgemont]

If I was comparing two virtually identical guitars, one with cracks repaired, one without cracks at all, I would just buy the uncracked one, unless I could save about $300 by buying the cracked one and I was pretty sure of the repairs.

Second that.

third that :mrgreen:

 

[killdeer43]

I would....and I did.

F112

How do you like me now?

F112-6

Cracks? What cracks? :wink:
Joe

 

[adorshki]

Cracks? What cracks? :wink:
Joe

Did you re-finish that thing too? The "Before" pic looks so much darker than the "After" pic. Or was it just the lighting conditions?
And, yes, I like her now....

 

[jazzmang]

My only concern with buying a cracked top is that it implies a lack of care by the previous owner.

Lack of care leads to loose braces, heat damage, etc...

 

[Brad Little]

I did. Bought a LoPrinzi LR-20 with two top cracks and a structurally sound but cosmetically poor headstock repair, $183.50 including shipping from Arizona (maybe why the top cracked in the AZ desert) and a hard shell case. It's now at a luthier who owes me $200 for a guitar he bought from me (that I paid $100 a couple years ago). He's going to clean up the headstock, steam the cracks shut and probably add some cleats on the underside, and level the frets above the 12th or so (they buzz a bit). So, for less than $300, I will wind up with a Martin D-35 clone that I won't mind taking to places I might not want to take one of my A-list instruments. I am anxious to get it back and compare it to my D-50 and the D-35 a friend has.
You can see pictures of an LR-20 here: http://doctorgary.net/guitar.htm, although that one is the first generation and uses Brazilian, mine is from the T. LoPrinzi era and uses EI RW.
Brad

 

[onewilyfool]

My friend has an old ladder braced Stella from the 20's, the top and back look like aligator skin.....HOWEVER, it is one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played. I guess it must let the wood breath and vibrate more fully......it's all about the sound.....

 

[killdeer43]

Cracks? What cracks? :wink:
Joe

Did you re-finish that thing too? The "Before" pic looks so much darker than the "After" pic. Or was it just the lighting conditions?
And, yes, I like her now....

Al,
The lighting in the first shot was to emphasize the cracks, which were expertly cleated/repaired (this was part of a series for a thread a while back).
After the 6-string makeover, a bunch of TLC (waxing/rubbing....), new strings, etc., you're left to say..."what cracks?" :wink:

It's a sweet little guitar that came to me with the name, Katrina. (Are you out there, David?)

Joe

 

[twocorgis]

My Collings D2H has a well-repaired top crack, along with a couple of small dings that are not easy to see. Probably saved me ~$800 over what an uncracked one would have cost. My luthier said it was very well repaired, and was nothing to worry about. The guitar spent most of its life in Denver before I bought it, and it is dry there. Don't have that problem here on Long Island!

 

[killdeer43]

My only concern with buying a cracked top is that it implies a lack of care by the previous owner.

Lack of care leads to loose braces, heat damage, etc...

I don't think you can blame it all on "lack of care."
There could also be extenuating circumstances involved.

Life happens! :wink:
Joe

 

[killdeer43]

I would not hesitate to buy a solidly repaired guitar that sounded fabulous and showed some scars.

And....give it a good home!

Thanks for chiming in, David.

Joe (and Katrina)

 

[killdeer43]

My wife carries a scar on her nose from a terrible accident that happened when our daughter was 2, and in the back seat of the VW microbus.

Today, they're both healthy, happy, and beautiful women.

And I say, "What scar?" :wink:

Lucky ME!
Joe

 

[MojoTooth]

Unless it was a great deal to begin with I would not, I just don't like to put money into something that is immediately going to require a repair, unless the cost of the guitar plus the repair ends up being equal to or less than the value of the guitar if it wasn't damaged. Thats just me though and I may miss out on some great guitars because of it.

 

[GardMan]

My D-44 came to me with unrepeaired top crack and split tail/block... cost me <$125 for both repairs. They're not invisible... (the top crack has years of crud accumulated, and we did nothing to really hide the tail split), but I rarely think about them anymore.

 

[MojoTooth]

Unless it was a great deal to begin with I would not, I just don't like to put money into something that is immediately going to require a repair, unless the cost of the guitar plus the repair ends up being equal to or less than the value of the guitar if it wasn't damaged. Thats just me though and I may miss out on some great guitars because of it.

I totally agree with you Mojo. Some folks are good at repairs. Others have a shop that is reasonable, reliable and relatively close. Those factors limit the risk, but you are going out on a limb when investing in a project.

My whole point was that buying a well repaired instrument should not be scary. A good playing solid guitar with a few scars has exactly the same potential sonic value as the most pristine example. It just doesn't look as nice.

One might even argue that a heavily used guitar sounds better. Daily jams can have cosmetic and structural consequences, but there are long term rewards. Besides, nobody can see the finish on an instrument through a microphone.

:wink:

I agree with you, and for me it isnt even about the cosmetic look of the guitar, i like a guitar with some road wear on it and some mojo...it is just the idea that I have to immediately get it repaired that bothers me. If I can get it cheap and then have it repaired and end up with a steal I am all about that. Dings and scratches never bothered me on my guitars as long as they are honest wear and not the result of me being careless/stupid with the instrument.