Top crack
A split in the soundboard of an acoustic guitar, usually running along the grain and caused by shrinkage in dry conditions.
Wood shrinks across the grain far more than along it, so when a guitar dries out the top contracts and a split opens along the grain, often from the edge of the soundhole or beside the bridge. The crack itself is repairable with glue and sometimes a small cleat or spline, but the underlying cause has to be addressed or the repair will simply reopen. A crack that has been open for a long time will not close cleanly and may need a glued fillet instead.
Example: An acoustic guitar stored through a dry winter with a crack running from the soundhole edge towards the bridge has a top crack from shrinkage.
See also
Related
- PageSolid top
- PageHumidity
- PageCase humidifier
- PageAction gauge
- PageAged finish
- PageBack bow
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley