ichadwick
Well-known member
Just got a baritone uke (Beansprout, built by Aaron Keim) and it has two cracks in it. The finish seems to be hand-rubbed oil. Would like some advice from our luthier members.
There's a small, almost invisible hairline crack from the bridge to the lower end of the top, which I believe is the two top pieces separating slightly. This is probably just one or both sides drying out a bit and lifting, so I think applying some wood (teak) oil to the top should help prevent it from going further. I don't think it's serious, but will need watching and probably regular oiling.
There is a more noticeable crack on the back - sloppily repaired by the former owner so the two sides of it don't align (one side is a bit higher than the other, so it's easily felt and seen, and the wood glue is pretty obvious). It doesn't affect the sound, but I didn't know about it before, and the former owner never mentioned it to me in our conversations. I'm a bit miffed at finding it out only after opening the box.
I'm not sure what can be done to it. I don't think it's a serious crack that could worsen, but I'm not a luthier who can determine these things. I am not sure about sanding it because I don't want to weaken a spot on the back, but can't think of another way to better smooth the difference between the two sides.
Any suggestions or comments?
There's a small, almost invisible hairline crack from the bridge to the lower end of the top, which I believe is the two top pieces separating slightly. This is probably just one or both sides drying out a bit and lifting, so I think applying some wood (teak) oil to the top should help prevent it from going further. I don't think it's serious, but will need watching and probably regular oiling.
There is a more noticeable crack on the back - sloppily repaired by the former owner so the two sides of it don't align (one side is a bit higher than the other, so it's easily felt and seen, and the wood glue is pretty obvious). It doesn't affect the sound, but I didn't know about it before, and the former owner never mentioned it to me in our conversations. I'm a bit miffed at finding it out only after opening the box.
I'm not sure what can be done to it. I don't think it's a serious crack that could worsen, but I'm not a luthier who can determine these things. I am not sure about sanding it because I don't want to weaken a spot on the back, but can't think of another way to better smooth the difference between the two sides.
Any suggestions or comments?
