Is this crack/split worth repairing?

ukemunga

ukemunga

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I think I bumped a doorframe while the uke was in a gig bag. The split is about 3 inches long.

It's an acacia KPK concert. About $200 new. My main squeeze.

The irony of it, is the day after I discovered the crack, my new hardcase arrived.

If doable, possible cost?

Thanks for any info.

Fred

CrackedKPK.jpg
 
Oh man Ukemunga! So sorry to hear about the crack, esp since I have a similar KPK and we talked about it before I purchased mine. Good luck with the repair!
 
UkueBass23 said:
Oh man Ukemunga! So sorry to hear about the crack, esp since I have a similar KPK and we talked about it before I purchased mine. Good luck with the repair!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'm really bummed. That was the one of all I've tried that had the fit, the sound, the playability, the look with my plain jane sensibility.

And that model is not in stock right now though the cutaway version is.
 
It's not a real difficult fix. If there's no crushing a luthier should be able to do an invisible repair.
You could do the job yourself if you want to save the cash (maybe a little less invisible) with medium viscosity CA and a clamp across the body. HHG is better if that's an option.
 
Trevor Phillips said:
It's not a real difficult fix. If there's no crushing a luthier should be able to do an invisible repair.
You could do the job yourself if you want to save the cash (maybe a little less invisible) with medium viscosity CA and a clamp across the body. HHG is better if that's an option.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply. Gonna go decipher it! :)

CA - Superglue?
HHG = ?

Wouldn't some kind of backer underneath be a good idea? And special C-clamps to go through the soundhole and hold the underside in place? I'm not much of a handyman that way and I don't have the appropriate hardware clamp-wise.
 
See a luthier in your area. Get a price for the repair.
It should be much less than new one.


Can I ask how you did that?
 
if you can't find a way yourself to clamp it yourself such that the crack is smoothed out then don't try yourself. Consider the fix to be part of the ukulele's character. This also could be a sign that you've hit you ukulele limit, the ODU put you over, and this is a push back towards equilibrium.
 
Last edited:
CA = superglue, but don't use the thin stuff.
HHG = Hot Hide Glue - the best fix as you can work it right into the crack and hold the thing together with tape. If you want to have another stab at it later you can reactivate the glue with steam - not an option with CA.
 
Ah bummer. Sorry to hear about the crack. I remember when I found a crack in my Kala acacia concert a couple days before my humidifier arrived in the mail. I didn't think it was an urgency since the RH was around 47%. Damn broke my heart 'cause I spent over 12hrs hand polishing the satin finish to gloss a few weeks earlier.

Personally, if the repair is under $80, I'd rather have a qualified luthier do the repair for me and save myself the headache if I mess up the repair.
 
Easy repair. HHG stands for hot hide glue. And that's what I'd be using.

Job would take less than an hour, but most of us have a minimum 1 hour billing time for such a job. Whatever the going rate in your area per hour is what you should expect.

Or buck up and learn how to do it yourself.
 
I would recommend using a professional for this repair. It is on the top of your instrument. But, whatever you do, please don't do it yourself with any super glue. Any mistakes will be permanent.
 
Just an update. Took it to DrFret (can search for the site if interested) today and it's getting fixed! Will have a wooden brace under split with appropriate clamps and hhg or whatever he deems best.

Also gonna put a little finish on the headstock where I removed the ugly (sorry KPK) logo sticker under the finish. The new laser engraved headstock logos don't look so ungainly. I mean huge Zapf Chancery logotype sticker, c'mon.

But this uke just "clicks" on everything I like of the many I've tried so far. Worth it.
 
bnolsen said:
if you can't find a way yourself to clamp it yourself such that the crack is smoothed out then don't try yourself. Consider the fix to be part of the ukulele's character. This also could be a sign that you've hit you ukulele limit, the ODU put you over, and this is a push back towards equilibrium.
Click to expand...

Just caught the subtle hilarity of this! :smileybounce:
 
ukemunga said:
Just an update. Took it to DrFret (can search for the site if interested) today and it's getting fixed! Will have a wooden brace under split with appropriate clamps and hhg or whatever he deems best.

Also gonna put a little finish on the headstock where I removed the ugly (sorry KPK) logo sticker under the finish. The new laser engraved headstock logos don't look so ungainly. I mean huge Zapf Chancery logotype sticker, c'mon.

But this uke just "clicks" on everything I like of the many I've tried so far. Worth it.
Click to expand...

Good call. Adds character. Now it will be the uke, not just a uke.
 
Phew, good to hear that it can be repaired! And I hear you on the headstock logos. Mine is engraved and they are much nicer.
 
I hope it sounds the same after they add another brace to the top. Hot Hide Glue looks pretty interesting, although I notice its not exactly cheap.
 
bnolsen said:
I hope it sounds the same after they add another brace to the top. Hot Hide Glue looks pretty interesting, although I notice its not exactly cheap.
Click to expand...

I suspect the luthier plans to glue in cleats (small diamond shaped scraps of wood) rather than a medium-sized plank, so this should have little effect on the sound.

And hide glue is pretty cheap stuff - a few pennies/cents for this job. But no-one will sell you a teaspoon of hide glue granules, obviously, so you have to buy a whole bag which will make a dozen or more ukes.
 
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