Mountain W350 Soundboard Crack: Assessment and Repair

First, we establish what has been damaged

With a visible line, you need to distinguish finish damage from a crack in the wood. For the repair plan, what matters is the location of the damage, the condition of its edges and the surrounding area inside the body. A photograph taken from above may not be enough on its own for this assessment.

Not every gap should be filled with glue straight away. A diagnosis is needed first, so that the repair method can be matched to the particular soundboard. The gluing method and any reinforcement are chosen after the damage has been inspected.

Humidity is part of the condition assessment

Dry conditions can make wood shrink and crack, and can change body geometry and action. Storage conditions therefore deserve attention when a soundboard is damaged. Information about where the guitar was kept and any recent environmental changes complements the inspection.

This does not mean every crack was caused by dry air. Do not determine the cause simply because it resembles another guitar in a photograph. Monitoring storage conditions after repair is useful, but does not replace assessment of the repaired joint.

Mountain W350: more than a soundboard repair

On this Mountain W350 we repaired a soundboard crack, levelled the fingerboard and replaced the frets. The guitar received a bone nut and bone saddle. We also installed a new pickguard and serviced the hardware.

The work combined body repair with preparation of the neck and the string-support components. On an older acoustic, it is worth assessing these areas together, even when the immediate reason for bringing the guitar in is a single visible fault.

A nut must fit the instrument

A bone nut needs to be fitted to its seat and to the string spacing. The width and depth of the string slots should suit the specific set of strings. The final height is checked once the strings are installed and tuned. The material of the part alone is no substitute for correct workmanship.

What to do before visiting the workshop

Photograph the whole instrument and take a close-up of the damage. Note when you noticed it and whether playability changed. Describe any previous repairs you know about. This information helps prepare the condition assessment.

Acoustic guitar soundboard crack: assessment and repair plan. Mountain W350