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Joined:
July 2008
Posts: 9
| Hi - thought I might post this as a separate thread for those curious about the issue as well as myself - I received this (below) in reply to a question I sent to Ovation support - my bridge is firmly bonded all around but I was concerned about some slight bellying below it and a couple small cracks starting in line with the saddle, perpendicular to the strings. Where would the bolts be found? in relation to the bridge / top? Pic of the bridge crack (same on both sides) is here:
http://ovationfanclub.ning.com/photo/photo/show?id=2194223%3APhoto%...
Thanks!
Mike
Mike,
It's also a possibility that the bridge bolts are pulling on the top due to a bridge bonding problem. Check to make sure that the cracks don't originate at the bolts. If they do, then the bridge should be replaced ASAP. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | the bolts would be under the pearl dots you see below/behind the strings.. from looking at the pic, I'd say there aren't any cracks originating at the bolts. at least not the one we can see in the pic |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | I've never seen a crack in that location with any of my 'O's. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| The crack in your picture is nowhere near the bridge bolt. From the pic it looks like it may be a grain check from the bridge getting over-dry.
A quick fix would be to take some viscous cyanoacrylate (gel-type superglue) and mix it with mahogany dust (from sanding a small piece of mahogany - get a small turning blank from a woodworking supply house) to make a paste that you'd then force into the check with a small spatula or putty knife. After it dried you'd then sand it smooth. That would stabilize the check and keep it from widening.
That's a common technique in wood turning. Checks like that crop up frequently as wood dries unevenly when you turn wood that's not kiln dried. |
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Joined:
July 2008
Posts: 9
| Thanks, folks -- now that I know where the bolts are, I can confirm that the stress definitely doesn't originate there. It looks like the bridge itself was stressed (probably was too wet when assembled and cracked as it shrunk) where the saddle assembly was/is pulling against it and that caused the cracks. The superglue fix is one I considered. Wondered if hide glue and some dark sawdust (I have some black walnut that would match the bridge) might be effective but less likely to cause a problem if anything had to be changed. I figure the cracks will close a bit when the stress is off the bridge, possibly enough to clamp the glue and sawdust. Or maybe I'll just use the cyano -- Anyway, thanks once again for the feedback - great group here! |
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Bridge bolt location? Newbie
