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Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 24
| Hi all. I recently purchased a US-made MM-68 on eBay.
Here's a link:
http://cgi.ebay.com?ViewItem&item=391033082791
It arrived yesterday and it has 2 obvious finish cracks, about 3/4" each, radiating from the bridge screw areas. I think it's a '95, so I have no idea how long they've been this way and how stable they are. In the auction pics, you can see the cracks if you know to look for them, but they're very faint / not obvious and the mandolin was described as "excellent" condition. It's otherwise in very good shape for its age. Other than the finish cracks, there's a scratch on the side of the neck near the nut that probably happened while changing strings.
My initial instinct was to return it. The seller (a pawn shop) is being very good about it. They are apologetic and willing to accept a return or to entertain a partial refund if I'd like to suggest one.
I paid a little over $500. In order for me to not be bugged by the cracks every time I looked at them, I'd have to feel like I got a really good deal.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts...
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6992
Location: Jet City | I paid a lot more for mine. $500 is a steal. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4028
Location: Utah | Excellent price even with some minor finish imperfections.
For the finish cracks, a thin cyanoacrylate glue works very well. Don't use grocery store glue, go to a hobby shop or luthier supply shop, or perhaps a good woodworking shop (not a big box home improvement store). StewMac sells a good thin CYA glue and "whip tips" which are tiny thin applicator tips. Wick a little bit of glue into the crack, then let it set. Depending on how it looks, you can smooth it out one of several ways. Acetone dissolves CYA glue, so a paper towel wet with acetone wiped along the glue will smooth it out. But be sure to test the finish of the instrument with a little dab of acetone in an inconspicuous spot first! Ovation guitar factory gloss finish is not affected by acetone. Dunno if the mando is the same though I would expect it to be safe. Stewmac has a good video on drop filling using superglue which shows how to make a little scraper out of a razor blade and scotch tape. This would work to take off an excess of CYA before using the acetone.
Wear a respirator or work outdoors when you use acetone.
The StewMac polishing pads, little foam pads with precise grit surfaces, do a really nice job of polishing up repairs. The scratch on the neck might be easily polished out with the pads. Start with one of the middle grits, not the coarsest grit, and see how it works. You'll polish using each successively finer grit pad until the scratch is gone. If the scratch goes to the wood, you could fill it first with clear nail polish or cya glue, then polish it. Ask in the BFLG forum if someone here doesn't offer some expertise in repairing a scratch to the wood (I am not well informed on that repair).
Edited by FlySig 2015-02-01 12:48 PM
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Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 24
| Thanks for the input. I'm keeping it (plus I got a little more off the price from the seller). It requires a little cleanup, but I'm looking forward to it. Whoever had it before played the absolute hell out of it. It has finger crud on basically every fret / string combination on the fretboard. I really like the plugged sound and it's more than passable acoustically for practice. Some new Adamas strings are on the way and I'll get it back in shape this weekend. |
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Advice on MM68 Needed
