New Luthier Tips du Jour video - crack repair using tuning machines

[Robbie O'Brien]

Here is the latest Luthier Tips du Jour video. - In this video I offer a tip for using tuning machines to do a crack repair.
This video as well as all my other videos are available via my website, http://www.obrienguitars.com/videos , LMI's website or on youtube.
Don't forget to subscribe to my channel if you want to get the latest Luthier Tips du Jour videos when they are released.

youtu.be/BxaFdXC-jc8

[Mark McLean]

That technique became widely known from Don Teeter’s book (published in 1975), The Acoustic Guitar - adjustment, care, maintenance and repair. A classic book, and still in print. I am looking at it now and on page 53 Teeter credits the idea to a friend named Bill Cheatwood, who first showed him the technique of using a tuning machine and guitar string for clamping a crack in a lute. Did Mr Cheatwood invent it, or was it passed to him from some other luthier of the past? It would be nice to know. Anyway - neat trick, and thanks for the nice demonstration Robbie.

[blackalex1952]

Thinking outside the box, that idea could have been done with a single backing plate with two holes in it, a loop of string and a tapered wooden wedge on the soundboard-or perhaps some kind of take on a windlass with a hollowed block of wood on the outside, or even a tapered violin style or flamenco style tuning peg in a hollowed block of wood. Soundboards like this were found in ancient India and in the pyramid tombs of Egypt...think ouds and other instruments. Necessity would be the mother of invention...just imagine in the ancient world a musical instrument repairer fixing an old crack for a court musician who had a gig for the King? Or a bloke repairing the hull of a boat...the idea could have come through history, but a good method anyway and still used. There's always more than one way to skin a cat!(for strings, of course!) cheers Ross!