New 00-40 - Cracked Bridge

[artanner95]

All,

I'm the excited, new owner of a Larrivee 00-40 that was purchased at a local shop here in Colorado (not naming the shop) just yesterday. Tonight, when looking at the rosette under a flashlight, I noticed a crack running through at least half the length of the bridge starting on the far left edge and running behind the bridge pins.

The shop has a 1 week return policy, and they seemed great to work with so hopefully they won't have any issue working with me as I've owned the guitar for a total 34 hours at this point. I'm just curious how significant of a repair this is as the guitar is exactly what I wanted and sounds phenominal. I didn't have a light on me in the store, or think to check with a flashlight, and as the ebony is so dark this went unnoticed.

Any feedback is much appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrew

[artanner95]

Another picture of the cracked bridge - hopefully this is a bit more clear.

[StringPicker6]

If it was me, I would return it for a new one. Otherwise, that crack would haunt me forever. Im sure a replacement 00 will sound just as amazing. Good luck!

[jpmist]

Just to be clear, the crack you see is parallel to the red line in the pic below?

I had a similar crack on a 5-6 year old Taylor 412 ages ago and it ended up being a warranty repair where the guy simply squirted some glue on the crack. Which was fine and I had no problem with it. If it was on a used guitar I'd have no issue with buying it.

But on a new guitar, I wouldn't accept that. Over the life of the guitar that 130 lbs or so of tension there can only widen the crack. It might take a few decades to be a potential issue, but why take the chance?

[markj]

Did you talk to your dealer about this? As it is a brand new guitar, I would return it. If you love it that much, ask for a discount and a free repair. Not sure if just putting glue in there would suffice as a long-term repair.

[artanner95]

The dealer replied and is more than willing to either repair it in house (well known and respected lutherie) if Larrivee allows, or they will send it back to Larrivee for their review / repair.

The image above is correct showing the crack parallel to the red line, then it continues out the left side of the bridge.

I guess I'm curious how Larrivee would handle it, if the entire bridge would be replaced or if the crack would just be repaired. Just want to avoid issues long term, but would like to keep the guitar as they are impossible to find around here.

Thanks all for the feedback so far.

[Strings4Him]

Makes sense if Larrivee sends your dealer a new bridge for them to replace

https://www.larrivee.com/shop/larrive-parlor-replacement-bridge


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[jpmist]

The dealer replied and is more than willing to either repair it in house (well known and respected lutherie) if Larrivee allows, or they will send it back to Larrivee for their review / repair. I guess I'm curious how Larrivee would handle it, if the entire bridge would be replaced or if the crack would just be repaired. Just want to avoid issues long term, but would like to keep the guitar as they are impossible to find around here.

Sounds great that the dealer is being helpful. My experience with a Larrivee warranty repair was almost 10 years ago, but it did take several months for them to return the guitar. One of the items fixed was the bridge which had lifted from the top and they did a perfect repair that looked new.

I don't think I'm trying to be self-serving, but in the interest of full disclosure I should mention that I have a really nice LA Guitar custom spruce/rosewood OO-03R for sale if that option is on the table for you . . .

Hopefully this experience won't sour you on what should be a glorious bonding experience with a brand new Larrivee OO. I'm very fond of that model and you have many years of fun play ahead of you!

[eded]

Did the dealer inspect it and verify it is a crack and not just the grain of the wood?  

Regardless, I'd suggest you return the guitar since it's within the return policy.  You are already not satisfied with the guitar, and that rarely resolves itself.  Usually, once someone sees a guitar as "defective", it will almost always be that.

Good luck

Ed

[B0WIE]

Not sure that's a crack. Ebony definitely can crack and I've replaced crackled bridges. But, ebony also has dramatic gains here and there, and they can appear exactly as in the photo. Not saying it ISN'T a crack. The photo is out of focus so we can't see for sure. If it's not separating and allowing you to put the corner of a piece of paper through, it's probably not a crack. Cracks on raw wood rarely form and then stay closed. They form because tension is making the gains pull away from each other.

Edit; I see the magnified photo showing the red line; the area parallel to the red line is not a crack. That's grain. Cracks don't form in staggered lines like that. Like I said, they form for a reason and cause separation. If there is a crack, it's not that portion.

If it is cracked, a clean replacement makes the guitar good as new.

[artanner95]

All, thanks for the feedback. One note- not questioning whether or not the bridge is cracked. The pictures don't do it justice - not quite the iPhone photographer unfortunately. It is a hairline crack that is much more prevalent starting on the left side of the bridge (which I cannot seem to get in focus) through the depth of the bridge, continuing onward to where it tapers away somewhere behind the bridge pins. No, it is not wide enough to insert a piece of paper into, and it is certainly not the grain.

Regardless, I appreciate the feedback. Curious if they will end up gluing and clamping the crack or a full bridge replacement. I'd imagine it would be difficult to get glue into the crack based on the minimal width.

If you download the picture attached to this message (not sure how to get it included in the body as I did in my first post), it's a bit more apparent.

[artanner95]

All, quick update - Larrivee approved the local Luthier to make the repair and the guitar is back in great shape. The crack is nearly invisible and hopefully will remain as such for a long time. Glad to have it back so quickly - it's an unbelievable instrument.

[markj]

Good to hear it was resolved to your satisfaction. You really can't beat Larrivée customer service.

[jpmist]

All, quick update - Larrivee approved the local Luthier to make the repair and the guitar is back in great shape. The crack is nearly invisible and hopefully will remain as such for a long time. Glad to have it back so quickly - it's an unbelievable instrument.

Thanks for checking back, great news! Glad it was a simple fix as you sound like you would have really missed it!

[Strings4Him]

Glad to hear 👍


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