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How to Fix a Warped Acoustic

Revitalize your warped guitar back to perfect condition.
Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images

If your acoustic guitar has a warped soundboard, either the front or the back, don't despair or throw it away, you can repair it to look and sound just like new. When the wood of your acoustic guitar is heated, cooled or exposed to moisture, warping can occur when the soundboard is pulled away from the internal ribbing inside. Reversing these effects is possible if the correct process is followed.

Things You'll Need:

  • Clamps
  • Painter'S Mixing Stick
  • Wood Glue
  • Small Mirror
  • 2 Flat Wood Boards

Remove the strings from your guitar.

Look inside the body of the guitar through the sound hole using a small mirror. Look for any gaps between the top or bottom soundboards and the ribbing. Push on the top to check for any gaps.

Place a small amount of wood glue onto the end of your painter's stick and carefully insert it through the sound hole and apply the glue between the soundboard and ribbing.

Clamp the top and bottom soundboards together using a flat board on either side of the guitar with various c-clamps sandwiching them together. Allow for the glue to dry over the course of a day before removing the clamps and checking the soundboards.

Re-string the guitar and enjoy.

Tip

Leaving a wet cloth inside the body of the guitar with the sound hole covered can help provide a little flexibility to the wood of your guitar.

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