Home Mandolin Table Hospital

 

     Like the problems with the back, problems with the sound board come in a variety of forms, but again stem from the usual causes....

  • string stress; too heavy a choice can cause warping, splitting, breakage of top struts, and pulling up of the tail.

  • shrinkage of the wood; wood shrinks more laterally, and will split if not well seasoned when the instrument was built.

   ....irrespective of the type of top, the solutions are broadly the same.

canted tops flat tops domed tops typical damage
   The solutions are more or less drastic depending on the problem. The four page links below will address the 4 biggest issues....
Split Repairs Repairing Warps Top Removal  Rebuilding Tops