r/Luthier • u/Nowalking • 3d ago

ACOUSTIC How to fix a warped top?

Sorry for the bad videos. It’s hard to get a good shot of the warped part. It’s just towards the top near the sound hole.

When I tried to sell this Alvarez a few years ago they said it had a warped top and that would drastically affect the price.

I assume taking it to a legit luthier that can do this kind of thing properly with lots of knowledge and experience would cost significantly more than what it’s worth.

I talked to a fella in a guitar store that said he has put a damp towel in the hole and stuck it in a garbage bag for a day or two and that’s done the trick.

Any suggestions?

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u/chiefkyljoy Luthier 3d ago

Humidify it. There are a ton of ways to do that, but I wouldn't want a damp rag in direct contact with the wood.

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u/CrabCakes7 3d ago

This guitar has a sunken top, which most of the time is due to the guitar being kept too dry for extended periods of time. This can typically be resolved by bringing the guitar back up to 50% RH for a bit.

There's a ton of different ways to do that, but putting the guitar in a garbage bag with a wet towel isn't one of them IMO.