Broke my mandolin :( How bad is it and what should I do?

[john09121]

The nut that held the strap to the bottom of my instrument came out. My mandolin fell and the side smashed in on the coffee table. The top and bottom portions of the body are intact and it still sounds fine. It just looks really bad.. and I'm worried it might get worse over time. Is this repairable?

Here are some pics. They make it look a little bit worse than it is, but it's a pretty good sized dent.

[Folkmusician.com]

It is not as bad as it looks. You should get it repaired as soon as possible though. Try to keep the open seam there clean.

I wouldn't necessarily call it an easy repair, since the side has to be pushed back out. It can probably be done without removing the back. You will want to look inside and check the lining and see how it looks. Make sure whoever does the repair uses the correct glue. Normally hide glue on the better mandolins.

[john09121]

Thanks robert! Any idea how much I should expect to pay for a repair like this?

[bmac]

What brand model of mandolin is it? Is it f hole or oval hole?and roughly how much did you pay if new? Or roughly its value if old. Value of instrument may suggest something about the approach the repair person should take.

Brand and model may tell how it is constructed and what kind of finish it has. Modern finishes may be harder to deal with.

f or oval hole tell us about access from the front.

As suggested with the back off the repair might be easy and the hardest part may be reviving the finish.

[kkmm]

The same story happened with another member with a Kentucky where the strap button is a plug-in type.
This is why I prefer a screw-in strap button.

[john09121]

What brand model of mandolin is it? Is it f hole or oval hole?and roughly how much did you pay if new? Or roughly its value if old. Value of instrument may suggest something about the approach the repair person should take.

Brand and model may tell how it is constructed and what kind of finish it has. Modern finishes may be harder to deal with.

f or oval hole tell us about access from the front.

As suggested with the back off the repair might be easy and the hardest part may be reviving the finish.

It's an eastman md 504, oval hole. I thinkI paid around $650 for it last summer.

[Folkmusician.com]

Hi John,

I am not sure as far as an estimate goes. The good news is that Eastman does use Hide glue, and your finish will be repairable. Since this is a 504 model it makes it a little harder to decide what is best. On one hand, these are great mandolins, on the other, you do not want a repair bill that exceeds the value of the instrument. In a case like this, I would not shoot for perfection on the cosmetic side. I would just glue the cracks and get the side pushed back. Re-attach the lining if needed, then glue up the back seam. If you want to keep the price down, most of that finish damage can be melted back together with fair results. The cost can easily double if you want the damage hidden.