My Use of Glues in Repairing Musical Instruments

by Kjell Croce

Originally published in American Lutherie #117, 2014



I had a conversation with a friend who does guitar repair about which glue to use for a repair he was working on. He said that he uses Franklin’s Titebond for almost every glue job, except for an occasional use of superglue and very rarely, epoxy. After our conversation, I began to reflect on all of the glues I use in repair, and why or when I choose each one.

In repairing and building instruments for twenty years, I have worked on a wide range of fine instruments such as guitars, banjos, and mandolins, and I have learned about using glues for repair work from some very fine repairmen and builders. Of course, I have also learned more about glue selection through firsthand experience. I believe that certain glues work best for certain repair jobs, and that luthiers need to know how to select and use them well. Allow me to share what works for me.