Fixing a sunken top

[Eric Gleason]

Could use some help figuring out the best repair strategy for this Tacoma, whose top has sunk.  I mostly see this on Martins, but sometimes on other types as well.

This particular guitar is not worth the expense of removing and regluing braces.  Maybe some gentle heat and pressure on the inside to get the glue to creep and let the top come up?  Just bag it and make a taller saddle?

Humidifying it has had little effect.

[Roger Häggström]

My best guess is that the cross of the X-braces is loose or that a brace is cracked.

[Eric Gleason]

I did finally find a short crack in one of the X braces.  Was in a tough spot to see, even with a mirror.  I reglued that with a scissor jack pushing up from the inside and that brought the top up enough that she's playable.  

For this cheap guitar, that's as far as we'll go.  

[Walter W Wright]

is this the "olympia" budget import version?

because real tacomas were very nice american made all solid wood guitars and well worth fixing properly!

(their main problem was a disastrous finish defect that caused the paint to peel off in sheets) 

[Mark McLean]

It is a nice looking top.  I hope your repair keeps it a bit straighter!