I have to deal with that nasty crack at the tail section. The hardwood is too rigid to clamp the crack back together. Precise clamping of the curved bowl is not easy, either. A wooden patch seems to be the best option
Here's a strip of mahogany I glued to cover the crack. That should halt any further cracking. On the outside, the crack is visible. I'll back-fill this with epoxy.
The damage to the soundboard binding is unacceptable. When I removed the soundboard, a lot of the binding came with it, especially by the tail.
I'm thinking about removing the binding, cutting it flush with the soundboard shelf. The binding could be rebuilt with a new strip of mahogany along the perimeter. This would simplify fitting of the new soundboard and make for a clean appearance.
I'd better sleep on this idea!
