Martin Binding Repair

This Martin OOO-18 came in with a binding separation at the waist. Unfortunately, this is all too common with newer Martin guitars.

A common assumption is that you can just heat the binding and push it back into place. The problem is tension. If the binding has shrunk, forcing it back will almost always lead to it lifting again later.

What this repair required:

– Releasing the binding from the waist up and cleaning the binding slot
– Letting it settle into a natural, stress-free position
– Filling the gap that formed at the heel with a small filler strip (thank you for the binding, Dave)
– Respraying lacquer and buffing to match the original finish

The goal isn’t just to make it look right — it’s to make sure it stays down long-term.

If you’ve got a Martin with binding starting to lift, catching it early can make a big difference.

Reach out here for an appointment.

-Rhett

Serving Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Nashville and all of Middle TN