Glue for binding on a 1953 Gretsch Electromatic 6185-6

[Matt Walton]

Hi all, I have a 1953 Gretsch Electromatic 6185-6, and about an inch of binding came loose (see attachments), so I'm wondering about the proper way to repair it.

Question 1: I was talking to the guy who usually works on my guitars, and he recommended heating it slightly to bend it back into place. Is this necessary for such a short length?

Question 2: What is the proper glue for this? I'm familiar with Duco Cement as a popular choice, but I'm not hot to buy a whole tube for a 1" repair. I have a jar of Plastruct Bondene. Would this work? Otherwise, what do you recommend, or should I just buy the Duco Cement?

Thanks!

[Barry Daniels]

You do not have to heat it. It should bend back easily into place. Duco is the correct glue for plastic binding but any squeeze-out will damage adjacent finish. So that is a big issue. You could carefully mask off the area and have a solvent dampened rag handy to quickly remove squeeze out. Then use masking tape to hold the binding in place while the glue dries.

The other and perhaps safer option is to use a PVA glue like Titebond. The squeeze out (even if it has dried) can be removed by a water dampened rag and the finish will not be affected. Titebond will not be as strong as Duco but will probably be strong enough.

[Brian Evans]

I would probably dab in some medium thick CA (crazy glue) with a tooth-pick to avoid squeeze out, and just press it flat for 30 seconds. I use CA glue for just about all of the plastic binding I do, can't buy DUCO in Canada for some obscure reason.

[Matt Walton]

Thanks y'all. I'll probably go for the Duco Cement.

Barry, what solvent do you recommend? I know naphtha tends to be pretty safe, but I don't know if that's what would actually help to clean it up.

[Barry Daniels]

I am not sure. I don't use Duco on finished instruments because of the finish damage. But if you acted quickly, naphtha or mineral spirits would probably be fine and they definitely will not damage the finish. But I highly recommend you mask off the area around the repair.

[Matt Walton]

Oh don't worry, I'll definitely mask it off. Thanks for the help!