Help Please! Is This a Problem?!

[Diane Kauffmds]

I was getting ready to put in the rosette into my Carpathian Spruce top for my build OM, when I found this pocket (?). I'm not sure what it is, but when lightly sanded, it opened more. It's about 1 cm long, so it's not a small thing. It seems to lay between 2 grainlines.

What is this? I cannot work around it; it's placed so that it will be square in the center of the upper bout of the guitar. Will it cause a problem with the structural integrity of the guitar top?

[Chuck73]

Would it be possible to flip the top over and position it so that the upper brace falls over it?

[tippie53]

how is it on the other side.
if I sent that to you I can get you another

[Diane Kauffmds]

how is it on the other side.
if I sent that to you I can get you another

The opening doesn't go through. I cleaned it up to 320 grit.

[Diane Kauffmds]

The only thing I can see on the reverse side is this whatever. LOL Sorry, I don't know what it is. I think it's just cosmetic.

Sorry for the lousy photos; I started running out of light. It appears as a smudge at a distance. Here are photos of the reverse side of the top (with a rectangle around the area), along with a closeup of the area. This area is not open.

I just want to make certain that the top wood is structurally sound, before doing anything else:

[Chuck73]

Looks like a pitch pocket. I had a similar issue on the adirondack top I was using. I flipped it over and made sure it was under a finger brace. Structuarlly it seems fine and the guitar sounds great.

[Diane Kauffmds]

Looks like a pitch pocket. I had a similar issue on the adirondack top I was using. I flipped it over and made sure it was under a finger brace. Structuarlly it seems fine and the guitar sounds great.

Chuck, do you mean the first photo, with the hole, or the second set of photos?

[Chuck73]

First set of pics was the front and second pics was the back correct? Looks like the pitch pocket I had in my top. What I did is put he open side on the inside, made sure a brace was over it, filled the void with glue and was careful not to sand through when finishing the other side. I have only built one and a half guitars, so I'm no expert.

[Chuck73]

I don't know for sure but I wouldn't trust it to not be a potential weak spot if it weren't reinforced.

[Diane Kauffmds]

First set of pics was the front and second pics was the back correct? Looks like the pitch pocket I had in my top. What I did is put he open side on the inside, made sure a brace was over it, filled the void with glue and was careful not to sand through when finishing the other side. I have only built one and a half guitars, so I'm no expert.

I'll take a look to see if a brace will cover the pocket; I'm not too sure that it will and I don't have a lot of wiggle room as far as the layout. Thanks.