2014/02/17 07:22:06
gswitz
Looks a lot like one of my old guitars. Living for a couple of years with a wood stove for heat dried mine out pretty well. Sounds great still. :-)
2014/02/17 07:22:34
gswitz
.
2014/02/17 07:32:49
RobertB
Bit of a side note, and you may already do this, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
When you drop the new strings in the hole, make sure the ring doesn't get trapped against the base of the peg.
Wiggle it off so it can ride up to the back of the face. This transfers the pressure to the side of the peg and the face.
You'll get a positive seat, and you don't need to kill the pegs to get them to stay put.
2014/02/17 08:34:48
spacey
Well now that I'm awake and at work I can't see the pics...
 
Here's my take- take it or through it away...you're guitar, you're call.
 
Sharke if you want to try the repairs before having the bridge replaced-
There is a lot of wear on the bridge. The slots are working their way to the saddle and can eventually break the saddle. (that and that I didn't see humidity problems with the top lead me to believe it's wear and peg pressure causing the cracks on the bridge)
 
What I would try;
 
Reach in the soundhole and put some tape to stop anything from dripping inside the body.
Take a little Naptha and clean out the slots - don't worry -just don't soak the thing.
Take some epoxy and rosewood fine sawdust and fill the wear slots. One can completely fill the peg holes and redrill but I'd hold off on that. Get the wear slots filled and repair the splitting bridge.
 
Once you spread the cracks best you can-not to much but enough to get all the glue in you can- clean/flush cracks with Naptha - once dried/evaporated and it won't take long-work the glue in,clamp it and clean up all the glue-inside the peg holes too.
 
Now address the fretboard;
Clean with Naptha. Apply fingerboard oil. When it seems to have soaked it in (something you'll just have to watch, apply again. Repeat while watching the crack as it should close up. This could take many days or weeks. Once it does just lightly oil the fretboard- yearly should be enough.
 
Now all the glueing should be cured and you clean/file the slot area as needed.
 
If you need to replace the saddle- hard to say by the photo - but if so and you think you can fit it and file the string slots...go for it. Blanks are easy to get and you may want to get some new pegs too and make sure you seat them and the strings correctly as Robert mentioned.
 
Won't hurt to lightly oil the bridge with that fretboard oil either. Just remember...a very little amount is good.
 
With the glue: You have one shot. The wood needs to be clean, well glued and clamped. It needs to cure good before stressing.
Do not disturb the wood in the cracks. It will close up better if you don't mess around in there. Just clean it up so the glue can do it's thing.
 
 
 
2014/02/17 08:44:38
spacey
Here.
If you want to ask the pro's as well as a novice like me. (couldn't edit my above post for whatever reason)
 
2014/02/17 10:37:57
clintmartin
You would think Rudy's would know someone. I've only visited there once, but they had a lot of acoustics. You would think there would be hundreds of guys in the city.
2014/02/17 17:01:58
sharke
spacey
Well now that I'm awake and at work I can't see the pics...
 
Here's my take- take it or through it away...you're guitar, you're call.
 
Sharke if you want to try the repairs before having the bridge replaced-
There is a lot of wear on the bridge. The slots are working their way to the saddle and can eventually break the saddle. (that and that I didn't see humidity problems with the top lead me to believe it's wear and peg pressure causing the cracks on the bridge)
 
What I would try;
 
Reach in the soundhole and put some tape to stop anything from dripping inside the body.
Take a little Naptha and clean out the slots - don't worry -just don't soak the thing.
Take some epoxy and rosewood fine sawdust and fill the wear slots. One can completely fill the peg holes and redrill but I'd hold off on that. Get the wear slots filled and repair the splitting bridge.
 
Once you spread the cracks best you can-not to much but enough to get all the glue in you can- clean/flush cracks with Naptha - once dried/evaporated and it won't take long-work the glue in,clamp it and clean up all the glue-inside the peg holes too.
 
Now address the fretboard;
Clean with Naptha. Apply fingerboard oil. When it seems to have soaked it in (something you'll just have to watch, apply again. Repeat while watching the crack as it should close up. This could take many days or weeks. Once it does just lightly oil the fretboard- yearly should be enough.
 
Now all the glueing should be cured and you clean/file the slot area as needed.
 
If you need to replace the saddle- hard to say by the photo - but if so and you think you can fit it and file the string slots...go for it. Blanks are easy to get and you may want to get some new pegs too and make sure you seat them and the strings correctly as Robert mentioned.
 
Won't hurt to lightly oil the bridge with that fretboard oil either. Just remember...a very little amount is good.
 
With the glue: You have one shot. The wood needs to be clean, well glued and clamped. It needs to cure good before stressing.
Do not disturb the wood in the cracks. It will close up better if you don't mess around in there. Just clean it up so the glue can do it's thing.
 
 
 


Thanks for all your advice. I've been going over your instructions in my mind and fantasizing about doing it myself, but realistically I'm a complete klutz when it comes to anything like this and to be honest I don't think my apartment is cut out for guitar repair! I think I have probably used strings that were too heavy and if I manage to get this fixed up then I'll definitely downscale to 13's. Also I just realized I was getting bridge and saddle mixed up in my original post! Never was fully clear about guitar terminology...
2014/02/17 17:09:06
sharke
clintmartin
You would think Rudy's would know someone. I've only visited there once, but they had a lot of acoustics. You would think there would be hundreds of guys in the city.


I forgot about Rudy's. I did try googling for luthiers but they all seem to be out of the city. Stands to reason really when you consider how much it costs to keep a workshop in NYC.
2014/02/17 17:10:09
sharke
RobertB
Bit of a side note, and you may already do this, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
When you drop the new strings in the hole, make sure the ring doesn't get trapped against the base of the peg.
Wiggle it off so it can ride up to the back of the face. This transfers the pressure to the side of the peg and the face.
You'll get a positive seat, and you don't need to kill the pegs to get them to stay put.


Funnily enough I always do this without thinking about why.
2014/02/17 17:10:10
sharke
RobertB
Bit of a side note, and you may already do this, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
When you drop the new strings in the hole, make sure the ring doesn't get trapped against the base of the peg.
Wiggle it off so it can ride up to the back of the face. This transfers the pressure to the side of the peg and the face.
You'll get a positive seat, and you don't need to kill the pegs to get them to stay put.


Funnily enough I always do this without thinking about why.
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