Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off? - Guitar Repair and Maintenance

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

gnease — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 21:52:35 +0000

4. & 6. Tell me please, gnease, if you have installed the screw mounted (less expensive) JDL Bridge Doctor, does it come with adequate instructions and is it simple to install? (I would assume it is quite easy) This looks like an EXCELLENT idea for some acoustic bridge repairs such as the one I described where the soundboard itself has pulled up, BUT I am not sure that this would be necessary on the nice looking Jay Turser shown in this topic. without being able to see it in person it appears that the glue just came loose on the bridge piece without a defect on the soundboard or bracing- perhaps due to excessive temperature conditions. Installing the 'bridge doctor' might be unecessary in that case. I have seen and examined a cutaway of a Breedlove(?) guitar (on display at Guitar Center), and they have this 'bridge doctor' component which is part of the as built facotry set-up.

I would LOVE to have that Jay Turser acoustic with the cutaway and repair it but the shipping costs to the Pacific Northwest make it cost prohibitive for me to make a competitive offer. If it was anywhere closer I would jump on the opportunity though. I have indeed installed the screw version in a nice Guild 12-string dhodge gave me many years ago. It helps the bridge pull up problem because it counteracts bellying of the top, which exacerbates bridge lifting: The bridge isn't as flexible as the top, so it stays flat when the top bellies under string tension. This causes the top to pull away from the bridge, especially at the back edge. So if the top stays flat, more than half the battle is won.

In any case, the Turser probably needs the structural help.

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

Nick Torres — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 07:15:28 +0000

Yep and thanks.

I had to edit a bit to remove the political content, but I do understand what you are saying, this just isn't the place.

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

phangeaux — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 06:20:24 +0000

I'd pay the postage for you to send it to me. I'd fix it and donate it to a guitar camp for at risk kids if you don't get a better offer...<
<
Hi Nick,

That's an honorable suggestion and I am certainly planning on sending repaired instruments down the road for charity too, as I gradually upgrade to better instruments. Fixing these broken ones is becoming a hobby, a few I will keep until I come up with better ones, then out they go. I am on very low medical disability income (I sacrifice much in order to really pinch pennies to buy music stuff but this is my passion). One thing that is amazing to me is that even very cheap guitars that need repair, that most people would dispose of, literally throw in a garbage can, when fixed up properly are decent instruments to play, especially for someone who has no instrument or is just learning. I fondly recall when I was young playing on old cheap guitars with warped necks and missing strings and I enjoyed every minute of it and learned a great deal too. It didn't matter to me nor anyone else I played with if a guitar was expensive or not. We just wanted to play and learn and have fun. If I only had one guitar to play and it was a cheap old thing with a warped neck, broken tuners and only three strings I would have fun and be happier than with no guitar at all. I guess my point is that any cheapie can be fixed up and be good enough to play and learn on.

This is such an affluent consumerist and wasteful system and society that the stuff Americans throw in the trash every day would be enough to support a number of starving 3rd world Counties. We should be sending useful stuff, like musical instruments, bicycles, all kinds of goods, vocational training etc-

Anyhow, here is what really inspired my reply:

Bob Brozman, a world class musican who many are familiar with for his virtuoso slide guitar playing has been setting up the 'Global Music Aid Foundation, to deliver instruments and equipment to musicians in developing countries'.

I know he is a very busy person and I am not sure how far this project has evolved but it is mentioned on his personal website, which is well worth visiting anyway, check it out:

http://www.bobbrozman.com/

Personally I have a world perspective on charity and am more interested in those who are most needy, areas devastated by natural disasters, wars, famines, third world Countries, etc. I hope Mr Brozman can get enough help in getting that Foundation going. As musicians I still hold that we are in a special position of influence the world through music to reach better inter-cultural understanding and to help eliminate alot of suffering, attrocities, etc.

Perhaps this should have gone into a different topic, sorry to have strayed so far from the subject.

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

phangeaux — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 03:59:17 +0000

I recommend:

1. Buy a copy or Dan Erlewine's book Guitar Player Repair Guide. This is one of his better all-around repair and maintenance books. If you decide not to do the repair, buy this book anyway. You need it for all your guitars.

4. Buy a JLD Bridge Doctor from StewMac. You will install this after the repair to keep it from happening again.

5. Do the repair as described in GPRG, using either hide glue (you won't do this) or Original Titebond glue (NOT Titebond II for a bridge repair). A correct repair for what's shown in your pix, will be bridge removal, old glue removal, surface prep -- including removal of the poly coat Turser probably left under at least part of the bridge, gluing, clamping, clean-up of excess glue, waiting, removal of clamp(s) and caul, then ...

6. Install JLD Bridge Doctor and adjust. 1. I bought that book a few weeks ago along with a couple of songwriting books at Amazon.com. For the comparatively very low cost of this repair and set-up book it is well worth the money. I have 13 guitars right now, about 7 acoustics and some need repairs. It makes only perfect sense to learn how to do these repairs right the first time. Something that seems as simple as replacing a nut, if not done properly and adjusted properly before gluing can result in having to do it all over again maybe several times so I figured that I may as well learn how to make all of my repairs high quality and done correctly.

4. & 5. I have the same problem on one of my jumbo acoustic's only worse, it appears that the sound board has pulled up and perhaps needs regluing to the x bracing and it feels like the thin plywood bridge plate inside has either cracked or deformed. The acoustic bridge repair section in the book is excellent and I would not have even known what to look for (details) without having read that section. At first reading the repair sounds somewhat complicated but after this has settled in my mind for awhile it all seems much easier to me now. Yes it will take some time, but I have lots more time than I do money, so even though it is not an expensive guitar it will be a very nice one when it is properly fixed. I bought it very cheap because of the need for the repair. With some time and a little bit of money invested - a QUALITY repair done properly I'm sure this will be a nice playing guitar AND I will feel confident to pass this guitar on to someone else in the future.

4. & 6. Tell me please, gnease, if you have installed the screw mounted (less expensive) JDL Bridge Doctor, does it come with adequate instructions and is it simple to install? (I would assume it is quite easy) This looks like an EXCELLENT idea for some acoustic bridge repairs such as the one I described where the soundboard itself has pulled up, BUT I am not sure that this would be necessary on the nice looking Jay Turser shown in this topic. without being able to see it in person it appears that the glue just came loose on the bridge piece without a defect on the soundboard or bracing- perhaps due to excessive temperature conditions. Installing the 'bridge doctor' might be unecessary in that case. I have seen and examined a cutaway of a Breedlove(?) guitar (on display at Guitar Center), and they have this 'bridge doctor' component which is part of the as built facotry set-up.

I would LOVE to have that Jay Turser acoustic with the cutaway and repair it but the shipping costs to the Pacific Northwest make it cost prohibitive for me to make a competitive offer. If it was anywhere closer I would jump on the opportunity though.

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

Off He Goes — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 20:51:31 +0000

I'd pay the postage for you to send it to me. I'd fix it and donate it to a guitar camp for at risk kids if you don't get a better offer.

You should be able to write off the $65 as a charitable contribution. I'd get you a receipt. That is a very good idea. I hope Mike considers it, it would be worth while.

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:17:01 +0000

I'd pay the postage for you to send it to me. I'd fix it and donate it to a guitar camp for at risk kids if you don't get a better offer.

You should be able to write off the $65 as a charitable contribution. I'd get you a receipt. I'll PM you Nick when decide. I might try to get another cutaway...I like your idea! 8)

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

Nick Torres — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:11:40 +0000

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 01:54:46 +0000

What I think I will do is sell it and try to find another cutaway acoustic...After spending the money on the new clamp gnease suggested and the price of the guitar it's just not worth it for me...

Unless someone PM's me that they're interested I'll put it in the Swap Meet Section for a few days then up on eBay...

Make me an offer!

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

art&lutherie — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 01:49:06 +0000

Definitely buy Dan Erlewines book There's so much info there it's insane. I checked it out from the library and ended up buying it 2 days later. If you can't afford to fix it you should put it on the Swap Meet.

RE: Acoustic Bridge Plate Coming Off?

gnease — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 00:19:45 +0000

Totally repairable, but you will need to spend some money to get the correct clamp and bridge caul to reglue this -- probably about $50-65.

I recommend:

1. Buy a copy or Dan Erlewine's book Guitar Player Repair Guide. This is one of his better all-around repair and maintenance books. If you decide not to do the repair, buy this book anyway. You need it for all your guitars.

2. The section of GPRG on acoustic bridge repair starts on page 198. Read it all several times.

3. Go to StewMac.com and check out the tools required. Too expensive? Go to Lowe's or HD or a hobby shop and buy the best approximations if available.

4. Buy a JLD Bridge Doctor from StewMac. You will install this after the repair to keep it from happening again.

5. Do the repair as described in GPRG, using either hide glue (you won't do this) or Original Titebond glue (NOT Titebond II for a bridge repair). A correct repair for what's shown in your pix, will be bridge removal, old glue removal, surface prep -- including removal of the poly coat Turser probably left under at least part of the bridge, gluing, clamping, clean-up of excess glue, waiting, removal of clamp(s) and caul, then ...

6. Install JLD Bridge Doctor and adjust.

If you attempt to do this repair using Liquid Nail, epoxy or similar, you might as well throw away the guitar.