Notifications
Clear all
Topic starter
11/02/2005 7:03 pm
Hi,
I have an old unused acoustic guitar which has serious structural problems - rising belly, bridge pulling off from the tension, not to mention a cracked back and crazy neck angle.
Despite all this, it is still playable (I put on ultra-light strings and tuned down a whole step with a capo on 2 to relieve the tension).
Still, the rising top and the bridge are still a bit worrying, and I was thinking about installing a trapeze tailpiece to take that string pressure off the top. I would be keeping the current bridge and saddle, just not using the original string holes.
But I haven't seen many examples of these bridges on standard acoustics - only on archtops and occasionally electrics. I have seen them on 12-strings though, which is where I got the idea from.
So, can it be done? Are they easy to attach? Will it solve the problem or just create a new one with pressure on the back end of the top piece?
Unless it is a really bad idea I will probably try it out anyway because the guitar is worth nothing and I can get a cheap tailpiece for £10.
11/02/2005 7:42 pm
It appears that the trapeze tail piece was designed mostly for archtops and used also on some 12 strings to relieve some pressure from the top.
If that is truly the case then it would seem logical that it may work on a flat top also. I would just see what kind of support the archtop has on the inside end on the body to hold the tail piece in place. You may just need to glue a reinforcement block inside.
11/02/2005 8:20 pm
Or you could try this:
I installed one on my Guild 12-string after re-gluing the lifted bridge. It appears to work as advertised, lessening the stress on the bridge and counteracting the tendency of the top to belly.
-G
-=tension & release=-
11/02/2005 8:24 pm
Or you could try this:
Bridge Doctor
-G
Do you think one of these could work to pull a top back down after it pulled up?
11/02/2005 9:40 pm
Depends on how badly the top is bellied. If really bad, the top, bridge and bracing likely need repair: bridge and bracing removed, top corrected and bracing/bridge re-shaped to fit final curve of top (there's always some) and re-installed. Then add a Bridge Doctor to prevent the problem from recurring.
If not too bad: My 12 had mild bellying which the bridge doctor corrected. The BD's force is adjustable after installation. One can install it, and before stringing, adjust in some correcting force on the top (maybe with some additional light weighting, e.g., a book) and letting this sit for a time. After a while the top will flatten a bit and the BD force will diminish with this flattening. If still not flat enough, increase the DB force a bit, and repeat. I wouldn't expect miracles, but it should do a fair job of correction and a very good job of preventing further bellying.
-=tension & release=-