Jalex Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Made the trip to Atlanta yesterday to pick up my 1963 Hummingbird from Maple Street Guitars repair shop. It was obvious when I purchased the guitar that it needed some additional work to get it right. The owner of the shop I purchased it from had offered to get his repair guy to fix anything that needed done but something told me his work wasn't up to snuff so I decided a reputable shop like Maple Street Guitars was the right move. First off I told them about the bridge pins looking crooked and not seating correctly he immediately stuck a mirror in the sound hole and pointed out the bridge plate was shot, the high E was the only pin sitting correctly the rest were at angle pulling towards the nut, easy fix with a metal plate. Then I mentioned the buzzing at the 13th & 14th frets, although the neck looked fine to me initially when he laid a straight edge on the fretboard there was a slight hump at those frets hence the reason for the buzzing. He took care the hump by lightly sanding the fretboard and it was recommend I get the frets replaced($375 ) as they were pretty worn. The guitar also had horrible intonation when played up the neck, the reason was the saddle was not in the correct position, the original repair guy had made a new bridge and saddle from scratch and it was a little too far forward and throwing everything off, it also had on of the funkiest shaped saddles they had ever seen. The saddle slot was rerouted and a new bone saddle made, intonation is now perfect all the way up the neck and buzz free. Lastly the pickuard was sticking up, the glue used to hold it down just wasn't sticking so the took care of that with some adhesive tape. They gave the guitar a good clean inside and out and got rid of 50 plus years of grime, the sunburst really pops now. So $500 in repairs to get the guitar right but I'm very happy and it sounds even better than when I first got it. I still think I did ok as the initial purchase price was $2900. I also learned a lot about what problems to look for when buying a vintage guitar, of course in my first thread about the guitar some of you experienced members had suggested I checked for some of these issues. The Maple street guitar guys did a fantastic job and were very friendly and took the time to explain in detail what needed fixed and why. Old bridge New bridge New frets A very happy me checking her out in the store Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58 Relic Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Quite a journey, glad the guitar is now 150% looks as though the work was done to a really high standard . Best wishes for many happy hours playing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Nice to have it back I'll bet. And having it back and pleased with the luthier's work - priceless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Been there (more than once), done that (more than once). It's refreshing though, to have the difference be so stark that it feels like someone put a completely new guitar back in your hands. I find it elevates my playing a little. Hopefully for you too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Mate, you did great. $2,900 for an early 60's Bird fullly tuned up is the buy of the century. Now.... Will you finally give us a sound sample of this beauty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalex Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 Thanks for the comments guys. I guess I'm a little surprised at how crap of a job the initial repair guy did. Although they guys in the shop said he did a nice job making the bridge and repairing the cracks, but the other stuff was just sloppy work. He's the go to guy for repairs around this area and a guitar builder himself I'm just glad I decided not to go back to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalex Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 Mate, you did great. $2,900 for an early 60's Bird fullly tuned up is the buy of the century. Now.... Will you finally give us a sound sample of this beauty? Ah yes I will try and post something today EuroAussie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Thanks for the comments guys. I guess I'm a little surprised at how crap of a job the initial repair guy did. Although they guys in the shop said he did a nice job making the bridge and repairing the cracks, but the other stuff was just sloppy work. He's the go to guy for repairs around this area and a guitar builder himself I'm just glad I decided not to go back to him. The good ones are very hard to find, and once you do, you just stick with them. I drive about an hour to get to the shop where I go. But he's the only one I will trust with my instruments. glad your story had a happy ending. that old bird is a beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Man... she looks new. You did great! I bet with the playability addressed, that 50 year old wood just sounds amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars68 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 That is one beautiful guitar. Congratulations! You mentioned that the worn bridgeplate was fixed with a metal plate. I take that to mean a thin sheet of metal was glued on top of the original? I'm not so sure I would have gone that route myself. I would have prepfered a thin sheet of maple, instead of metal, or maple plugs, but either way the metal is reversible. You can always have it changed for maple in the future, should you want to. Now, how about that sound sample?? Lars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Glad your guitar is home where it belongs, A good repair guy is worth their weight in gold. I have been using the same one for over a decade. Well worth the two hour drive up to his shop which is behind his house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fp Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 What is the new bridge made of, it looks like ebony ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Yes, FP, looks like ebony from here, too. Amazing results/beautiful guitar. That photo of you checking it out in the shop- the setup just looks perfect. Is time flying, or did you have a fairly fast turnaround time on getting the 'Bird back? The metal plate that was put in was probably a StewMac Plate Mate- 53 years of string changes can really do a number on a bridge plate. The Plate Mate can bring a little more volume to a quieter guitar, but may not work well with others. . . totally reversible, and a cheap enough experiment for anyone to try. If you ever want, repair guys also can take a mixture of wood dust and super glue to the bridge plate & re-drill the pin holes. Looks great- can't wait to hear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayoubengal1954 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Good on ya! This may sound a little over the top but I believe if one can afford it, bringing an old guitar back among the living is a noble pursuit with priceless benefits. Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalex Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 I've had the guitar for 3 weeks, it was only in for a week for the repairs which was pretty quick. The bridge plate was a real mess to the point of him thinking the whole thing might need replaced but he started digging around in there he felt the metal plate would do the job. The replacement bridge is actually rosewood I think he conditioned the fretboard and bridge which is giving it a darker color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Holy trumpet(flower) - looks stunningly good in that 4th picture. Be glad there, , , and please send us some sound ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalex Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 That pic hides a lot of the battle scars. This one shows a bit more wear, though the back and sides are in remarkably good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 I recall the scars and they doesn't really matter. And recalling further, I was among the ones who told you to check that plate Again never mind, , , we seem to 'ave a happy ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalex Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 I recall the scars and they doesn't really matter. And recalling further, I was among the ones who told you to check that plate Again never mind, , , we seem to 'ave a happy ending. Yes, I went back and read through the the thread and you were the first to reply and suggested I check the plate and of course like an idiot I didn't. Like I said this has been a learning experience and I'll certainly be more careful and follow the advice in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 I'm so clueless technically, despite educating myself, so I generally avoid used guitars. I would be easy to swindle because I don't know any better. Thus, I always know it will be an investment if I get a used guitar (I lucked out on my WM-00, though I haven't had anyone reputable check it out yet!). I know it is a bit of a kick in the pants when you already paid $2900, but I think the money you spent on repairs truly is an investment. And hey, you still came in at less than the street price of a new Hummingbird Vintage and probably not too far off from the discount price (about 60% off retail) of the same. And yours is a real vintage one. Where it is sometimes not worth it, is if you pay $750 for a guitar and spend $500 getting it up to snuff. But even that can turn out pretty darn good. I think if we connect with an old guitar, and we're fairly certain, it's worth rolling the dice, and often even with repair costs it turns out to be pretty good. And that attachment we might feel for a guitar is worth spending a bit more to get it done right, even if we're not necessarily coming out ahead monetarily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 A '63 Bird is worth more than 5K. Nearly every vintage guitar will require something to get it into your personal best shape. Those battle scars are the mojo! I think you made out tremendously. Had you looked under the hood and discovered the worn out bridge plate, chances are the owner would've insisted on having his guy repair it, which in the end would've likely have been subpar, like his previous incorrectly situated saddle work. THEN you might've had to pay the better guy to FIX the previous guy's mistakes on the plate. Now, you have an excellent early 'Bird and you know where to go whenever you need something done to any of your guitars. Enjoy it! And congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullmental Alpinist Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 What I really like about the work your luthier did, Jalex, is that the new bridge looks like an old (horrible) plastic bridge at first glance. It's only when you look close that you see it's made of wood (looks like ebony to me too, but I'll take rosewood). So he improved your guitar remarkably, but made it look like it's stock. Very nicely done. I think you came out way ahead of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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