meanstreak Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 Hi everyone, I know this isn't a Gibson, but It seems like there are some really knowledgeable people around here and I could use some advice! I've got a 10-year old el-cheapo all plywood Johnson acoustic that I just noticed has the bridge beginning to pull up in one of the corners. Not sure exactly how long it's been doing it, but I changed the strings about 5 weeks ago and also went ahead and shaved the saddle down about a 1/4 inch (in typical cheap guitar fashion it was WWAAYYY too tall) and it definitely wasn't happening then. The guitar had been sitting in a closet at my brothers house for the last 4 years while I was in the UK and it seemed fine but it's possible it was just barely starting to come up and I hadn't noticed it. Looking at it closer it feels like the body of the guitar is bulging up a bit next to the bridge as well. Since it was only about $75 new and I am a bit of a do-it-yourself'er I've decided to go ahead and try my hand at repairing it. I understand I would need to remove the bridge and completely re-glue it. I also thought I might go ahead and try to shave the nut grooves down a bit to improve the action. Could anyone give me a website with a good step-by-step to repairing the bridge and tell me the type of glue I need? And what are the tools called to file the grooves in the nut? I've looked on eBay and the net but not knowing what to call them is giving me thousands of things to sort through! click the thumbs for the full size pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oubaas Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 Have a look around at Frets.com. The tools used on the nut are called nut files. Take a look at Stewart-MacDonald or Luthier's Mercantile for nut files, and while you're at it, why not make and install a bone nut, and what the heck, maybe a bone saddle as well? Won't cost much, and will improve the tone. Pulling that bridge, you can lay a towel folded a couple of times over it to protect the finish and avoid scorching the wood, and use the household clothes iron to heat it while encouraging it to let go with a fine-edged putty knife. But don't apply any more heat than it takes to get the bridge off. Adjust number of towel folds and monitor closely so you don't loosen braces inside, or the bridge plate. You'll want to re-glue with an alaphatic resin glue so that if you ever want to get the bridge off again, it can be done. Don't use super glue! Oh, and if you really want some good guidance, you might want to get this book. Lastly, pay a visit to The Official Luthier's Forum for lots of helpful insights, and prepare yourself. Next you'll be looking at the guitar kits and luthier books and plans over at Stewart-MacDonald or Luthier's Mercantile, and getting ideas. It's addictive. But get the hang of it and you'll have better guitars. Have fun! Cheers! Rick... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oubaas Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 By the way, a certain amount of bridge "bellying" is normal with age. If it starts making it impossible to set the guitar up decently, then you'd have to do something about it. I think Frets.com has some info on how much is too much. If you're starting to consider shaving down the bridge or re-setting the neck, it has obviously gone too far. If you can't adjust the truss rod to get the action right, it might be the top bellying causing it. Shaving the nut is not the answer very often. And when filing a nut, remember, you can always take off more, but it's hard to put any back on. Don't install anything but light gauge strings (.012-.054) or lighter unless the guitar was made to take mediums or greater. The higher string tension will cause problems. Cheers! Rick... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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