tweetie Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 Hi, hope you don't mind that for a first post I ask a tech question. I have my eye on a used AJ18S, but I have noticed the bridge is not at the same angle as the top, in other words the top is caving in. I gather from other forums this is common on guitars in general and in the AJ18S in particular. The guitar has such nice action I hate to pass it up. What are your thoughts? Will it get worse? Is it repairable for anything approaching reasonable money? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetie Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 Nobody? I'm not a pro, just trying to learn. I know it's not the nicest guitar out there, but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt the Cat Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Hi tweetie I don't know an awful lot about 'caving in' etc, but from what I have learned from sites like this is that personally I wouldn't touch a guitar that has a top that is caving in. It's not just something that happens to lots of guitars. It's only something that happens to guitars that have structural problems or have been treated badly in the past. Heat and lack of humidity could have caused something like this and could take a lot of sorting to get it right again, probably more than the guitar is worth. Maybe read up on the subject before making any descisions. Good luck with whatever you decide. Hopefully someone on here with a little more knowledge than me might chip in soon with some more specific advice! All the best, Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geelinus Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 My first advice is to be patient about responses ;o) Your post has been up less than 24 hours, and this isn't the most visited forum on the Internet. I'm confused though - and my guess is that a few other folks may be as well - by the terminology in your question. It is definitely NOT normal for a top to be "caving in." If that's the actual problem, stay miles away from this guitar. When considering a budget line guitar, you will find that any non-minor repair simply isn't economically sound. If you've got enough money to repair this guitar, you've probably got enough money to buy a better one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetie Posted May 2, 2010 Author Share Posted May 2, 2010 Thanks all for the replies. I have attached an image. Very good advice, and very logical. The image is from another forum, and is not the actual guitar. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeper Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Dry guitar.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetie Posted May 2, 2010 Author Share Posted May 2, 2010 Thanks. I hope you can see the image okay, I am not able to view it when I log in, though I could when I first posted it (?). I have read on other forums that plates with wet sponges can be placed in the destrung guitar and in a month or two the soundboard will flatten out. The only reason I am thinking about this guitar is, someone has already had it set up and the action is so smooth, like glass. Nice. Anyway, your thoughts are appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetie Posted May 2, 2010 Author Share Posted May 2, 2010 What I meant about being common is I read on other forums that the Epiphone brand, even the more popular Masterbuilt series, tends to have this problem. Anyone have an idea how much it costs to fix this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagwood Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 About $26.00 and a little time. Here's what I'm talking about http://store.daddario.com/category/283852 Also see this Vid series from Taylor. I think Bob knows exactly what he's talking about here: http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/features/woods/humidity/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ship of fools Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 That little hump does not indicate a dry guitar many guitars are actually made so they are not true flat tops even though they can be called a flat top, with out seeing the actaul guitar its kind of hard to say but humidifying it certainly won't hurt and if the hump goes down after a week then you know that it was to dry. So without really seeing the guitar I would recomend that maybe you look at another guitar and maybe fiund someone with some real experieince to take with you and I have not heard that this is a common problem with this model or any of the Masterbuilt series.Ship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetie Posted May 2, 2010 Author Share Posted May 2, 2010 Well I talked to the store manager and his opinion was the guitar shouldn't have been taken in trade, and that if I wanted it I could have it for half the tagged price. Pretty cheap. He said it has a composite top, and that sooner or later the layers separate. I noticed another Epiphone in the store that also had the bridge canted like this one, but not as bad. I am a beginner, so I am not very discerning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetie Posted May 3, 2010 Author Share Posted May 3, 2010 I ended up getting a Guild DCE1, Nice guitar. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeper Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Store guy (as usual) is full of shyt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.