Flight959 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Hi, I decided after hunting high and low for a Luther that could be trusted with my Epiphone to finally hand her over to be checked out. I have taken her to various shops some of which refused to commit to any real work on her. I was recommended a guy near to where I live. This guy has been in the press for previous work on instruments which he has quite literally brought back from the dead! I took her in and discussed having the Bridge changed from the original to a wooden one. The guy looked at me and advised me to leave it well alone. He said the bridge had a reputation for doing nothing for the guitar however he said In this case it didnt need changed. After some discussion I agreed to have certain small bits done like a decent setup fret polish etc.. The guys gonna have a good look inside her and check for any developing issues.. It's nice handing over your pride and joy to someone he appreciates it just as much as you do!! I'm sooo looking forward to getting her back! Happy days! Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanstreak Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Who did you go with? Did I ever rec http://www.tjcguitars.com/ if you are near Stevenage in Hertfordshire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 Dickinson Amplification in Crystal Palace. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 If you are talking about an original plastic bridge there are two schools of thought. Some people, for historic accuracy's sake, would never replace anything, no matter how broke it was. Some say, replacing poorly designed parts should be upgraded. If you keep it all original, then it may be worth more to a collector. Some say if it makes the guitar more playable, then by all means. replace it, but keep the look and feel the same. I am fairly certain you will be more likely to find buyers for a playable guitar than an all original one with a milk colored, warped bridge. There are auto collectors who abjectly refuse to repaint old cars, even though the paint has weathered away, leaving large patches of unprotected (rusting) sheet metal behind, all for the sake of misguided sense of preserving precious originality. Maybe this guy has religious/philosophical issues with removing original parts. I'd re-approach him by telling him you understand that while leaving the plastic bridge in place may preserve the originality, that you really don't care about the originality and you'd like a good looking, professionally installed, wooden bridge. This will let him know you understand the reduction in 'collector value' to obscure collectors, but this is a player, not a wall hanger. If he still refuses to do it, then I guess you'll have to find someone else who is willing. Then again, maybe he'd like to buy it off of you for enough money to purchase a new replacement and then some. Then he can protect the originality. Most people here seem to agree that replacing a plastic bridge with a high quality wood bridge as a positive thing. Maybe tell him you are his last hope and if he can't see his way to doing it, YOU will try your hand at it. Then he may figure he'd better do it before you (no insult intended) butcher it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 Your right.. I wouldn't attempt that. I can't even put up a shelf up. In all fairness the guy was of the opinion "if it's not broke then don't fix it" and he didn't really have to talk me out of it. In his opinion the guitar sounds fantastic and there are currently no issues with the bridge except it's cheap plastic look. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Wunterslausche Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Your right.. I wouldn't attempt that. I can't even put up a shelf up. In all fairness the guy was of the opinion "if it's not broke then don't fix it" and he didn't really have to talk me out of it. In his opinion the guitar sounds fantastic and there are currently no issues with the bridge except it's cheap plastic look. Regards Where did you take it? Just out of interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Your right.. I wouldn't attempt that. I can't even put up a shelf up. In all fairness the guy was of the opinion "if it's not broke then don't fix it" and he didn't really have to talk me out of it. In his opinion the guitar sounds fantastic and there are currently no issues with the bridge except it's cheap plastic look. Regards I was using a bit of negotiating school what-if. Not that I actually would, but just bringing it up that I 'might' attempt the upgrade yourself, might be enough to convince him to do the work anyways before, in my case, a rank amateur botches the job and makes it worse. Another alternative is to wrest the bridge from the top and take it back to him, 'It done fall-ded off!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaysEpiphone Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Unless you have an early model with a low production # or it's signed by one of the Beatle's I wouldn't spend the cash on restoring it. I have a Japanese built Texan 145-SB from the mid 1970's that has a huge crack running down the backside of the neck and into the headstock. It will not stay in tune for 5 min's, I have tried (unsuccessfully) to find a replacement neck and, the old one has been super glued to the body so it would take some milling or routing to completely remove the old neck that would also have to be cut off. Some one figured that the 4 1/2" screw's just wasn't enough to hold the neck in place, what a wanker. I don't have money right now to get a 2nd one and try to frankenstein them into one playable guitar or have it correctly fixed. I did recently buy a brand new one from the current line of the cheaper Texan model's, I payed like $450.00 US for it. It's solid wood all around and has a bit of a bright sound to it right now, I'm thinking it will mellow in a few years of playing. It's a Chinese made instrument but it's better than the old and busted Japanese one that is sitting in my closet until I can figure out what I want to do with it. If I get a job I can try and find a new neck for it and have some one to put it on, it is a great sounding guitar for it's worth, just needs the new neck. Not sure if it's really worth it or not thou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I have the twin to yours, FT145SB. Our "Texan"s are no relation to the FT-79 "Texan". Crack running up the neck into the headstock? Have you got pictures? I've not seen this mode of failure. Super glued neck? I suspect this was an attempt to fix a loose neck block. This vintage of Japanese, Norlin Epiphones have weak neck blocks. The neck block breaks loose from the sound board, then tips forward, bringing the neck with it. I've repaired mine with good success. Depending on how badly the previous owner butchered the body, you should be able to replace the neck. You will likely have to reset the neck block. I have instructions, how I did mine, if you are interested. Keep an eye on Ebay. Some folks part these out from time to time, selling off the neck and body separate. A neck from a FT-130 will probably fit, but I cannot say this for an absolute fact. Early versions failed, later ones did not. For the most part, the tan labeled 'Lincolnwood' Norlins held together much better. Some were repaired under warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 Can someone please tell why the headstock shape varies so much on the 60's FT79?? there's an early 60's model on fleabay at the moment but the headstock is very different shape from mine.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Can someone please tell why the headstock shape varies so much on the 60's FT79?? there's an early 60's model on fleabay at the moment but the headstock is very different shape from mine.. When Gibson started making the FT-79 Texan in 1958, they had in their posession a large quantity of Epiphone made laminated necks. These necks were for a longer 25-1/2 inch scale, and were married to the Gibson made J-50 body, and thus the Texan was born (Check out Larry 58`s posts). The h/stock on these guitars sported the older Epiphone logo, and a three screw indented metal truss rod cover, the h/stock itself was similar in shape to Gibsons, but flared out more at the bottom. As on this guitar:- This H/stock and laminated neck lasted until sometime in 61 when I assume stocks were used up. Gibson then made the necks out of one piece Mahogany, and changed the h/stock logo and TRC to this type:- My 62 Texan:- Finally, during 1963 they settled on the Flared hourglass H/stock shape that we all love/hate pretty much across the board, with the earliest ones being slightly more flared at the top, than those that followed later, and of course now carrying the famous "E" TRC. Here`s a 66 with the common hourglass h/stock we all know:- Hope this helps clarify things a bit. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Your right.. I wouldn't attempt that. I can't even put up a shelf up. In all fairness the guy was of the opinion "if it's not broke then don't fix it" and he didn't really have to talk me out of it. In his opinion the guitar sounds fantastic and there are currently no issues with the bridge except it's cheap plastic look. Regards I pretty much agree Simon, the plastic bridge is kind of unsightly particularly as it fades to a light Grey colour! But if it hasn`t split or deformed in anyway, and more importantly the Texan sounds great, then leave well alone. My 62 has the ADJ saddle (On a Brazillian Rosewood bridge), and I am told taking it out and replacing with a fixed saddle will do it a wonder of good, maybe so, but the fact of the matter is, I really like the tone as it is, and I don`t want to tempt fate and possibly lose it, it`s mojo!! Spoton did a blind test recently with a 2005 Texan (Non Macca re-issue) a 64 J-50, a 63 Country & Western, and a 2005 J-45 Historic. And the upshot was, that even though two of the guitars had ADJ saddles, all four of them had similar tone and volume. Do what makes you happy, that`s all that matters. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted June 11, 2011 Author Share Posted June 11, 2011 Cheers for that Steve, Spoke to the luthier today who took the bridge apart to check it. He also had a good look inside the guitar with a mirror and said everything looked fine. I should be getting her back next week. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motowntom Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Here,s a 73" No neck block issues, a great guitar. But I also had a 76" 12 string that completely collapsed, so with the price of these today it,s a tough call on haveing them repaired. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Here,s a 73" No neck block issues, a great guitar. But I also had a 76" 12 string that completely collapsed, so with the price of these today it,s a tough call on having them repaired. Cheers. Yeah, if you have to do a cost/benefits analysis, paying someone else fix one of these is hard to justify. However, if there is some emotional baggage attached to it or it is a family heirloom, then yeah, it's worth having fixed. If you enjoy working with wood or want to earn your chops as a luthier, then these are worth puting minimal dollars worth of parts into. They are a pretty cool wall hanger, especially the bursted ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Wunterslausche Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Got it back yet ? Please tell me you made it up there on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 Not yet! I did however have an unplanned trip up there yesterday to have a peek. Underneath the saddle is a small strip of metal which is meant to act like a spring.. That was useless serving no purpose except causing unwanted vibration.. That's been taken out. The only real potential future issue with the guitar is a small crack on the edge of the pickguard where the pickguard over time shrinks pulling on the top. A small cleat has been put on the inside of the body to protect the top and if there is anymore movement the guard will be removed and refitted. She wasn't ready to take home... But soon! I'm soooo looking forward to hearing her again.. Farns, I'm less than 5 mins from you! Your welcome to come over and hear her in the flesh! Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 Here,s a 73" No neck block issues, a great guitar. But I also had a 76" 12 string that completely collapsed, so with the price of these today it,s a tough call on haveing them repaired. Cheers. Is that a White Strat??? LOVE White strat's!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motowntom Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Is that a White Strat??? LOVE White strat's!! Flight that's a 96" squire with extensive mods, and a real player guitar, it's the one I use for all the weird tones I can't get with my others. It has a duncan hot H.B. in the neck position, stock P.U. in the middle, and a lace sensor at the bridge. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.