zombywoof Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I have this thing about saving guitars from the rubbish heap. Not saying it always works out but sometimes, just sometimes I do end up with a nice good sounding and playing guitar although usually they sure ain't gonna win no beauty contest. Sunday morning I delivered my last project guitar to its new owner - a 1972 mahogany top Guild D-25. Poor thing was all busted up -a couple of cracks, broken neck and all. But while it took some time, I got it put back together. In the end I only invested about $100 in it so it qualified as a freebie giveaway. The Guild's new owner plays in a Worship Band and has been borrowing guitars. So I showed up at his church and told him he could have the guitar if he wanted it. The only condition was that he play it. Best part is the new owner's brother used to build guitars so he will be able to get all of the cosmetic stuff that I could not do taken care. I know it is only a small thing but it just makes me feel good and that guitar instead of lying in a county dump somewhere is now being enjoyed. Thing is though I really miss those guitars after they go off to their new home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StijnV Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Luck is all about giving it away ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Before and after pix would be cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustystrings Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 It's really strange, but every single time I've found a good guitar in trashed, destroyed condition and had it rebuilt, in every single case the resulting instrument has been AMAZING. They're like abused puppies or something, and they're just so grateful to be back in one piece as guitars. Laugh if you want, but I've encountered it with a bunch of old guitars including 1. A '50 J-45 (pro-refin, then the neck block popped loose and it had 24 cracks in the top and back as a result) 2. A '31 or so round hole L-4 (no frets or hardware; gaping hole in the side from a bad output jack install and break; volume and tone knob holes AND an enormous hole from a DeArmond installed into the middle of the soundboard) 3. A '40s (maybe wartime?) L-7 (no frets or hardware, all finish scraped off, several cracks, etc.) 4. A '47 Epiphone Broadway (no hardware, broken truss rod, rescued right before the previous owner could peel off the headstock face for its inlay when I traded him an identical era Broadway neck with its inlay that was all that survived a bad car wreck) 5. A '60 LG-2 that sat in a hot attic with several cracks and the bridge coming off for a couple of decades Weird. Consistent, though. They're worth saving if you can find something other than a dollar and cents bottom line value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 It's really strange, but every single time I've found a good guitar in trashed, destroyed condition and had it rebuilt, in every single case the resulting instrument has been AMAZING. They're like abused puppies or something, and they're just so grateful to be back in one piece as guitars. Weird. Consistent, though. They're worth saving if you can find something other than a dollar and cents bottom line value. Nothing weird about it at all. It's just good karma. ZW has wickedly good karma as a result of his endeavors, and it sounds like you do as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 Looking back on it I should have taken some before photos but didn't. But here are a couple of the neck after the repair which will give you a good idea of how messed up this thing was. With a pickguard and some tuners finally slapped on, here she be just a screaming to be played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 ZW, good job! I might have been tempted to use carbon fiber for the neck splints, just because of its mechanical properties, but this is a case of "whatever works". Somebody got a guitar out of this that has a special tale to tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 ZW, good job! I might have been tempted to use carbon fiber for the neck splints, just because of its mechanical properties, but this is a case of "whatever works". Somebody got a guitar out of this that has a special tale to tell. You probably know what you are doing - I don't. When it works out for me it is often more dumb luck than knowing what I am doing. I recently had to repair a bridge on that old Epi I posted back a while back. I did not have any clamps that would work so had to gerryrig my own and just kept hoping I had applied enough pressure to fix the bridge but not too much to crack the top or screw up the bracing. For about two weeks after removing the clamps I kept waiting to hear the sound of splintering wood and snapping strings. But the repair seems to be holding fine and guitar was not damaged. And again, I ain't about to try and do any of this stuff on some rare and valuable guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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