Official Luthiers Forum!

Probably better to just remake a new bridge... seems like a lot of work for a lot of potential to have issues. Also you need to figure out why the bridge cracked between string holes. 9 times out of 10 it's caused by a cracked bridge plate, or a bridge that was shaved too thin, not bridge pin too tight like most people think it is. In other words, it's a structural problem. You can fix the crack but unless you resolve the underlying issue the crack will come back.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Cracks between pins can be fixed and fixed well and invisibly too PROVIDED that you also address the causation.... Causation can be any number of things from loose bracing under the bridge, cracked or badly worn bridge plate, pins that don't fit and/or pin and string combinations that have not been properly accommodated, a loose bridge, even improper RH exposure and some of these other issues can create a perfect storm of sorts. Be sure to address the root issues first and then fix the crack, refit the pins AND strings and then bill the hemorrhoid... er.... I mean customer.....

Here's some food for thought for you... Be sure to watch the entire thing....

http://youtu.be/t5Q4iUBXNEM

Tai wrote:. maybe I should just lie to him and tell him that I've found a factory original...

That's the way Tai.... LIE to your potential customer.... If he has good sense, your customer will move on to a more experienced, honest repair person

Ok, very informative video, however I have only tried cold removal once, and it did not end well, so I still rather heat it and accept any possible finish damage (and repair them). Fortunately polyester finish on most cheap SGSO (shiny guitar shaped object) are almost bulletproof and you really have to char the finish to cause any real damage... for example Taylor's UV finish just handles heat really well. On the other hand shellac and even some NC lacquer doesn't like even a slight amount of heat, fortunately they are extremely easy to repair seamlessly.

That customer went to another music shop who said they removed a bridge cold with a utility knife... and he said he saw a LOT of tear out, and they said it was impossible to remove a bridge without tear outs. I said that's BS and they're butchering the guitar, and demonstrated TWICE that I was able to remove the bridge without significant tear out (there were some on one but it's nowhere near the edge and it's very minor). I've done enough work for this customer...

In my experience SGSO has this strange glue that is actually easy to remove once heated. In most case they just pop right off without any damage to either the bridge or the wood.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

I agree with Jack Tia Fu, never lie to a client or anyone else for that matter but I'm not here to give that kind of advice.

Yeah often the glue on Asian instruments is a urea formaldihyde (spelling, this office Mac has the speal checker off....) that will not release with heat. This is what makes them "unservicable" along with doweled neck joints.

If this guy went somewhere else it's likely that it's a good thing anyway.

A quick note on inexpensive import instruments. Many Lutheirs do not want to work on them but I disagree with this. My personal belief is that everyone deserves to have great music in their lives so I always try to do the best possible work even on cheap-arse instruments. They can be set-up well and bridge can even be reglued. Neck resets are a different matter and cost prohibitive.

I have no problem fixing a $150 Tak and then moving on to a 1936 Martin OOO-18. It's all good to me!

Merry Christmas to you Tia Fu!!!

Fortunately they are not glued all that well... because they weren't too hard to remove once heated. I did encounter one inexpensive guitar where the bridge is unremovable no matter the heat... it was an unwanted guitar but I wanted to demonstrate bridge removal. I guess that was glued with urea formaldehyde.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

It wasn't bolted on ala Gibson with two hidden bolts under the mother of toilet seat genuine, imitation pearl dots was it....

Filippo that's likely banana crate wood, banana crate tonewood.....

Instruments being worth fixing or not is in my view a collaborative decision between the current steward of the instrument aka owner and the repair person. Lots of instruments have much more meaning to the owner than how much they are listed for at Guitar C*nter.

In the repair business you take the good with the bad but above all be there for your clients. That's my view and I'm sticking to it...

Today I saved a $150 Tak from the dumpster with a badly back-bowed neck. The little girl that it belonged to was almost in tears she was so happy to get her guitar back in playing condition. Maybe some day she will be the next Pussy Riot!

I truly love this work!!!!

The guitar was identified as an Eastman
..I have a few and they were fairly decent guitars for a retail of about 1500.00 ....
They compared favorably to the Larrivees I had seen similarly priced

They were by no means 'junk' guitars....

What a coincidence Hesh,

?adma, well him don't do no repairs no more, no how...
But...
this here sweet young street kid (no momma, real hard luck story) brought in a Samick last night.
One of them plastic over ply jobs. Not worth a set of new strings.
But I also knew that that busted up Samick was all she owned and that she earned her living busking with it.

Short story long, will be ready tomorrow...N/C.

So ya Hesh, sometimes ya just gotta fix em.

blessings
?adma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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You Are a GOOD man Padma!!!!

Happy Holidays to ya my friend!

They look good and might have good CP value, but inside they've cut a lot of corners. When it comes to guitars you get what you pay for. This is probably the reason why the bridge cracked through the string hole... the bridge plate is probably made of a soft wood or something which can't hold up to anything.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

I'm not sure what the owner was fretting over but I repeatedly reassured him that I will match the bridge pin holes and saddle slot from the original and double check to make sure it intonates properly (there's always a chance that a factory guitar is not correctly intonated to begin with), but he still insisted on having a pre made bridge because it seems that's what other music stores told him. I guess it never occurred to him that someone can actually make an accurate copy by hand. I still have not heard from him so I'm guessing Eastman hasn't told him anything useful.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Agreeing with Jack, that's probably not the best idea, hey? He'll likely want to see it when he brings in the guitar. Do you have one on hand to copy?

I'd let this customer go too. Why? As soon as something happens to that guitar, you'll be to blame, as you were the last one to work on it.....

Tai and Hesh thanks. The one I am working on is very old, and you are correct the plate (as it is in this ladder braced model) is worn out. Looking at it now I can see where this created some stress in the bridge, so that will need to be fixed. RH could certainly be a factor because I am working with wood >100 years old. I didn't mean to hijack your Eastman thread, but just wanted you to know I am learning a lot from you. Thank you.

GS

I love the video with the Guitar Tomahawk!

Anyway - I agree with so many others here.... If he won't bring you the guitar - you can't make a reasonable quote.... If he won't agree to let you fix it... then it can stay broken... and that's up to him...

You shouldn't worry too much about "Customers" like this... They are "Window shopping".... They want to talk and talk.. but they never want to Act...

Thanks