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| String up before or after finish? http://www-.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=9556 |
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| Author: | Cocephus [ Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:29 pm ] |
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What is the general consensus on stringing up our guitars before or after finish? This is something I`m wondering about after Hesh mentioned that he doesn`t string up until after finish. Pros, cons, opinions, please. Coe |
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| Author: | Cocephus [ Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:52 pm ] |
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My take on it is that there might be a hidden "surprise" be it good or bad if you wait to string up afterwards. On one hand, it could be a real thrill to hear your creation in its entirety, and on the other there may be a disappointment of one sort or another. |
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| Author: | Andy Zimmerman [ Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:32 pm ] |
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I string it up after, because I don't glue on the bridge until after the finish. For those that string it up before, what do you do about the bridge?????? |
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| Author: | jfrench [ Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:40 pm ] |
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I string them up before finish, as it allows me to make any last minute changes to the soundboard graduation (etc) I might deem necessary. I am making classicals though. |
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| Author: | Martin Turner [ Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:10 pm ] |
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I got impatient with my classical and strung it up after finishing the FP body coats. Wish I hadnt as working around the bridge with the glaze coats is a pain. next time Ill leave the bridge off untill the finish is...er finished. |
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| Author: | Rod True [ Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:54 pm ] |
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The only problem I see with stringin' er up before finishing is that you may just never finish it  you may just play the heck out of it and "I'll get to it" is all to easy to say.
That would be the pure sound of the guitar, unfinished would probably sound better than having the finish on it (minutly if the finish is done right), but you do want some protection right. I'd say go for it, just make sure you do finish it at some point, otherwise you'll be scraping and dingin' it up for sure. |
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| Author: | burbank [ Tue Nov 28, 2006 4:31 pm ] |
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On my first, I had it strung up before I even had the bindings on. I glued the bridge on with Tite-bond only along the back edge. There was a strip of only about 1/4" that was glued. The lower notes were weak, so I thinned down the top around the lower bout and it sounded much better. Before finishing, I heated the bridge with a clothes iron, came off easy with no damage. On #2, I did the finish first. |
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| Author: | Dave White [ Tue Nov 28, 2006 6:59 pm ] |
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[QUOTE=Hesh1956] You can buy special bolts with holes in the center for the string to pass through. These two bolts replace pins 1 and 6 and also hold the bridge on while checking things out. I think that Stew-Mac and/or LMI sell them. I have some but have never used them. With the bridge bolted on and the addition of Stew-Mac's intonator you can nail the intonation before determining the final bridge position. Pretty slick.[/QUOTE] Well - not quite. You have to drill through the two outer bridge pin holes to use the bolts so if you get the wrong bridge position you would have to plug and re-drill these holes. |
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| Author: | Cocephus [ Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:35 pm ] |
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[QUOTE=kiwigeo] I got impatient with my classical and strung it up after finishing the FP body coats. Wish I hadnt as working around the bridge with the glaze coats is a pain. next time Ill leave the bridge off untill the finish is...er finished.[/QUOTE] I know exactly what you mean. By the time I decided to go ahead with the body coats, I had pulled the bridge up twice to get it right, and there wasn`t gonna be a third time. I think I do remember something being said that you need to learn how to replace bridges anyway, so why not string up before. Cumpiano maybe? |
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| Author: | jfrench [ Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:11 am ] |
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Well a background in repairs is quite helpful, and you should know how to remove a bridge cleanly. But you should also know how to french polish around one. 
I've made changes to my guitars after they were strung up on occasion that have been very helpful to the finished product. Thats enough for me to endure having to polish around the thing. For classicals, its tradition. |
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| Author: | martinedwards [ Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:14 am ] |
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i've put the bridge on before finish so far because I danish oil, but I'm waiting for a spraygun and some lacquer to arrive in the post so I'll have to change the error of my ways!!! |
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