Help: Guitar Repairs

Subject: Guitar Repairs
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 11:47 AM

My 40 year old Epiphone 12 string suffers from crazed varnish,and a slightly lifted bridge. This is as a consequence of living on a houseboat where it got damp, as did everything else. It's all dry and OK now but the distortion of the bridge has raised the action a little, and the crazed varnish looks horrid. There is a screw at both ends of the string bridge, but this appears to do nothing. For those who don't know this guitar it has a large wooden bridge, which has a black ( plastic? ) string bridge inserted into it, it's this bit which has the screws on it. Does anyone know of a competent instrument repairer to whom I could entrust my beloved box?

Jock

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Repairs
From: GUEST,Dave Fairfax
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 12:20 PM

The crazed varnish adds to the instruments charm and is in keeping with its age, it may also enhance the tonal quality.A friend of mine, Maly, 01274 824124 is a great repairer, however if you wish to avoid this you could always fit a tail piece for string attachment though this often makes the sound " toppy". Good luck.

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Repairs
From: Tweed
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 12:46 PM

Twelve strings have a lotta pull on the bridge. You probably need to do as you say and find a good luthier. You might have a look inside and make sure the bracing hasn't come unglued too. I expect they'll need to remove the bridge and reglue it on there. If the adjustment screws run all the way in with no change, maybe you could try reducing the height of the "insert" by filing evenly on the bottom side to make it a little shorter. Might work for a while but you need to get that bridge glued on. I've fixed a few student guitars from my daughter's elementary school and had some luck using a painter's pallette knife (real thin, flat style) and applying white glue between there and clamping or weighting it as best I could. Super glue on your's would not be advisable though as the next time it comes loose the wood fibers could get pulled out of the deck and ya wouldn't like that much at all! Good luck Jock.

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Repairs
From: Tom French
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 01:14 PM

Your description of the bridge problem seems to indicate that the guitar top may have acquired a rather permanent warp. The string tension alone can easily cause a change in the wood, but condititions of dampness and drying can facilitate the process. Correction of the problem might be possible without removing the sounding board and bracing if the braces have come unglued, but if the problem is extensive, it may be easier to remove the sounding, reposition the wood and reglue the bracing. Before you undertake the repair, consider the value of the guitar against buying a new instrument. It is, after all a manufactured instrument. Extensive luthier work is expensive and generally only justified on hand made instruments or instruments with some intrinsic historical or personal value. Limited repairs may get you a working instrument, but the wood might easily return to its current bad position. It has a new memory, as I assume you have loosened the strings and found that the bridge does not return to the correct position. Consult a luthier who can give you some prices and a degree of assurance about what needs to be done and whether the repair can be guaranteed.
Alternately, you might be able to have a working instrument by adjusting the neck angle to bring the action back down to a playable height. Does your instrument come with a neck rod? If so, change the neck position. If not, detaching, shimming and regluing a neck is also expensive.

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Repairs
From: rangeroger
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 05:38 PM

Sounds like a problem the Bridge Doctor could solve. We've had discussions on it here before.I will try to find some info and give you a link.

These things work and can make your instrument playable again for a reasonable amount of money.

rr

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Repairs
From: rangeroger
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 05:44 PM

OK,here is the website for the JLD Bridge System.

rr

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar Repairs
From: Tweed
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 06:33 PM

YOW! That's about the neatest thing I've seen. Good link RR.