It is surprising to note the number of people who come to me saying that the action on their guitar has risen to become uncomfortable, without ever noticing that the bridge is lifting!!!!!
This #Ashton is being made an example of just because the thought is top and front of my mind and I happen to be writing this particular post.
With the strings loose, a .020″ feeler gauge was able to slip in all around the bridge periphery, and with the strings under full tension, who knows, the bridge could have risen to .040″!!!
Why are things like rising bridges missed? Probably because instruments are not cleaned with as much care and time as they should. That is not to say that this particular guitar’s owner had missed the rising bridge. In fact, it was he who got in touch with me with photographs of the rising bridge.
However, cleanliness left much to be desired
While the action having risen uncomfortably was majorly because of the rising bridge, the belly in the guitar was most certainly another factor (the neck rising over a period of time being the last).
To tackle the belly, one had to take off the bridge, which in this case, was already rising. The bridge was taken off and thankfully came off with minimal damage.
But do you see the outline beyond where the bridge was stuck to the top? That is where the extremities of the bridge lay when stuck properly to the top. With the bridge now off, I was able to clean the footprint to the correct dimensions.
Then, the belly was tackled
It was left in clamps for two days like this after which it was released from bondage. The belly was all but gone, and with the belly straightened, the bridge could be stuck to the top as well. In this time when the the guitar was under clamps, I cleaned up the bridge.
Glueing up the bridge was carried out with speed but with care and the assembly was left unhindered for a full 48 hours.
Meanwhile, I turned my attention to other areas of the instrument which needed it.
The saddle was measured and a new bone saddle was selected to replace it.
The nut too was removed and a new bone nut was found which would replace the old plastic one. Also, its slots were greased so that the strings would ride through them smoothly. While at the headstock, all the hardware was checked and tightened.
The fretboard was cleaned and oiled and the fretwires burnished to a shine.
The owner’s choice of strings was this
After two days, the guitar was released from bondage and the bridge looked as if it had never come off.
After a light sanding and some oil, it looked good.
The strings were thrown on and the action corrected on the guitar
A clean guitar is a pretty guitar!
