Remember how I say that the same kind of guitars, or, guitars with the same kind of problems seem to follow each other to my work table? Well, here is another prime example.
Some weeks back, this instrument came back to me
Those of you who are regular readers of my blog, will remember this one. For those of you who would like to read what work was done on this one, you can do so here
Guitar repair – why strings are imperative while diagnosing problems
The bridge split that had cured so handsomely, had returned to be worse than before.
And not just the cracking, the bridge was even lifting.
The owner was sure that he did not want the old bridge repaired but wanted a new one to take its place.
Easier said than done, as I learnt during the last repair. But if it had to be done, it had to be done!
As I was taking off the bridge, I realised that there was a belly behind it. For the new bridge to stick properly, one had to give it as flat a surface as one could possibly have.
So, the first thing that I did after the bridge came off, was to clamp it flat with some heavy duty clamps.
After 48 hours of remaining clamped, when the pressure was released, the results were pleasing
With the clamps off, I tried to figure out why the bridge had come loose and why it had cracked again. The tell-tale marks were found here
This crack in the top told me that it was this that helped create a crack in the bridge. However, a disconcerting thought crossed my mind. If a crack in the top aided a bridge crack, why could it not cause a crack in the bridgeplate too? My heart sank at the thought of a split bridgeplate.
If that was so, then it would be useless to replace the bridge on it, for that too would crack soon. I peered through the soundhole, keeping my fingers crossed, half expecting a big, old split to stare back at me, but thankfully, the bridgeplate was solid without any sign of trauma.
Quickly, I went about repairing the top, such that the split itself became invisible.
While I was working my mind was also searching for reasons why the bridge had lifted again. It was then that I saw it
This was a remnant of the spruce veneer of the multi layer top. It was amazing how evenly it had broken off, as if someone had cut it with an X-acto knife. You must forgive my mistaking it as a mark left by the bridge during the factory assembly process, when I removed the bridge the first time around. This little border of spruce prevented the bridge to stick to the top properly.
Now that I knew, I went about removing this border under lights and magnification.
After spending about 45 minutes carefully removing the border, such that the finish remained undamaged, the footprint looked like this
Notice also that there is no sign of a crack in the top!
Thereafter began the process of glueing the bridge to the top. As I placed the new bridge on the old footprint the holes refused to match. If I matched the holes, there was something like a 2 mm of the bridge footprint exposed behind the bridge three-fourth of the way.
There was nothing to be done except plug the holes and redrill new ones.
Out came the violin sound posts and I went to work. Cutting each plug in line with the top and then sanding it flush, slow and tediously, the job got done in the end.
With everything else in place, it was time to slap on the bridge
The entire exercise ended two days later when the clamps came off. The fretboard and the dry, new bridge were given a coat of love, and a new saddle was put in place of the old bent saddle.
The owner decided to put in strings on his own and so that is how the instrument was returned – without strings but with the saddle standing in its slot!
