This Fender FA 125-CE which came to me recently – was, in many ways – a mixture of opposites. Quite clean otherwise, its headstock and the portion between the soundhole and the bridge, under the strings, was proof that dust was never removed from those portions of the instrument.
Though it seemed like quite the singer, its bridge had lifted, and had even pulled a belly in the top, behind it.
The ideal way to deal with a belly is to first remove the bridge and then go about straightening the top. If the bridge is lifting, it only helps things. Remove bridge, remove belly, clean both surfaces and reglue bridge!
With the bridge off, the first task was to clean the underside of the bridge and its footprint on the top.
Do appreciate the second outline outside where the bridge was actually seated. The outer boundary marks till where the finish on the top needed to be cleaned for the bridge to seat properly on the top. Both parts were cleaned with a lot of effort 
Meanwhile, with the bridge off, I could see perfectly how warped the top had become.
That was the state of the top. Needless to say that the bridge too had got warped some.
The patient was rushed into intensive care and treatment began soon after.
The photographs above show the first 24 hours, which had some degree of impact
A second 24 hours was needed with some ingenious clamping
and after the clamps were removed, the belly had got reduced further (but had not gone completely).
And while, the instrument stayed clamped, I worked on other areas of the instrument. The (plastic) saddle, for example, was curling and tilting in its slot – never a good thing for intonation. I told the owner that things would improve dramatically if he were to get a bone nut and saddle put in the instrument, and he agreed.
The factory-fitted plastic saddle is on the left and the new intonated bone saddle on the right. Can you see the difference in how straight the bone is?
Anyway, to those unfamiliar with these things, replacing a nut and saddle, is hardly ‘replacement’. Minute measurements make all the difference in a well-seated nut or saddle, and the the sound produced thereof.
Just to give you an example of the measurements involved
You can also see the area marked off to be removed from the saddle.
Meanwhile, the nut slot too, was readied to receive the new bone nut
The headstock too, was cleaned and polished
The fretboard, dry as tinder, (as also the bridge) were shown love, cleaned and oiled
And then began the process of glueing the bridge to the top.
Enough glue, enough clamping pressure and enough time, generally, makes for the perfect joint.
While the glue dried, I again found something to work on. Lacquer had chipped off near the end block, on the top, creating a small crater.
I filled it up and sanded it smooth to a point that when I was taking a photograph, I had difficulty finding the touched-up area.
The owner chose these strings to go on his guitar
But before I threw these on, there was a little graphite powder needed in freshly cut nut slots.
I strung up the guitar, waited a day and then called the owner and handed it over. The owner was pretty happy with the outcome.
However, a week or so later, he called me to inform that the bridge was lifting again! I called the guitar in, again took off the bridge, again cleaned up the two surfaces, again clamped and reglued it.
Hopefully, the bridge will hold fast now!
And as often as I do, I forgot to take photographs of the finished job!!!!!!!!!!!
