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Private member DiscussionElectric Repair

Gretsch Rally Hell

Just sharing some info to procrastinate my nth attempt at getting this thing together. and some venting. If you get one of these in with electronic issues, estimate high. Customer brought in a Gretsch Rally in pieces that he picked up from the last repairman (who died), and just wants it to play. Minor binding repair and a weirdly-angled zero fret were relatively easy to deal with. The dead electronics are the main problem.…

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Private member
I would even consider using 2.5mm TRS or TRRS connectors. (Similar to what Guitar Fetish uses on their pickups.) That would allow modularity of the components, and even easier installation. Only drawb…
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Repair

Gibson L-50 archtop with loose back braces

Anyone have success re-gluing back braces on a Gibson f-hole arch top? I've got an L-50 in the shop with very small f holes. My jack braces won't even fit through the holes. The back is flat like a standard guitar with transverse ladder bracing. All 4 back braces are loose on the ends. I think I can get a go-bar on the lower 2, but the upper 2 will be very difficult to reach. I'd rather not take the back off if possible. I wish I h…

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Ian Davlin
Do you know the move of flipping the the feet on the bridge gluing clamps to do tight to get to back braces ?
Private member DiscussionGeneral

Is this hollow body guitar worth fixing - sunken top…

I recently picked up a used custom guitar that the seller said he bought in Vietnam Nam many years ago. I bought it as a wall hanger due to the wonderful Mother of Pearl work, especially on the back. It was very apparent that the top on this instrument was sunken at least 3/8 of an inch, as the weird bridge setup was heightened to the max and there was barely any action height. Once I took it apart and removed the foam inside, I was…

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Ian Davlin
01:53:25 Q9. Vietnamese Hollow Body Worth Fixing? @member your video sir.
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Builds

Mandocello top tap tuning

Hi all, I am building a mandocello, Gibson style but with f holes, currently working on the top. I got to a point where I carved it to about 5 mm in the center and about 3,3 around the edges. If has some flexibility but still feels quite stiff. I tap and listen but having experience only with flat top guitars I don't really know what I'm looking for in terms of tap tone and flexibility. I know there is no correct answer to this, but anyo…

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One more update. I have been generating Chladni patterns for the top. I normally do this with the closed box, as most luthiers seem to think that on free plates it's not very useful, but I found this…
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Repair

Modular Clamp For Acoustic Guitar Repair

So, I made a modular clamp based on the split clamp idea. Started on a prototype about two months ago and finished it. What I was aiming for was a clamp that I could use on the BOTTOM of acoustic guitars as well as tops to clamp cracks, cleats, braces, patches etc. Especially a clamp that would access small openings like "F" holes, small sound holes etc. Essentially a way to get a clamp to areas not accessible to jacks, wedges etc.,…

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Ian Davlin
Really cool design !