Hello looths! Long time lurker, first time poster here all the way from New Zealand. I have recently acquired this 2008 Martin D-35 for a very cheap price ($1000 NZD - around 600 US!) it's dried out in a very cold environment and has two substantial cracks running all the way across the top, one large side crack, and a previous side crack repair that's been done quite poorly. I'm only about 3 years in to this repair journey and this is d…
I thought I might add an outlier of an opinion here. I understand the temptation to close the cracks with higher humidity, but you're asking a lot of adhesives, reinforcements and human attention span…
Hi all, I got a Do Santos DSMSCC RC in shop, the Spanish heel has failed , or rather collapsed into the soundboard, splitting it on both sides along the grain, a broken brace just under the fingerboard extension , cracks on both sides on the top/side bindings, I measured wood humidity on the fingerboard 9% and inside the (very inaccessible) body 11% The normal procedure would be to re-humidify before jacking or clamping back into place ,…
A customer brought in a Gibson ivory top A3 mandolin. It's in good shape and has all the parts. He found it at the local thrift store here in Bishop. He wants it mechanically sound. Here are the problems: 1) Everything that comes into the shop has a shrinkage component and the effects of course very from instrument to instrument. This instrument is no exception and the results of that shrinkage, in this case, are severe. The top, ba…
@member Man, sorry for the late reply. I would just keep on taking this mandolin apart until you meet serious resistance. I'd build a mold and just trim it until it fits and…
All - looking for recommendations on overall approach for repairing this nasty side crack right at the edge of the tail block. My initial thought is that either the top or the back needs to come off in order to properly glue and clamp the main split.
Thanks in advance.
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I use a file or a sanding block. I fit the new side by pulling sandpaper (like on a neck reset) to start and then finish with a little bit of chalk and futzing. You could pull the tailblock inlay and…
Dave Slimmer OldSchoolGuitarLoothprintRepair and RestorationLite
Hello again folks, how is everyone!
So I'm curious about what people here think about re-tops, who's done them, and what sorta ballpark rates you've charged for past completed jobs.
I've got a bit of a wild one here, so strap in if you've got a couple minutes for story time!
Back in 2012, I traded an HD28V of mine for a cool 1966 D-35 that needed some work. Basically, the body and neck of the guitar were fine apart from…
Oh yes, it is absolutely not down to financial matters here, or I'd have abandoned it completely hahaha, I've been thinking more about it, perhaps I will take the plunge, and have a bit of silly fun w…
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…
(Just to set expectations, I bought this for the sole purpose of learning. Not a client project) I got this Martin D28-12 in destroyed condition, after an airline did something awful. As I see it: - Top cracks - Back cracks - Top & side separation with some broken off kerfing - Brace ejected When I was looking at the pictures online pre-purchase, I thought I might take the neck off and re-top it, or at the very least, take the top off and fix…
