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This is my mid 50's LG-1. I had the back off to replace the bridge plate and one of the braces. I've got it all back together now but I'm lacking the knowledge to make my work disappear. I was using amber CA glue to color the binding but that didn't seem like the proper route so now I'm scraping, filing and sanding that back off and starting over. I watched Doug Proper's demonstration on liquid binding repair and that did have a lot…

Hey all. I've got the above-mentioned guitar on my bench. It had a neck reset and what appears to be a new bridge pad put in 14 years ago. It's a crack-free guitar except for a couple of little hairlines running from the back of the bridge to the upper tone bar. I thought that was a bit weird. Inside, everything looks okay until I turn off the inspection light, at which point I can see the rosy glow of daylight through the top - this…

This Lys (made in Canada) is one of my personal guitars. I noticed the string ends are dissappearing into the bridge plate. I thought about buying the SM Bridge Saver when they were having a discount sale, but it's been out of stock. The tool set costs more than I paid for the guitar, but I figure I could use it in the future for other repairs. I'm wondering if anyone here has experience with this tool and if it's a better repair than p…

Hey all. I have a Martin D18 with a severe belly up. The bridge has nearly popped off all the way at the time it was brought to me. Looking inside, the bridge plate has a crack going across all the pin holes. There's a few additional cracks above them toward the sound hole. Replace, or not replace, that is the question? Is this plate salvageable, with a tool like StewMax's BridgeSaver? I'm planning to heat treat the footprint of the bri…

I was recently asked to do some set up work on a Taylor GS Mini when I noticed the bridge beginning to lift at the back corner on the treble side. The pickups/electronics are mounted through the bridge plate and bridge, which is not something I've dealt with before and I'm wondering about how you all approach bridges like this. Any tips, tricks, warnings, etc. Would you tend to remove the bridge and reglue (if so, how nightmarish is it d…

We hear a lot in LoothLand these days about 3D printing. I think it's an awesome use of that technology for what we all do. With my long history with AutoCad and 3D rendering in my previous life, I should pull the trigger on a 3D printer, but I'm just not ready yet AND I have no available space for one in my little shop or in my office right now. Yes, 3D printing is great, but sometimes, good ole regular printing can be a surprise frien…

Just realized that I posted this on the main feed earlier and should have posted it here. Apologies for my poor posting skills. Will go and delete the original now.... Hello all, I’m new around here and excited to continue lurking and learning, taking in all the great content and the knowledge of all you experienced looths. I am more familiar with building than repairing, but I am interested in learning all I can about both. I’m happy to…

I'm the proud new owner of a "new to me" Fireball Meteor CNC machine. It feels really odd to have a computer in the shop but I guess I need to get used to that. Fortunately for me, I am well versed in CAD, unfortunately not so much on the CAM side of things. My 3 kids are all experts and are steepening the learning curve dramatically, this would be overwhelming if they weren't helping. So far I'm using the Fusion 360 personal use versio…

Long story short, Mom's sitting next to her guitar and POW, the bridge pops off taking part of the top with it. Now I'm trying to figure out how to fix it and I would like your feedback on my plan below. The hole is roughly the same size as the bridge. The top is a 3-layer laminate. The bridge, top, and bridge plate all came out as a single unit. The glue on the braces behind the bridge has failed, so the top will need to be re-glued…

Have you ever had a really stubborn bridge plate to remove? I had one not too long ago that seemed to resist wetting with a damp cloth, and subsequently all the heat I could get from my silicone heating pads. After much effort I got about 80% of it out cleanly. The remaining 20% required hours of work with a finger plane. That experience made me think about the Brown's Guitar Factory bridge plate removal tool I had purchased years ago,…

I have a 1915 Washburn parlor that just walked through the door. Bridge plate is pretty chipped out and led to a top crack and the bridge pulling up. The plate is tucked in the kerfing so removal isn't an option. Anyone ever dealt with this sorta thing before?