The Hub

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 ,…

Hey All! I hope everyone has been loothing and living as well as possible. I'm checking in to ask for an opinion. I have been asked to fix or improve some top sinking/splitting of a Mahogany top 1930ish L-0 that sits between the bridge and the junction of the X-brace. It's showing signs of wanting to crack further but neither seems to be all the way through the top. I have removed the bridge plate cleanly and have tried wetting the…

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…

Hello Friends, I've had a vintage Epiphone acoustic stored at the shop for almost two years and it's about time to wrap it up. That never happens, LOL. It has a few loose braces, which is a repair I've done in the past. The problem with this one is that no matter how I jack up the loose braces from the inside, some parts of some braces simply do not move enough to come in contact with the soundboard. This is happening in a couple…

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.,…

I watched the Guild F-20 video (https://dev2.loothgroup.com/groups/repair-and-restoration/forum/topic/cracker-x-braces-on-guild-f20/#post-60310) with great interest since I've been working on a Gibson L-3 with a similar problem. A little back story - The original repair request was to address a small pickguard crack on the sound hole side. After peeking inside, I saw 5 loose brace ends on the treble side. Still a pretty standard repair…

Hello everybody! I've got a newer Martin Special 16 (all solid wood with matte back/sides and gloss top) in for some loose braces. Here in Houston I'm used to dealing with acoustics damaged by over-humidification or extreme heat rather than what I often see addressed in the group by you wonderful folks in your colder (normal) climates. My customer had this guitar shipped to him from Wisconsin, and I suspect it was exposed to some extreme…

Hey friends, just wanted to share a thingy I made and have been finding very useful for a couple years now. Ive intended to remake it prettier ( former helper did the file work), but this one works fine and I'm busy. I call it the Brace Brace. It hugs a length of the loose brace, and puts nice pressure across the brace, but most importantly on the scalloped end against the kerfing. I loosen one side of the other, then tighten it in…

Anyone got any good tips for regluing a brace in an acoustasonic strat? I can get in there with a magnet and little violin clamp, but can't get effective pressure all the way down with those. Does someone make small scissor jacks? The gap between the top and back is 1.25 inches, so I can't fit even our cut-down normal one. I'd like something a little more elegant than wedging short sticks between the brace and back, but will use th…