The Hub

I bought the O'brien vacuum clamp and a pump to clamp bridges on new builds, but also to use for repair work. I got tired of making custom top and bottom cauls for every odd-shaped bridge that comes in my shop. The vacuum clamp works great on a flat surface with no pick guard. I put it on a J45 with a pick guard, and it won't seal. The gasket is too hard to form over the pick guard. I've seen YouTube videos of other folks using vacu…

I'm finishing up a dreadnought with a wood pickguard (ebonized mesquite) that I need to glue to a French polish finish. Wondering what glue to use and whether I need to scrape off the shellac or just glue it to the finish. Thoughts??

Today I have spent the better part of five hours attempting to get the fingerboard extension free on this guitar. I am using the method I have used for dozens of neck resets: 100 watt halogen bulb with heat shields. After a couple hours I thought I was making some progress under one corner, only to discover after some movement that my palette knife was going through the top. I then abandoned that area and have been applying heat and…

I have a clients 1930's Gibson L-00 that had survived its past life as a New Orleans blues joint house guitar. It's even immortalized on an old postcard from the day. It shows all the wear n' tear but sounds and plays great. Problem is, the customer (at my discretion) wants a period-correct replacement pickguard, as the original was visible in all it's historic photos but has since been removed from the body prior to his ownership. The…

New to the Looth Group forum so I hope I'm posting in the right place. I am also relatively new to the trade although I've been a woodworker for a long while. I have a general question for luthiers regarding the repair of a typical pick guard issue. I have 2 early 1970's Martin D35's in my shop with the usual pick guard curling and cracks associated with shrinkage. I've watched luthiers flatten and re-glue these back on the bare wood as…

So I’m considering buying a laser cutter to start cutting out templates and pick guards. Just wanted see what people are using, looking to get something I can grow into. Thanks!