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Hey everyone, I had a question on how to approach this bridge reglue. It's from a 1940's Kay type guitar, I removed the bridge without issue, and did some surfacing of the underside of it, but there's a problem. The bridge is missing material on the outer edges and I don't think I can remove much more material without compromising the overall shape and structure of it. I was wondering if you had suggestions on how to approach this? I wa…

Hi all, I'd like to get some input on how to address this top blowout. For starters I own this, I got it as a project guitar, 71 D28. I'm not as experienced with acoustics as electrics and this is a big project but I got it to learn new skills and I'm confident I can do it with guidance. It had been stored in the case for many years under tension and was way too humidified. The bridge had pulled up I assume in stages. The center seam se…

Greetings Wise Elders and fellow seekers of the Looth Group! I hope you're all keeping well. I humbly beseech thee for thine sage wisdom and experience. I purchased a 1971 Hagstrom Swede. This guitar was basically put in a case and then forgotten about for a few decades. I felt sorry for the old man and have taken it in as a stray / project. I would like to get it playing again. There are many scars on this guitar, I have looked for as…

We just ordered the StewMac buffer. Looking for ideas/photos for a hood(s) to remove all the particles flying off. We have a 4 inch 1250 cfm dust collection system. Thanks for any input. Tom K

This guitar does not have a dovetail. It has five dowel. Three in line and two at the top on either side of the truss rod. Remove truss rod nut before sliding neck straight out.

I don’t have CNC capabilities so I could not duplicate Dave Slimmer’s version ( https://loothgroup.com/loothprint/bridge-clamping-cauls/). Got a 12x18x1/2 inch HDPE cutting board on Amazon for under $10 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D3LQVA), drilled a row of 1/2 holes about 5/16” deep with a Forstner, cut the HDPE into 5 sided chunks so I could orient by touch, and free handed the brace grooves on the band saw. The clamp swivel pads are 1…

Gibson Roy Smeck Radio Grande 7 string! in for tuner replacements... Currently has faulty original grovers, wants waverly titanium that I'd have to modify the plate shape to fit---and drill a new lower hole mount to avoid new holes drilled in the headstock ( around the "e" in waverly logo; and new plate hole and old plate hole would intersect by a whisper ). I'd have to remove the cog to mill & install, but the mounting screw head has c…

At what point do you tell a customer that their acoustic instrument needs a bridge reglue? Do you do it when the corners are just barely starting to lift? Once it has begun to affect playability/tuning stability? Do you offer half-measures to save them money when the damage is not too bad (dripping in some thinned tite bond instead of removing the bridge entirely for example)? I ask this because a Godin acoustic bass just came across my…

I've got a client with a '72 Tele. It needs a re-fret, but the truss rod isn't functioning. In fact it's backed out of the channel significantly, and there's a bulge in the neck underneath the first fret which suggests to me there's something going on with the truss rod anchor. The puzzling thing is the wood in the neck has bulged, but the skunk stripe and the finish don't appear to be disturbed at all. I'm thinking I'll probably hav…

I've owned this Jersey City made 12-string/drone 'harp' guitar for a few years and want to get on the repair. I've taken the necks off many dozens of Schmidt-made guitars but never one with two necks. I've searched the web looking for harp guitar neck removal and didn't find anything of use. Asking for any tips/aids/experience from the loothers. My plan is to make a custom neck removal jig that fits the necks, and then drill the typical…

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…

Thought fellow looths might enjoy this geekery. I've often wished for custom size heating blankets, but didn't even try uploading the file to get a quote from some of the major manufacturers. I was looking to spend countless hours of my life on something and save a hundred bucks. So I did some research, a little bit of head scratching, a slight bit of math reckoning, and made this '70s Martin bridge plate remover. Pretty slick, nice…

I have a Favilla Classical guitar on the bench, in for a bridge reglue. This is a low to mid-range classical guitar, made circa 1960, and it's an heirloom guitar for the customer, he basically wants it back in playing shape. The story is that he went away on vacation, and when he returned the bridge had delaminated from the top and took a fair amount of finish with it. It also appears that someone attempted to glob on superglue at some…

Well, I have exhausted all the internet can offer for options for a replacement bridge. The customer, long ago, removed a ton of material from the bottom(!!!!) of the bridge, and now that ive taken this guitar on as a restoration, its up to me to make a new bridge. I have found some ultra small pattern bits, and round-over bits to do the inside of the mustache flush, but I can not for the life of me decided how im going to cut the bulk…

Im 6'-6" with hands to match. I can squeeze my hands into most flattops, but a friend asked me to look at his 1930's Tiple. It has multiple back cracks that I can get to with props and TJ's crack system, but there are also plenty of loose braces. Looks like I've got to pop the back off, but I feel the long back cracks should be stabilized first. Would you hesitate removing the back? or is there a way to address the loose braces from out…

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…

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…

A framus 501. It is not a guitar of any value, I only used it as a training object. They are old and good looking, very popular on fleamarkets. But there is a german saying: "You 'll never get famous with a framus" Keep that in mind. I think they have been exported worldwide, so maybe you will find the pictures useful, despite the lack of value of the plywoodguitar. The removal was so fast and easy, maybe kung fu reset is not necassary. J…