Acoustic guitars can be designed to sound good, or can be designed to last – it can’t really be both. Most builders try to find a middle ground, and many are very successful at finding a perfect balance. However, guitars are mostly made of wood, and sometimes wood just won’t cooperate. Occasionally we see this kind of problem: an acoustic bridge coming off. This particular guitar was rather problematic, and we were told that several other luthiers didn’t want to even attempt to fix it. But we’re the type of people that just can’t say no to a challenge, so here we go!
Here’s some preliminary shots of what this guitar looked like when it came in. This was probably the worst case of an acoustic bridge lifting we’ve ever seen: the bridge was coming off, the top had severely warped, and the bridge plate underneath the top was cracked and misshapen. Oof!
Someone had previously attempted to fix this, and did a rather poor job of it. They had glued the bridge back down without properly addressing the root issue of the top deflecting, and to make matters worse they bolted the bridge down!
Guitar Remove Neck Guitar Bridge Soldering Iron Head Remove High Temperature Soldering Iron Head Guitar Making Tools (color
Whenever we’re dealing with a poorly done repair, it just makes the repair all the more difficult. While we certainly don’t try to discourage people from attempting to repair things on their own, just bear in mind that you might screw it up and make things worse! This one was going to be a doozy.
The first thing I needed to do was to remove the bridge, which was made somewhat difficult with the bolts that had been installed. The bolt heads were hidden under some pearl dots, and I didn’t want to risk drilling the inlays out lest I strip out the bolt heads and put myself in a heap of trouble getting them out. So instead, after removing the nuts from the inside of the guitar, I put my soldering iron inside against the bolts, which would melt the glue holding the dots in place. Once the glue melted, I was able to push the bolts up from the inside.
With the bolts removed, I heated the bridge with a heat lamp to melt the little bit of glue still holding the bridge on, and lifted it off the top with a knife. It came off pretty clean, all things considered:
Unusual Acoustic Guitar Bridge Repair — Haze Guitars
Believe it or not, removing the bridge was the easy part. Next, I had to remove the broken bridge plate inside. I fashioned a way to introduce heat to the inside of the guitar, softening the glue holding bridge plate to the top, and then spent the better part of an hour with a short chisel prying it off. It came off in pieces, and it wasn’t surprising when it took some of the top with it. I said this was going to be a doozy!
Since the top was so compromised, some of it came off with the bridge plate. I had five small pieces of spruce that I salvaged from the mess, and very meticulously glued them all back together, like so:
Next I pressed the top back flat, utilizing heat, some Thompson cauls, and a plank of oak. After a couple of treatment sessions, the top was in much better shape.
How To Lower The Action On Your Acoustic Guitar Bridge And Saddle
With the top in decent shape and all the loose braces taken care of, it was time to put a bridge plate in place. I made a general outline of the shape from the broken pieces I had, and made a new plate out of rosewood. Then I made a caul out of plywood of the same shape for the clamps to attach to. This was a fairly large piece to glue, and I didn’t want to take any chances with any part of it not getting fully glued to the top – so I may have gone a little overboard with my clamping situation:
Next I shaped the bridge to fit the new shape of the top. This is a tedious process of attaching some sandpaper over the top, sanding the bridge a bit, remove the sandpaper, check for fit, repeat… repeat…repeat… This is really important, because if the bridge isn’t making full contact with the top it could open the door for it to pull off again, and ain’t nobody got time for that. Once satisfied, I glued it down, drilled string holes into the new bridge plate, and reinstalled bolts and inlays (the bolts weren’t entirely necessary anymore, but since there was already holes in the bridge, might as well use them).
Lastly, I opted to install a JLD Bridge Doctor, which would reinforce the top by deflecting some of the tension of the strings from the top to the tail block. We normally only use these when absolutely necessary (as was this case), but they absolutely work. Since the top of this guitar was so severely compromised and the owner uses heavy gauge strings, I felt it was better safe than sorry.
Alvarez D :: Loose Bridge And Cheap Pickups — Chubbuck Guitars :: Making & Repairing Guitars In A Old Building Just North Of Boston, Mass
The final test was to string it up and see if it didn’t completely explode on me. I’m happy to say that it’s holding together nicely. The top is back to it’s proper shape, the bridge isn’t lifting anymore, and it sounds great! Awesome!
I am a bassist, guitar tech, and founder of Strange Guitarworks. When not working on guitars, I create experimental music under the moniker of UFO Death Cult, utilizing microtonal instruments of my own design.Be it cold, heat, humidity or dryness, extreme weather and harsh environmental conditions are undoubtedly the biggest enemies of any guitar. The severity of the environment not only tarnishes the appearance of the guitar, but also affects its acoustic quality and structural robustness.
Extreme heat can melt away the glue, thereby loosening braces of the acoustic guitar. In such a case, warping of the guitar body can occur due to tension of the strings. This detaches the bridge as it's not designed to take the complete load.
Bridge Lifting On My 4 Week Old Acoustic. Pic Attached.
The bridge can also get disconnected when high temperature softens up the bridge's glue. As a result of sliding of the bridge your guitar's intonation gets affected.
Tip. Never leave your guitar inside your car during summer, as the greenhouse effect will melt your guitar. Keep checking the acoustical quality of your guitar while traveling during summer to prevent such temperature prompted problems.
Humidity is equally detrimental to your guitar as temperature. With humidity in air, your guitar absorbs moisture and swells. The problem gets worse when the swelling is regional and a certain portion expands more than the others. This not only causes cracks to your guitar's body, but also affects its sound quality.
Bridge Corner Pulling Up D 28 Authentic 37
It's the low humidity that's more harmful for it. While the finished surface preserves its shape, the wood beneath shrinks due to low humidity. This shrinking can bend the top of your guitar from the mid-portion, where the bridge is pasted, causing the bridge to get loosened.
If the glue used at the bridge joint was not of good quality or if the proper procedure for pasting wasn't followed, chances are high that the bridge will loosen up. It's important to clean the area and sand it properly before the application of glue.
Tip. You must, therefore, buy a guitar only from a reputed brand. If the bridge has to be replaced, ensure that a good quality glue is used and proper pasting technique is employed. The surface should be cleaned and sanded to remove the wood finish as well as dirt before applying glue.
The Finish Is Pulling Away From The Top Under The Bridge Of My Westerly D 1212.
Although the bridge doesn't normally warp or crack, while it's attached to the guitar, these problems do come into picture when the bridge gets detached from the guitar. Once it loses its connection with the guitar, the tension of the strings can crack or warp the bridge. In some cases, extreme dryness can also crack the bridge.
Then you have the bridge plate, which is a plate or a brace that's fixed to the bottom of the bridge to provide support for the tension of guitar strings. It can also get damaged just like the bridge.
Now that you know the likely problems that your guitar can have, it's time to see some DIY methods for fixing your guitar's bridge.
Can You Glue A Bridge Back On A Guitar?
If you notice a gap between the bridge and the guitar, it's a clear indication that the bridge has become loose. However, if the gap is very small, you'll not be able to see it. You must try to slide a piece of paper in the joint. If the paper enters, there's a gap.
If there's a gap, you'll have to remove the bridge and refix it. Trace out the bridge on a card stock piece of paper and cut it out. This can be placed around the bridge to avoid any damages to the finish when you remove the bridge from the guitar.
Cleaning the Guitar Body. This is one of the most critical activities in the entire process. If the body isn't cleaned perfectly, the bridge won't stick properly. However, there is a chance of causing damage to the guitar body if
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