Members dustball2 Posted August 23, 2015 Members Share Posted August 23, 2015 So the bridge on my acoustic is pulling up, not only has it lifted (on more the left side than the right), to the point i can fit several pieces of paper under it, it is pulling the body itself up so that the area below the bridge is bowing up. what can I do? I was thinking a truss rod adjustment to prevent any furthur damage? but the action is fine and it still plays great. so far in my search I've seen i'm pretty much gonna just have to drop a buck to get it reglued... any advice much appreciated. Also should i restring it since i broke a string and have to change em, i really wanna play it but don't wanna furthur damage. and lastly do the humidifiers help? thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 23, 2015 Members Share Posted August 23, 2015 First, hi and welcome to the Forum. Second, if you've posted pics I can't see them because I'm at work. If you haven't, please do. Someone who can see the pics will be able to help you. Third, the truss rod has squat to do with the bridge. It's to adjust the amount of bow in the neck. Don't touch it. If the bridge is pulling up and the top is bellied, it's because the guitar can't take the tension of the strings. How old is the guitar? What strings are on it? If it's not in terrible shape, you can have it fixed and possibly have lighter strings put on it to help prevent a recurrence of the same issue. Ask the shop to do a "setup" while they have it. That's where the truss rod comes in.As for humidifiers, yes, they help immensely to keep your guitar in good condition. I see you're in Roanoke, VA. I've never been there but if you run central air much the air in your house can be dry. Same for winter heat. If the humidity wherever you keep your guitar is around 50% year round, then you don't need a humidifier but I suspect that's probably not the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dustball2 Posted August 23, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 23, 2015 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1076482052369419&set=a.979908725360086.1073741827.100000229037754&type=1&theater,Thanks man, here's a pic of the little bit of lift cant really see where the body is being pulled up a little but it def is, as far as strings i just have regular old d addario 12's on it, id say the guitar is about 6 or 7yrs, cant remember, it's an alvarez, def not a higher end model, got it for like $200 plus the hardshell case on musicians friend but the motha sounds good for what it is, still in good shape Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 24, 2015 Members Share Posted August 24, 2015 Dusty, I fix an amazing number of bridges that pull up - it is usually a matter of the guitar not being properly prepared at that factory. The finish must be completely removed from the area under the bridge before it is glued on - glue simply does not adhere well to finish. Here is a little Fender acoustic that I did last week - first the bridge and top, not a lot of glue was used but that doesn't matter because the top wasn't prep'ed correctly. Next is how much finish I took off the top to get to bare wood (please excuse me, I'm trying to upload these pictures from my computer and the size is all wonky). The last picture is regluing the bridge with a special caul inside and three deep clamps. You need to have this done to yours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted August 24, 2015 Members Share Posted August 24, 2015 Yup. Freeman is correct; it needs to be carefully removed, the glue surfaces need to be sanded down to bare wood and then it needs to be reglued. Tweaking the truss rod with do nothing and trying to wick glue into the gap will only complicate things. At the very least, take the strings off and look around for a reputable repairman. It shouldn't be more than $50 to fix, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 24, 2015 Members Share Posted August 24, 2015 Facebook is on the block list at work but now I'm home and I still can't see the pics. There's a message that the "content isn't available." I tried without the ",Thanks" on the end but no luck. If the top bellying is minimal it's nothing to worry about. Take it somewhere and have it fixed. Unfortunately, kwakatak appears to be wrong about the cost. I did a quick web search for prices and found a range of $60-143 in the first couple of pages. With luck, the higher prices include a setup, which isn't a bad idea in any case. Figure $100 or so but budget for more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted August 24, 2015 Members Share Posted August 24, 2015 Hello & Welcome, Dustball. Freeman has detailed the approved method of refixing a lifting bridge above ^ ^ ^ but you can do a simple DIY fix yourself using small bolts and some epoxy resin. But please note - this will be a visible and permanent mend (if you use epoxy resin you won't be able to get the bridge off again) and will probably reduce the price you might expect if you ever sell your guitar). However, if it's a cheap and cheerful git that you like and want to extend its life, the method works well. As follows: Buy a couple of small bolts - something like 4mm by 20mm should be fine. Take off all the strings and feel around under the bridge inside the guitar to check for the position of struts. If the area is clear, drill a hole of the right size to accommodate the bolts in each side of the bridge right through the top. Fit the bolts loosely in the hole with the head on top and a washer and nut inside. Mix up a little epoxy resin and push into the gap between the raised bridge and top. Screw up the bolts taking the bridge back onto the top, remove any resin that is forced out with a cloth dampened with white spirit. Leave overnight for the resin to set, restring and happy playing. Here is a pic of the done job: You can use dome head bolts like the pic and just leave them or you can use counter-sunk heads and fill the hole with woodfiller. Up to you. BTW - several makers including Ovation use bolts to fix the bridge on their guitars so it is not just a mad idea. Re the top bellying - this does tend to happen over time due to the tension of the strings pulling it up. I would recommend switching to 11 or even 10 gauge strings to extend the life of the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dustball2 Posted August 24, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 24, 2015 Thanks for all the feedback guys! I'm leaning towards just taking it to someone and having them do it, not really DIY savvy when it comes to making repairs and stuff, If i had a {censored}ty guitar to practice on i might attempt doing it myself after some practice but i don't wanna take a chance of screwing it up. Rock on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dustball2 Posted August 24, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 24, 2015 actually looking at the pics Freeman, it doesn't look all that difficult to do?, def gonna drop down to 11s probably as a preventative of it happening again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 24, 2015 Members Share Posted August 24, 2015 A guitar in good condition should handle 12's with no problems but yes, over time, string tension takes its toll. 11's will help but eventually you're going to wind up with strings that are too wimpy to vibrate the top properly. As for the DIY approach, Freeman has been doing guitar repairs and building for quite a while and he makes it look easier than it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 Prices must have gone up. When this happened to my lawsuit Takamine I had the bridge reglued in this fashion along with a "California" neck reset (slipping the neck block inside the body without removing the neck) for less than $100. That was 12 years ago though. The bridge started coming back up a few years ago and I tried the "cold chisel" method but it ended up taking up some of the top with it. Now I have a heat gun that cost about $30 at Harbor Freight and a bottle of TItebond I along with several grades of sandpaper that all cost less than $50 all told. The job should take less than an hour to do so I could see charging about $25 for labor. No more than that though. $100 would be highway robbery IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 One outfit, which I can't find now, wanted $30 for an "in place" repair, which presumably means squirting glue under the bridge and clamping it. They were the place that quoted $60 for a remove-and-reglue. Here are some specific quotes: Third Coast Guitars, Chicago, Bridge remove and re-glue, Martin style 6 string $95Maple Street Guitars, Atlanta, Bridge reglue - $100GuitarRepairShop.com Re-glue Bridge- $120.00Chicago Fret Works Bridge reglue: $115 – 150Finger Lakes Guitar Repair, Ithaca, NY, Bridge Reglue $143ARC Guitar, Winters, CA, Remove, Reset and Reglue Acoustic Bridge: $85.00 and up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 It takes me about an hour to do a simple bridge removal, clean up and reglue. I charge 30 bucks an hour. Obviously if there is something else - cracked bridge, if I have to make a new one, if the owner has already tried to fix it with Gorilla Glue (yes, that happened) or if I have to do a bunch of setup work the price will be more. Remember when comparing my prices to those above that I'm not a "professional" and I do this to make guitars playable regardless of the value of the guitar. One thing that helps a lot it having the right tools - the deep clamps and especially the KBK Bridge Caul http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/...la-42/1313133- fwiw - the guitar in that 2013 thread is a Fender acoustic. The guitar in those pictures above (taken about a week ago) is a Fender acoustic. Notice a trend.....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dustball2 Posted August 25, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 I love my Alvarez which is what mine is, since i don't have any of the tools needed to even do the job i'm gonna see if i can find a guy to do it for hopefully not that much, 30 bucks sounds great but i know i'm not getting that price at some little guitar shop, i'm not gonna spend over a hundred.. if it comes to that i'll try to do it myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dustball2 Posted August 25, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 this is killing me though i wanna play my acoustic and i only have one! guess that's a good reason to get another right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 Hehe - just don't put in a JLD Bridge Doctor! ;-) I'll tell you what. Stick around for a bit. I acquired an old Epiphone 12 string that has a lifting bridge that I'm going to do myself in about a wee once my kids are both back in school. I'll document the process. Not only is the bridge lifting, it's cracked too. That's something I had happen when I put in a JLD but it's known to happen if you hammer the pins in too tight as well. I'm going to try and fix that myself as well: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 this is killing me though i wanna play my acoustic and i only have one! guess that's a good reason to get another right? Careful. That way lies madness and a house full of guitars. In any event, here are a few possibilities from your local CraigsList: Samick D1SN $120 http://roanoke.craigslist.org/msg/5149162879.html Hohner unknown model or year $50 http://roanoke.craigslist.org/msg/5147311162.html (Could be junk, could have possibilities.) Washburn unknown model or year $125 http://roanoke.craigslist.org/msg/5123955090.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 NO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 You have good taste. My first halfway decent guitar was an Alvarez back in the early 70's. I currently have an Alvarez beater acoustic and an Alvarez bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 I always heard that called the "neck block slip" method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 Getting the bridge off is easy. The hard part is gluing it back on in exactly the right place cleanly. You need padded long C clamps to do it right. Or this little gadget. I have one and it worked great on the Alvarez Yairi I fixed about a month ago. The bolts go though the peg holes for easy alignment: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted August 25, 2015 Members Share Posted August 25, 2015 ...or you can make your own out of parts you can get from any hardware store: Otherwise, getting it in the right place is kind of easy with a repair since you have the existing footprint. One a new guitar you need one of those Saddlematic jobbers. I could see the biggest trick keeping the bridge in place while applying pressure to the clamps. When I did my build applying the C clamp in the soundhole often caused the bridge to slide out of place the first attempts at clamping it down. In that case, would it be advisable to hold the bridge in place until the glue takes hold? There's got to be a science to it, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted August 26, 2015 Members Share Posted August 26, 2015 Yes. Works fine. I probably wouldn't do it on a valuable guitar but no problem on a beater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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