Members happy-man Posted October 24, 2007 Members Share Posted October 24, 2007 If a bridge is lifting and the top is bulged at the same spot can this be fixed through the sound hole or would you have to rip open the guitar? I would be considering this only for a very cheap bang around, so if I went in trying and couldn't do it I wouldn't be out much money. I know one guitar like this locally that I could get for less than $40 that if I could fix it I know I could sell for $90, but I'd probably keep it for a keep at work guitar. I see another in a eBay ad with much less of a bridge lifting issue than the local guitar, but I can't see the condition of the top from the pictures. Scott O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 24, 2007 Members Share Posted October 24, 2007 Scott, if the bridge is lifting off you need to remove it and reglue it. You will have to work thru the soundhole to make clamping cauls for the inside, no big deal. The usual reason a guitar starts bulging in its lower bout is that the whole geometry is getting wonky. In fact, it is often one of the symptoms of needing a neck reset - the upper bout and neck block have been rotated down into the body and the lower bout and bridge up. Often resetting the neck will at least partially reduce the bulge. Obviously resetting the neck isn't to be taken lightly (a neck reset on my old 12 string largely reduced the belly but didn't completely elininated it). The bulge might just be old age (we are talking guitars now, so be nice). If so it probably means the neck angle will look bad (remember that neck angle really is the relationship between neck plane and the top of the guitar. It is possible that you don't want to fix the bulge, but still have to reset the neck. However, a bulging lower bout might be fixed by something like the JLD Bridge Doctor, however when I tried one on my 12 it was totally ineffective (subject of another thread) and when Kwakatak tried one on his Tak he split the bridge. It can be installed through the soundhole and might help. Another possible cause of a bulging lower bout is a broken or loose brace - that can be fixed thru the sound hole. So the answer is..... maybe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted October 24, 2007 Members Share Posted October 24, 2007 Another possible cause of a bulging lower bout is a broken or loose brace - that can be fixed thru the sound hole. Does THIS look familiar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members happy-man Posted October 25, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 25, 2007 The guitar I saw locally was almost certainly damaged due to heat. I drove to check out a craigslist guitar that was advertised as having a slightly lifted bridge. Well it wasn't slightly, and the top was bulging right behind the bridge. The house was hot (not air conditioned in south Florida) and the guitar had been stored unused for about 3 years. I had brought a straight edge to check the neck, and it was ok. The top was flat at the neck end. If I thought at the time I could handle the repair I would have gotten the guitar, but I was unsure so I let it got and explained the condition to the owner (he didn't know anything about guitars - it had been purchased for his daughter and she didn't use it). He's just going to give it to the veterans if it doesn't sell. I'm trying to decide if I want to see if it's still available and have a hand at fixing it. It's just a cheap guitar, Washburn D100. Scott O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dhoenisch Posted October 25, 2007 Members Share Posted October 25, 2007 I've repaired three guitars in the same condition. Here are pictures of one of them. It's a cheapo plywood import, but it worked. In this image, the bridge is removed. I have a blue shop towel (plus a few inside the bottom of the guitar) that I pour water on from a sipper water bottle, and apply a hot (highest setting) clothes iron on. This generates steam to the inside of the guitar, and outside. It eventually will soften the wood and make it pliable. This process takes about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the guitar. This one took about 10 minutes. Than I take a long piece of maple, and clamp the top down flat. I also have a piece of maple under the guitar. You can line the maple with cork, but with this guitar, the finish was messed up, so I did strait wood, though the piece under the guitar is lined with pieces of carpet. Leave it sit for about a week. Now, in the case of this guitar, the steam also melted the glue from the bracings, so clamping it down for a week actually glued the braces back to the top. In others, you need to feed glue into the bracings after clamping. In the case of all three guitars, the bridge plate was cracked. Now, I don't like having to pull the old one off, so I make a bridge plate overlay, and make it the same size and shape of the original one, the best I could. With this guitar, I just used a thin piece of maple. Glue and clamp it to the inside of the the guitar over the original bridge plate (I like to use hot hide glue for this), and once that dries overnight, I glue and clamp a new bridge on, or the existing if it isn't cracked. Again, I like to use hot hide glue for this. Hope this helps, Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members happy-man Posted October 25, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thank you Dan. How did it sound before and after? I wonder what the extra bridge plate does to the sound. I assume you use mirrors to look around inside. My pin head isn't quite small enough to fit in the hole. For a cheapo that guitar looks nice. Is that a maple fretboard? I remember a recent thread where someone was asking about that. Scott O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dhoenisch Posted October 25, 2007 Members Share Posted October 25, 2007 I couldn't tell you really how it sounded before as it was a "found in the attic" guitar. The bridge was practically off of the guitar, so I didn't want to tension the strings. Besides, it had one of those adjustable bridges, which dampens the sound anyhow with the large metal piece holding the plastic saddle on, and the two large bolts to adjust it. I replaced it with a real bridge. I still have yet to play it as it still needs the neck reset. The neck started pulling from the rest of the guitar, so when I got my grubby hands on the guitar, it had nosebleed string height, even if I had tensioned them, they would still have been way too high. On the other hand, I did the same with a Tak, and it didn't sound any different to me before and after, and I was able to use the same bridge. Mind you, I had the guitar in the shop for two weeks, but even then, I would think I may have noticed some difference if it had been that noticable of a change. Also, if you look at frets.com, Frank Ford does the overlay thing, and he seems satisfied with the outcome. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitarsaver Posted June 29, 2013 Members Share Posted June 29, 2013 The short answer is, yes, it can. Yes, you will need to remove the bridge and reglue it, usually this is best done once the bulge is gone or reduced. It's much to involved to go into here, there are several methods that can be used. First thing, find out how much bulge you have. A straight edge across the belly with coins on the ends until it's level will give you a good idea. You need to make this measurement with the strings under tension if possible, but if not, it'll still get you close. A small amount of bulge is normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members katopp Posted July 10, 2013 Members Share Posted July 10, 2013 Getting tired to mention that this again is a zombie thread.So many people with single-digit post counts doing the nasty necrophilia, Bringing back the dead - only to disappear again into the void. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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