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Broken bridge - irreparable?


SoulMan1981

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It can be repaired but unless its a holy Relic the cost to have it professionally done will be more then a cost of a new guitar.

It looks like a beginners guitar from the pic and you can buy all kinds of well made acoustics for $100 new all day long.

I'd steer clear from buying used acoustics unless you can actually check it out first hand. Used beginner acoustics are often neglected left out of cases with missing strings and warped tops, necks and bridges lifting like this one.

 

Best thing the parent can do is buy a new one, with a case and humidifier. As important as it is for the child to learn how to play, its just as important that student learn the proper maintenance of the instrument. It comes as a responsibility, just like doing maintenance on a car is when that kid learns to drive. The guitar should be stored in a case with a humidifier especially during the winter months when the dry heat causes the wood to dry out and cause these kinds of problems. Temp changes should also be minimized and using the proper string gauges for the instrument build are essential as well. Storing the instrument for extended periods of time by slacking the strings is often required too.

 

You can find all this info on line and its the first things a student should learn. It leads to lifelong habits that preserve the instrument.

 

But again, the answer to your question. Repairs can well be in the hundreds to have it done right. Its usually reserved for instruments worth a thousand or more where that repair might make sense. Its not so much the repair is difficult as it is time consuming. The original bridge must be completely removed, the top sanded, the warped top must be clamped for an extended period and the wood steamed to reverse the warping. The crack must be re-glued, any bracing inside must be re-glued and clamped, possibly even be replaced. In some cases the entire top may need replacing, then the bridge gets replaced properly set for intonation and re-glued then the top gets refinished.

 

This is all time consuming labor intensive stuff that takes allot of skill to do right.

 

The big issues that make it prohibitive, besides the cost is, budget guitars are often epoxied together which makes it difficult to impossible to separate the wood properly. Quality instruments use Bone/Hyde glue which can be unglued with heat/steam to separate the wood and repair them. By the time the instrument gets in this shape its likely got other major problems too. I'd bet dollars for donuts the fret board above the 12th fret which extends over the body is warped too. This means neck removal and possible fretboard replacement. You may as well be rebuilding the guitar from scratch with used parts at that point.

 

So my advice is have the parent go get a new one for his kid. Try and stick with a popular name brand unless you have someone who can spot a quality build in generic. Epiphone or Fender both make good beginner guitars that should last a good 5 years or more. By then they would know if the student has potential to move up to a pro grade instrument. Plus add this fact. If the kid is in his pre to early teens he will excel as a player during those years more then any others. Plus he will be off the streets staying out of trouble which can cost a parent a whole lot more money and anxiety then they'd ever spend on a guitar. Besides its Christmas. A new guitar and a voucher for some professional lessons at a local music shop as a stocking stuffer will pay off in a lifetime of worthwhile pursuit.

 

Good luck

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I build guitars and do quite a few repairs, including a fair number of lifted bridges (and unfortunately, some on fairly nice guitars). I like repairing instruments that others might say aren't worth it - it give the guitar a new lease on life and gives the owner something to play.

 

Without actually seeing it I won't give a hard number estimate but typically if the bridge is fine and can be reused (and it looks like this one can) it will take me about an hour (and I charge $30 an hour). I just gave an estimate on one where I'll need to make a new bridge (it is split down the middle) and it was two hours plus the rosewood blank (5 bucks).

 

If you are interested in trying it yourself I can walk you thru the procedure - its not that hard

 

edit to add - here is a recent thread talking about lifting bridges

 

http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/forum/guitar/acapella-42/31564133-my-bridge-is-pulling-up

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The problem isn't really the bridge itself...it's all that cracked and delaminated plywood underneath.

 

Personally I'd probably use epoxy and get it all in the laminations and under the bridge and then just clamp it all down and clean up anywhere it seeped out. After that all dried I'd use a reamer to get the glue out of the holes and string it up.

 

I know people shun epoxy and gorilla glue but I think they are great for salvaging these $50 plywood beater guitars to get a few more years out of them.

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1. Repair inspection and preparation for repair including pre-repair clamping to inspect for proper lay-down prior to applying glue and final clamping - 1 Hour.

2. Clean-up of faying surfaces to ensure a flat bond - 1 Hour (if needed)

3. Acquiring correct clamps and cauls to ensure proper clamping pressure is applied - Stew-Mac catalog - Price TBD, including shipping.

4. Time to perform (3) above - 1 hour.

5. Acquiring adhesive, whether epoxy or (?) - Hardware store price TBD, including gas surcharge.

6. Time to perform (5) above - 1 hour.

5. Performing the actual repair with prep and clean-up - 2 hours.

 

My time I bill myself - $20.00/hour (I'm cheap and could be doing something else much more productive)

Total hours - 5-6 hours

Total cost of labor - $100.00-$120.00 (minus materials in 3 and 5 above)

 

Nope. Pawn shop road trip.

 

 

 

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I'd just mix up some 5 minute epoxy and clamp it with a few long C clamps through the sound hole.

 

This ain't no Martin D45.

 

15 minutes tops.

 

Epoxy is fine for gap filling imperfect surfaces like that. It's a similar product that's in between the laminations of the original plywood.

 

It actually works better if the two surfaces aren't perfectly smooth and matched

 

The only negative is that it's not removable after. No problem for a cheapo

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As others have said, the bridge looks fine. The fact that it took some of the plywood top up with it es no bueno. In order for any repair to hold both glue surfaces have to be clean of old glue and residue and completely flush (no gaps) for new glue to hold.

 

 

 

Other than that the procedure would otherwise be pretty simple. You don't need to spend a lot of money on special clamps; I made a jig out of scrap hardwood and a couple of bolts and bought a suitable C clamp at Harbor Freight. As for glue, Titebond I is the glue of choice.

 

 

 

Now if that were a new guitar, I would see about either seeing if such a repair or even if a replacement were covered under warranty because unless the instrument was exposed to heat stress (causing the glue to soften) then that failure of the glue joint is most likely a defect.

 

 

 

If not, I'd just pitch it and upgrade. There are still decent student guitars out there for less than $300.

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I did some research and typical prices for a repair like that one are US$85 and up. No clue what shops in the UK charge. In any case, the guitar probably isn't worth much more than that. If you can't DIY it, go to your nearest pawn shop or check Gumtree.

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Some years ago Bryan Kimsey charged me $40 to pull and reglue a bridge on my Martin. As I said above, that's about what I would charge now. Of course I have all the tools and glue and stuff so I wouldn't have to go thru all Idunno's silliyness.

 

I really hate to see a guitar that can't be saved if it is at all reasonable.

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I really hate to see a guitar that can't be saved if it is at all reasonable.

So do I but here are some typical prices from a quick web search:

 

Third Coast Guitar Service (Chicago, IL) http://www.thirdcoastguitar.com/prices/2009-guitar-repair-pricing-guide-bridges/ $US$95

ARC Guitar (San Francisco, CA) http://www.arcguitar.com/repairs1 US$85+

Maple Street Guitars (Atlanta, GA) http://www.maplestreetguitars.com/repair_prices.php US$100

Firehouse Guitars & Music (Atlanta, GA) http://guitarsatlanta.com/store/guitar-repair-price-list/ US$150-200

Chicago Fret Works http://www.chicagofretworks.com/basic-pricing-of-the-most-common-repairs/ US$115-150

South Austin Guitar Repair http://www.southaustinguitarrepair.com/ US$60 (assuming the bridge has pulled off completely, which looks like the case here)

 

If the OP is lucky, we'd be talking US$60+. No idea what rates are in the UK where the OP is but US$60 works out to about £40. If he's not lucky, we're talking US$150 or more, about £101+. It looks more and more like a DIY repair is the way to go, short of pitching the guitar.

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So do I but here are some typical prices from a quick web search:

 

From Bryan Kimsey's site (I think Bryan is one of the better Martin mechanics, he has done work on both of mine and is highly respected at the UMGF)

 

Bridge:

Remove/reglue Remove, scrape finish out, and reglue bridge 40.00

 

Here is what I figure it should take me to do the job. Remove old bridge - 15 minutes (zero here). Clean up old glue and finish from top and bridge - 15-20 minutes. Fit, glue and clamp bridge back to top using AR or HH glue - 15 minutes. Let glue cure - 24 hours. Drill and ream pin holes, restring - 15 minutes. Total time one hour and one day. Not all jobs will be that simple - if I have to make a new bridge, clean up extensive damage, remove lots of finish from the top (I've had a couple of guitar where the manufacture made no attempt at getting a good gluing surface), deal with electronics, do any setup work - all of that of course will take me more time.

 

Here is why bridges fail. This was a little Fender acoustic - I know many of you don't think too highly of Fenders and unfortunately I've seen a couple of these - but they simply did not remove the finish under the bridge down to bare wood.

 

IMG_1092_zpsibdrgllc.jpg

 

And they didn't use very much glue either, but then not glue is going to bond to that poly finish

 

IMG_1090_zps2weybqk0.jpg

 

It didn't take too much effort to strip the finish

 

IMG_1094_zps9jprktkb.jpg

 

Here is an Ibanez with a similar problem

 

IMG_2008_zpsb8f64bad.jpg

 

Anyway, short story, if that joint was done right in the first place (and the guitar is kept out of the heat) it should never fail. If it does it should be fixed correctly.

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From Bryan Kimsey's site (I think Bryan is one of the better Martin mechanics, he has done work on both of mine and is highly respected at the UMGF)

 

Bridge:

Remove/reglue Remove, scrape finish out, and reglue bridge 40.00 . . .

You're fortunate to have Bryan in the area. Clearly, his prices aren't necessarily the norm.

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Actually, Bryan is not in the area - I had to get on his waiting list then ship my guitars to him when it was my turn (btw he has an excellent description on how to prepare a guitar for shipping). I think his prices are very representative of the going rates for quality work.

 

http://www.bryankimsey.com/2015%20Price%20List.pdf

 

He has done neck resets on both my Martins as well as fret work, bridge and bridge plates, and a number of other things. I have spent $700 or so on both guitars - money well spent.

 

fwiw, it typically costs about $35 to ship a guitar UPS - if you are having major work done no reason to do it locally.

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