Martin 2-27

[George Roberts]

I actually have two questions.

This is a guitar I sent to Martin many years ago for repairs.  If I can manage it, I will include a copy of their letter.  For whatever reason, they replaced the bridge plate with a maple one that is at least 1/4 inch thick, and takes up most of the space between the cross brace and the bridge.  Joe Konkoly at Elderly Instruments said (laughingly) that maybe they should scallop it.  As a result the guitar sounds very dead.

I have been trying to whittle it down without harming the surrounding X-braces.  I have been using a circular bladed X-Acto tool like a miniature scorp, but it is very slow going.  Any suggestions as to other means to thin the bridge plate down?

Thanks,

George

[Paul Hostetter]

I would expect it was glued with hide glue. In any case, I would try to completely remove the replacement and start over. Joe's pretty adept, maybe you should let him try and get it out of there?

[George Roberts]

My second question has to do with the tuners.  They were very stiff, and when I took them off to clean them as per Paul Hostetter's technique.  I found the name F.W. Meinel stamped on the back.  When I Googled it, there was a German music house by that name that dates from the 1800s up to the present.  Nothing about tuners though.  

Anybody have any information about F.W. Meinel tuners? 

[George Roberts]

Hey Paul,

Thanks for the input.  Joe said that the bridge plate was so thick that he would have trouble getting it off unless it were thinned down to the point where the heat would penetrate to the glue without setting the guitar on fire.  He said that he could try thinning it with finger planes but that it would be very costly in terms of time.  He suggested that I try thinning it myself.

Thanks,

George

[Paul Hostetter]

The current living Meinels are making machines under the Rubner name. 

Thomas Rubner GmbH
Gewerbepark 16
08258 Markneukirchen

 

www.rubner-markneukirchen.de

 

You might find more about Meinel (of that era) in the Phillip Gura book on the 19th century Martin company. 

 

Those old tuners usually clean up and work beautifully. 

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[Frank Ford]

I'm currently in the process of evaluating a guitar with a similar bridge plate issue.  It's prewar D-28 with and the bridge plate spans almost the entire space from the intersection of the X to the diagonal brace.  I'm th inking that the only real way to get the job done safely and well is to remove the back (or top) and deal with all the problems that entails.  And, as  you suggested, the time and cost will be extensive.

From that letter, I presume it has been nearly fifty years since the work was done, so I find it compelling to ask why you've decided to do something about the issue at this time.  If the goal is to sell the guitar, you might want to simply pass the problem along (full disclosure, of course) to the next owner.  If it's time to "do right by the guitar" for sentimental or other reasons, then maybe it's also time to consider what other bits of restoration would be appropriate (other crack repair, improving the "refinish" or whatever) and go for some kind of complete job. Cost would be, er, "impressive," but disassembly of the body would make it possible to get the job done very well.

[George Roberts]

Hi Frank,

Very probing questions.  I sent the guitar off to Martin for repair when I was 20.  I was so disappointed with the result that it has been in the case, untouched for the past 50 years.  I am afraid that the cost of repairs would far exceed the value of the guitar itself.  On the other hand, it is such a beautiful little instrument, that I feel guilty not doing something to get it back to its former state.  I'm not sure the guitar could be disassembled without losing the ivory binding.

Unless somebody has a better suggestion, I guess I'll just keep whittling away with my scorp.

Thanks,

George

[Frank Ford]

Absolutely, it can be disassembled without loss of significant materials, including the binding.  Now, please understand I'm not looking to take this job on myself, but here's one I did some years ago, before I had a digital camera:

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Structural...

And,  yes the cost/value problem is still there.