All Blog Posts (140)

This came into the shop yesterday, the owner said he kept this guitar buy a space heater! already repaired once . some crackage as you wound expect . Now complete break of the top  at back of the bridge top pulled UP  big cracks  x brace sections unglued

SO my plan is to  remove bridge plate ,, install a new larger bridge plate so there's  glue surface past the brake to glue the top down to . then glue everything back together and installing a martin repair bridge to cover the break …

Currently working on guitar #3.  The shape is similar to a Gibson Jumbo, but dimensions are close to Martin Dreadnought.  Back and sides are black locust, and top is salvaged Port Orford cedar. with dramatic figure and excellent stiffness.  I installed a wenge end graft, then fought a losing battle with some over-thick wenge binding.  My skills are no match for this stuff, which bent into lumpy curves, broke, stabbed me with nasty splinters and basically gave me the finger at every turn. …

Dear mr. Ford... I've been a fond reader of FRETS.NET and .COM for years... already a member (AKA Twogoodears), but not able to enter the Forum, I signed anew with my name... always an avid 12 strings player and collector, I've another question…

   I received this project from a friend. It was a pre 1867 Martin 2-17 that was converted to steel string ,  and the issues were many

1 top warp and cracks

2 bad bridge

3 a pile of bridge plates

4 no tuners

 the pluses were

  It was complete and the guitar had potential to be returned to playable condition. The back and side are Brazilian rosewood and no issues.  The dentils inside were in tact ( today they use kerfed lining ) The neck was solid and…

Unsolicited testimonial for anyone looking for a thickness sander:

A well-engineered and well-made tool is a beautiful thing.  SuperMax drum sanders definitely fall into that category.  I stopped into the local Klingspor woodworkers shop a couple of weeks ago, planning to check out the Jet/Performax drum sanders.  They had a Performax 16-32 sander on display, and back to back with it was a SuperMax 19-38.  It made the Performax look cheap.  I wasn't planning on buying…

Several months ago i received this American Vintage Telecaster broken in two pieces and with other cracks along the grain. 

A lot of guys from the group helped with ideas on how to proceed. I'd like to show the method i chose to perform the repair. I hope this could be of use. I'm open to any questions or comments.

Here you can see a very clean separation. I'm a hide glue guy, but I chose Titebond Original for this one since i was afraid i wasn't gonna be fast…

Howdy. I bought a cheapie acoustic guitar and want to remove the back. Can anyone refer me to a procedure, either in print or video, that would walk me through this. The guitar cost me almost nothing, so it's okay if it doesn't go well, but it could be a good learning experience.

Thanks!

Hello everyone.

A few pictures of a refret I did a couple of months ago.

All feedback is welcome.

Werther Ellerbrock.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.808951619149927.1073741831.715619191816504&type=3

This was the first time I ever saw an electric guitar with saddles made out of bone. The 1st string saddle was missing, and it was either replacing it with a conventional metal saddle and have a mismatch, or build one from scratch, which I did. It worked like a charm! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.811208805590875.1073741832.715619191816504&type=3

Hi all, This is my first post here and I hope someone can give me some ideas about the problem I have.

I have a Lowden 035. It is approximately 10 years old. I recently took some excess relief out of the neck and it is just fine at the moment with just a little relief. At the moment I am very happy with the feel and playability of the instrument.

However, when I tightened the truss rod it seemed to tighten up to a point and then allowed no further adjustment. I…

Hello Folks

I'm new to this forum, but wanted to ley you all know, & especially Frank Ford whose much used tips & expertise I have employed in my lutherie for so many years.

If this product has been discussed forgive the redundancy.

I know about the Baking soda & super glue thanx to Dan Erlewine, but this stuff is over the top for filling crack, nut repair, etc.

RapidFix is amazing cyanoacrylate. keeps for 12 months bonds super fast w/o an activator,…

I wanted to ask if it is possible and practical to install and active endpin strapjack into an early 70's Ovation Lyrachord matte finish bowl; since there is no end block.

I am new to his site; thanks for your responses.

Ron Cartlidge

I have a Weymann guitar and am seeking information regarding it's history.   This instrument belonged to my father who passed on in 1991.  I believe he purchased the guitar in Philadelphia sometime prior to WWII.  I'd like to know more about tho guitar.  Other than the maker's nameplate in the back of the neck there are a series of numbers stamped into the top of the neck above the tuning pegs.  The numbers are, 16602 (over) 30 (see photo).

I can provide additional photos to…

OK, so I'm always a little naturally suspicious of anything that changes the physics of the guitar as we know it.

Recently there's been a decent advertising splash in the guitar mags for "Power Pins" manufactured by Bigrock Engineering, that describe a new way to anchor strings to the bridge.  A big benefit is said to be the protection of the bridgeplate.

In one of their…

What way should the open part of the spike go ? Toward the fifth or the first string ?? I have seen both ways. First time for me, want to get it right

 I have a tech question about dread backs.  ive been a finish carpenter for over thirty year and played guitar since the 8th grade. a few years ago i couldnt afford the guitar i wanted so i decide to make it.  Ive made 20 over the last 5 or 6 years, usually 4 at a time, every summer, because my shop isnt climate controlled.  Mostly handcarved archtops. and a couple dreads.  i started 4 dreads last year and ran out of warm weather so i put the 4 backs that i had braced away till spring. when…

Hi,

I'm Josh and I 'm totally new to the forum. I'm currently working on a friends 94 tex mex special telecaster with a 5 -way single wafer super switch. It has a standard tele bridge single coil, and a four conductor humbucker in the neck. The previous owner had taken the factory Fender humbucker out and installed a Gibson humbucker, which he had wired as a three way. My goal is to return it to factory specs. This is proving to be a little trickier than I had previously thought it…

I discovered this product while researching wood veneer and found info on it at

http://www.veneersupplies.com

.

The manufacturer claims "We have heard of good results from luthiers who use the softener to make some species of thin lumber more bendable."



Look at the attached photo. This is the caption that goes with it from the…