restoring old Washburn parlor guitar

[Barbara Millikan]

I've just acquired a prewar Washburn with some parts in good shape.
I've been trying to date it to determine how best to restore the bridge. It has no logo other than the Washburn stamp on the spine and the word NEW MODEL. It also had, over those words, a Beuscher Band guarantee label with the serial # 219494. There is an ink stamp on the neck block with the number 13700. No sign of interior signatures.
Its biggest problem is the hack job of a bridge replacement. Someone chewed the heck out of the top getting the original bridge off (I assume it broke) and then replaced it with a cheap and badly glued -- probably not clamped at all -- classical bridge. This was peeled up at the bottom about 1/8 inch when I got the guitar (it did have nylon strings on it), and it took part of the lower bout with it. Even with all that going on, it still had a sweet sound.
I think it needs a pyramid bridge -- ebony? -- and I thought I'd make it slightly larger than the original (about 1 1/4" across) to cover the worst of the damage to the top -- where it's gone, I mean. The bridge plate is also damaged, torn out where the peg holes have merged and been chewed up.
Is the original plate maple?  This has a fairly small plate, only slightly wider than the bridge. The guitar is V braced, with two diagonal braces converging on the treble end of the plate at the side.
Back sides and neck in pretty good shape. Still has one side of the original ivory tuners, other side has poorer quality broken replacement. Neck -- offset wedge -- slightly warped.
I'd love to know more about the instrument.
And yes, I plan to use hide glue. Put sliver replacements in the two top cracks below the bridge, patch the plate, patch the top and add a bridge plate overlay -- probably maple w the grain parallel to the top. Make a replacement bridge. Not sure how best to deal with the cracks as they extend above the bridge.
Yrs,
Barbara

[Murray MacLeod]

Barbara, I have a feeling that you might find this thread on the MIMF Forum of interest.

[Barbara Millikan]

Thanks Murray. This damage is worse than that.

This is the underside of the bridge showing the plate. the nut mark is from one of the two bolts that held on the classical bridge.

[David Houchens]

After the bridge plate is removed, bevel the edges along the endgrain ends of the holes and match with beveled edge patches If you bevel from the inside, most of your repair will be hidden.

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Looks like my scan didn't make it

[Barbara Millikan]

Thanks, David. When you say "inside" do you mean the top of the bridge plate in the above photo? i.e. the part between the plate and the underside of the spruce top?

[David Houchens]

With the bridge plate removed, taper the edges of the holes in the top wood so that spruce patch you will be gluing in will be longer inside the guitar and only as big on the outside surface as is needed to close the hole. I hope this helps. I can't seem to upload a picture at the moment.

[Barbara Millikan]

Got it. My current thinking is to pull the back off and then the damaged bridge plate. Patch the top, put a new maple bridge plate on it, glue the split end block and put the back back on.

[Barbara Millikan]

Unfortunately, making the top side look good is not so easy. But that's still a good idea.

[Barbara Millikan]

Got another question. It has one side of its original ivory tuning pegs/not engraved brass on it. Anyone have a match for that? That is anyone stock odd Washburn parts, or alternatively, what's the best contemporary match?
Barbara

[David Houchens]

After seeing that picture, your chore isn't going to be too bad.The only bad spot is the two hole opening, other than that, all this top really needs is to have thin pieces of spruce set back in the low spots, then leveled. I thought there were larger voids in the top wood.I have repaired this type pullout from others attempts at bridge removal quite a few times. I would still taper the upper end (as the picture sits) of the two hole opening on the inside of the guitar. Since the lower edge of that spot is already tapered from the outside. I would just let the patch slip through at an angle. (Hope thats clear as mud.) Unless there are other concerns after the bridge plate is removed, this top will not need a oversized bridge plate in my opion.

[Barbara Millikan]

I wasn't planning on making it much oversize, just out to where the finish is still good. probably adds 1/8 to 1/4 inch to the width, and maybe same to length. I plan on carving an ebony pyramid bridge for it unless someone provides me with any different information about what it had originally.

[David Houchens]

Although some would cringe at the thought, I love the look of the ivory bridges I've seen. Sounds like it will be taken well care of. Hope you post some pictures.

[Matt Haugen]

I have a similar washburn parlor. I can take some pics of it and email them to you if you would like. The bridge is slightly similar to a pyramid bridge with the tips of the pyramid cut off. I believe it is called a frustum. Copy and paste this link and you will see a picture of the bridge.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gbase.com/files/stor...