1990 Martin D 35-P Soundhole and neck joint damage

[Alfonse Pagano]

Hello,

Please see attached photos

I have been interested in this Martin but am not too sure if it a little too advanced a restoration for me?

Any feedback and opinions regarding the level and  difficulty of this project would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Frank Ford]

It doesn't  get much worse than that!  it IS a big deal structurally, and it MUST be fixed properly.  Even then, I'd downgrade the value of the guitar by a LOT, depending on the cosmetics and geometry of the repair.

 

Here's the full deal on that repair:

 

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

[Alfonse Pagano]

Wow!

actually looks like fun, one question...

Is this clampling of the neck what brought the soundhole and binding back into position?

see  below from  that post:

 

Thanks for your input

Once those braces were out, I put a small pad under the neck block, and clamped the end block to the edge of my workbench. Then, I applied clamping pressure at the peghead end of the neck until the top sections were drawn into correct alignment.

 

 

 

[Grahame Myers]

I repaired a Takamine 12-String not long ago using Franks method. It was my first time with a job like this, and I only had the nerve to take it on after reading Franks excellent tutorial. It's a lot of work, and you need a lot of patience: I had to leave it clamped down for two weeks before it was aligned again. But it's definitely doable as long as you take your time and work carefully. I'd take on a job like this again any time (but maybe charge more the next time, I took a whacking with the Takamine: I seriously underestimated how long it would take. You live and learn :-)

 

[Alfonse Pagano]

Frank,

Could you send me a link for the index of the above thumbnail article?

I poked arounf Frets.com a bit with little luck.

Thanks

Alfonse

[Grahame Myers]

Here you go, I knew where to look after doing a similar job on a Takamine:

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

Have fun with it, but take it slooooowly!

[Alfonse Pagano]

Thanks,

I have that.. that  I am looking for is an index or something of the sort that could direct me to other thumbnail  articles , that is if in fact an index exsists.

 

 

[Dave]

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/pagelist.html

 

Scroll down the page...

[Doug T]

Is that damage usually done by a strike on the end of the head?  Wouldn't Martin (and other makers) avoid this type of damage by using a footed block (not to mention neck angle issues later in life)?

[Frank Ford]

No, it's primarily a heat thing, where the top shrinks and the tension is resolved by the top cracking.  The forward collapse is a result of string tension and glue releasing from the transverse braces at the elevated temperature.

Footed neck blocks do not improve that situation, and are of little effectiveness in the very long haul of string tension deforming the entire body to the point that resetting the neck is indicated.

[Magnus Hultin]

Frank,

 

In the repair of the D-45, did You have to reglue any joints in the upper forward area of the neckblock, like the "sides-to-kerfed-lining-to-top"?  or the neckblock to the sides on each side of the neck...?

It seems lik there would be a number of gluejoints going apart in a distortion like this.

 

I have an up-class 70:s Levin which will need a similar treatment.

 

Magnus