Should I bother.... Japanese "Conqueror"

[John Cartwright]

Hi again.  New project and one I'm question it's worth.  I have a 70's (?) Japanese Conqueror dreadnought that's been tossed around my parents place for years.  I thought it would be good practice to work on and give my step-dad something to play in his retirement.  No real sentimental value and given how little I can find about it, I doubt it's worth much. 

 

The problems: 1. It's very badly bellied and even pulling inward in front of the bridge and drawing the fingerboard tongue down too - not a complete collapse, but definitely a problem .  2. Its' entirely put together with white glue so I'm suspecting that all of the pull has caused the entire guitar top to "creep" with the creeping glue.  3.  I'm finding it just about impossible to get the bridge plate off on account of it being made of cheap plywood and it just keeps coming out in splinters. I've tried heating and even tried steaming it through needle holes drilled through the guitar top, but not through the bridge plate, to soften the glue Nothing is working.  The bridge, however, came off easily with heat and scarcely any tear out.

 

It's got a solid spruce top and what appears to be solid rosewood back.  It sounds decent, but it's no Martin even while trying to copy one.

 

Even if I get the bridge plate off, I'm wondering if it's worth fooling with.  Should I just reconfigure it for slide work and be done with it or keep trying?  

 

....has anyone even heard of a Conqueror?

 

Many thanks!

John

[Jeffrey L. Suits]

JLD Bridge System.

 

[Ian Barker]

Not entirely sure why you're starting from the bridge plate.  In any case, (IMHO as a rank amateur) bridge plate is easier to reinforce than replace.  I'd guess that the top is caving due to many years under string tension in possibly sub-optimal storage conditions, rather than glue creep - if that was the case you'd likely see cracks from neck-slippage as well. 

I'd humidify it for good length of time, install the bridge doctor and gradually increase the tension to straighten the belly.  Then see where you get to, lower the saddle etc.  Worst case then consider a cheap and cheerful neck-reset (i.e. convert to bolted) - because the alternative means dealing with Asian Mystery Joint/Asian Mystery Glue.  This way madness lies, as you have already discovered with the bridge plate!

As far as I can ascertain, Conqueror was a brand distributed by Bruno - whoever the heck they are/were.  Could have been made by any of a dozen or more Japanese factories of that era.   Some pics might help with ID.

In that you are not emotionally entangled with this instrument, it's a good one to practice on.  Let us know how it goes!

[Mark McLean]

I'm with Jeffrey and Ian in recommending the Bridge Doctor for the top deformity.  Also agree that you don't need the bridge plate off.  If it is in really poor shape you could glue another thin one over the existing one to give a decent surface for the ball ends to pull against. 

Sounds like a good instrument to play around with in your spare time. 

As we say here in Australia - the ones that are "cactus" are good for practice

 

Mark

[John Cartwright]

Thank you all!  Much appreciated. I had seen the JLD on the StewMac site in the past, but hadn't really payed it too much mind.  This sounds like the way to go and it's cheaper than a case of good beer too! 

Last evening when attempting to steam the bridge plate off, I decided to use leather padded wood planks to clamp the guitar top flatter in much the way as described in the Teeter book I have, thinking that the moisture from the steam might also provide enough softening all around to give the guitar a chance to dry out a little but in a hopeful return to the presumed original flatness.  I also but in a turnbuckle clamp between the back and the crux of the X in front of the bridge area.  When I took the clamps off this afternoon, it definitely aided in flattening the guitar!  I was pleasantly surprised.  However, with how soft and rubbery this white glue holding the guitar together is, I doubt it will stay this way under string pressure, so I'm still thinking your all's JLD System idea is a very good one.  

Looks like I have a plan of action now.  Thanks!

[Greg Mirken]

Quite a few Conquerer guitars crossed my bench back in the 70s. Frankly I'm surprised any have survived this long; as I recall they were all low-end ply instruments. I'm sure the back is ply, and I bet the top is too. Have you looked carefully at the edge of the soundhole for a telltale dark middle layer? A ply top would explain the flexible nature of the top.

[John Cartwright]

Hi Greg.  I think you're right about the back being laminate, the grain of the outside doesn't match that of the inside, however, the top is solid, but it's fairly thin by comparison to a Martin dreadnought from which this thing was modeled.  When the JLD arrives, I'll install it, dress the frets and fashion a new saddle to replace the awful adjustable one, re-install the bridge and so forth and leave it at that.  I'm not expecting the world here, but hopefully it will be more enjoyable for him to play.  Who knows, my step-dad may get inspired and purchase a real Martin at some point.  Hey, even that would make it worth effort here.  I'd just love to see him take it up again and start pickin.'  Best!