How much can I do....
 

Hey All,

Once again, I'll rely on you all to "do it for me" - while I "hep" by staying out of the way.... ;)

I just picked up a Stella H933 for $100 - probably a little high and all the more reason I want to do these things on my own ;) I would like to keep the original tuners unless absolutely necessary. I'd clean them with a Flitz type cleaner.

I'll put a youtube link out tonight showing the guitar in detail.

http://harmony.demont.net/model/244.htm#

Some questions for you all: (thanks)

1. While taking the strings off, I noticed that there's a fair bit of wobble in the peg heads. You can push them side to side in the hole and see them move.
Is this something that should be taken care of? If so - any suggestions for making them snugger (without new tuners if possible?).

2. There doesn't see to be a typical, removable saddle per se. And if that's the case, would replacing just the nut with bone be worth it?

3. There's a fair amount of cracks and chips in the binding. What could typically be done for this?

4. For the chips and such on the headstock, I assume some wood putty and a new coat of lacquer?

5. Of course, the action is a bit high so I'm open to suggestions there too.

Thanks again for any input!
joe

Joe: Congrats on your acquisition. The first question that comes to mind involves your intended use for the Stella i.e. keeper, resale, playing at home, gift for someone, decoration. The answer to question #1 leads to question #2 which is how much time, money and aggravation are you prepared to invest in your new guitar. I imagine at a certain point in fixing it up you might arrive at a point of diminishing returns...

Thanks RP - Definitely a keeper, mostly just for playing at home and maybe recording with it on my mobile app from time to time. Possibly bringing it to open mics here and there, for fun. But I don't play in a band or anything so I wouldn't think it needs to be stage-worthy. I see your point in that regard: If just for home, then why would the tuners need to be cleaned necessarily? I can say - knowing me - I would likely do only the 'foolproof' type of work. In other words if there's even a chance of blowing the work, I would most definitely blow it - That may be a good way for me to narrow the list too ;)

I love it when someone brings 100 dollar guitar
To an open mic and it sounds better than all
the rest . Just bought a 30s supertone made
By harmony. I put a sunrise pup in it and
It sounds great. The pup is worth more than the
guitar.. ha

Ha ;) I think I'll probably just mic mine, since I do mostly instrumentals anyway ;)

I'll I'm bumping this up with a video of the Stella.
Tuners are off and being cleaned. Tightening the wobble was easy enough turns out.
Frets are are being polished. I cleaned and oiled the fretboard.

What's really got me wondering now is seems like the lack of a saddle. I can swear I've seen Stella that had the plastic saddle in them yet this one doesn't seem too - Any thoughts on that ? thanks!

https://youtu.be/xzMlzHfiDTg

The "saddle" was a piece of fret wire. The bridge is slotted to accept the tang of a now-missing length of fret wire.

You lost me ;)
so ideally should there be a typical saddle in there?

Thanks, Joe

Ok - I did some research...I'm with you now, thanks ;)

I hadn't even noticed that the bridge is slotted but it is indeed.

Any reason I wouldn't want to just put a couple of frets back in then?
The bridge having been slotted is not a reason I wouldn't think.

It may be better for sound than putting in a plastic saddle.

The slot in the bridge is to accommodate the tang of a fret. Probably, you just want to put a length of fret wire in the slot.