My current project is renovating a 12-string that I rescued in quite a dilapidated state from a middle school music department (it's a Japanese-built "Delta"). It is sanding down nicely, but I'm having some trouble removing the bridge and scratchplate.
There is plenty of guidance on the web to heat them with a hair dryer (including a recent post on this forum
here), or to "use" naptha (how precisely to use it is usually left to the reader's imagination), neither of which seem to be helping. Could someone who's done it comment on
how long these components ought to be heated before the heat gives the required play? That's something that doesn't seem to be addressed in other forum discussions and on other web pages. Are we talking about heating them for a few minutes, after which the scratchplate should start to peel and the bridge to loosen, or am I just being impatient in expecting results in the first ten minutes of heating? If it makes any difference, I'm not particularly worried about damaging the finish - it's already damaged and will be meeting the sharp side of some 150 grit sandpaper minutes after the bridge and scratchplate are removed!