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  #1  
Old 08-24-2019, 09:32 PM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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Default Has anyone had a top repaired using the Thompson Belly repair tool from Stew Mac?

https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Tool_...cer_Video.html
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  #2  
Old 08-25-2019, 03:05 AM
stormin1155 stormin1155 is offline
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I made my own tool, which is very similar to the StewMac one, and have had modest success with it.
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Old 08-25-2019, 09:15 AM
runamuck runamuck is offline
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I've never done the repair but have heard several and the tone was significantly affected.

EDIT: I apologize for this comment. In my haste another product came to mind, the Bridge Doctor, not the TJ Thompson Belly Reducer, with which I have no experience.

Last edited by runamuck; 08-26-2019 at 04:45 PM.
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Old 08-25-2019, 10:50 AM
jazzer44 jazzer44 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by runamuck View Post
I've never done the repair but have heard several and the tone was significantly affected.
Simply bending the wood back to shape wouldn't change tone. There must have been something else done to the guitars you heard.
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Old 08-25-2019, 03:45 PM
jimki567 jimki567 is offline
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I used one on a 1976 HD-28 a few weeks ago. It performed as advertised.I followed the instruction to the letter. There was no tone change. This guitar is also receiving a neck reset to solve the rest of its poor bracing problem. As the story goes they "over scalloped" 76 HD`s, hence the extreme belly bulge they develope.

Regards,

Jim
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Old 08-25-2019, 07:17 PM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by runamuck View Post
I've never done the repair but have heard several and the tone was significantly affected.
How so? Detail would be appreciated. Thanks
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  #7  
Old 08-25-2019, 07:18 PM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimki567 View Post
I used one on a 1976 HD-28 a few weeks ago. It performed as advertised.I followed the instruction to the letter. There was no tone change. This guitar is also receiving a neck reset to solve the rest of its poor bracing problem. As the story goes they "over scalloped" 76 HD`s, hence the extreme belly bulge they develope.

Regards,

Jim
I'm in Ohio and thought about paying Dan Erlwine to do the work, but he's really hard to get ahold of. Is it as easy to do as it looks in the video?
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  #8  
Old 08-25-2019, 09:24 PM
runamuck runamuck is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzer44 View Post
Simply bending the wood back to shape wouldn't change tone. There must have been something else done to the guitars you heard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidE View Post
How so? Detail would be appreciated. Thanks
I apologize for my comment. In my haste another product came to mind, the Bridge Doctor, not the TJ Thompson Belly Reducer, with which I have no experience.
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  #9  
Old 08-26-2019, 02:36 PM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by runamuck View Post
I apologize for my comment. In my haste another product came to mind, the Bridge Doctor, not the TJ Thompson Belly Reducer, with which I have no experience.
Would you mind changing your original response so there's no erroneous information?
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  #10  
Old 08-26-2019, 04:31 PM
ChrisN ChrisN is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidE View Post
I'm in Ohio and thought about paying Dan Erlwine to do the work, but he's really hard to get ahold of. Is it as easy to do as it looks in the video?
No experience, but I found this guy's 3 part video piece very easy to understand/follow (Part 1 provided here):

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  #11  
Old 08-26-2019, 04:46 PM
runamuck runamuck is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidE View Post
Would you mind changing your original response so there's no erroneous information?
Good idea. I just added an edit.
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  #12  
Old 08-26-2019, 06:19 PM
jimki567 jimki567 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidE View Post
I'm in Ohio and thought about paying Dan Erlwine to do the work, but he's really hard to get ahold of. Is it as easy to do as it looks in the video?
I would say yes it`s easy if you follow the steps. The magnets worked for me...some say they don`t, but in my case the plates stayed put, until I got the clamps in place. I would suggest a person do a dry run without the hot water and position the clamps so you know what to expect when you do it for real. I didn`t measure the amount bulge it took out of the guitar in mention, because it was getting a new bridge and neck reset as well, with that said, the tool removed a significant bulge....in my opinion the tool worked as advertised. I left the plates and clamps in position for 18 hours.

Regards,

Jim
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  #13  
Old 08-26-2019, 10:49 PM
DavidE DavidE is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisN View Post
No experience, but I found this guy's 3 part video piece very easy to understand/follow (Part 1 provided here):

Thanks! Removing and replacing the bridge is beyond my capabilities. Gonna take the guitar into a local luthier to have him take a look.
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