re gluing a bridge

[Osage]

Originally Posted by 619TF

Fair enough but your concern over the glue is eggagerated. Titebond (the stuff you call "junk in a bottle" is what I see luthiers use all the time and so I used it on both bridge repairs I completed. Also recommended here: http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/r...uitar/glue.php. I did NOT use Elmer's glue. ;-) So far they are holding up just fine, no intonation or other issues and I'd expect them to stay that way considering the repair. You also talk about a "required" reshaping the bridge and custom cauls....also overkill but sure, a luthier might use those to impress a customer (plus he's putting his reputation behind it, guaranteeing the work and charging $$ for it so there's that).

Titebond I is a great glue for guitar repair. I never called it junk in a bottle. I never said anything about titebond at all. The OP states he used Hide glue. I'm assuming it's hide glue from a bottle, which is junk. You'd be much better off with titebond. Heck, you'd be better off with Elmers.

Properly fitting the bridge and making custom cauls aren't overkill, they're just proper technique. Again, you don't have to do it but why wouldn't you want something done right?

[fongie]

I won't enter into this debate........one thing I do know, I'm not a handyman like most, I hate to scr.w up a job and it will cost me more to fix. It's not a everyday fix, so $100 bucks is nothing, why not let an expert worry about my stress. Right?

[Ed66]

Originally Posted by Osage

Titebond I is a great glue for guitar repair. I never called it junk in a bottle. I never said anything about titebond at all. The OP states he used Hide glue. I'm assuming it's hide glue from a bottle, which is junk. You'd be much better off with titebond. Heck, you'd be better off with Elmers.

Properly fitting the bridge and making custom cauls aren't overkill, they're just proper technique. Again, you don't have to do it but why wouldn't you want something done right?

Titebond actually makes a Hide glue which is what I used. Fish glue was what was recommended in the resources I initially consulted, but I couldn't find it at a decent price. I've been making furniture and working with wood for about 40 years so many of the skills translate directly into guitar repair. Gluing, sanding, clamping . . . relatively basic stuff. I know not everyone wants to have a go at it but as has been pointed out it's not rocket science.

[Brucebubs]

I don't use a C clamp.
Here's a picture of a nice aluminum clamp someone made.



And here's one I made ... yes it looks ugly but it worked perfectly ... with Titebond original.

[Ed66]

I like the homemade one better. If I need to perform the procedure again I may have to build one myself.

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by 619TF

Thanks for confirming what I said here Ed66. Why bother with a luthier for a relatively simple repair? Then again, I know people who take their guitars in to a pro for string changes too.

Simple for some maybe, shame this person did it themselves

Steve

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by Ed66

Gluing, sanding, clamping . . . relatively basic stuff. I know not everyone wants to have a go at it but as has been pointed out it's not rocket science.

Yes and no, it seems relatively simple, but you can destroy a guitar in the process, if its a 150 dollar guitar then yes go for it, its only 150 dollars, if its a 10,000 dollar vintage guitar then maybe not.

This one is just a gibson from the late 50's that i had to fix after they just did some glue work and repair on the lifting bridge

Far left, after i pulled the back to repair it properly, this was all the inner patches and braces, after removing those patches, i found the whole bridge area had been cutout, talking with the owner, it had some tear out so someone decided to remove the whole area.

[Osage]

Originally Posted by Ed66

Titebond actually makes a Hide glue which is what I used. Fish glue was what was recommended in the resources I initially consulted, but I couldn't find it at a decent price. I've been making furniture and working with wood for about 40 years so many of the skills translate directly into guitar repair. Gluing, sanding, clamping . . . relatively basic stuff. I know not everyone wants to have a go at it but as has been pointed out it's not rocket science.

Definitely not rocket science but you should have used the glue that was recommended to you. I hope what you did holds. Original Titebond is excellent glue, as is most fish glue. That bottled hide glue is not terribly strong and typically isn't used in guitar repair. In fact, I have a repairman friend who always jokes when a home repair doesn't hold or an amateur builders project falls apart that they "used hide glue from a bottle".

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Osage

Definitely not rocket science but you should have used the glue that was recommended to you. I hope what you did holds. Original Titebond is excellent glue, as is most fish glue. That bottled hide glue is not terribly strong and typically isn't used in guitar repair. In fact, I have a repairman friend who always jokes when a home repair doesn't hold or an amateur builders project falls apart that they "used hide glue from a bottle".

30 years ago, I used Titebond liquid hide glue on guitars and lutes. Once summer temperatures and humidity hit, 100% of what was glued with it came apart. I tried different batches and bottles all with the same result. Over the years others have reported similar results. Some, however, have reported no such failures with their use of it.

I have also used fish glue, hot hide glue and Old Brown liquid hide glue with good results.

A few months ago, I had a conversation with an area sales representative from Franklin, who makes Titebond. He said that they had recently reformulated their liquid hide glue. I have not tried it and have no desire to do so, given it’s history. He also mentioned that they recently shipped an order of several tons of Titebond original to Asia to one of the guitar manufacturers there.

[Ed66]

Originally Posted by Osage

Definitely not rocket science but you should have used the glue that was recommended to you. I hope what you did holds. Original Titebond is excellent glue, as is most fish glue. That bottled hide glue is not terribly strong and typically isn't used in guitar repair. In fact, I have a repairman friend who always jokes when a home repair doesn't hold or an amateur builders project falls apart that they "used hide glue from a bottle".

Actually the glue I used was recommended as the alternative if you couldn't find fish glue. You may not have clearly read my earlier post and realized that it is Titebond hide glue. One thing to be aware of with any bottled hide glue is shelf life - it definitely has a short one. With Titebond there is a code which gives you it's manufacture location and date. As long as you're using product packaged in the last year or so should be OK. A little research can resolve considerable uncertainty. I understand if you don't feel comfortable taking on some of these types of repairs, but there appear to be many who do - although some with rather "ham-handed" efforts as with the train-wreck shown above. As for me, I'm probably not ready to take on any neck resets but I'll keep on with basic repairs and setups and save myself a few $'s in return. Definitely enough to build a decent set of tools for general guitar work.

[John Arnold]

Hide glue (either hot or bottled) is no easier to clean up than Titebond Original. Both clean up in short order with warm water. Titebond Original also releases easily with heat or steam. The ones that are harder to clean up and are more heat resistant are TItebond II or III. I never recommend those for any luthier work.