#1
|
|||
|
|||
Damaged Bridge Plate
Hello everyone, I've recently acquired this old acoustic guitar.
Overall, it looks pretty solid except for the bridge plate underneath the soundboard. It looks like the bridge plate was made out of laminated wood (or it was poorly patched up) and external layers are falling apart. See pictures: https://imgur.com/a/KpxmLP1 I would like to ask: - is it safe to string this guitar? I was expecting to use 12 gauge on it, but could it crack the soundboard? - should I remove this loose layers of wood out of it? - can I easily patch this up at home? Cheers, -------- UPDATE: I removed the external layers, it looks good now, I think it's safe to string it as there is no belly on the soundboard. The plate is thin but workable. Last edited by WebertRLZ; 05-30-2021 at 11:50 AM. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, I'm not a qualified repair person, but something like this might work...
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tool...oaApieEALw_wcB or u can avoid the bridgeplate altogether with these pins. https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-ha...-pins-2-0.html Hope this helps. jricc |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
A tech also might able to put a maple cap over that plate.
|
#4
|
|||
|
|||
The easiest and cheapest solution is a plate mate.
__________________
Neal A few nice ones, a few beaters, and a few I should probably sell... |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Quote:
Last edited by WebertRLZ; 05-30-2021 at 11:51 AM. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
I left it with a luthier to evaluate the cost of repair. Will know more next week.
Last edited by WebertRLZ; 05-30-2021 at 11:52 AM. |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
I’ll second the ‘plate mate’ as an interim or semi-permanent repair. Easy to place and remove. It’s a lot less expensive than a new bridge plate. The extra mass (it’s not much) May color your sound a little. In the case of my Martin D35, IMO, the overall sound was improved.
Good luck. Best, Rick
__________________
”Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet” |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Does anyone know what's the thickness of the platemate? Thanks, Webert |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
PlateMates are about 0.025" (0.6mm) thick and 1/2" wide. Whatever you do, don't make it out of brass. Aluminum works just fine, and weighs less than 1/3 as much as brass. A maple or other hardwood overlay (1/16 thick by 5/8 wide) is IMHO a better option.
That said....... Probably the simplest and cheapest is to repair with CA. Remove all the slivers with a small sanding block. Tape over the holes with a strip of masking tape on the inside. Drop thin CA from above. You can drop some wood dust in the glue, but it is not imperative. Let dry, then remove the tape. Clamp a backer block on the plate and redrill the holes with a 3/16 (5mm) bit. Taper ream the holes to fit the pins. It's a 10 minute job, at most. Last edited by John Arnold; 02-06-2021 at 12:05 PM. |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
I’m not seeing a simple chewed up bridge plate. I’m seeing a whole portion of the spruce top has been removed and replaced. There is either a large cleat or the remnants of the old bridge plate on the treble side and there is a chunk rosewood laid over that! The rosewood has split since it wasn’t flush to the top and now your spruce patch is the only thing that the ferrules would sit on. This needs way more than a plate-mate or a CA glue patch. The rosewood overlay needs to come out and that cleat/remnant of the old bridge plate to come out and a new bridge plate to be placed flush to the spruce top. |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
About filling up the pin holes, i think this won't be possible given the state of the bridge plate. But maybe if I remove the outermost layer which is falling apart, i can patch it up when a new maple plate as you said. |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Then I could make a decision wether I would keep it (and get it a proper repair) or sell it as it is. |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
The old plate needs to come out. The surface cleaned up and a new plate installed. It may cost but it is the best repair option.
I wouldn't skimp on this one.
__________________
2007 Indiana Scout 2018 Indiana Madison Quilt Elite 2018 Takamine GJ72CE 12-String 2019 Takamine GD93 2022 Takamine GJ72CE 6-String 2022 Cort GA-QF CBB 1963 Gibson SG 2016 Kala uke Dean A style mandolin. (Year unknown) Lotus L80 (1984ish) Plus a few lower end I have had for years |
#14
|
||||
|
||||
Bridge Plate Damaged - old Epi D-16
Quote:
I guess I’m seeing it very differently. If you remove the rosewood overlay, there is no plate below it to put the platemate on top of. It looks like the bridge was torn off taking a portion of the top with it so a repair attempt was made to cut a square piece of spruce and make a new portion of the top. If you put a platemate against that and add tension the platemate will pull right through that spruce. Perhaps I’m seeing it incorrectly, but this is how I see it. IMG_1612658822.594129.jpg |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
It seems to me that the top is fine. Last edited by WebertRLZ; 05-30-2021 at 11:53 AM. |
|
Tags |
bridge, d-16, epi, norlin, plate |
|