Bridge Repair and JLD Bridge Doctor Installation part 3
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 лип 2013
- Guitar repair Bridge Removal and Belly Bulge Part 3. This guitar is finally finished. The bulge was so bad the ends of the bridge were lifting and the action so bad you could barely play it. With the combination of the Thompson belly reducer (part2) and the JLD bridge Doctor (part3) the Top is like new again!
I had to do many of the same things to an old Ventura 12 string... it had a huge belly bulge and the bridge was almost off. I used the JLD Bridge Doctor, too... but I sure wish I had seen your video before I tackled all the other stuff! It was my first guitar repair of that type. Your 3 videos were very helpful for any future repairs I may do. Good job! Thanks!
Thanks, patience is most definitely a virtue in guitar repair. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks Scott. I've got a Yamaki 12 string guitar that I bought with both the bulge and the bridge problems. I took it to the shop once and it's still buzzing and impossible to enjoy playing because the strings are so high. My first guitar was an Aria built during the same year circa 1971. That Aria is still perfect and beautiful so, I kinda wanted the Yamaki as a 12 string clone partner. You're videos cover it all and don't leave out the details. I can't wait to start on it. Thanks for sharing. I'll send you some pictures.
You are a great repairman and a true gentleman for helping others in this way. Thanks for the effort and the time showing us this!
One thing that should be mentioned. After installation and during tension rod adjustment and tightening, the guitar, at least in my case, started to pop and crack loudly as the top was being levelled. I believe this is normal, but it can be a little frightening if you're not prepared for this. BTW, results were excellent, Bravo Bridge Doctor !
Thanks Scott, terrific set of videos! Because of your excellent tutorials, I took the plunge and repaired my Takamine f-307 with the JLD Bridge Doctor~Action is back to just below 3/32" and the sound is amazing! Thanks so much!
This is the best video I have seen on how to install the JLD bridge Doctor. Thank you very much.
thank you Scott. I watched all 3 parts/episodes and you were informative, thorough, filmed and explained well.
No doubt an excellent work on guitar belly reducing .
Loved all three videos ! Very clear view of what you are doing . I have a great J45 copy that needs this work done to it and after watching all three clips I might just tackle the job myself ! So Big thanks !!
Awesome in a word. Very interesting. Your attention to detail is impeccable. Nice job and now I think I can tackle the belly on my six string. May need to buy a few specialty tools first but at least I know what is required now. Thanks for sharing this three part repair.
Just finished all three videos -- very nice job and great fun to watch this lovely Epiphone getting a new lease of life. Thank you!
Zs
Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed the vids!
Scott, I just watched all three videos in this series. This is a Finish Carpentry Mini-Master Class, tricks that can be used in 1,000 applications. Thanks so much for taking the time and making the effort to produce this excellent tutorial. Amazing what you can do with a few simple tools... and more than a little skill. ; )
What an amazing job! Especially the JLB truss system is a whole new insight for me.
I never thought there was a real solution to those damn bulges except lowering the bridge saddle as far as possible or a neck reset; and the latter is not an option for me.
Thanks a lot!
Thank you, I hope you get great results on your own guitar.
You are a patient guy and that's what you need when you do guitar repair. Nice job.
Great series. A sound test would have been icing!
Your 3 videos were very helpful for any future repairs I may do. Good job!
Just watched all three videos of this repair.. Amazing!
Installed the bridge doctor and it made a nice difference in my old Pan.
Thanks
I've really really enjoyed the videos and watching such a craftsman at work. I live in a fairly remote part of Ireland and have problems finding a luthier close to hand. Many thanks again.
Your welcome! Thanks for watching
Great Scott !! That was a wonderful, expert job.
Man you make that look easy. I bought a brand new yamaha years ago after a couple weeks I noticed the dam, things corner of the bridge's corner was coming up. They glued the damn bridge totally to the lacquer. What a pain
Thank you very much I have a Fender that the belly bulge has cause the action to lift and hard to play now I am going to order a Thomson Belly reducer and a JDL bridge doctor and try it thank you for the 3 videos
Gonna do it tomorrow, thanks to your great explanation i am no longer afraid 😉 very nice
Beautifully done.......best video on this product I have seen!
Thank you for commenting and i am glad you liked the video.....
Got it done successfully, Scott! thanks again
Hey Scott, Thanks so much for this video. I've watched many and yours is the most in depth and helpful. I've got an old Fender passed on to me from my Father in Law and really want to keep it up so I can pass it on to my daughter (his grand daughter) but it had severe belly bulge. sound hole action was almost 3/8". I tried the JLD Bridge doctor and it helped a lot (don't tojust over 1/4") but I've still got about 2 quarters (1/8") on each side of the bulge. I don't think the bridge doctor is gonna take that out. I Have a wood lathe, a metal lathe, a milling machine, along with every other tool you
can think of in my shop so I'm going to make these cauls to fit my bridge and see how much I can get it out. It's just and old Fender F-35 but I'd like to keep it going for generations if I can. Thanks. I'll post videos as I go. Thanks again.
Very helpful and detailed video, easy to understand and really can see your passion in saving a.good guitar. I live in Hong Kong, too bad we don't have anyone in HK who have either the heart or skills to repair a damped guitar . We get humidity 98'+ for at least 3-4 months a year and average is above 60+ , it would be great if we have more repairer like you. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the kind words.......I'm glad you watched my video and enjoyed it.
Thank you for the very kind words!
Great videos! These are great devices! It is worth noting that the tone is different. Some will like it better some won't. I've played guitars with them for over 10 years. It gives a slightly compressed tone compared to a vintage style instruments aka Martin dreadnoughts. Where martins have those famous rich dynamics that create almost a chorusing effect, I have never heard that with the bridge truss on. It is more piano like.
Awesome video!
Amazing video. Thank you very much for share it!! I am follow you!!
Very well done, I have a Yamaha acoustic with the same problem, I am considering doing this repair myself, if so I will reference this series of videos
I wish in my country, there is a guitar repair master like u. My Taylor have a warped top cause the very high action
How kind of you to spend the extra time and effort to document and share this valuable knowledge.
In all my years of guitarology , I wasn't aware of the JLD's existence. It looks like a truly viable addition. My sole concern is the amount of bite (or wood surface) the one countersunk screw grabs in the rosewood bridge. I may opt in favor of a non-recessed larger screw head for a more stable bite and leverage as long as it doesn't hit the bridge pins. All in all, very helpful instructions.
Superb bit of luthiery :)
Great job by the way.
Nicely done!
Thank you!
Nice my husband enjoyed the 3 videos.
Thumbs up, absolutement!
great, straightforward video, very helpful! Am going to do some surgery on my $90 ebay 12 string recently acquired. A '70s Brono Ventura. Surprisingly nice instrument, really bulging, but the neck's straight enough. Great to see how it's supposed to be done - I'm just aiming for playability at this point. Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Thank you, I hope your surgery is a success...!
Awesome repair lesson. I'd think that bridge truss rod system would be ideal for 12 string acoustic. Thanks
I had so many acoustics with that problem and I woung up getting rid of them. This is something I could definitely do this myself. I assume it would help 12 string acoustics too, most of the acoustic problems I had in the past were 12 string acoustics. My only complaint about the video is we diddn't get to hear it play plus once it was installed I'm sure the string height wasn't the same.
Well done... thank you.
I am glad you liked the video!
excellent ty
thanks best video i have seen great job.
Very kind of you, I am glad you liked the video.
thank you so much you are fantastic guitar player i have just bought one and your lesson really helped to play 12 string guitar merry Christmas to you thanks again.
Hi Scott - I have an old Morris Tornado - my favourite guitar - which needs a belly flattening. I don't suppose you are based in UK... ? Can you give me some idea this repair would cost? Incidentally - a great video.
How about a jld system in a double neck ovation that does not have sound holes but grape holes? I have severe belly issues, it sounds very weak and the intonation is dreadful. What would be the best way to have the dowel sit flat against a curved surface? Install a screw in the back to have the dowel set against it?
Hi Scott
Best Bridge Doctor video to date.
If I'm not mistaken the instruction recommend the post to be just in front of the saddle, I noticed you had it adjusted so that the post was under the front of the saddle. Any thoughts on that or will it make any difference?
Thanks
Thank you Scott Great skill and great camera work
I hope I never have the problems you had with the origional (botched) job But if my guitar bulges I now have some idea on how to fix it
Mike from Scotland UK
Thanks for the kind words! I am glad you liked the video.
Could you do a video on lowering the belly & action on an old classical guitar with thin top & light fan bracing. Would the JLD bridge doctor work on a classical without killing the volume & tone? What about flattening the belly with heat then add additional bracing to stiffen the top?. Very little info on UA-cam about fixing classical guitar problems.
Excellent video and I was wondering where you find all these great tools to use like the iron you had on the hot plate to remove the bridge. Was this a homemade type tool or is it a strictly luthier's tool? Where do you find tools like this? Same question for those felt lined "spatulas".
Awesome. Is that a common occurrence with Epiphone Acoustic Guitars? Is it also something that happens if the guitar is in an arid climate like the desert southwest. You know, where even those little guitar humidifiers dry out in a month or so. What is the best way to prevent that from happening to a guitar that you play daily? It’s always tuned to pitch and never in a case. Should I just go ahead and install a bridge Dr and call it good? I don’t see myself moving to an area where the humidity rises above 3% any time soon, if ever.
Enjoyed that Scott. Good fine work , I will have to look into that JLD system, I have a 55 Gibson J 45 that could benefit from the JLD .
Cheers and very good video and camera work
Alberta
Dave
Thank you, Glad you enjoyed the vid. good luck with yours!
Hi Scott, This is very concise video and a real credit to your skills and patience!. im looking at one of my guitars that has a really bad belly. its a nice Martin D41, it sounds great but it plays like a cheap clunker with the action as it is, its way to high even with the saddle at its minimum height. my question to you is this, there is another version of this Bridge doctor which uses a slightly different attachment and effective converts the bridge to a pinless type. But its completely reversible of course. Would you say that using this type, effectively as a repair, to reduce the belly would be worthwhile, or would its removal after correction be so temporary it not be worthwhile?
Im kind of cautious about drilling a hole in the back of my Martin Ebony bridge, though im adept at repairs and have done some acoustic building in the past. It will look a very obvious but effective repair, using the version you have described so well. So, would a neck reset, which seems to be the alternative be a better option,?
Sorry for the long winded comment, what you have done here is truly superb from a standpoint of whats required to reduce the belly. Thanks for sharing your great skills Ray W (UK)
I'm waiting on my JLD Bridge Doctor to come now. I have had the strings off my 45 year old "Pro Martin" (Japanese copy) for weeks and humidified the guitar. No need to use the Thompson belly reducer as the top is almost flat now. I think the JLD and a new bridge (as mine cracked) is definitely the way to go. I see others who have posted said that after leaving the strings off and humidifying their guitar it has corrected their bulge. Once you string it that won't last. Best to use a permanent fix like the JLD.
I hope it went well!
Nice job, you can work on my guitars anytime although I just might give this a shot on an old Olympia that needs a tuck. Cheap guitar but I really like the thing.
You cant use the bridge doctor if the guitar has electronics and jack input in the bridge pin, or can you?
wow. I enjoyed your vdo. Thanks a lot for the info, it gave me a lot of idea how to fix my guitar. The only thing is, that I don`t have the tools to do it. If you can send me the list of tools, and where to buy them. Thanks, From Dallas
Just a thought re the Bridge Doctor (which I installed in all my guitars): having done this a few times, if you DON'T reduce/grind down the screw diameter, when you install the screw it will expand the hole diameter enough so that the abalone dot fits tightly (you have to tap it into place) and you don't need to glue it, which spares you all the worry about heating it and trying to pry it out if you need to later.
Nice tip John. Thank you. Rich
+John Kiss how would you get the abalone dot out if it's pressed in tightly and flush with the surface? There's nothing to grab onto it to pull it out unless you're saying to drill a hole in the abalone dot (which destroys it for further use) and then put in a larger screw so the threads bite intro it and then pull it out? There should be an easier and less invasive / less a damaging way to do it I would think.
Hey -- I loved these 3 videos ! Great work ! I looked up Good Vibrations Guitar Repair Seattle and I couldn't find the place. Are you still open for business ? Did you change your company name -- maybe ?
Collect the shavings from the drilling of the bridge, mix with a little Elmer's glue and fill in the hole above the screw in the sink hole.... When it dries it will match the color of the bridge making the hole nearly invisible..... Smooth up with steel wool....
I had that same pronlem and decided to address it. But other things in life happen andI I could not continue, I left the guitar with no strings for years. It self-healed itself so it seems. A 24" straight edge leaning on the bridge (no saddle) hardly clears the fret.
Excellent series of repair videos. On the JLD, how many turns of the set-screw do you recommend in general? I know there's no hard, fast answer to that, but I'd hate to over-tighten one.
It's not a question of over tightening. Looking at the diagrams for the system, the set screw/plug simply screws into the hole and pushes the rod, effectively changing the angle of your bridge. You want to screw in to the point that your bridge is horizontal again. Too much and your bridge will tip backward.
Nice install video. I do have a need for something like this on my Michael Kelly 5 string acoustic. The question is, since I cannot drill a hole down the middle of the bridge where the A string lives - would it be prudent to use two bridge doctors and use the two screw holes that are already there to secure the bridge itself?
You could probably still use one off center except that the rod needs to be perpendicular to the brace at the end of the guitar or it could slip and not keep the bridge from tipping. You could possibly brace the rod against the side of the brace but then it could poke a hole in the side of your instrument unless you do more modification.
Increases Vol and Sustain???
I have a quick question.
I am teaching my son how to repair musical instruments, but I mostly work on Cellos and stand-up Bass. I like the video, but when I looked on the Flamenco guitar we are repairing, I don't see a place where I could drill the hole for the bridge device without interfering with the string holes. Do you have any suggestions for a good proper placement?
Thanks
I would need to see a picture of the bridge. What model guitar is it. classical bridges vary greatly.
what if any is the advantage of the nylon post that the bridge screw screws into
if the two posts were timber would there be any difference
Your vid is excellant thanks for taking the time
It would be hard to have a wood post that small in diameter that wouldn't split with a screw in it.
@@UhMusingArt
Thanks mate. I saw guy make something similar for bass made from timber
Thanks Art
First you state correctly that the 'poinity' end goes against the Back(Tail) Block, then you state that the 'pointy' end goes against the set-screw! Also folks, do NOT thru-drill the 1/4' bit through the instrument, it serves ONLY as a counter-bore. Gb bg
george scarlett You need to insert it backwards to mark the correct length. the pointy end goes against the set screw
in the process of removing the bridge, if you end up cracking the belly and taking a lot of wood out, is the guitar still repairable?
Jason Seymour Yes, probably something you would want professionally fixed.
Scott lajoie thanks Scott, trying to do this on the cheap and teach myself. the guitar wasn't expensive to start out with which is why I was not too concerned with attempting this repair myself
Jason Seymour if you can, you need to scrape as much wood as you can from the bottom of the bridge and glue the pieces back on to the top. then scrape the bottom of bridge and the bridge area smooth and reglue the bridge back on.
Wow I’ve been messing around with guitars for 50 years and never seen a bridge truss rod
Hmmm What about the bulge measurement after you did the repair? You know the part where you had 2 quarters and a dime at each end under the straight edge as a measurement/gauge to illustrate the amount of bulge. You never show the actual results for that... You only showed the amount of tilt difference before and after....
Marc Gregory You must have missed part two. He showed the improvement in the second video.
That doesn't increase volume or sound. It will kill volume and sound. Fact it will, because it will decrease vibration in the top. Movement in top creates volume and sound with the bracing.
Ever heard a before and after, with the same set of strings?
I would do this application on a $2000 and below guitar if I liked the tone, but not on a valuable vintage one. Just my opinion.
he has a whistle lisp like my 7th grade teacher
You should get out more!
nope!
what caught my attention from the start of these videos was, why is the soundboard popping up & what`re you gonna do to stop it?
I understand the counterbalance action of the bridge system repair but for me it`s counterproductive!
sure it`s stopping the bridge from lifting but it`s also stopping the soundboard from vibrating ergo, it`s not gonna increase volume or the sustain simply because it`s stopping the soundboard doing it`s job?
I understand how the repair works, but, for me anyway, it`s not something I`d add to one of my guitars! surely finding out WHY the soundboard is lifting (& curing it) should be the crux of this repair? & I`m still stumped why the guitar buckled if all the braces were still attached properly??
The JLD Bridge system actually relaxes the top and adds more vibration. It does indeed increase volume and tone. I would suggest this installation in guitars without a belly bulge problem.
Belly bulge from behind the bridge is very common. unfortunately a well made sturdy guitar is not always a great sounding guitar. The best sounding guitars tend to have thinner and more delicate bracing. Years of string tension can eventually lift the top. It only needs to be addressed when the bulging top is hindering the play ability. What to do to fix the problem is the question? You can remove the back flatten the top and replace the bracing and bridge plate, this is a very expensive project and only worth it on the most expensive guitars and even then will reduce the value on a vintage guitar. The Thompson system and the JLD system make very attractive alternatives.
Jazz guitar strings
So, after doing the flattening, you are going to install JLD Bridge doctor,LOL this was reason why I STARTED WATCHING this series, because I wanted to avoid this using this apparatus, thinking that any good luthier worth his weight in salt would not use this devise. Its going to change the original tone. Future buyers will see this inside and avoid this guitar, Its value will also suffer too as well. I guessing you are on StewMac mailing List
You know assholes like you are why I don't make videos anymore.....
@@sli43 Don’t give him that much power. There are plenty of people who have the intelligence and maturity to appreciate your contribution.
Firsty's! !
he is not a smooth and polished talker at all ... viewers will have to stay patient to hear him explain it...