Thread: Acoustic build no 1

Decided to go with this type of Martin style bridge, it weighed in at 38.8 grams which is possibly on the heavy side ?

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Ended up stripping the top and re polishing three times,since this picture, blotchy colour and dust were the problems, it does not show up on the back and sides,but on the top the dust kept standing out.This polish job that came off was the one with mainly orange shellac, in the end I went back to doing a size coat and then using the UB with a little orange

Attachment 164648

I made up an inner and outer caul by using plasti bond on a block, the inside one had notches for the braces, I put the plasti bond on the block , put it in a bag and pressed it in till it set.
Scribed a line around the bridge and took the top back to bare wood
Glued the bridge down with hide glue and leather so I could line it up,
[bridge in the micro wave for 25 seconds]
cut the top caul in three then transfered the cauls on one at a time. I will be doing the saddle slot and the pin holes next.
cheers Rob

Hi Rob,

Making good progress on that guitar and its looking good. An interesting approach to the bridge gluing cauls. I usually make up the caul after fitting bracing...caul is basically cut to shape of bridge plate. I use cork covered MDF for this.

The bridge does look a bit solid....how high is it at its centre?

Cheers Martin

I was thinking that Martin,when I had my arm in the hole
working blind. Making the caul while the top was
off, it's in the next time list.
The bit about the caul being same size as bridge plate though,
is that the bridge ends go across the braces, so I was thinking
I want to get pressure out at those ends directly down to the braces,

Attachment 164665
The bridge [when it was finished ] is exactly the same size, in
plan, as this Martin bridge,
in the book [ Cumpiano ] it said to do it at 9.5 mm high, I went
under the 9.5 to about 9.3 I think ,this was a mistake but I'm
leaving it. I was thinking I could shave some off from the bridge
pin area back, and put a steeper slope on it but the pins may
have to go in with a bit of an angle, do they have to go in at 90
deg to the top ?

Before I glued the bridge on ,when I rested a straight edge
along the frets, the straight edge was a small fraction above
the bridge
cheers Rob

On a first guitar, cutting and shaping bone , fitting pins ,strings and then tuning ,what can I say ,

It's worth it, the time spent.
It's got a new , individual, good sound.
The action is still high, the nut and saddle need more work , and the neck is still straight, I have to give it the relief ,
I just have to stop playing it first to finish it off.

cheers Rob

Nobody could tell from looking at it that it's your first guitar, outstanding job! Wish I could hear what it sounds like.Mike

Thanks Mike, how's things over there? got a build going?
Rob

Things are going well and I do have a build in progress, putting the finish on it now. I've got some pics but was going to wait until it was done to post them. I'm a bit nervous at this stage, given what happened to the last one. I may go ahead and start a thread so you can see what I've come up with. Again, nice job on the guitar, you can be really proud of the way you sorted out problems when they arose.