classical guitar bridge fix

If you have a string instrument of any kind that needs fixing, a mistake you made in building a new instrument that you need to "disappear," or a question about the ethics of altering an older instrument, ask here. Please note that it will be much easier for us to help you decide on the best repair method if you post some pictures of the problem.
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Simon Magennis
Posts: 471
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:51 am
Location: Menorca. Spain.

classical guitar bridge fix

Post by Simon Magennis »

I managed to crack the front side of the saddle slot on my current classical guitar build. It is cracked the near the bottom of the slot the whole way across. I glued it with hhg and it seems to be holding ok. I hate removing bridges but that of course is an option. My current idea is to string it up, and play it for a while. What are the chances of this fix lasting?
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Ryan Mazzocco
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Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2012 6:01 pm
Location: Joplin, MO
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Re: classical guitar bridge fix

Post by Ryan Mazzocco »

First off, is this guitar for you or are you selling it? If it's for someone else you might be better off not chancing it and just replacing it.
Whether or not it will hold depends on how well you glued it, but since you used HHG and assuming you have a good solid joint it should last forever.
If you do decide to use it just be sure to stand behind it if it fails.
Clay Schaeffer
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:04 pm

Re: classical guitar bridge fix

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

If you glue the saddle in the repair will be much stronger. But of course that will make it hard to remove. Gluing the wood with non water soluble glue (epoxy, CA) and the saddle with a water soluble glue may allow you to remove the saddle (wicking in vinegar) should it be necessary, without disturbing the wood repair.
Simon Magennis
Posts: 471
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:51 am
Location: Menorca. Spain.

Re: classical guitar bridge fix

Post by Simon Magennis »

Thanks guys. I puts strings on last night and played it a bit. So far so good. This morning looking at it with the strings on the crack is pretty much invisible. For what it is worth the sound surprised me. I was expecting this guitar to need a bit of time to sound good especially the trebles, but in fact the trebles are very nice from the beginning. First time I have used the 1937 Hauser plan.
Brian Evans
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Location: Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia

Re: classical guitar bridge fix

Post by Brian Evans »

A friend of mine just repaired a classical bridge where the tie block string holes had worn and were now too high, with insufficient down-angle on the saddle. She sectioned off the tie block, made a new one with lower holes and glued it in place, can hardly tell. Makes me think you could section off the slot section down flat and add a new one with a new slot. Kind of depends a lot on the design of the bridge. It's quite common in steel string repair to fill in the slot and route a new one when the original was in the wrong place. In terms of your current repair, I think this might be one of those times where a glued joint is stronger than the wood it joins. If your wood there is splitty - breaky, it might fail again just above the repair, or below it, but the repair probably won't fail.
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