In The Shop: Gluing the Bridge on a Vintage Martin Acoustic Guitar | Elderly Instruments Repair Shop

This week on In The Shop, Joe finishes his restoration of a 1973 Martin D-35, showing the step-by-step process he uses to glue a bridge onto an acoustic guitar top.
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[@robinwoodbury2563]

Thanks Joe. It's fascinating to see how scoring the finish around the bridge perimeter really facilitated the clean-up and re-application.

[@davidsims1329]

Great job Joe, I really like the Techniques and tools you used just think I can duplicate some of those who are my uses and my instrument shop. Thanks so much.

[@markpixley4009]

Thanks for the detail and explanation as you go, very helpful. I have a 1967 Epiphone Cortez FT-45 I am getting ready to make/replace the "plastic with ceramic saddle" bridge that was stock...the pick guard cased the typical "Martin split" but its on the bottom side of the pickguard not near the soundhole...pretty bad cupping which I am humidifying for a week to get it to relax after removing the nitrocellulose pickguard. Love the detail and information her, top shelf!

[@ShaneOpeno]

Dear Elderly Instruments - I believe I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that it's high time to get Joe a new coffee mug.

[@ElderlyInstruments]

😆

[@ElderlyInstruments]

He did get a new one! What does it look like? You'll have to wait and see in a future episode...

[@michaelgarrow3239]

The old one is just getting broken in. That patina doesn’t happen overnight! 🙄

[@FriendM2010]

Nice work! Thanks for sharing technique! I built an 180 gallon Reef tank using a sealant that went off in 8 minutes.. 70 lb panes of 1/2 inch glass and if you miss the window, miss a finger print along a seam, you tell everybody to leave the room why you sit down and cry 😂 All the edges are fouled and to prepare again, days of work, more crying ...🥴

[@lorencing]

Great video, thanks. Although I have another problem ... I made a diy wooden clamp that goes over the bridge, is curved on the bottom to fit the bridge top and connects, trough the string peg holes, with the lower (inside of guitar body - under the bridge) part of the clamp via 4 threaded (4mm) rods that are tightened with 4 wing nuts ... and there is one hole on each side of the upper clap for the rod that pushes the wings of the bridge down with the help of small pieces of wood. So ... I have removed everything except for the lower part of the clamp which is now glued to the top from the inside and does not want to come off. Tried really hard to kinda snap it away, with no success. Drilled all 12 holes all the way trough the bottom (I used a metal drill bit for the four holes that had metal inserts for the rods, there is still a thin metal cylinder left inside of the lower clamp - could present a problem if I wanted to use a hole reamer to try to slowly remove wood in hope of the glue to let go) of the lower part of the clamp wood and it still does not budge, not for a 1/1000 of an inch or millimetre. Would you maybe know how does one go about a thing like that? How can I "know" where the thing is glued or how much, when there is no way to see? Is that possible or should I leave the part glued and try to slowly widen the holes so that the pegs fit normally? ... ... ... this really bummed me out.

[@briansmith9698]

ElderlyInstruments do old steel none adjustable rods actually help the neck at all? Martin had tube rods and tbar rods before adjustable? Ever work on Silverstone's and Harmony's?

[@briansmith9698]

ElderlyInstruments what strength hide glue do you use?

[@stephenreaves4110]

Where can I purchase the zip strip and glue? And what are the exact brands? Thanks

[@UAL320]

What years were the Martin bridges misplaced, affecting the intonation? Looks like you didnt have to move this one.

[@jtarman70]

I guess he don't know. Been over a year and he still hasn't answered you. That usually means he don't know!

[@steveijams8475]

Why not use a small artist's paint brush (I mean an artist's small paint brush). Or fold over fine sand paper

[@truthray2885]

My GF is listening from the other room and wants to know why I'm watching someone "rough up a stripper" on KZbin.

[@briankehew579]

Wait til someone gets "the caulk out"...

[@SynergyCeleste]

masking tape? no?

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

Hmm, a lot of sotto-voce muttering and mumbling going on here. I know you have a lot of valuable info to share, but perhaps it might make for a better presentation if you were to script or pre-plan what info you intend to impart for each shot, rather than just sort of ramble on. I think it would increase the production value and usefulness of your tutorials and make them easier to understand. Just my opinion, and otherwise your work seems top notch! Thanks!