Stewmac Bridge Saver | Acoustic Guitar Plate and Top Plugging

Using the Stewmac Bridge Saver tool on worn out bridge pin holes, as well as the top of the guitar. Amazing tool. Nothing else works like it and it's saved many an acoustic guitar here in my shop.
A regular countersink works fine for boring out the bridge pin holes on the top, and the Bridge Saver plug cutter cuts plugs that are a perfect match for it. The end result is two plugs for each hole, the plate side plugs held in with superglue, and with a thick layer of epoxy between that plug and the top plug, bonding them together and filling any and all possible gaps. The most solid surface for gluing on a bridge is ready to go!

[@tmcorey1]

Wow. Well done.

[@guitar_md]

Thanks so much!

[@Michael_Dominic]

shout out to steve

[@snowww120]

Can you please tell me how to make hole in guitar for bridge pin please

[@guitar_md]

Using the bridge holes as a guide, use a 3/16" drill bit. Drill all the way through. I then use a tapered reamer to open up the holes slightly if necessary. Usually only a very small amount of reaming is required.

[@snowww120]

@@guitar_md thx for your help

[@kulbhushanchand01]

Great ❤

[@guitar_md]

Thank you!

[@lestergeez4349]

After watching how to do it right.... you'd tear your hair out if you seen my technique. Loved your narration.😂

[@guitar_md]

Thanks! And don't be so sure...I've done my fair share of questionable repairs and am the least judgmental person in the world when it comes to that stuff. If you wanna see me getting roasted just check out my epoxy bridge reglue video! And that is a 100% legit technique. But man. People really get up in arms about that. My take is if the finished repair looks great, and functions great, then it is great. I'm curious what your method was. This method was a royal pain to do. And I appreciate the compliment! Excited to have more videos on the way. Never ends.

[@martinspreiter8240]

super glue at woodworking? 😞

[@guitar_md]

You can use Titebond for this job, but Superglue is very arguably superior. It reinforces the wood when it saturates it, and this is a huge benefit for the bridge plate, as its job is to support and withstand the metal ball ends of the strings pressing up hard against it. Also, since Titebond takes 24 hours to cure, you'd need to use a clamp and let it sit. Plugging all the holes like this using Titebond could take an entire week, while with Superglue it will take a couple hours. When it comes to which adhesive to use, the properties of the adhesive have to be carefully considered. I use Titebond for crack repairs and for regluing loose braces, for example, Superglue for plugging the bridge plate, which is subjected to extreme abuse, and epoxy for bridge reglues on plywood top guitars. They all have very specific purposes, and it's critical to be aware of each one. Titebond will work for plugging a bridge plate, for example, but then you don't get the added reinforcement of the saturation from the Superglue, and the repair is not likely to hold up anywhere near as long. And for bridge reglues, Titebond will simply not hold on some guitars, especially cheaper guitars but also more expensive guitars with waxy tops like cocobolo. More than a few times I've seen guitars with their bridges professionally reglued with Titebond the "right" way, only to fail and come off. In any case, I'll reiterate it: it's important to choose your adhesive carefully. I may even make a video about this. It might be quite popular as people get very heated about using non standard glues on guitar repairs. I appreciate the comment!

[@martinspreiter8240]

@@guitar_md Ph Oh thank you for your answer. My comment was not absolut serios. Sorry. You are right, superglue ist for some jobs the verry best. Merry Chrismess 🙂

[@guitar_md]

@@martinspreiter8240 No offense taken at all! And you're welcome. Stewmac, who makes this tool, recommends using Titebond, so if I'm using superglue, I have to be prepared with a good reason and explanation. You were correct to assume that for woodworking, wood glue should always be the first choice. Your comment gave me a chance to really think about why I'm doing this repair in the way I'm doing it. One thing I don't want to do is get stuck in ego, thinking that my way is always right, even if I'm wrong -- so I always have to consider that someone else might be right. It's always a good opportunity to re-evaluate what I'm doing, while considering that I may be wrong. We should always have a clear reason for doing things a particular way when it comes to technical/mechanical things, so I appreciate your comment for helping me to consider why I use the method I do. Merry Christmas to you too. And thank you again for the comment, and again, no offense taken, and I hope I didn't come off as aggressive or offended. Here's to hoping 2023 will be a better year than 2022 🎅

[@ThiagoCP]

@@guitar_md You're awesome and you have a natural talent for teaching. I loved the style of your videos and your comment here about adhesives was really insightful for me. Today I removed the bridge from a classical nylon guitar that was pretty bellied up and I was doubt about what to do to reglue it. My main concern is if I sand/level the bridge area on the top I'll be left with a very thin surface, which, I believe, will greatly increase the chances of the top belling up again. Anyway, that's how I found you! I need to do some more research but I think I'll use epoxy as you suggested.