I'll use my little hook scraper to clean and level the gluing surface:
Page 4 of 4
I'll use my little hook scraper to clean and level the gluing surface:
More on bridge gluing technique.
Here comes that clamp and caul assembly again:
I'm clamping my new bridge in place, having carved it to match the original in contour
and appearance, but without any saddle slot:
After the glue has dried, I can calculate the ideal saddle position, set up my fence
and rout the saddle slot:
A quick cleanup of the bridge pin holes:
With a new 1/8" bone saddle, this Hummingbird is back in service:
Along with the improvement in structural stability, this guitar now sounds considerably
stronger. I don't believe that replacing the bolts would add much to the stability
of the bridge, so I chose to leave them off, and the pearl dots as well.
The top still shows a rise behind the bridge, but no longer exhibits that nasty "folding"
action at the back edge of the bridge.
If you have any doubts as to the effect of bridge mass on the tone of a guitar, try
a simple experiment. Play an open string, and simply touch the handle of an ordinary
table knife to the saddle. You should be able to hear a dramatic difference in tone
and volume. It's that kind of difference I'm talking about with this guitar!