Quick luthiery/manteinance questions not deserving a thread

[ScatteredDimension]

Impossible to know really, without knowing the pocket specifics of both and how the pocket is placed relative to the last frets. Scale length is related because the fretwires are positioned relative to eachother in a way that plays in tune only when the nut and bridge are the matching distance apart - something that would be easy to achieve but we also need the pocket placed in a position that has the last fretwire (thus all others) sitting the correct % along the scale length.

Yes, that's what I thought. Much easier to have a matching scale neck and body... thanks for answering!

 

[Alberto7]

I got a very pretty archtop recently (an Ibanez AF105F-NT) in seemingly excellent condition for a guitar made in 2006. It had a TOM installed but it also came with a wooden bridge that I wanted to try. I went to go change it and, lo and behold, I found out the bridge was not floating but firmly stuck to the body. Seems one of the previous owners must have gotten tired of re-positioning the bridge after every string change and glued the base of the bridge directly to the body. I'm kinda pissed for several reasons, but primarily because now I cannot adjust intonation with the wooden bridge installed.

I have no idea what kind of glue was used, but I did notice the tiniest little bit of spillage coming out from under the bridge and it cured clear. It's wood on a gloss poly surface. This may be a stretch, but any tips on things I could try to soften the glue without damaging the finish? (Or the wooden base.) Or am I screwed here and need to go back to a TOM bridge?

 

[High Plains Drifter]

@Alberto7 At least if it was me, I don't think there's anything on the market ( solvent based) that I would try to soften the glue. Even if the solvent or whatever is "safe for...." I would be afraid that the solvent or dissolved solution might migrate onto the finish and cause damage.

I might however, be inclined to see if using a razor blade very carefully would free it. I use different types of blades for different jobs like this... standard single edge, utility, 9mm snap blades, etc. I would try something like that before I would feel comfortable using any kind of liquid solvent.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

I'd try the razor blade first. You can probably get the bridge free with the right combination of patience and gentle force. You could also test some acetone (nail polish remover) in an inconspicuous area to see if it will damage the finish.

 

[High Plains Drifter]

Part of the issue is not knowing whether that glue is water based or solvent based. At least if you knew what the base/ compound was, you could proceed with something appropriately compatible but not knowing only complicates the issue of using something to breaking the bond.

Elaborating on what Planet Claire resident mentioned above, before attempting to free the bridge with a blade- If you're extremely careful, go slowly, and keep a steady hand, you can [gently but deliberately] score along the bridge first before trying to pry it up... this would be akin to the way that you would score an old nut to remove it from the slot ( like when preparing to replace with a new nut). This may prevent any finish cracking or separating from the body.

Also- Be extremely mindful before attempting anything like this, that you are aware that if the glue/ adhesive is indeed very well bonded to the body, that you do run the risk of accidentally splintering or even removing a chunk of body wood or bridge wood. Using the blade method may minimize the potential for this happening but there's always a chance that ( again... if the two materials are very securely bonded) you could wind up with part of the body wood stuck to the bridge or visa-versa.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

What are some good tips for sanding down the bottom of a new nut and keeping it as flush as possible without a belt sander or one of those fancy jigs?? I've got a graphtec nut that is going into my Aria Pro YS-400 after I finish leveling the frets, but it's ~1/4" too high. Last time I did this working against some 200 grit taped to the surface of my workbench, I had a hell of a time keeping the bottom flush just due to the variations in my grip and ended up with an "okay" but less-than-perfect matchup to the clean 90° slot. I've been taking real care with restoring this guitar, this is the last piece of hardware and I want to do this as close to perfect as possible. I've got some pieces of 3/8" hardwood trim cut to 4" lengths, I was thinking maybe I could hold the side of the nut to one of these while sanding? Is that a stupid idea? Any other hot tips?

 

[Alberto7]

I'd try the razor blade first. You can probably get the bridge free with the right combination of patience and gentle force. You could also test some acetone (nail polish remover) in an inconspicuous area to see if it will damage the finish.

Part of the issue is not knowing whether that glue is water based or solvent based. At least if you knew what the base/ compound was, you could proceed with something appropriately compatible but not knowing only complicates the issue of using something to breaking the bond.

Elaborating on what Planet Claire resident mentioned above, before attempting to free the bridge with a blade- If you're extremely careful, go slowly, and keep a steady hand, you can [gently but deliberately] score along the bridge first before trying to pry it up... this would be akin to the way that you would score an old nut to remove it from the slot ( like when preparing to replace with a new nut). This may prevent any finish cracking or separating from the body.

Also- Be extremely mindful before attempting anything like this, that you are aware that if the glue/ adhesive is indeed very well bonded to the body, that you do run the risk of accidentally splintering or even removing a chunk of body wood or bridge wood. Using the blade method may minimize the potential for this happening but there's always a chance that ( again... if the two materials are very securely bonded) you could wind up with part of the body wood stuck to the bridge or visa-versa.

Thank you! Yeah, that's what I feared. I think I will suck it up for now and just stick with the TOM bridge. I'm not sure it's worth the risk, especially considering that restoring any possible damage would 1) be more expensive than the guitar itself, and 2) it probably wouldn't bring back what makes this guitar so beautiful, which is the very nicely figured flamed maple veneer that is all over the guitar.

 

[High Plains Drifter]

@wheresthefbomb I haven't done many... maybe 5-6. But I mark them with a set of calipers and use a Staedtler Mars 780 pencil... then start the tedious sanding process starting around idk 400 or whatever feels right and finish with whatever finer grit. I've used 3m tape before to wrap around my fingers and hold the nut while sanding on a very flat surface... usually with the sandpaper taped to the surface around the edges. And I go more gently as I'm getting closer to done and use very precise passes each time. Also as I get close I'll look closely at the progress every pass or two.

@Alberto7 I wouldn't risk messing up that gorgeous flame top. That guitar is a stunner. Shame that someone glued that bridge down though and prevented you from having a different option.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I got a very pretty archtop recently (an Ibanez AF105F-NT) in seemingly excellent condition for a guitar made in 2006. It had a TOM installed but it also came with a wooden bridge that I wanted to try. I went to go change it and, lo and behold, I found out the bridge was not floating but firmly stuck to the body. Seems one of the previous owners must have gotten tired of re-positioning the bridge after every string change and glued the base of the bridge directly to the body. I'm kinda pissed for several reasons, but primarily because now I cannot adjust intonation with the wooden bridge installed.

I have no idea what kind of glue was used, but I did notice the tiniest little bit of spillage coming out from under the bridge and it cured clear. It's wood on a gloss poly surface. This may be a stretch, but any tips on things I could try to soften the glue without damaging the finish? (Or the wooden base.) Or am I screwed here and need to go back to a TOM bridge?

Nothing that's going to eat most common glues is going to not destroy the finish.

You can try a hot knife, but it's a really delicate process and can do just as much damage as acetone.

Score the outside with a fresh razor blade and try a knife first. If you make some headway, a chisel will help widen the opening.

Outside of that, start to consider your options as far as finish patches and repairs. If I remember correctly the guitar in question has a simple clear/natural finish, which are usually the easiest to fix if the topcoat decides to come with the bridge as you try and remove it.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

What are some good tips for sanding down the bottom of a new nut and keeping it as flush as possible without a belt sander or one of those fancy jigs?? I've got a graphtec nut that is going into my Aria Pro YS-400 after I finish leveling the frets, but it's ~1/4" too high. Last time I did this working against some 200 grit taped to the surface of my workbench, I had a hell of a time keeping the bottom flush just due to the variations in my grip and ended up with an "okay" but less-than-perfect matchup to the clean 90° slot. I've been taking real care with restoring this guitar, this is the last piece of hardware and I want to do this as close to perfect as possible. I've got some pieces of 3/8" hardwood trim cut to 4" lengths, I was thinking maybe I could hold the side of the nut to one of these while sanding? Is that a stupid idea? Any other hot tips?

Mark a line where you need to remove material to and place the nut upside down in a vice. Sand/file till you hit the face of the vise.

 

[Alberto7]

@wheresthefbomb I haven't done many... maybe 5-6. But I mark them with a set of calipers and use a Staedtler Mars 780 pencil... then start the tedious sanding process starting around idk 400 or whatever feels right and finish with whatever finer grit. I've used 3m tape before to wrap around my fingers and hold the nut while sanding on a very flat surface... usually with the sandpaper taped to the surface around the edges. And I go more gently as I'm getting closer to done and use very precise passes each time. Also as I get close I'll look closely at the progress every pass or two.

@Alberto7 I wouldn't risk messing up that gorgeous flame top. That guitar is a stunner. Shame that someone glued that bridge down though and prevented you from having a different option.

Nothing that's going to eat most common glues is going to not destroy the finish.

You can try a hot knife, but it's a really delicate process and can do just as much damage as acetone.

Score the outside with a fresh razor blade and try a knife first. If you make some headway, a chisel will help widen the opening.

Outside of that, start to consider your options as far as finish patches and repairs. If I remember correctly the guitar in question has a simple clear/natural finish, which are usually the easiest to fix if the topcoat decides to come with the bridge as you try and remove it.

Thanks! Yeah, I think it's staying as-is for now, but I'm keeping these tips for whenever the time comes, if ever.

It's not ideal, but I'm not as afraid of damaging the finish as I am of damaging the (likely very thin) maple veneer under the finish. If it was up to me and money and/or skill wasn't an issue, I'd refinish the guitar and apply something softer to it, like what Ken Parker does with his archtops.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

@wheresthefbomb I haven't done many... maybe 5-6. But I mark them with a set of calipers and use a Staedtler Mars 780 pencil... then start the tedious sanding process starting around idk 400 or whatever feels right and finish with whatever finer grit. I've used 3m tape before to wrap around my fingers and hold the nut while sanding on a very flat surface... usually with the sandpaper taped to the surface around the edges. And I go more gently as I'm getting closer to done and use very precise passes each time. Also as I get close I'll look closely at the progress every pass or two.

Tape on the fingers is a great tip, thank you. Also adding a decent caliper to the list of tools I eventually need.

Mark a line where you need to remove material to and place the nut upside down in a vice. Sand/file till you hit the face of the vise.

This is my favorite answer so far but a bench vise isn't in the cards for me right now. Definitely add it to the list... gonna keep an eye out for a good deal on marketplace.

I also have a bar regular who has been in business for himself as a carver (stone, fossil, bone, ivory, baleen etc) for longer than most of us have been alive and he suggested making a jig by clamping something known to be square on top of sandpaper taped to a flat surface, and then pulling the nut lengthwise along that. Probably what I'll end up doing this time around, unless I can find someone who'll let me use their vice for an hour or two.

 

[High Plains Drifter]

@wheresthefbomb I've also used double-sided 3M tape before... the thick stuff not the thin Scotch tape. The thick double sided tape really grabs the nut well to prevent any slipping or fuck ups. Just be gentle pulling that shit off your fingers lol. Also maybe worth noting that with each pass or so, I'll make sure to wipe off any dust residue from the sanded side of the nut as well as using a clean area of sandpaper with each pass ( or at least shake or blow off any accumulated dust that may be packed into the paper) ... making sure that with each pass everything is as flat and clean as can be. Trapped dust accumulation can slowly throw off the precision and negatively affect how perfectly flat the nut winds up. I'm especially mindful of the ends of the nut where it can be easy to accidentally and gradually take off too much material, leaving the nut able to rock back and forth as opposed to sitting perfectly flat.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I open this because I think there are loads of little questions that don't deserve a proper thread, but can eventually be posted here and have a (probably) fast answer from the community

I start with one
What is the (fabric?) material used in the trem cavities under Floyd/Edges?
My Jackson arrived with it unglued and ripped, so I would like to change it

On my old RG7620, I cut a piece of acrylic mirror to lay in there to reflect light back out.

 

[ShredmasterD]

While removing the neck on a MIM Fender Lead lll, the clear coat on the finish chipped by the neck pocket on the top of the guitar. What can be used to fill the missing gloss coat chip ? It is down to the stain and is quit visible. since the stain is matte.

 

[tedtan]

While removing the neck on a MIM Fender Lead lll, the clear coat on the finish chipped by the neck pocket on the top of the guitar. What can be used to fill the missing gloss coat chip ? It is down to the stain and is quit visible. since the stain is matte.

Super glue/cyanoacrylate. I can’t see the size or location of the chip, but this approach may help:

 

[ShredmasterD]

some

Super glue/cyanoacrylate. I can’t see the size or location of the chip, but this approach may help:

good tips there. thanks.

 

[adrianb]

I have a question regarding radius gauges:

How do you guys use radius gauges to match the bridge radius with the fretboard radius?

In most cases the height of the high e string and the low e string is not the same. (for example high e string 1,25mm and low e string 1,5mm)

So I cant just put the radius gauge over all strings and adjust since it is not exact anymore, right? Or does the little difference not matter?

You got many good responses to your question but i'd like to add mine.

Instead of using a radius gauge, you can use a plain old ruler to measure the distance from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. If you get the distance on all strings to be the same, you will have perfectly matched bridge saddle radius with the fretboard radius. After i learned this i sold all my radius gauges.

 

[ikarus]

You got many good responses to your question but i'd like to add mine.

Instead of using a radius gauge, you can use a plain old ruler to measure the distance from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. If you get the distance on all strings to be the same, you will have perfectly matched bridge saddle radius with the fretboard radius. After i learned this i sold all my radius gauges.

yes, but it leaves me with the same problem as before. lets say we go with 1mm on the high e string. no guitar has 1mm action on every string.

 

[adrianb]

yes, but it leaves me with the same problem as before. lets say we go with 1mm on the high e string. no guitar has 1mm action on every string.

Not really a problem. Get all strings to the same action using my method, and then raise the 6th and/or 7th a little, then maybe lower the 1st. The middle strings will all be in a perfect arc, following the radius, with the outer strings adjusted to taste.