Repair sunken f-holes?

[Chris Long]

Hi All-

I'm working on a '64 Harmony Broadway archtop. It's in generally good shape, but the f-holes have sunken and I'd like to flatten/coax them back to where they once were. The outboard/lateral sides of the holes are where the sinking has occurred--the center of the top (between the braces) is fine. The top is made of maple, not ply. It's very difficult to get a decent photo of.

Any ideas or tips are appreciated. Moisture? Warmth? Weight? I'm not in a hurry, so gentle and gradual is what I'm thinking.

It's mostly a cosmetic thing, I know, but I'd like to get it looking as nice as possible. Thanks!

Chris

[Chris Vallillo]

I recently restored a Kay arch top that had been made for Sears and Roebuck. Most arch tops I've seen generally have some sort of support beneath the F holes, usually a thin plywood or spruce template that matches the cut out and re-enforces the area to prevent warpage. This guitar didn't have that and as a result, the sections around the f holes was seriously warped and out of shape. I assumed it would be a real write off!

I was able to take some spruce top scraps and roughly cut them to shape and re-create these re-enforcement pieces. I gently clamped the area for several days to re-establish the original contour. A combination of warmth, light moisture and time all work to your advantage here. After the top adjusted, I glued them inside, behind the F holes (tricky!), gently clamping them into place. I was amazed at how much of the top warp I was able to remove.

Ultimately, I was able to bring back most of the original top curve and make it a playable instrument.

[Chris Long]

Wonderful! That's exactly what I'm talking about. And mine does not have the reinforcement around the holes, either--I have that on a Harmony-made Silvertone archtop but not this one. I will proceed as you did, then, slowly and gently, then reinforce the holes. Going into this I am skeptical about how well it'll work, but looking at your work, I am very encouraged.

Thank you so much, Chris!

[Chris Long]

Chris, is that an original pick guard, or did you fabricate it? Looks great, mines missing.
Also -- LOVE the design in the floor!!

[Chris Long]

My solution. The de-warping is coming along nicely.

[Chris Vallillo]

Sorry, I missed the rest of this post. Your solution looks great! Did you also glue in re-enforcement inside as well?

Re the pickguard, it's a modern replacement from Ebay. Here's a similar one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tortoise-Archt ... 4dc6b822ea

And finally, the pattern of the floor is original to the house, built in 1908. walnut, Oak, maple and maybe cherry.