Removing Bridgeplate from Vintage Martin
Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 3:06 pm
I have a 1946 Martin 000-28 that I am in the process of restoring with the help of a local luthier (new bridge, neck reset, new frets, repairing some cracks). This is a guitar that my great uncle owned and it has had the neck reset in the past as well as having the bridge sanded down to keep from having another neck reset.
When I got the guitar the bridge was off and took a lot of the wood with it - so much so that there was a hole in the guitar top. The Luthier and I removed the section of bad top and wanted to put in a slightly larger top plate to reinforce the front edge of the new piece of wood.
We noticed that the bridgeplate is tucked under the X-braces, something that I have now learned is common to older Martins. I have also learned that properly replacing these plates is not for the faint of heart.
We tried heating up the area, but were not having any luck getting the plate loose. We want to try to get it out in one piece so that we can use it as a template for the new bridgeplate. We have contemplated a few courses, such as cutting the plate along the braces and even removing the back of the guitar (which I do not really want to do) and even leaving the bridgeplate alone and adding an extension to it.
My questions: What is the best way to remove the bridgeplate on a vintage Martin? Is there an alternative way to reinforce the front edge of the new piece of soundboard without messing with the bridgeplate?
When I got the guitar the bridge was off and took a lot of the wood with it - so much so that there was a hole in the guitar top. The Luthier and I removed the section of bad top and wanted to put in a slightly larger top plate to reinforce the front edge of the new piece of wood.
We noticed that the bridgeplate is tucked under the X-braces, something that I have now learned is common to older Martins. I have also learned that properly replacing these plates is not for the faint of heart.
We tried heating up the area, but were not having any luck getting the plate loose. We want to try to get it out in one piece so that we can use it as a template for the new bridgeplate. We have contemplated a few courses, such as cutting the plate along the braces and even removing the back of the guitar (which I do not really want to do) and even leaving the bridgeplate alone and adding an extension to it.
My questions: What is the best way to remove the bridgeplate on a vintage Martin? Is there an alternative way to reinforce the front edge of the new piece of soundboard without messing with the bridgeplate?