MIMF

Hello,
I had this posted in another forum but thought i should post it here in the repair forum.
I have a broken trap tailpiece to an old Gibson acoustic 12-string (pretty sure it is a B25-12N) and the aftermarket parts available (AllParts etc.) do not have the same hole pattern for attaching it to the end of the guitar. Both the endpiece and the rod broke. I may have to give up and drill new holes just so i can play it again. I have searched relentlessly on many Internet sites with no real luck. I am wondering if there is any possibility that someone makes a replica. Any advice Picture posted
Thanks a bunch!
Jeff

Could you get someone to braze or weld the old one back together again?

Bob

Check and see if there's bridgepin holes that have been filled. I have a B-25-12, and it originally had a pinned bridge. A previous owner had filled the pin holes with putty and added a trapeze tailpiece, which was a common modification. When the trapeze broke, I cleaned out the holes and went back to a pinned bridge.

What Rodger said!

oh wow, i will check that out when i get home guys. Thanks!
a weld job is a good suggestion too. I appreciate it
Jeff

Jeff Jones wrote:oh wow, i will check that out when i get home guys. Thanks!
a weld job is a good suggestion too. I appreciate it
Jeff

Find someone who does TIG welding. Should be an easy job if they know their stuff...

I would suggest having the parts "brazed" instead of welded. Brazing is like soldering on steroids. And it will be much smoother.

"Silver soldering" will also work with the right solder and less chance of deforming or melting the parts which may be nickel silver as opposed to steel (a magnet will tell you that).

I may be wrong, but I consider silver soldering as a form of brazing. But either way, silver solder and brazing work on non-ferric metals and they leave a smooth surface, neither of which is typical of welding.

My TIG instructor showed how he could TIG-weld two razorblades together - pretty impressive. I'm pretty sure a good TIG welder could do as good a job as any other approach. Also, TIG welding can be very similar to brazing in that it will join dissimilar materials (e.g. phosphor bronze filler rod and whatever metal the tailpiece is made from).

It's just a matter of what resources you have access to in your area. Brazing, silver soldering, TIG welding - even laser welding - could all do the trick. In all cases you need someone who knows their stuff to do this kind of repair.

Thanks everyone, no bridgepins so looking for the repair
Jeff

Post a photo of the broken ends so we can better advise you on a course of action. You can buy a small sheet of 18GA half hard brass on eBay or from McMaster Carr. It can be cut with tin snips or even scissors and/or a jeweler's saw to replicate what you had. I'd make it one-piece and skip the hinge altogether.

OK, say you exhaust the repair avenues and your only option is to use the new Allparts tailpiece. How about a piece of wood shaped like the hanger. You screw this to the guitar using the original holes and screw the new tailpiece to the piece of wood.

Or drill new holes.

Or, would you be able to open up the mounting holes on the new tailpiece into slots that would allow you to use the original mounting holes?

Thanks everyone. Not sure yet, i like the option of fabricating something that will fit without drilling new holes and looking for a better part in the future
Jeff

There is a fellow named John Lambdin from Van Nuys, CA who makes repro archtop tailpieces. I have no contact details or website to send your way. He posted an introduction on the Frets forum http://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topics/e ... tailpieces last week so that would be the best way unless you can find him with a Google search.

That post under John Lambdin's name indicates that he has passed away.

Most of the archtop makers I know make their own or have someone make their tailpieces. A good repair shop should be equipped to do this as well.

The tailpiece [Frequensator"] for my 1946 Epiphone Broadway was "broken" at the 90* bend from side to top when I got it. Sent it off to "Archtops.com" in Seattle for braising repair…. not inexpensive but great quality work.