Instrument Repairs
Musicians from Swindon, Bath, Bristol and further come to me for repairs.
Typical Work Done:
Most musical instrument damage can be repaired. If a stringed instrument has been damaged it is usually sensible to unwind the strings. Repairs to wooden instruments are always more successful if the repair is done soon after the damage occurs. Damaged, Repaired and Modified Instruments
Old Yamaha steel string guitars have a reputation for easy playing and good tone. This one suffered repeated breakages where the neck meets the head. The head was also damaged on more than one occasion. Careful work with a similar mahogony allowed a replacement head to be fitted, with new tuning machines. The repaired neck is on the right.
On the left, a very common break. The neck is weakest where it joins the head as it is narrow and hollowed out to allow for the truss rod (which can be seen in the photo). The repair can be almost invisible if carried out very soon after the damage has occurred. On the right, damage to a Gibson Epiphone caused by standing up while having one foot firmly planted on the guitar lead. The jack socket was pulled out of the guitar and one of the knobs was damaged. Structural repair is straightforward, but cracks in the finish cannot be hidden.
Some Fender guitar players who play with a pick find the bridge sides make it difficult to play close to the rear pickup; on the treble side the bridge gets in the way. Removing a portion of the side is known by Fender afficianados as "clipping the bridge".
New instruments, such as this Martin D-28 and this Gibson J-45, can often benefit from adjustments to the nut, truss rod and bridge. The procedure is known as setting up a guitar. Electric guitars may need setting up if the sizes of the strings are changed.
A 1980 Charles Ford student lute damaged by a fall. The soundboard-body joint at the rear of the instrument became unattached. Some of the edging was loose and some was missing. I glued up everything that was loose and replaced the missing edging.
A 1972 lute with a soundboard damaged by a falling book. In centuries past the soundboard would have been saved, repaired and re-used. The soundboard of this lute was not a faithful copy of the old lutes so the owner chose to have a new soundboard with more traditional barring and bridge.
An Eko 12 string soundboard pierced by a stiletto heel. The owner wanted the soundboard replaced. Old Eko 12 string guitars play well in spite of their very heavy construction and plywood soundboard. Choosing a replacement wood for the top was not easy and I obtained advice from half a dozen instrument makers via the internet. Fine grained western red cedar was the choice and the guitar plays very well.
At the wedding reception, no one admitted to falling on the guitar. As it was in a soft case, none of the broken wood was lost. Some bars were loose inside and access to them was easy with 1/4 of the soundboard off. The guitar plays as well as it did before the accident.
A marital dispute and a harsh kick broke the neck of this lovely Suziki guitar. There is wood missing and a new neck is needed. However, this early Japenese steel string guitar has a plywood soundboard and no one was willing to pay for the repairs. |
