nomusicnolife555 Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 hey all im new to the acoustic scene, so watch out.... I have an old 70's epiphone FT-140 that i have loved dearly for a loooooong time. The problem is, its startin to fall apart on me and i need some advice: 1) I think i need a new bridge because everytime i strum a chord, it makes a small rattle sound and it will not go away. it sounds like it could be coming from the bridge, but then again, what the hell do i know? so if i need a new bridge, what would be your suggestion(s)? 2) I like to play coustics with electric strings because i can fret them better. but i just put a new set on and the entire guitar goes out of tune after one song. it never did that to me before and i think it might be the tuners, but again, im not sure. If i need new ones, what kind?? Im pretty sure thats all thats going wrong with it, but if i come across another problem, ill be sure to let yall know! cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Get an inspection mirror and look at the underneath-side of the bridge. I believe you will find both problems. The buzz/rattle could be loose fasteners or cracked bridging. The tuning problems are probly the string ends pulling up into the pegholes. The ends need to be wedged against the front edge of the pegholes so they don't enter the hole itself. Worn or bent pegs can cause this and it will get worse as the holes wear. It's an accoustic thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Check out frets.com. They have a lot of info on repairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomusicnolife555 Posted January 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 hey guys thanks for the advice! but last night i found another problem... i was trying to make sure that the buzz was from the bridge, when i noticed one of the screws connected to the bridge was loose. so i tried tightening it and it just plain fell off. with half of the thread still in the hole. this means i have to find a new bridge right??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 no this means it's time to take it to a guitar tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 (edited) Time to hang this one up on the wall...plenty of guitars out there. Or you could build your own Edited January 16, 2005 by idch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Thats very likely where the original rattle was coming from. You don't need to find a new bridge, take it to a tech OR hang it on the wall. One of the bridge mount screws is broken off, you need to get the broken off threaded part out and replace the screw. Make sure you loosen all the strings to take tension off the bridge. Most of these acoustic bridge setups are machine screws (actually bolts) held on by nuts under the bridge plate. Reach inside the sound hole and locate the broken bolt w/ nut and pull it out. It might be a tight fit so a little persuasion from above will help. Then find a similar bolt that will fit the nut and reinstall. While you have your hand in there feel around for any loose bracing etc. components that might contribute to rattles and buzzing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomusicnolife555 Posted January 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 lol hey if i had the money to make or buy a new one, i would! but like many 15 year olds i am without a job and need an acoustic, so i think im just gonna replace some things and then go from there. o yeah! one more thing...some one told me that grover tuners are really nice, and they look okay to me. so my question is is there a certain kind of tuner for just an electric or one just for acoustic? and if you have any suggestions on which ones work well, do tell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 Tuners can fit on either electric or acoustic guitars. Grovers are a good choice, a little on the heavy side. Make sure the holes in the headstock are the right size, should be 25/64" dia. (1 cm) and you might have to add additional mounting screw holes. Did you get your bridge fixed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomusicnolife555 Posted January 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 ok cool. no the bridge isnt fixed yet im gunna bring it in to GC and have them just look all of it over to make sure nothing else is going to fall off :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomusicnolife555 Posted January 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 hey guys i just took off all the strings and that and i got a mirror and looked inside the guitar. all i can see is two threads with painfully small bolts connecting them to the top of the guitar. i cant tell if it holds down the bridge or what, but theres no way ill be able to unscrew both of them. what do i do?!?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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