RonMay Posted August 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 @ScottR. I think you're right. My bad. Thank you @curtisa . Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 1 hour ago, RonMay said: I'm not sure what you mean by "burnish". Rubbing the tape to the surface with a solid thing like the bottom of the glue bottle, or the back of your fingernail. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 4 hours ago, RonMay said: @ScottR. I think you're right. My bad. Thank you @curtisa . Ummm...I hadn't actually moved it until just now, soooooo the future me says, 'you're welcome' to the past you...? And I think @ScottR missed a trick there - a perfect opportunity to steal my thunder and take the brownie points Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 @curtisa the current me thanks the once future you, which is now the past you................ *didn't even go 88 mph, eat your heart out Marty* Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 17 minutes ago, curtisa said: Ummm...I hadn't actually moved it until just now, soooooo the future me says, 'you're welcome' to the past you...? And I think @ScottR missed a trick there - a perfect opportunity to steal my thunder and take the brownie points With you on the other side of the date line, I never know for sure whether you're living my tomorrow or your yesterday or just next Thursday. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 Finding the saddle distance would be easy using this method. PLace the guitar in the boxed area. This will be where you mount strings as in an archtop type string trapeze.. put the saddle/ nut under these and slide to the appropriate area for intonation. mark this location. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 @MiKro , that would be awesome if I had a arch top guitar. I think I'll measure from the end of the fret board to where it is now and keep that reference for a new one. It has a pass through bridge but I'm thinking of using a pined bridge in stead, for no real reason but that I like the look of a pinned bridge vs. a pass through. I would have to drill some pin holes through the sound board and bridge support. Which I'm not crazy about doing. Thanks for the diagram and the explanation. I appreciate it. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted August 17, 2020 Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 4 minutes ago, RonMay said: @MiKro , that would be awesome if I had a arch top guitar. I think I'll measure from the end of the fret board to where it is now and keep that reference for a new one. It has a pass through bridge but I'm thinking of using a pined bridge in stead, for no real reason but that I like the look of a pinned bridge vs. a pass through. I would have to drill some pin holes through the sound board and bridge support. Which I'm not crazy about doing. Thanks for the diagram and the explanation. I appreciate it. Ron This works on standard tops for locating the bridge and saddle on an acoustic. The idea is based on an archtop trapeze to hold the string ends and tighten them. The guitar sits in the box so the end cap is stopped against the box end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2020 @MiKro , thanks for the further explanation. Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted August 18, 2020 Report Share Posted August 18, 2020 From the Jerry Rosa cookbook, a simplified idea of the box using only two strings. The "trapeze" can be wound from a wire clothes hanger. @MiKro,sorry for stealing your illustration. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2020 @MiKro , thanks for that Idea. I have watched dozens of RSW videos and he is one who definitely knows how to problem solve with simple, but very effective and innovative methodology. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 Today I'm still working on cleaning the sound board binding. It's pretty slow going but progress is being made. Ron 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 This is coming along very nicely. It looks so different to where you started from 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 @Andyjr1515 , thanks. I have never done this before but I'm learning by mistakes and by listening to you guys who have been there done that... have the T-shirt. Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 I ordered a slotted straight edge which is used to show if the fret board is straight or bowed one way or the other. It has slots cut into it that the fret sits under it so the edge can sit flat and be able to gauge the flatness of the board and not the frets. I ordered it and it said on the sight that it worked well with Fender and Martin brand guitars. I had no idea that all fret boards and the distance between frets were different. I thought they were pretty standard so everyone could play with out difficulty. I was wrong. So, as it was it was useless to me. I had to make it work. Using a bastard file I filed the places where the slots didn't line up with the frets. It's not pretty or pristine anymore but it is very functional. Function over form. You can see the slots I filed so that it would conform to my frets. I now have a "custom" fret board straight edge. It works and I discovered that as it is, the fret board has a slight forward bow to it, which, as every one here knows, can be easily fixed by adjusting the truss rod inside the neck. But that comes much later. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 I'm also humidifying the guitar. I'm using a sandwich bag with slits cut into it and a wash rag which I dampen. I put a plastic sheet inside the sound hole and then the slit bag on top. I close the sound hole off with a cut down cottage cheese container to help keep the moisture in. It's already helping a lot. What was a "Cyclone" roller coaster profile is now a toddler's kiddy coaster on the back. I also took off the pick guard and you can see sort of what the guitar originally looked like pertaining to color. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 3 hours ago, RonMay said: I ordered it and it said on the sight that it worked well with Fender and Martin brand guitars. It looks surprisingly similar to what I ordered from China. Mine was supposed to work with Fender and Gibson but at first neither didn't seem to fit. The trick was to start at the SECOND fret! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 (edited) @Bizman62, I'll give that a try. It came from Amazon, so there's about a 99.999% chance it came from China too. I just checked it out and you're absolutely right. Starting at the second fret it works like it should. This would have been good to know this morning before a couple of hours of filing. Fortunately the side I filed was not the side that works on the 2nd fret. Ron Edited August 21, 2020 by RonMay add more information Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 3 hours ago, RonMay said: I discovered that as it is, the fret board has a slight forward bow to it This is not necessarily a bad thing depending on the degree. That slight bow is also called neck relief and is used to help get a low action. If when you are done and the action is nice, don't bother straightening the neck. If the action is a bit high, and you don't want to mess with slots and saddles of the nut and bridge, then straighten the neck slightly and it will bring the strings a bit closer to the frets. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 Thank you @ScottR . I'm just guessing but the bow might change once it has strings on it and tuned. I'm a long way from that though. Thanks again. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 9 minutes ago, RonMay said: I'm just guessing but the bow might change once it has strings on it and tuned. Most likely. You are correct in that setting the action is one of the last things you do. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2020 Things are progressing fairly well with the cleaning of the sound board binding. I'm abou5t 3/4 the way around. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMay Posted August 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2020 I decided to take a good look at the bridge and it's relationship with the neck. I saw several Rosa String Works videos where he checks the height of the bridge and the neck. He laid a straight edge on the neck on top of the frets and looked at where on the height of the bridge / saddle came in relation to where it should be. He demonstrated how the bottom of the straight edge should be right at the top of the saddle or as close to it as possible either high or low. I did the same thing and i may have a major problem. The end of the straight edge ends up, as close as I can tell, about 1/8" below the top of the saddle. Obviously a new bridge is needed but is this discrepancy going to be a problem? It's a pass through bridge with the strings going through the bridge in stead of pin holes and pins. This bridge is also machine screw fastened to the bridge support and held down with square nuts on the inside. There are many variables involved but it looks like a very thin or shallow bridge is needed in order to get the strings down to playable action. Or is this not the case. I would like to go to a pinned style bridge, but that would mean drilling holes for the pins and a bridge of that type may not have enough length to cover up the bridge "bolt" holes. Is the bridge and neck angle problem going to be fixable? Or is it a case of " it is what it is" ? It looks like a very serious problem. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted August 25, 2020 Report Share Posted August 25, 2020 The problem isn't that bad as the bridge is "too" high. It only means the action will also be high which is much easier to fix than a rattling low action. Based on the images it looks to be pretty much right - remember there has to be a gap between the frets and the strings! If you want further proof, lay a piece of cardboard or veneer the thickness of your preferred action on the frets and do the ruler trick again. Getting a mirror or even better an endoscope camera inside the guitar would tell if there's space enough for a strengthening pad for a pinned style bridge. If the bracing is right down there a remake of the current one is about the only option. If you watch enough of Jerry Rosa videos, you'll notice that he most often opts the bolts out and relies on a good glue join. Then again, they're decorative and part of the history. Anyhow, getting a view from the inside is what you'd now need. Even a smart phone camera can reveal the secrets there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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