i ripped my bridge out

[Elton]

i was playing my acoustic and i looked at the bridge and freaked out. the bridge looked like it was gonna fling out. i remembered everytime i tuned the guitar i would hear a snapping sound. but i ignored it.

is there anyway of fixing this or is it trash? i dont care much if i cant fix it, it was 100 dollars in korea.

[Devon Headen]

You can fix it, but if it's a 100 dollar guitar, I wouldn't go through the trouble. To me it's not really worth it.

[jbkim]

If you decide to get rid of it, I'll take it... I'll give it a nice Korean home .

[Elton]

haha i dont know shipping might be alot, a small trade would be cool.

also, when i ripped the bridge out i realized that when i was tuning my firends guitar it made that same cracking sound. could his bridge possibly be coming off too? how do u stop this? am i tuning it in a wrong way or are the guitars poor quality?

[erikbojerik]

Are you tuning to proper pitch? Or just what sounds good?

[Elton]

Proper pitch always

[Boggs]

Actually, if it is a "cheap" guitar, it would be a perfect vehicle to learn how to do some of these repairs and setups yourself! Let your misfortune become an opportunity. There are a lot of good folks here who can talk you through some of the steps and there are other sites like www.frets.com which can give you ideas and help build your confidence in fixing this instrument. Boggs

[Devon Headen]

That's true Boggs. If you need/want the experience, this is a good time to get it.

[Southpa]

is there anyway of fixing this or is it trash?

Here are a couple sites showing some methods. You might not want to buy some of the specialized equipment like the extra long C-clamps so you will have to figure out some alternate clamping methods.

http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/Repairs3.htm

http://www.intownguitarrepair.com/bridge.html

I've done quite a few of these myself with minimal specialized tools. You should first find out why your bridge popped off so it won't happen again. In a lot of cases bridge failure is a result of something happening inside the guitar which caused the bridge angle to change. When the bridge is no longer level the string tension can have disastrous effects. Check the top of the guitar before the bridge for any warping. Feel around inside for any cracked/loose bracing pieces and bridge plate. Those issues have to be addressed before just gluing your bridge back on.

Working through a sound hole can be real tricky and sometimes frustrating when administering glue and clamping. I use yellow carpenter's glue (water washable) for fixing bracing. If I find a piece of bracing that has separated from the top or is cracked I gently pry it away from the adjoining piece (1/16" to 1/8") and inject glue along the seam with a small syringe (minus the needle). If you hold the guitar just right gravity will take over and some glue will flow onto the mating surfaces. Use your finger to press glue in as well.

A small dentist's mirror is helpful to see what you are doing, otherwise you have to do it by feel. Any form of long jawed clamp is useful, even if it doesn't quite reach the piece you are clamping. You can always add a piece of wood prior to tightening to act as an extension of the clamp inside the guitar. Inserting just the right sized block under the brace also works. On the top side I will lay a piece of wood that spans the width of the guitar so the clamp face does not mar the finish and to get even distribution of force.

If you do find bracing failure then glue and clamp them one by one. Check the top of the guitar for evenness with a straight edge. Also check your bridge for any warping or cracking. It might be reusable, otherwise they are fairly cheap to replace. The rest of it is pretty much described in the websites I provided. Just take your time and think it out. There are lots of other places that show how to do this repair, find them and . I've never met an acoustic that I couldn't put back into playing form. Its always good practice.

[Elton]

yeah it seems like a better idea to just fix it...but i didnt think and i just ripped it out like theres a patch of wood on the bridge and a patch of wood gone from the guitar. it chipped everywhere.

[Boggs]

Elton, check out this link. I had some tear-out when I pulled off my neck under the fingerboard where it is glued to the body. You will see what we did to repair it. If you have questions, feel free to ask away! You would want to have a couple of very sharp chisels and a plane (also very sharp) in your tool arsenal. Boggs