Repair of my #6 guitar
The owner of my sixth guitar, my best friend Ken H, passed away a couple of years ago. The guitar had been previously damaged in a fall. At the time I thought that it would be easier to build a new guitar rather than try to repair the extensive damage. Another friend of mine and friend of Ken, Dan, brought the guitar back to me and told me that his daughter Abby was interested in it. After spending some time evaluating the damage I have decided that a repair should be attempted for Dan's daughter and as a remembrance of Ken.
Soon after I finished #6, Dan brought Jim Morris over to play it.
The fall cracked both sides and the top and back. I decided to replace the sides.
After cutting through the sides and looking the top and back over, I decided I could use the top but would have to replace the back. The back had a couple of bad cracks near the bindings at the lower bout plus some water damage near the bottom. The water damage is a result of a humidifier tube leaking.
New curly Maple sides ready for bending
Both sides bent and in the form along with heel and tail blocks
Kerfed lining installation
Back reinforcing strip
Back braces
Carving back braces
Mating new back and sides
Back trimmed and ready for sound board
Top glued to sides
Original sound board looking a little beat up with some cracks and missing purfling. I plan to install new bindings and new top purfling, which should clean up the looks of the top. Still will have some crack repair evident and some wood color variance, but will have the original top.
New bindings
New bindings and decorative purfling
Initial test of neck/body settings
The finish has been applied, sanded and buffed. The neck has been reattached to body
Wear marks on the fret board have been sanded out (before on the right, after on the left). The frets have been leveled, crowned and polished.
Finish being removed from the bridge gluing area.
Bridge area scraped & sanded
Bridge re-glued
Bridge pins fit and ready for strings
Tuning machines re-fit
