TomasLD Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 Hi all, A newby guitar player here A friend of mine was clearing his attic and he was about to throw an old acoustic guitar. I decided to do some minor fixes and start to learn how to play. I noticed that the bridge is loose and I think it needs replacement. Do yout hink it is worth to try to fix / glue the old bridge to the body or buy a new bridge? I came across this guide on how to replace the bridge - https://riff-mag.com/how-to-replace-an-acoustic-guitar-bridge/ but since I am quite new in this I was wondering if the information is correct and if it is worth to tray repair or replace it at all? What do you think? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Gregy Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 3 hours ago, TomasLD said: Hi all, A newby guitar player here A friend of mine was clearing his attic and he was about to throw an old acoustic guitar. I decided to do some minor fixes and start to learn how to play. I noticed that the bridge is loose and I think it needs replacement. Do yout hink it is worth to try to fix / glue the old bridge to the body or buy a new bridge? I came across this guide on how to replace the bridge - https://riff-mag.com/how-to-replace-an-acoustic-guitar-bridge/ but since I am quite new in this I was wondering if the information is correct and if it is worth to tray repair or replace it at all? What do you think? Thanks! While the title of this forum is "Instruments and Effects", they're referring to software instruments and effects. Your best bet is to find a guitar makers forum and ask there. But, there are also a lot of guitarists here and you may hear from one of them. There is currently a guitar-building thread in the Coffee House forum here; maybe jump in over there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettelus Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 (edited) 13 hours ago, TomasLD said: Do you think it is worth to try to fix / glue the old bridge to the body or buy a new bridge? I assume you are referring to the wood part of the bridge and not the plastic insert (saddle) here. Depending how loose it is, the simplest repair is to remove the strings and clamp the bridge to the body while using a very thin superglue so that it wicks into the crack. StewMac sells a superglue that is like water (the "10" on this page) that wicks into cracks easily. If the bridge is loose enough you can almost take it off. You can remove it (would probably tap free), but I would also use that same bridge to repair. Reason being is that any wood that is torn loose would make the repair mate back perfectly without any gaps. For that, a thinker super glue or quality wood glue would work. In either case you would want a clamp to hold it till cured, use something between the clamp and guitar to protect the finish, and wipe off any excess before it dries (why wood glue is preferred if you take the bridge off). If you mean the plastic insert (saddle) on the bridge, those are typically loose and sometimes buzz. A quick fix for that situation is to insert a business card in the gap and trim it flush with a razor blade. Edited March 25, 2023 by mettelus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vere Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 (edited) When I had my shop it was common to get cheap guitars that the bridge has become unglued from the top. This often appears at the back as a fine line. If it is more than that and the top itself is bulging then the best fix is to install a tailpiece. A tailpiece will transfer the tension to the end of the guitar and remove the issue that was creating the bulge which is normally due to pour construction or inside bracing being damaged. Even if you re glue the bridge the top will still be bulging. There is the uncommon case where pour quality glue was used on the bridge and the top is not bulging. But to fix that you need a very deep C clamp. Tailpieces are inexpensive and easy to install. Here one I would use for $14.00 https://www.solomusicgear.com/product/solo-pro-nickel-guitar-tailpiece/ Word of advice. Best to learn guitar using a good quality instrument otherwise you will think you suck when it’s actually the instrument that sucks. Electric guitars tend to be better for starting out. They have narrow necks and low action. And they are quiet. Edited March 25, 2023 by John Vere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomasLD Posted March 29, 2023 Author Share Posted March 29, 2023 Thank you everyone, feedback appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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