Modification of a 70's Martin D-35. Removing the large rosewood bridgeplate and replacing it with a smaller maple one. This is part 2- install of new plate. Part 2 will be the new plate. Playlist: • Playlist
Bryan, thanks so much for posting your repair videos. I learn a lot from watching you work on these guitars. It's not that I ever would attempt to do such work myself but these videos give me a good understanding of what is involved, the procedure, and the tools required to do the work. I appreciate your skill and helping to improve and extend the lives of these older guitars.
Thank you Sir! I am currently rebuilding the bridge on an acoustic guitar that I built about 13 years ago now, and was deadlocked on my next few steps on this very task. You definitely saved me from making at least 5 mistakes within the first 5 minutes of this video. So thanks again
@1:00 For those of you who wonders why he doesn't scallop D-35's, there is a very good reason. I don't know about the newer D-35's, but the 70's D-35's have thinner braces than a D-28 does. You definitely don't want loose braces in a D-35. I had a 74 D-35 with 4 loose braces in the top & it's 1000 wonders the top didn't crack or worse. The top looked like an old 33 LP record that had been out in the sun too long. I got it fixed very quickly. The top was pretty well back to normal within a couple weeks, but unfortunately, it never sounded the same so I traded it a couple months later. Did anyone else notice only 1 finger brace on the treble side of the x? Another great video!!!!!!!
Thanks so much for this one as well!! How do you make a bridge plate templates? I use repair magnets with a piece of paper on the top and draw points and then use a straight edge to make the lines. I'm guessing you have a more accurate way?
Trial and error with a piece of stiff cardboard. Once you get a good for, say, 50's, 60's, 70's... you're pretty set. You can also light up the guitar in the dark and trace the braces with a wax pencil on the top and then make your template that way. That's how I did the "false top" on the blown up HD-28.
Thanks sir. Do you chisel the slot down the middle of the plate so you can just remove sections at a time better or does that transfer the heat better for removal?
Have you ever used a finger plane to scallop braces? I just bought one to practice using. I have a cheap fender acoustic I am going to scallop. Will be my first.
