JF30 top

[Steven Whitaker]

Does anyone know if the top of a JF30 is supposed to have a slight arch or am I looking at a problem in the making

 

[D30Man]

It is not to my knowledge. It is supposed to be a flat top.
Is it an overall arch on the top that bubbles out past the bridge or is it just limited to bellying directly beneath said bridge?
If bellying just beneath that means it has been over humidified. Now there will be a few suggestions on how to correct this. I have had a few tops belly on me a bit over the years. As long as the bridge stay glued to the top it should still be playable.

 

[Steven Whitaker]

I'm running out of room to lower the saddle, I have actually sanded the bridge about 1/8" and slotted the holes where the strings go through to give a better break angle but still to my taste still on the high side and seems like to much tension. I use 11s so I'm not using heavy strings

 

[wileypickett]

Sounds like you’re in neck reset territory to me.

 

[Steven Whitaker]

I guess it might be time to find a professional to look at it

 

[D30Man]

I think a set of expert eyes is key here.

 

[adorshki]

Does anyone know if the top of a JF30 is supposed to have a slight arch or am I looking at a problem in the making

All "flat-tops" have a slight arch to 'em, it's called the top radius. (So do "flat" backs, or that matter) It helps the top resist the compressing tension of the strings.



Top radius is defined in exactly the same way, the longer the radius, the "flatter" the top./back.

It's also very common to see a slight "lifting" just behind the bridge extending into the lower bout top. When it's accompanied by a corresponding dip in the top between the bridge and sound hole it's called "bellying".

Bellying can lead to increased action height and make lowering the saddle problematic but it's a different problem than a bad neck angle.

The truly correct way to check neck angle is an alignment check:
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/NeckAngle/neckangle.html

 

[Steven Whitaker]

Thanks for the info, very helpful!

 

[Cougar]

All "flat-tops" have a slight arch to 'em.... It helps the top resist the compressing tension of the strings....

Correct! That (very) slight arch should be uniform throughout the top. The rest of adorshki's post is also correct, so watch out for that!

 

[adorshki]

Thanks for the info, very helpful!

You're welcome!

I should also point out that top radius affects the guitar's voice, in fact it's probably its primary purpose. It makes the top resonate more fully, much the same way cymbals and gongs sound louder and fuller when they're bowl shaped, compared to a simple flat disk.

Also, JF30 tops are always very fine, at least AA with great silking, but even Guild's AA was very very good indeed thanks to a guy named Willie:

But the real secret sauce was their bracing, they really got it right and adjusted it as build styles changed from light to heavy and back again, but it was hardly ever mentioned in catalogs or lit.

Here're a couple of good ones, courtesy of our forum host GAD, here https://www.gad.net/Blog/guild-guitar-catalogs/ :

They were designed for D'Addario EJ-16 strings (pb light) except Guild used a set with an .025 G which D'A still offers as a single.
And yeah you should have it assessed just for peace of mind if nothing else. We can only offer advice based on previous owner reports from here, not like actually having the piece in hand.

 

[D30Man]

Everything you're describing sounds like it is a problem beyond the standard amount of arch you would expect to see in a top or back, but hopefully it is minimal. I can tell you that nothing will help like some photos. Otherwise, we can take the art of speculation to a new level. Although cross-referencing all that Al has shared here, which is just valuable info to have, with what you are seeing with the guitar should give you a pretty good idea.