NOG: 1972 F-112 Oddities? Need Your Collective Wisdom!!

[Central Florida Folkie]

Good Morning, Friends:

I’ll do a thorough first impression post on this guitar later today after I get it home, restring it and put bone pins in it. But for now, I need some of your expert guidance and input on a couple of things:

1. With a straight edge, the neck runs nice and straight and the straight edge lands right at the top of the bridge (hooray!). However, around the 14th fret the neck starts to dip down into to the soundhole. You can see that clearly in the pics. Is this something to worry about? Not worry about? Get fixed?

2. Inside the body, all around, there are these strips. I’ve never seen these on a guitar before. Any idea what they are and what they’re for?

3. I already know the answer to this, but I thought I’d post the label anyway, since it indicates that this was a factory second way back when and has a “birthday stamp” on it which I don’t believe Guild did for a very long time, so I love that this one has it and lets me know that I had turned four years old eleven days prior to the completion of this guitar on 12/27/72.

I would love to know your thoughts on items 1 & 2, Community. I eagerly await your wisdom!

 

[SFIV1967]

2. Inside the body, all around, there are these strips. I’ve never seen these on a guitar before. Any idea what they are and what they’re for?

Those are cloth side reinforcements you frequently see in vintage but also new guitars. They are used to help keep sides from cracking, and for keeping cracks from spreading. You mostly see them on solid wood sides, laminated wood sides don't need them I'd say.

Other builders achieve the similar result by adding wooden strips inside:



He is a vintage Martin 0-17 as example:


Or a vintage Martin 000-18:


And a new built (in this case from Bruce Sexauer):


Ralf

 

[HeyMikey]

A little fretboard drop is normal. Check the total combined height of the bridge and saddle. It should be minimum of 3/8 or ideally 1/2. lower than 3/8 might suggest the bridge was sanded down. Check for a concave dip between the neck and bridge or bellying behind the bridge. I little is normal. If it seems excessive you may consider adding a Bridge doctor or having a luthier try another belly reduction technique.

 

[SFIV1967]

Check for a concave dip between the neck and bridge or bellying behind the bridge. I little is normal.

If you look at the picture in post 1 that soundboard looks nice and flat to me and the bridge is parallel. So all good. The lower bridge/saddle height might be from that time, wasn't there a time when they used thin bridges?

Ralf

 

[Westerly Wood]

that slight dip does not look remarkable to me at all. that looks pretty normal. and for a 1972, nice!

 

[geoguy]

Your test showing where the straightedge meets the bridge, should be performed with the strings at normal tension.

No strings present in that photo.

The fall off of the fretboard extension is not a problem, imo. If it bothers you, a repair person could insert a thin wooden shim under the extension to make the fall off less obvious.

 

[Central Florida Folkie]

Your test showing where the straightedge meets the bridge, should be performed with the strings at normal tension.

No strings present in that photo.

The fall off of the fretboard extension is not a problem, imo. If it bothers you, a repair person could insert a thin wooden shim under the extension to make the fall off less obvious.

Will post with strings later, but the test yesterday when strung garnered same results

 

[Central Florida Folkie]

Those are cloth side reinforcements you frequently see in vintage but also new guitars. They are used to help keep sides from cracking, and for keeping cracks from spreading. You mostly see them on solid wood sides, laminated wood sides don't need them I'd say.

Other builders achieve the similar result by adding wooden strips inside:



He is a vintage Martin 0-17 as example:


Or a vintage Martin 000-18:


And a new built (in this case from Bruce Sexauer):


Ralf

Thank you for that, Ralf!

 

[Wilmywood]

If you look at the picture in post 1 that soundboard looks nice and flat to me and the bridge is parallel. So all good. The lower bridge/saddle height might be from that time, wasn't there a time when they used thin bridges?

Ralf

My '72 G37 has an extremely thin bridge and very short saddle from the factory. I've had it since new.

 

[Central Florida Folkie]

My '72 G37 has an extremely thin bridge and very short saddle from the factory. I've had it since new.

Since new? That’s awesome. That looks to be almost identical to mine. I like the shape of your saddle…

 

[chazmo]

Small fall off not a problem. I wonder if the neck was reset in the past. What may become desirable is to get the fretboard planed and refretted down the road.

Anyway, I think you're gonna' be good, Shawn.

 

[Central Florida Folkie]

Small fall off not a problem. I wonder if the neck was reset in the past. What may become desirable is to get the fretboard planed and refretted down the road.

Anyway, I think you're gonna' be good, Shawn.

I was hoping so, Chazmo! I really love this little guy and was hoping it was another diamond in the rough like my D25M. I think it is. I‘m anxious to get home and string it up in a few hours and spend some time with it and then share a proper post of first impressions…good to hear from you, as always!

 

[chazmo]

... And what I meant to say is that you may need some nut and saddle work to get it into perfect playability now as-is, but that's just par for the course, Shawn. Best o' luck!

 

[Br1ck]

Any guitar should have some fallout from about that point on a fingerboard.

 

[adorshki]

If you look at the picture in post 1 that soundboard looks nice and flat to me and the bridge is parallel. So all good. The lower bridge/saddle height might be from that time, wasn't there a time when they used thin bridges?

Ralf

Yes, memory was that it was mid-late '70's but not "sure" on the time period, only that Hans did mention it once. Woopsy, just noticed Wilmywood's post #9 featuring a low "as built" bridge and saddle, so maybe it was early '70's.