Just got a F30, need bridge advice

Joined
Dec 10, 2019
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Location
New York, NY
Very excited to have acquired a 1975 F30. It plays and sounds great. The bridge has a crack and is starting to lift a bit, however. I've taken it to a luthier and he said that he could remove the bridge, clean it, and glue it back down. Since it has a crack, the crack is not on the pin holes, should I get a new/old replacement bridge, or should I just glue this one back down? If I wanted to get a replacement rosewood bridge, where / what part is it? It lools like the one on the G50 from what I can tell. Ok, thanks for any advice.
 

Brad Little

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
4,611
Reaction score
2,001
Location
Connecticut
I had a similar crack repaired in my F-50 about 20 years ago, looks fine, no problems since.
Brad
 

Cougar

Enlightened Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
5,323
Reaction score
3,016
Location
North Idaho
Guild Total
5
Very excited to have acquired a 1975 F30. It plays and sounds great.

Major congrats!

The bridge has a crack and is starting to lift a bit, however. I've taken it to a luthier and he said that he could remove the bridge, clean it, and glue it back down.

Starting to lift? Does it stay in tune? Did your luthier indicate that it really needed to be re-glued or replaced pronto, or whether it was currently stable and could be played as is for some time?

...should I get a new/old replacement bridge, or should I just glue this one back down?

I'd go for a replacement. No sense in regluing a bridge that's already cracked.

If I wanted to get a replacement rosewood bridge, where / what part is it?

Hopefully some other members here will have a good answer for this one.....
 

wileypickett

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
4,965
Reaction score
4,491
Location
Cambridge, MA
The potential problem with leaving a partially unglued bridge alone is that it may at some point pull off, and if and when it does it will almost certainly take part of the top with it, making it harder to repair invisibly.

Once your luthier has removed the bridge, he or she will be able to tell whether or not the crack in the bridge can be repaired before it is reglued to the top.

If it can be repaired, I’d opt for keeping the original bridge.
 

walrus

Reverential Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
23,957
Reaction score
8,020
Location
Massachusetts
I have no info on your question, but congratulations!

walrus
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Very excited to have acquired a 1975 F30. It plays and sounds great. The bridge has a crack and is starting to lift a bit, however. I've taken it to a luthier and he said that he could remove the bridge, clean it, and glue it back down. Since it has a crack, the crack is not on the pin holes, should I get a new/old replacement bridge, or should I just glue this one back down? If I wanted to get a replacement rosewood bridge, where / what part is it? It lools like the one on the G50 from what I can tell. Ok, thanks for any advice.
Welcome aboard CS!
I'd go for a replacement. No sense in regluing a bridge that's already cracked.
If I wanted to get a replacement rosewood bridge, where / what part is it? It lools like the one on the G50 from what I can tell. Ok, thanks for any advice
Hopefully some other members here will have a good answer for this one.....
And this is just one of the 2 reasons why I agree with Wiley about keeping the original: a crack ain't no big deal if it's not running through the pin holes, and replacement bridges for '70's era Guilds aren't in real plentiful supply if even to be found.
Do NOT try to use a bridge from one of the MIC models, the pin-to-pin distances aren't the same and Oxnard has already demonstrated a lack of familiarity with that fact.
If you wind up actually needing a replacement, best starting place is our own member Hans Moust, at:
http://www.guitarchives.nl/guitarsgalore/
Even if he doesn't have that specific year, he's the authoritative source for telling you what else might work or who may still have one.
There's also the likelihood the original bridge (and fretboard) is Brazilian Rosewood so that has its own intrinsic value and could also make replacement with a truly identical piece problematic.
Just stuff you need to know to make the best decision for yourself.
:friendly_wink:
 

Guildedagain

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
9,002
Reaction score
7,167
Location
The Evergreen State
I would do what your luthier said (unless you don't particularly trust him), pay him, and play it ;)

I can't speak for a '75 but I have a '71, so welcome to the club ;), and I have to say mine sounds pretty amazing, but it took me a whole year to discover just how much, or it improved along the way. It either turned into the guitar I wanted to hear, or I hear things in it I didn't at first.

It has a lot of volume for a small guitar, and a lot of bass. And the look of that mini jumbo, that's Raquel Welch made out of wood as far as I'm concerned.

You would know who that is depending on your age ;)
 

Nuuska

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
7,669
Reaction score
6,030
Location
Finland
Guild Total
9
........that mini jumbo, that's Raquel Welch made out of wood as far as I'm concerned.

You would know who that is depending on your age ;)



cschaub
user-offline.png
Welcome on board - this is The Place to be.

GUILDED here is giving a brilliant - and sooo pleasing example - that we have a habit - NO! NO! NO! it is actually RULE - to veer whenever possible. And if not possible, we still veer.


As of your Raquel - treat her good with loving hands.


Greetings from North
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
As of your Raquel - treat her good with loving hands.
"Don't fear the veer"-
Coastie99

To which I say:
The early bird gets the veer.
Go forth and veer.
Veer where no man has veered before.
My kingdom for a veer.
You can't teach an old dog new veers.
A veer in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.
"What, me veer?"
In veer, veritas.
You can put a square veer in a round hole.
:smile:
 

beecee

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2016
Messages
3,569
Reaction score
2,413
Hans has the proper bridges for that era F-30.

I just remembered, I need to order one from him!!!!!!!
 

jedzep

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
1,017
Reaction score
691
Location
Cooperstown
Guild sells the correct bridge too, in Indian RW, I believe, but repaired bridges by qualified luthiers often last a lifetime and don't show as repaired. As was mentioned, you'll never find another in Braz RW correct for the year, so let him work his magic on the original.

The ones sold by Guild are for modern age acoustics, but the specs might be the same as you would need, so you'll have to do homework if you buy from them.
 
Last edited:

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,472
Reaction score
7,131
Location
Central Massachusetts
Well, I'm sure you could use the axe like that, but that's a big crack although it's only on the one side. I think if you filled it with rosewood shavings and glue it might look OK. I don't think I'd replace the bridge unless it's completely separated from the soundboard (just my opinion). Sand down the repaired area afterwards and then apply bore oil (or linseed, whatever) to make it all blend. I don't know, just thinking out loud.
 
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Messages
118
Reaction score
37
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Guild Total
4
Looks like another crack behind the bridge ahead of the 5th and 6th string pins. It looks to be getting into the notch in the pin hole where the string comes through and might be growing down through the 3rd and 4th strings too.
 

Guildedagain

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
9,002
Reaction score
7,167
Location
The Evergreen State
Come on baby, don't fear the veerer
Baby take my hand, don't fear the veerer
We'll be able to fly, don't fear the veerer
Baby I'm your man
 

swiveltung

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
425
Reaction score
79
Location
Pac NW

Well, if that's post repair I would say you need another luthier. I think repairing, gluing the crack then reinstalling it properly would have been the way to go if possible. But he left the wide crack in it. For that maybe a replacement is the way to go, there seem to be two cracks and possible glue in the big crack making it so you cant draw it together. With a big enough replacement one could match that shape.
 
Last edited:

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Well, if that's post repair I would say you need another luthier. I think repairing, gluing the crack then reinstalling it properly would have been the way to go if possible. But he left the wide crack in it. For that maybe a replacement is the way to go, there seem to be two cracks and possible glue in the big crack making it so you cant draw it together. With a big enough replacement one could match that shape.

OK, now I can see the pic.
Didn't know the crack was along the line of the saddle slot.
In my opinion that requires replacement, I would never trust a repair to last at that location, because the sides of the slot are under constant stress from the tension of the strings pulling the saddle forward.
The saddle's acting like a crowbar forcing the slot wider.
Probably what caused the crack in the first place.
Follow my and Beecee's advice and contact Hans Moust for guaranteed correct bridge even if you have to go to EIR.
He may also know how to get a Brazilian bridge mailed internationally without excessive paperwork if he has one and it's correct.
:friendly_wink:
 
Top