Today's Shop Thread...

[edwardofhuncote]

Thanks Gregory, so I understand. When you remove the strings and Bridge, the sound post 'should' remain in place by itself?

Sometimes they will, but ideally they are held in place by string tension, so once that tension is relieved, they tend to topple easily. Unless someone has glued them. (I've even found them nailed in...)

See where I wrote on the masking tape in red pen "SP"? That's a reference point for the approximate location of the soundpost, relative to where the treble foot of the bridge goes. When I'm fitting a bridge, I will usually put the soundpost close to where I think it should be... reason: when installed that moves the top outward in the smallest degree. Sometimes that little bit is enough to foul up the contact of foot to top though.

It's the definition of a fragile balance.

I'm getting ready to head back up there, hopefully figure out what is causing that rattle.

[edwardofhuncote]

A-ha! Um-hum... that'll rattle. 

Found a good, old-fashioned seam separation in the treble side lower bout. I kept tapping and listening, until finally, there it was. Worked the seam knife in, opened it up some more, and then worked some glue in. Clamped it up, and the rattle is gone.

Maybe, maybe, maybe, I got away with an easy one this time. I was dreading having to pull the top off to chase out a ghost. 

If it's good tomorrow, I have a prospective buyer coming by. (and a commi$$ion headed my way)   

[elwoodblue]

Nice work!
What's the reason for dating the bridge cut? Is it just a record keeping tradition?


Thanks for bring us into your shop (though it's a little tight    ).

[edwardofhuncote]

Nice work!
What's the reason for dating the bridge cut? Is it just a record keeping tradition?


Thanks for bring us into your shop (though it's a little tight    ).

Yep... just a tradition, but with a function. Bridges, -like soundposts, and even bass bars- actually need to be changed every so many years. Dating them helps keep track of when they were last swapped out... like that little static sticker they put on your windshield at the oil-change shop.    Every now and then, I'll find a really old one... the oldest one I can remember was dated Oct. 1922, and initialed Z.R. 

Yeah, my shop is in a mess right now... I'll probably do a clean-up day soon. Kinda' helps me triage what comes next when I move the pile around in there! 

[edwardofhuncote]

<sigh>

More little buzzes and rattles going on with this one folks. I think it's just not been under string tension for so long, and the years of hot/dry storage didn't help... might be a while before it settles down.  I was very much hoping to get this one out of the shop this week, but that's the way the mop flops sometimes.

More later...

[edwardofhuncote]

Just to finish out the thread, after repairing a couple more seam separations that popped open on this old bass, it finally held. The guy who was interested in it wound up buying it after I got all the little buzzes and rattles worked out, and I got to put a little bonus $ into the vintage Series I kitty. 

I was pleasantly surprised at the sound this one had too... keeping expectations realistic is often the key for a 100 year-old shop project, but this old bass sounded fantastic.

I didn't take time to document the 'speed-neck' treatment, as I really needed to move this one on, but I'll do that another time.