The Scroll Shop (Ed of H's Shop Thread)

[edwardofhuncote]

My bass customer was really happy with the new nut and the fix on the missing chunk. Got paid, got a little tip, and got a referral.

This Taylor guitar has had me a little bit spooked. The crack in the back had just opened up between two back braces... no impact damage or anything, just a split, and the glue joint to the braces seems to have arrested it. I decided to do nothing but humidify for a couple days, and as of this morning it has swelled enough that I can close it up by pressing. I may let it sit another day or two saran-wrapped up with my 'magic' humidi-box inside, then glue it. Not going to mess with the finish - this model has a satin finish on the back and sides, and no telling what they use for finishing. I bet anything it ain't nitrocellulose. If I'm right, and carefully execute, it will be a very tight repair anyway, you won't even feel it.

I just can't get past the fact that it was cracked at all... and I don't have a lot of confidence that once it returns to normal conditions, that crack won't open again. All I can do is close it, cleat it, and hope the extra bond holds the fibers together. I pre-made three of them from some mahogany... will space these about an inch apart along the crack inside the body, right between the braces.

This one is stressful. How do you upcharge for that? 😄

[David Houck]

...
I just can't get past the fact that it was cracked at all... and I don't have a lot of confidence that once it returns to normal conditions, that crack won't open again ...

This being a warranty repair, and this being a Taylor, should the customer be satisfied with this outcome?  Not being critical of you, just wondering why Fret Mill didn't send it back to Taylor.  It sounds to me that you're thinking the back is defective and should be replaced (if that's even a possibility; I obviously know nothing of this craft).

[KR]

Greg, great repair skills.

[edwardofhuncote]

I think what will happen is, Dave, upon a satisfactory repair, (as in the guitar's owner is happy with it) Fret Mill will simply bill Taylor for my labor. I suppose that was preferable to a complete replacement or shipping it cross-country. Store owner has a long-standing relationship with them, been a dealer for them as long as he has been in business, so it was a phone call they could make. Good when they can keep it that way. I think if it opens up again, it will have to go back, as I will have done everything possible from here.

I don't like disappointing anyone, so it's really on my mind that it needs to go right. And I just figured out; I know whose guitar this is... of course with the music scene being what it is around here, the chances were that I wouldn't be more than a degree or two separated anyway... I played bass in a Christmas program with this young lady several times.

[David Houck]

I think what will happen is, Dave, upon a satisfactory repair, (as in the guitar's owner is happy with it) Fret Mill will simply bill Taylor for my labor. I suppose that was preferable to a complete replacement or shipping it cross-country. Store owner has a long-standing relationship with them, been a dealer for them as long as he has been in business, so it was a phone call they could make. Good when they can keep it that way. I think if it opens up again, it will have to go back, as I will have done everything possible from here.

I don't like disappointing anyone, so it's really on my mind that it needs to go right. And I just figured out; I know whose guitar this is... of course with the music scene being what it is around here, the chances were that I wouldn't be more than a degree or two separated anyway... I played bass in a Christmas program with this young lady several times.

Ah; sounds good!

[edwardofhuncote]

There ought to be a punch line in this one...

My project for today; repair and touch-up a bullet hole, in a banjo. Some goofball my Ol' Man knows, brought him an Earl Scruggs Signature Gibson, (a very nice banjo) needed some setup, a new fifth-string nut, and... fix a .22 caliber puncture wound through the resonator. Once again, don't ask too many questions. 🤫

I've already fixed it, and working on the 'hide' job now.  Didn't overthink this one, just made a simple cork-lined caul to fit against the resonator wall and back, squeezed glue in, and compressed the snot out of it with a cam clamp. I've filled the void with some fine wood dust and epoxy. After it's set, will flush it up and touch it up. Luckily the scar is in the darkest part of the tobacco-burst. You'd have to know where to look to even see the repair on the inside. The outside will require some patience.


PS- that Taylor guitar fix went so slick that I will probably be picking up some more of those jobs. That thing sealed up so tight it was all but invisible. I had to show it to them at the store. Of course you can see the cleats. Only one billable hour, but I got some cred.

[edwardofhuncote]

This banjo has not had an easy life. But for sure it has been played, and loved a lot. I've very seldom seen one with this much playing wear in just 25 years. I can't remember fixing a bullet hole either, but I may have. I fixed a hatchet chop in a '55 Martin D-18 once, right between the 8th and 9th frets. I think the lady meant to render it unplayable. Or maybe it was a prank gone wrong. I was too 'fraid to ask.

Anyway, this one went back home yesterday afternoon. You can still see it if you know where to look. But check out that hardware tarnish and play wear at the first position. Earl Scruggs would be proud to know his namesake banjo was played so much.

I'm working on a pair of tenor banjos for the local VA hospital's recreation program today. I'm conflicted on this. They are relatively easy, small jobs... I usually donate my time/labor for the VA, but in this case I am actually working for someone else on behalf of the VA.

Maybe I should just take a day off and think about it?

[kilowatt]

I'm glad that you have been able to work in your shop, and get in some stage time, during your recovery. I enjoy doing various repair/rebuild projects, and find it rewarding, though rarely monetarily! If the work is enjoyable, and it's for the VA, I would do the repairs, and take whatever they offer for it. Your call, but it's obvious how much this work moves you. I can't help but think it's helping in your rehabilitation.

Regards,
Pete

[edwardofhuncote]

That's a pretty good point, Pete. And it would be easy to just turn in a ticket for half what I actually do, and call it fair 'nuff.

The VA's Recreation Dept. operates without a budget, so anything and everything they do for the folks in there is by donation, from the instruments they have, to the upkeep of them, to bringing in folks to play. A couple-three months ago, they sent me a pre-WW2 Gibson RB-00 banjo, (something a collector would give both eyeteeth for) with instructions that if it could not be repaired that they had to give it to a charity, such as Goodwill. It would have been so easy for anyone to swindle these people if I didn't take that job, that I had to. It was a matter of some fasteners from the hardware store, a new head, a new set of tuning pegs, and a few hours work. They bought the parts and I donated my time. A little while later, I got a card in the mail; they had a Gulf War vet in there, lost his legs to a roadside bomb, been 20 years in a wheelchair and no banjo. He's got a pre-war Gibson to play now, every banjo-picker's dream. And all I had to do was work on it. Which is kind of every banjo-tinkerer's dream.

*that post begins back at the bottom of page 28...

These two on my bench now are not anything like that one was, but they still might bring someone some happiness. I'll think of something. Usually these things come back around somehow.

[cozmik_cowboy]

This banjo has not had an easy life. But for sure it has been played, and loved a lot. I've very seldom seen one with this much playing wear in just 25 years. I can't remember fixing a bullet hole either, but I may have. I fixed a hatchet chop in a '55 Martin D-18 once, right between the 8th and 9th frets. I think the lady meant to render it unplayable. Or maybe it was a prank gone wrong. I was too 'fraid to ask.

Anyway, this one went back home yesterday afternoon. You can still see it if you know where to look. But check out that hardware tarnish and play wear at the first position. Earl Scruggs would be proud to know his namesake banjo was played so much.

I'm working on a pair of tenor banjos for the local VA hospital's recreation program today. I'm conflicted on this. They are relatively easy, small jobs... I usually donate my time/labor for the VA, but in this case I am actually working for someone else on behalf of the VA.

Maybe I should just take a day off and think about it?

The position of that neck wear makes me wonder if this one is mine.....

Peter (who could just as easily be "Cozmik Cowboy Chords".........)

[David Houck]

Nice job on the bullet hole!

[edwardofhuncote]

A pair of Kay 'US Patriot' tenor banjos, ready for return to the VA hospital Recreation Dept. These weren't terribly expensive instruments, but serviceable. Each got a cleaning, a neck angle adjustment, head tightening, and a restringing. One had two stripped tuning machines; I replaced all four with some from my junk parts stash that matched. The other one had a couple pieces of loose binding that had to be reglued... easy stuff to fix.


I love the old-timey stencils on these cases! Nobody goes to that trouble anymore, they just print a label. Y'all didn't know Uncle Sam had a banjo collection, huh? 😄

[edwardofhuncote]

Finished up an older Epiphone 12-string, and got it ready to go back. I'm not sure on the year, but I'll guess early/mid 1970's... it's a Made in Japan label, while Gibson was still under Norlin. It is a very overbuilt but still nice guitar. The neck joint is hilarious. When I think about all the tragically collapsed traditional dovetail joints, and this one has about a 5lb block of mahogany with 4 long bolts running all the way through from the back (under that plastic coverplate) holding the neck in a pocket, Fender-style. It may be inelegant, but it's worked perfectly for 50 years.

Oh yeah, what did I do...? Those crazy adjustable bridges Gibson liked so well. The Japanese iteration of it was not standard threads. And this one was missing an adjuster. I had some, from a Gibson J-50, but of course they wouldn't work. My Ol' Man had some taps and dies, so we re-threaded them! After that, just some fretwork and setup, a clean up, and a restringing. As far as 12-strings go, this one is mighty fine. Note the zero-fret. Extra credit there.

I've got a scary one coming up. 2003 Martin, HD-28V... an older vintage series. These had a long bridge saddle, deeply routed out into the bridge wings. This one has cracked, and the front of the bridge is breaking off, the saddle acting like a lever. I'd far rather replace it. Trouble is, This bridge isn't one Martin currently uses, and they don't have any. It will be a good long while before they make a batch run of replacement parts. Fret Mill Music is a Martin Dealer, and my customer bought his guitar new, so technically this would be a covered warranty repair, . Realistically, he just wants it fixed, and not be without his guitar for that long. I think I can turn this one around pretty quick.

I have consulted a couple folks about how to fix this one... working on a plan. I've fixed cracked bridges before, but this one is ugly!

[peoplechipper]

If I was fixing that bridge, I would fix the cracking, cut down the saddle ends and put some wood in so the saddle doesn't go into the wings; seems it'd be stronger that way...and just having the saddle be that tall seems to court trouble...Tony.

[cozmik_cowboy]

Given your skill set, greg, wouldn't it be easier to just carve a new bridge rather than try to fix the split one?
Just wondering.

Peter