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I've started work on a 1962 Martin 00-21. This girl was sent to me for evaluation. She's actually in good shape, but there are issues that need to be addressed:

1. Long crack in the BRW, left side, lower bout.
2. 3 cracks in the top, lower bout, left side
3. Neck Reset.
4. Binding reglue.

This lady has all original finish, which I want to protect as much as possible. I really need to make an insulated guitar blanket to throw over the guitars as I steam the neck. This piece of 1/8" dense, yet flexible foam did the job for today.

First I loosened the fretboard with a heating blanket, then I steamed the neck pocket. The neck came off easily.

Then I addresses the cracks. The crack in the side appeared to have already been glued, but without further stability, the crack continued toward the tail. It's 10" long. I evened up the wood and used ca glue on the crack. I made 5 thin struts out of scrap BTW, which I installed evenly along the crack, starting at each end of the crack. That should arrest further cracking in perpetuity.

I had 3 top cracks to deal with. I installed cleats along the cracks, to arrest further problems.

Tomorrow, I'll clean up the finish, fix a small area where the binding has detached, and reset the neck.

Nice guitar and repair. Do you photograph the top bracing in these old guitars you've worked on?

I've not photographed inside the box. I'll have to give it a try. I think I'll try lighting the top from inside, to trace.

I reset the neck today, using hide glue She's almost finished. I repaired the cracks to her top and side and I've cleaned her up. All of her original finish is intact.

I put my hand in the soundhole and she bit me. I found a crack in the soundhole. I've made a brace similar to what you see in classical guitars. I'll install it tomorrow, after I remove the clamps from her neck.

I still need to reglue a small area of binding, along the back lower right bout. With a new nut, saddle, and pins, she'll be complete.

I unclamped the neck. The reset looks great, so i addressed a couple of other problems.

About 2 inches of the binding and back came loose in one area of the bottom, so I closed it using hide glue. I also had to fill the holes I made for the steam needle, then recut the fret slot, to fret it. This guitar is compression fretted. The neck relief looks spot on for it being unstrung, so I measured the tang and installed a fretwire with roughly the same size tang.

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I still need to install the soundhole reinforcement, and the new bone nut, saddle, and bridge pins.

Just when I thought it was safe to string her up and give her a try....

She sounded great; she has a long sustain and she resonates. However, I just couldn't correct the intonation. My motto has always been, "never assume anything is correct, even if it comes from the factory." I decided to measure the bridge position, and sure enough, it was completely wrong. Someone moved the bridge back, a bit more than 1/8". The same genius that did this, drilled new holes to accommodate the pins, but they never plugged the old holes. So, not only was I going to have to correct the bridge position, I had to deal with elongated holes, which allowed the string grommets to penetrate the bridge plate. It was by grace that the bass E string didn't come completely out of the hole with the pin, like a projectile.

John Hall was very helpful and gracious when I asked him about this repair.

Using the inlay tool that John Hall sells (it's a blessing to own one), I routed out an area under the bridge, in the form of a rectangle, which of course, included the pin holes. I routed the depth of the top, down to the glue line of the bridge plate. I used a piece of maple that I cut it to a rectangle to fit into the routed area of the top. I laid it into the routed area, and I traced the holes from the inside of the guitar.

I routed the entire maple piece to a thin veneer, avoiding the traced holes. This formed a series of plugs, which I tweaked until they fit well into the bridge pin holes. After gluing this piece, I made another rectangle, this time out of torrified Adirondack spruce. I glued it into place and clamped it until set. I sanded the patch down to the level of the guitar top.

Part of this repair has to be done inside the box, sight unseen. The nice light and mirror that I own, won't work with my hand and arm in the sound hole. I still had to deal with the elongated holes from the inside of the guitar.

I pressed a piece of paper across the bridge plate, creasing around the edges of the plate and against the x-braces. Using this pattern, I cut a piece of ebony. With a lot of judicious sanding, I fabricated a piece of ebony to fit snugly against the x-braces, and over the top of the original bridge plate, and holes. The ebony doesn't cover the plate completely. Although the ebony in the photo appears to be thick, in reality it's only about .060" thick. The original bridge plate is very thin, and about the same thickness. I think the person who moved the bridge, did some sanding. Now, I have a good, solid base in which to drill new bridge pin holes.

The repairs will be ready for the bridge to be glued in the next couple of days. I want the glue firmly cured under the torrified adi, and this takes 2-3x as long as raw wood. I like to err on the side of caution.

Nice work. When moving the bridge how are you going to hide the new the top patch? Maybe an oversized bridge? In any case the guitar is really shaping up nicely and it is helpful to see how you handle the restoration.

johnnparchem wrote:Nice work. When moving the bridge how are you going to hide the new the top patch? Maybe an oversized bridge? In any case the guitar is really shaping up nicely and it is helpful to see how you handle the restoration.

The bridge is a belly bridge. Luckily, it covers the patch very well. My concern is the nitro. This guitar has original finish, which I don't want to ruin.

I'm, using pure butyl acetate with a tiny brush, to flow the finish to the new bridge location, so it less obvious that the bridge has been moved.

I'm cleaning my shop. I found the first set of plugs. I ended up scrapping them, because they fit too loosely. I photographed it to post here, so you can better visualize the repair.

I've finished the 00 and shipped her to her owner. I have to admit, she is fun to play!

Everything was put back where it should be.