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I have been working on this project for a while . I have been documenting the conversion process at UMGF . Here is the link so you can see how this process goes .

http://theunofficialmartinguitarforum.y ... /1/?page=3

I have lots of photos , and what I am doing is retoping 3 martins , 2 from 1959 and one from 1965 and specing them out to a 1937 D 28 Herringbone. I have lots of help with the technical points , David Musselwhite , CF Martin and Wayne Henderson . This is a project that is testing my skill , but I am enjoying the process. I will soon be redoing the inlay and I will show that process next.

Thanks for posting this interesting process, John.

What is the story on the inletted bridge plate?
Thanks
DaveB

Martin used to inlet all the bracing on a top . I am making these tops to spec for 1937 , they had a smaller bridge plate and all inletting . Also HHG was used . It is an interesting process .

What other glues were available in 1937, I wonder?
DaveB

Here's a link to an article in a 1937 Popular Mechanics on 'the new age of glues'. Pretty interesting. In fact the whole magazine is there and all the articles are fascinating as time slices of history.

http://books.google.com/books?id=rNoDAA ... CCsQ6AEwAw


If that does not work, google 'types of glue 1937' and look for the popular mechanics article, it's like the 3rd one down on the search page.

DaveB

There were surprisingly more glues available than one things . HHG was used for many years and in the guitar business they didn't like to make changes . HHG was used up to the 60's on Martin's . They still use it today on some of the special guitars and customs .
I can't say it is better or worse than any other glue. It does take some skill to use but it isn't impossible. The advantages that I see are the repair issues . It is a glue that will reglue to itself.

That is a good advantage, and the setup to use it is not very demanding either. As I said, I will switch to it after I get some other skills working better.
DaveB

Sounds interesting, John. So when you retop, I presume you can't reuse the bindings. Do you clean up the binding channel with the router and install new bindings?

Ken

you can retop without damage to the binding , it isn't easy but it is doable . In this case I am making them into a 1037 d28 , and this will get rebound to ivroid and herringbone.