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12 fret conversion Martin guitar
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 8:37 am
by tippie53
This guitar was rebuilt from a 12 fret 12 string to a 6 string . I replaced the top with a torrified top and built to the old specs. The 3 pc back is very pretty. This was a D 35 VS. The top has an inlay I did and we bound this in snakewood. We put a pyramid bridge on it. The first dreadnoughts were like this when Martin made them for the Ditson company.
It sounds very clean and great sustain.
My customer also wanted the rosette carried onto the fretboard.
Re: 12 fret conversion Martin guitar
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 9:52 am
by Danl8
Wow, that's really nice!
Re: 12 fret conversion Martin guitar
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 6:17 am
by geoawelch
Quite a transformation, John
Re: 12 fret conversion Martin guitar
Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 2:55 pm
by RnB
What a great conversion John. Just beautiful & l bet it roars now. What gauge strings will this handle w/ that Pyramid bridge...?
Re: 12 fret conversion Martin guitar
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 8:58 am
by tippie53
mediums strings
Customer loved it .
Re: 12 fret conversion Martin guitar
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 3:29 pm
by ruby@magpage.com
RnB
I am curious about your question on the strings. Why would a pyramid bridge have different capabilities than a non-pyramid bridge?
Ed
Re: 12 fret conversion Martin guitar
Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 2:14 pm
by RnB
ruby@magpage.com wrote:RnB
I am curious about your question on the strings. Why would a pyramid bridge have different capabilities than a non-pyramid bridge?
Just being curious. I was questioning size vs strength...
I've read that pyramid bridges sometimes lifted off the tops w/ heavier strings. When I was building an acoustic, a Redwood-Topped OMC, I wondered which type would offer more strength on the guitar. On the OLF, the consensus was for the larger footprint of a belly bridge would offer more strength. So, that's what I ended up going with. Although, at the start, I wanted to use a Pyramid bridge. Really not sure how it mattered in my case though, since I generally string w/ light gauge wire. From what I've seen of Tippie's builds when using Pyramid Bridges, he has no issues w/ them at all & that's good enough for me. Mainly, I like the look of them.
On a more recent build
(000-28), I did use a Pyramid bridge & put on med/lights on a few strings. So far, I can see no issues w/ the bridge. Maybe it's an archaic way of looking at it since P bridges at Martin in the past were pulling away from the tops when heavier strings were used. Enter the belly bridge. IIRC: the only strings available way back then were large wires...?