A question for Light, or anybody with Repair Experience

[freshmattyp]

I recently bought a 1958 Gretsch Clipper. In the course of having some work done (Swapping out the tuners and tailpiece, making a new bridge) my repair guy discovered a major problem with the Guitar. The pickup is not the original and when it was installed, the dumbass who did it cut a 1" section out of the top bracing instead of properly fitting the pickup. They then glued a mahogany blobk to the back, and this is what the pickup is screwed to.

The guitar seems stable, stays in tune and feels solid. I have no idea how long ago the hack job was sone. I'm interested to know what my repair options are. Can I add a separate brace to span the 2 sections? Would I be better off installing blocks under the cut sections to couple the top to the back? Should I foist this guitar off on another sucker?

Thanks for your help.

 

[c7sus]

If it's an archtop guitar, the top itself is doing most of the work.

The bracing is actually a tone bar. In building mandos, the tone bars are tuned to two seperate frequncies, if possible, so the body of the instrument doesn't have a noticeable honk at say A-440 that would really be annoying.

If the top shows no sign of failing, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Light]

Without actually seeing it, it is hard to say. For the most part, if the new pickup was added a while ago, and if the top looks stable, as Csus7 said, I would not worry too much about it. However, it sounds as though you have a repair guy you trust, so I would ask his opinion. He has, after all, seen the instrument.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[freshmattyp]

Thanks for the help. One follow up - If I notice the top starting to buckle, is it too late then to take corrective action?

 

[turnitdown]

If it makes you feel any better, and gives you peice of mind... remember that most wood glues we use these days are actually MUCH stronger structurally than the wood. Properly applied of course...

It sounds like (and I can;t see it of course) that the block is now acting, in part, like a brace. If you are happy with the resonace and sound of the guitar, I wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy...

 

[turnitdown]

Thanks for the help. One follow up - If I notice the top starting to buckle, is it too late then to take corrective action?

Sorry, didn't see that last post. We must have crossed posts...

No, it's not too late to take corrective action, it just becomes much more expensive...