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OK, repair gurus. I'm looking at replacing the bridge plate on a '77 Alvarez dread I've got in the shop. I'm already replacing the bridge on it and doing some refret/setup work and thought I'd tackle the bridge plate, too. Nothing particularly wrong with the existing bridge plate except that it's plywood! And the owner wants me to install a K&K pickup, so I can't justify gluing it to that old thing. I'm hoping to coax a little more tone out of it in the process. It's a pretty good example of '70's solid top imports, which really aren't bad guitars.

So....I thought I'd hit up the repair guys. I have no problem pulling the bridge plate, I just want to make sure I'm not in for any surprises such as the plate tucked under the X or some funky glue used, etc. Should be a pretty straightforward job, huh?

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

I would most definately not call removing a bridge plate through the soundhole a straightforward job. Sometimes they are even hard to get off cleanly when you have the back removed.

If you are feeling confident, what i'm saying probably wont discourage you.

I would not remove an intact bridge plate through the soundhole for potential tonal gain, maybe if the back was off and i could get at it easily. I would charge a lot if i was convinced to do it.

This guitar might be built with that gicky white glue that leaves a thick film and is a real pain to remove, but i am not sure.

One fairly large complication, is that the top has probably bellied over the years. That will complicate the fitting of the new bridge plate, as the surface you will be glueing to will most likely not be consistant. You can try to match the curvature as well as you can, but you will be shooting blind.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

There's no consensus among contemporary guitar makers that a laminated bridge plate is detrimental to tone. Many builders use a laminated bridge plate, with good reasons for doing so - and make fantastic sounding guitars.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

True, I guess I don't HAVE to swap it out. Yes, I know many builders laminate their bridge plates, but I consider that to be much different than plan ol' plywood. Kinda like telling the laminated side guys they are building with plywood. You'll be quickly corrected.

I'll have to chew on this some more. Thanks for the feedback, guys.

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

If it aint broke dont fix it

Jordan, I guess I don't get this. Granted, I have never done a bridge plate replacement in an old guitar, but why would you want to radius the bridge plate? Naturally, I always radius the bridge to match, but a thin bridge plate should conform to the top just fine, right? Seems to me you would just scrape or sand the gluing surface to make it smooth and consistent, then glue the flat bridge plate in, letting it conform to the top. I mean, I don't know anybody who radiuses the bridge plate on a new build, which typically has a radius already built into the top.

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

Lots of us radius bridge plates for new guitars, i do.

A thin bridge plate should conform to a radiused top, but that doesnt mean that it will, and working through the soundhole makes it very hard to tell if you are actually getting good wood to wood contact all over.

I dont like adding a bunch of stress to the bridge area by forcing a hardwood bridge plate to conform to the top arch, and then glueing in place with moisture inducing glue. I like a nice sandwich of radiused bridge plate-top-radiused bridge. It helps to keep the dome nice and even.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

hey Wes,
What model Alverze is this?

It's a Model 5023 dread, made in 1977. Far from an expensive guitar - just a decent little solid top '70's import. As I had said, I'm replacing the bridge and doing a refret as much for my experience as anything. It's not an expensive guitar, but it's his pride and joy he's had since new. Although, I've got him playing one of mine while I have his in the shop (he plays weekly in church) and I don't think he's in any hurry to get his back now!

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

Wes,

If you want to improve the tone, buy and properly install a good set of bone bridge pins..
It is one of the easiest ways to improve tone on almost any guitar.

Yep, without a doubt. The new bridge will get a new bone saddle (and nut) along with either ebony or bone pins. I'll have to play with it and see which set it likes best.

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

I radius my bridge plates by laminating them in a radius dish.

I'm curious, Wes - how is it that you've ascertained this bridge plate to be made of "plain ol' plywood"? What kind of plywood do you figure they used?

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Here is the deal in my opinion Wes. if the bridge plate regardless of material is in good shape the possible risk implied is far to great compared to the possible benefit. Plus I not so sure that you would truly be able to tell any difference. This guitar is not an expensive guitar, your right. However the 70's model 5023 was a well respected and highly success full guitar. In fact it was among the guitars that made Alvarez successful here in the states. I am not, and doubt I could be convinced that changing the bridge plate out is a worth while risk to take. Like you said this guitar is his pride and joy. Removing the bridge plate as you know is pretty much major surgery. You are going to put the top joint under stress and the underside of the top at risk of gouging. I just can’t rap my mind around doing this change cheerily to attempt to get better tone out of a guitar the client already loves.

Well, I tried to get some pics for you, but they wouldn't come out right on my lousy camera. But, no doubt, there are at least five plys in the bridge plate. Top layer just loks like birch ply to me.

At any rate, y'all have about convinced me to leave it alone. I'm just a tinkerer and hotrodder at heart, and it's hard to leave it in there, but I hear where y'all are coming from.

Thanks again for the input!

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

A lot of guitars like his have plain ol' plywood for bridge plates and sometimes tailblocks, neckblocks, linings, anywhere they thought no one would see it! We are talking funky/voidy common plywood here, not the good stuff.

So i do understand why you want to improve it, I just wanted to caution you that this would be far from a straightforward job. Removing and replacing a bridge plate through the soundhole is kind of like resetting a neck by slipping the back, a lot of people talk about doing it on internet forums as if it were a common repair that a reasonably skilled and well informed person could pull off without much fuss. The truth is these are jobs that most people will botch badly, and even most pros are warry of them.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY