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This is a project that I started a few years ago and left hanging in a corner...finally finished it up this week.....

Like many eBay 'treasures', this quickly turned into a 'nothing to lose' project once I surveyed what I'd actually bought. Although described as 'just needing the bridge re-glued and a repair to the headstock', I decided that the top was not worth keeping- the plywood was delaminated from bridge to soundhole. The frets were filed down and unusable. The headstock would be an easy repair, but would need some cosmetic attention.

The neck in these guitars is attached by a tenon, glued (lotsa glue) into a 'U'-shaped laminated plywood neck block. Heat and some steam got the fingerboard separated from the top (knowing the top was to be discarded was a comforting thought), and the neck separated from the body.
I routed off the top.
I decided that I'd stabilize the neck block with a couple of carbon fiber tubes, and re-attach the neck with a bolt-on joint (the fingerboard would be glued down to the top in the usual way, and there was a block added to fill the gap between the U-block and the top.)

I added a veneer to the inside of the upper bout, and routed a soundport- this was to be the platform for several experiments at once- totally unscientific!

I cut back the tailblock to reduce the contact area with the top, and patched up the linings.

I made a new Englemann spruce top with lattice bracing to replace the old one.
(The triangular area around the soundhole is completely doubled using offcuts from the top.)
The old binding was routed off and a new simple rosewood binding was added. (I put a temporary spacer in the neck 'slot' to give the binding router guide a surface to follow.)

The neck break was epoxied together, and a veneer overlay added to improve the looks (and strength).

The top got a thin French Polished shellac finish.
The neck and back/sides were lacquered with nitrocellulose lacquer (with some amber tint) , and the guitar was hung in a corner 'to let the lacquer harden' before final sanding and polishing.
That was in 2007- I got back to this project last week.
Nothing like 'keeping at a job till it is finished'!

I decided to try a few other things I hadn't used before- padauk bridge, Gilbert-style pin saddles, 18-hole bridge.
Even though the bridge is a bit 'chunky', the weight isn't too bad- about 26-7 g. Padauk is pretty light.

As I said, it was a 'nothing to lose' project, and it's added a few more years to that 1973 Hofner's life.

It's all turned out quite well, and I won't be too concerned if the cat knocks it over once in a while.

I certainly wouldn't recommend this sort of project for everybody- you could build a new guitar from a kit in about the same time, probably..., but it is good practice for the day when a 'real' repair comes in the door.
The old maxim: 'You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" comes to mind here, but it does sound pretty good.

That is an awesome job!

I seriously want to try re-topping a cheap beater classical.... You have given me some serious inspiration here...


Thanks

John

Looks great John! I'd be willing to bet that it never sounded so good!

Chuck

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