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Hey Everyone, Im doing some repair work on a 1961 O-18 Martin and one thing im doing is a bridge reglue... I dont have bridge clamps right now and am sort of up in the air on how im going to get this thing back on. Ive been thinking about using go bars and supporting the bridge plate with a block of wood, has anyone ever tried this? Also been thinking i run two bolts through the E stings with a backing block inside the guitar and have a block on top to hold the bridge down with two shims to hold the wings.... hope that made sense... those were my two ideas and was wondering what people thought. Or if anyone has an awesome idea i didnt think of???

Thanks, John

John: Your second idea is very close to the Charlie Fox bridge clamp.Check LMI for pictures. I think some folks may use your first idea but I think the Fox type clamp is a better choice.

Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

If you think about it for a while you'll come up with a few ideas for regluing the bridge. However, a 1961 0-18 is potentially a very good guitar and if you think that you might want to use specialized clamps perhaps this is the time to buy or make them. If you use go bars be sure to protect the top.

Go-bars for gluing bridges is a bad idea, and for obvious reasons. It's not for lack of other, better, much less risky and easier methods.

Using two bolts on the outside E strings is the method I use, I still use 3 deep throat clamps for well distributed pressure. It works very well to locate the bridge on a "new" guitar where pinholes have not been reamed, however it will not work well on a bridge re-glue where pinhole are reamed beyond the 3/16" bolt diameter. The one thing you want to make sure is that the top/bridgeplate area under the bridge is fully and accurately supported under clamp pressure. Otherwise the top will crack, or at the very least exhibit distortion and creases around the bridge wings.
Your first step is to make a bridgeplate caul with notches for x-braces, and possibly 1st tonebar and finger braces and additional support where the bridgeplate stops (typically .090" softwood pieces CA'd to the caul). Second is to make a couple of locating pins (cut off tapered plastic pins will work), then buy 3 deep throat 3" clamps and make 3 cauls for the top of the bridge and the wings. Do a few dry run practices, and go for it. Needless to say, if using TB1 both surfaces need to be scraped clean of the old glue, preferably just before gluing in order to avoid oxidation. Of course the proper glue for this would be HHG, but this is another topic…

My feeling is that, if you ask, you are not ready for the job. Either pass it to someone who is competent, or really take your time to think about it, practice and do it right. This is a valuable guitar, and not one to learn lutherie on.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/