Official Luthiers Forum!

hi,

i had a friend bring over a gibson mk 72 that needed some work. bridge is lifting and the guitar fell once that resulted in a top crack that was poorly repaired, sounds like a brace(s) may have come lose with the fall. Interesting guitar and in ala and all real good shape for 35 years old. I was wondering if anyone nows about the bracing patterns used on the mk series and if there might be drawings avalable for them?

Thanks
Brent

I was interested in one a while back because of the designers...Here's some info

The MK-72 model was made from 1975-78. The USA domestic list price was $729 ( $109 extra for the case) back then. We don't have production totals I'm afraid. This series was called the Mark series and they were designed by Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider. Some of the unique features of the Mark series was the asymmetrical fan-shaped bridge, the removable pickguard, interchangeable saddles, and a modified fan-pattern bracing.

I know there are plans with Kasha bracing, but I'm not sure if it is exactly what they used on the Gibson's.

Mitch

The Guild of American Luthier's has plans for a classical guitar using Kasha bracing...Hope this helps.

http://www.luth.org/plans/classic.htm

I don't know about plans for the Gibson 'Mark' series, but the book "Guitars, from Rennaissence to Rock" by Tom and Mary Ann Evans, has some pictures of them being constructed in the Gibson factory, including shots of the top bracing. That book is one of my 'Bibles': it's got more useful information for a luthier than almost any other similar volume, so I'd recommend getting it just because...