Official Luthiers Forum!

One thing I have learned about guitar building is that there isn't always a right or wrong way to accomplish certain tasks. I was hoping that some of you who are more experienced at luthiery would chime in and share your preference on whether you prefer to locate the bridge and tape off the location before finishing or do your finishing and then remove the finish for the bridge to glue it on. Thanks for any advice you might have.

Steve Hornback

I have tried it both ways and, like you say, it is not a matter of right/wrong. I also prefer to finish the whole top and then fit the neck, work out the bridge location and remove finish (razor blade around the outline, microchisel/scraper). I found that applying finish and sanding over the taped-off bridge area was a bit annoying.
mm

I've tried both ways and always do it before. I'll locate the bridge and then make a masking tape patch about 1/8th inch smaller then the actual bridge patch. Once polished out i remove the tape and then only have to scrape a little bit of finish for a good fit. I do it this way because I find that the finish doesn't come out so well right where the tape to wood line is so that area ends up getting removed and I save a bit of time and potential tool slippage marks from not having to scrape away the whole area.

After the finish. It makes for more accurate placement. Martin does it after also .

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Classical guitars here. I glue the bridge before finishing. I want to know what the guitar sounds like strung up in the white, in case any final sanding is needed. (But heck, I'm amateur enough that the idea of final sound adjustment by extra sanding around the lower bout or wherever is still an illusory notion.)

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I'm curious as to why you think it's more accurate? I would lay out the bridge location the same way unfinished or finished so in theory it ought to be in the same place regardless of whether there is a finish or not, just curious as to your thoughts on why.



Eventually though if you stick with it you very well may develop an ear for that kind of thing.