Wow.....
thats a first! and a shame....
do you have any pics?
| Official Luthiers Forum! http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/ |
|
| guitar implosion http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=10966 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | Bill Bergman [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:10 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I'm sharing something really stupid that I did in hopes of saving a new luthier the misery. I regraduated a guitar I built 25 years ago, and it was sounding good. I grabbed my shop vac to suck out the dust inside. In doing this, the edge of my hand mostly sealed the opening in the sound hole, and the resulting vacuum collapsed the top. So, now I am trying to repair it. I fixed the crack but I cannot locate the sources of the buzzes from whatever is cracked inside. |
|
| Author: | peterm [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Wow..... thats a first! and a shame....
do you have any pics? |
|
| Author: | Bill Bergman [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:21 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Pics are of no value. The only problem visible from the exterior was a crack in the top near the waist, which I sealed with CA and sanded out. It was displaced a little vertically near a braced area, so I know a brace must have been affected. Sometimes when I tap the top, it buzzes--sometimes not. So, I will be on the hunt for loose and cracked braces, but I haven't located them yet. |
|
| Author: | peterm [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Bill, have you tryed tapping the top along the braces and listen for a loose brace? the sound should be substantially different tapping over a broken brace... |
|
| Author: | Bill Bergman [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Peter, I tried that. When it buzzes, it buzzes no matter where I tap it. Then it stops buzzing for a while, probably from temperature or humidity changes. When I repaired the crack, I also ran CA along the braces inside near the crack. I think some other areas are loose. If I cannot locate them, I might just run CA along all the braces. |
|
| Author: | crazymanmichael [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:56 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
have you tried probing with a thin feeler gauge? over the years i have found it the most useful way of locating loose braces. |
|
| Author: | John Lewis [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
You might also try running a tuning fork over the top where the braces are. The volume should drop or buzz where the brace isn't making good contact with the top. I don't know if this would work or not, but it might be worth a shot. |
|
| Author: | Bill Bergman [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I'll try these methods. Right now, I am just sort of letting it lay. |
|
| Author: | Dave Rector [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Bill, that's really a drag man. I never even considered something like that happening. Sorry I don't have any advice on fixing it, but thanks for the warning that this can happen. I usually just use compressed air and blow the dust and debris out of mine. Short quick blasts and all the junk finds its way to the soundhole. |
|
| Author: | LarryH [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 1:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Sorry to hear about the top but very glad you posted for us who would also learned the hard way. thanks |
|
| Author: | CarltonM [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 1:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Man oh man, Bill! Thanks for the warning. I keep picturing old cartoons where people and anthropomorphised critters get sucked into vacuums, and of course live to tell about it. Who knew it could happen in real life! 
|
|
| Author: | Bruce Dickey [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I have an old Electrolux that I use for this. I take it out of the regular end and put it on the back, where it blows instead of sucks. Hmmm, come to think of it, if the soundhole got blocked it might pop like a baloon? Yikes.... Edited by 5 Ticklish Dachsunds, 16 February 2007 at 9:38pm |
|
| Author: | old man [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 3:00 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
[QUOTE=Hesh1956] Jeeze Bill I am very sorry that this happened to you. [/QUOTE] Fess up, Hesh, who did you want it to happen to? Huh? Edited by Peewee Herman, 16 February 2007 at 9:54pm |
|
| Author: | Martin Turner [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 3:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Man I feel for that guitar..imagine having your guts sucked out
|
|
| Author: | Rod True [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
This would be a good reason to leave the strap pin in the tail end to be the last thing to do on the guitar. Sorry for your mishap Bill |
|
| Author: | Billy T [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I would of never thought that could happen but after you experienced it, now it seems obvious! Man! I'm sure glad you brought this out, anyone of us could of done this! Thanks and sorry to hear it!! Have you checked the back braces they may of suffered some from the old suckeroo too! Thanks again Bill! |
|
| Author: | Arnt Rian [ Fri Feb 16, 2007 8:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Just when you think you have heard it all... Sorry about the accident, but thanks for sharing your experience; I guess it is just one of those things you don't see coming, so it's good to keep this in mind for all of us. |
|
| Author: | Don Williams [ Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:26 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Gee Bill, that sucks. Uh, no pun intended. I second the use of some feeler guages to find loose braces. Works good. Thanks for the tip on that potential problem. |
|
| Author: | Colin S [ Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:58 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Gee, I guess that's a pretty good reason to leave all those little tone balls well alone in a vintage guitar! My shop vac is my dust collector it's almost sucks me up the pipe if I put my hand near the nozzle, I think I'll keep it well away from my guitars! Thanks for the warning. Colin |
|
| Author: | Martin Turner [ Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Slightly off topic maybe but my wife who's a nurse tells me that a disproportionate number of patients turn up to hospital A and E departments with injuries involving vacumn cleaners. I wont go into which part of the body bears the injury 
|
|
| Author: | Mark Swanson [ Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:13 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Don't rule out the back braces! I once worked on a guitar with a pesky buzz, and I could NOT find it...then I checked the BACK braces and sure enough one of them was loose. They can fool you into thinking it's the top that's buzzing! |
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC - 5 hours |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|