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About a 20 months ago, I finished a granadillo/englemann guitar, grand concert shape. Never was happy with the sound. Well, yesterday, I removed the cocobolo bridge (about 28 grams) I reworked it, and it weighed about 22 grams, finished.

I then went in an shave 2 grams worth of shaving off some bracing that I could get access. Reglued the bridge with fresh hide glue, and she sounds much better today

Last year I also redid my first guitar (circa 1992) stripped and refinished, thinning the top in the process. It sounded better too!

Terry, what kind of tool did you use to shave the braces? can you characterize the before/after for us?

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Terry, they sound their best just before imploding!

Nah, just kidding, but there is a bit of truth to that.

I bet a lot of folk have done this if they'd admit to it.

I reworked a Christmas present for my son after we got it a couple years ago. That Ibanez was a great guitar, but I knew it could sound better.

Steve, I use a tiny drum mounted in my dremel, plugged into a switched multiplug to turn it on and off.

Working blind is risky business, but depending on the guitar, well worth the results possible by a rework. my two centavos.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

The small ibex finger planes are perfect for this task.
-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

X-acto makes a tiny plane that I use for brace shaving in and out of the box. I love this thing. I got it years ago and broke off the ears to use it for scalloping braces on finished guitars. The top photo shows it intact, front and center, the middle photo modified, the bottom one shows it in action. I usually use it on the pull stroke. Very easy to control. The blade is not such high grade steel, but it holds up pretty well since I hardly use it except on braces.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

edit:


spokeshave, not plane

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I used a Kuntz plane. I'd LOVE a set of the finger planes. Actually just ONE would do the trick...

I also took a little of the bridge bottom off, and a bit off the top of the bridge. It went from ~28 grams to ~22. I also removed the last fret and corresponding fingerboard end to accomodate a soundhole cover to prevent feedback. The guitar has K & K p/ups, so on stage I want to prevent feedback.

I always thought the guitar was a little over braced. Not really, to look at. .100" Englemann top, 5/16" x braces, 1/4" tone bars. The back sounds pretty tight, so I focused one wrecking the top bracing, where not many people will ever see it Hey, it's mine.

REGARDING SOUND:
So after shaving braces, reglueing the bridge, it sounds MUCH more responsive. It's actually inviting.The mids are more present. That's the biggest change. It's "breathing" harmonics seem more comlex, easier to coax out of it, the trebles, while tonally the same, I can hear the e & b string in the balance now. The bass has always been good, it might be a little richer.

So again, punchier mids, and more sensitivity. It's acting like it should.

I was thinking how dissappointed I was in the Englemann top with the cocobolo bridge. Now it's much better.

As my buddy Bruce says, they sound better just before imploding!

Terry,
I've got one that needs the same kind of rework. I built it for my brother about four years ago. He was very happy with it untill I made the mistake of letting him play my latest.I guess my voicing technique has evolved a bit,as there is no comparison.

It's on my to do list as soon as I get this b...jo out of my hair.

Cecil   

did you say..."B..JO"? My buddy is a builder, knows some pretty influential people too. He is a fantastic metal engraver, pearl inlay and engraver, carver, and avid fly fisherman as well. BANJO. There. I said it out loud. He and his son both are multi-instrumentalists. Amazing people. A real priveledge to call friends

did someone say BANJO?

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

out loud.

Joe Who?

Ban Jo from the OLF!

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Let me cover my ears

How do you work on a closed box? I tried to shave some braces on a guitar and I couldn't touch the tone bars with more than the very tips of my fingers and I couldn't actually do anything to X brace past the first three inches or so from the the crossing point. My forarms are not particularly thick either.

I thought about makeing come long curved scraping tools but I'm not much of a metal worker and I don't have any tools for working steel.

Mike, I use a dremel with a small sanding drum attached. Werksferme.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com