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Hey Everyone,

Just wondering, why not attach the bridge, tape it off, and then finish the guitar? Instead of finishing the guitar, removing the finish in the bridge area, and then glue the bridge. Is there a reason not to attach the bridge first?

Thanks for the help!

Jeff

Because level sanding and buffing around the bridge is really, really,
REALLY a pain, especially if the bridge is anything other than a simple
rectangle. But even if it is a rectangle.

Its very difficult to buff up tight against the bridge, thats the only reason. Another option and is used quite often is laying down some masking tape in the bridge area, locating your bridge, then trace the out line of the bridge on the tape, trim the excess tape, maybe back into the bridge foot print an 1/8th or so, then remove the rest,leaving tape where your brige will go. Now you have a lot less finish to remove.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

You don't want to go the route of taping off the bridge and trying to finish around it. That's an ugly ugly job.
Lance has a good option but you pretty much HAVE to trim in the tape 1/16 -1/8" and then scrape that area later. If you try to leave the tape a perfect footprint, the lacquer will leave sort of a "ramp" going into that area and will never look good. It's also pretty hard to level the top with a bunch of tape on it.
The hard way is the best way. Another option is to route off the finish. I built a jig that allowed my router to cut in the shape of the bridge. I only had to go back and clean up the corners. It's pretty scary going at a top with a router though, which is why I stopped using that technique.

My gibson probably had the bridge on when it was finished. It had a big ridge around the bridge. Looked like crap and it seemed to help the thing crack.

A ridge of finish is often a sign that the bridge crept forward under string
tension, "plowing" up finish as it moved. Or, it could be that the guitar
was refinished.

Jeff - I use a dremel and base to remove the lacquer, I tape the entire area off, like 6" all the way around the bridge then I begin by just skimming the top with the bit, and lowering it a touch with each pass, it takes me about 30 to 40 minutes to do it this way, but it beats scraping it off with a chisel. Another trick to get a better fit between the bridge and the edge of the lacquer is to take a scraper and slightly relieve the bottom edges of the bridge ever so much. Just a quick swipe on each edge will soften that edge and allow it to lay against the edge of your lacquer.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

French Polishing is not fun around the bridge. I've only done one and could do better the second time as I learned a technique halfway through. However, I will glue the bridge on after I finish for my second.

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Guitars...One's too many...Twenty is not enough.

[QUOTE=LanceK] Its very difficult to buff up tight against the bridge, thats the only reason. Another option and is used quite often is laying down some masking tape in the bridge area, locating your bridge, then trace the out line of the bridge on the tape, trim the excess tape, maybe back into the bridge foot print an 1/8th or so, then remove the rest,leaving tape where your brige will go. Now you have a lot less finish to remove.[/QUOTE]

This is what I do.

I used to use paint stripper and a scraper and it works well but the stripper is scarry stuff to use on a top or even have in the same vicinity of a finished guitar. I now route my finish off with a Dremmel like Lance does.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

It takes only a few minutes to scrape it off and does a much nicer job, so why not?

I use a laminate trimmer to take off the finish in the bridge area.

I locate the bridge. Bolt it down with 3/16 bolts through the e string pin
holes, scribe very carefully around the footprint of the bridge. Remove
the bridge, and put ing tape all around it. Whip out my router with a 1/4
spiral carbide bit, and rout off the finish right up to about 1/8th to the
get, and then go back and use a chisel to take the rest off. All in all takes
me about 20 minutes to do it al and have the bridge glued on.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

John, and you other guys who rout, does the slight dome of the top not interfere with getting just the finish and no wood with it? Or is the radius too large to be a problem?

Larry

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

I am always concearned about scribing around the Bridge as I have heard stories of people going to deep and cutting into the wood. Down the road the bridge pulls off with a layer of wood from where it was scribed. You have to be so careful not to cut into the wood. I also locate and bolt the Bridge down using the e string holes. I use those hollow bolts that either Stew Mack or LMI sells (can't remember which one) and check the intonation to make sure the bridge is positioned right. Then I tape off the Bridge, Use a chisel to scrape the finish and glue on the bridge. Takes 15 to 20 Min to do. Pesonally I'd be scared to use the Trimmer for this but that is just me.

Another router here. I have tried just about every other method and this is the easiest and quickest method for me. Just make sure you put down a good layer of masking take I use a double layer of the two inch wide stuff thats fairly thin. and also put a layer on the bottom of my stewmac router base. I use a 1/8 downcut bit and can ge within 1/32" of my scribe line. The a sharp chisel used as a scraper to pull away from the scribe line quickly removes everything else. Make sure you route the bridge area just before you glue on the bridge and do not introduce any water as in wet sanding, to the bridge area or you will have a wrinkley finish around the bridge.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Larry,

You put Masking tape down on the top for the router to ride on (to
protect the finish) and since the router is, in essence, riding on the top it
follows the dome.John Mayes38503.4697916667

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Thanks John!

Larry

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

I tape the area off first with 2" masking tape. Locate the bridge and bolt it through the E strings holes too. I don't scribe a line as I have in the past seen the scribe line around the bridge. I now draw a (sharp) pencil line on the masking tape around the bridge perimeter. Then I draw a freehand line 3/32" inside of the perimeter line. I cut on this (inside) line with a razor and remove the tape (on the inside). I thenm rout off the finish up to the masking tape. This leaves 3/32" of finish all the way around the perimeter under the bridge so there is no scribe lines visible.

I glue the bridge with LMI white glue. Do NOT use hide glue if you are using this method as hide glue will NOT fill gaps and voids and will fail prematurely.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

<shaking head in disbelief...>

I'm one of those odd-balls who tapes off the area of the bridge, sprays the finish, then simply removes the tape to expose the gluing surface. It is not difficult to get a perfect finish right up to the bridge this way.
What I found to be of value was a hint from John Calkin, which was also mentioned above. He suggested a tiny bevel on the bottom edge of the bridge. A new Exacto blade will run in that wee bevel and cut ever so slightly inside the footprint of the bridge. This is done when the bridge is pinned in place to leave a perfect pattern of the bridge on the masking tape.
When ready to remove the tape, the bridge is pinned down again, and the Exacto run around it to scribe the lacquer. The tape pulls off and there you go. I find this so much more user friendly than the other method. BUT--my hat's off to you routing guys. Nerves of steel and all that. You are real men.

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

[QUOTE=Mario] <shaking head in disbelief...>[/QUOTE]
Mario, which method do you use? For some reason, I suspect that you don't route the finish off.

[QUOTE=Mario] <shaking head in disbelief...>[/QUOTE]
Disbelief of ?

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I believe that this is one of the key joints where hide glue is important...the others are the braces and the perimeters. I'd do anything in the lacquer removal process that would promote the use of hide glue.

Again...what's wrong with scribing a line in the lacquer?

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

[QUOTE=dubell] French Polishing is not fun around the bridge. I've only done one and could do better the second time as I learned a technique halfway through. However, I will glue the bridge on after I finish for my second.[/QUOTE]

I figured you would pop in with that one Doug. I see you learn fast

[QUOTE=Mario] <shaking head in disbelief...>[/QUOTE]

Yes Mario, please elaborate. I've been following this and earlier expressed my fear of using a Router but am starting to wonder if There is something wrong with me that everyone is so happy with this method. For what it is worth I just glued on a bridge (using hide glue of course). After locating the bridge using tape around the outside, it took me 2 min and 45 Sec (50 sec. if you include the time it took to reach down a grab the chisel from my drawer) to scrape the finish off. Considering that when using the router you still have to use the chisel around the edge (if I understand correctly) I don't see the advantage and maintain that I would be scared of using it. It takes longer to use and the possibility of a slip could do a lot of damage. I am French Polishing so maybe that makes a difference.arvey38503.8249421296