Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Ratrod on August 12, 2009, 11:02:00 AM
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I found it on the (flea) market for 15 Euro.
It needed a new nut,strings, tension bridge, reglue the pickguard and some polishing.
It's an H6132 so it should be 1978-ish.
(http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/7571/dscf1305m.jpg)
Cleaned it up, polished the metal parts, oiled the tuners, oiled the fretboard. The top was warped a bit so I installed three vertical struts between the horizonat braces to prevent it from collapsing under the dtring pressure. Polished the frets, noticed one high one and dressed down. Reglued the pickguard.
I ordered a floating bridge for a flat top acoustic, a bone nut blank and a set of strings.
Made a new nut. The bridge height needed to be cut in half. So I split the base with a chisel and alot of filing and sanding followed. The saddle itself needed to be filed down too and the angle less shallow so there would still be some pressure on the high strings.
There are some fundamental flaws in the design of this guitar: The fingerboard has no radius. The non-adjustable truss rod has the diameter of a nitting needle. So there's quite some bow in the neck. The tailpiece is too long and the neck should be at an angle or raised above the top. You just can't get enough pressure on the bridge and you can't get good action on it. The bridge is taped down.
There's something cool about it in a strange way.
(http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/630/dscf1317s.jpg)
(http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/4497/dscf1318.jpg)
(http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/95/dscf1316.jpg)
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Nice work !
Instant 'Seasick Steve' artist series guitar you have there . 8)
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I can imagine some people reading what you had to do and the issues, and thinking "er, why?" (I did at first)
But it does look kinda "righteous"...
What does it sound like with a slide on it? I don't know why, but it makes me think Robert Johnson.
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Why? I think I have a soft spot for cr@ppy old guitars. it's like finding a scruffy old dog and nursing it back to health even if it has only three legs.
It sounds a bit like a ukelele or banjo. A bit tinny. The action would make it a good slide guitar but there's no sustain to speak of when you play it with a slide.
It does have some character. Good enough to play some simple tunes on it.
Mainly it was just good practice for my tech skills.
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Cool job man!
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Very cool lookin' acoustic 8)
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What does it sound like with a slide on it? I don't know why, but it makes me think Robert Johnson.
That was my first thought too! I bet it sounds great in an open tuning.
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Thanks for the comments, guys.
Really, it doesn't sound very good. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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That's a really lovely restoration job you've done there and even if doesn't sound the best you still have the satisfaction of having made something yourself. I think it looks cool.
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Really, it doesn't sound very good. :lol: :lol: :lol:
You must be playin it wrong :lol:
That's a really lovely restoration job you've done there and even if doesn't sound the best you still have the satisfaction of having made something yourself. I think it looks cool.
big +1 :D