Post by elcheapo on Oct 10, 2019 12:23:12 GMT -5
I'm so glad I found this site! Over the summer I acquired a mixed lot of musical instruments off my local CL (guitars, banjo, pa system, xylophone, etc). Amidst this clutter was an old Yamaha FG 165S-1. Of course it was filthy and half the strings were missing. I gave it a good cleaning and strung her up. It sounds absolutely huge, and the nut width is almost 1 3/4 inches! I gotta fix her up!
First I addressed the bellied bridge. The original owner had sanded the saddle to almost nothing in an effort to make it playable, but it still wasn't. I put heavy books and lead weights on the guitar top around the bridge area, then used a hair dryer to heat the inside of the guitar up. Once it was hot enough to soften the glue I cautiously pushed down on the top. I was able to get the belly down to where a straight edge laid on the neck just contacted the top edge of the bridge. Then I left the books and weight on the guitar top until it cooled down. If you heat the glue it becomes soft and flexible again and you can move the top, then when it cools the glue re-sets and viola', no bridge belly!
I re-strung the guitar and tuned her up. Much more playable and still sounds great, but there is a significant up-bow in the neck which is why I came here. I want to adjust the truss rod and straighten the neck but I can't budge that sucker. With the truss rod as tight as I can get it there is still too much bow. Anyway, I found this site and now I know what to do. I've gotta get the truss rod wrench and a clamp, make the bowing block, etc.
Thanks for the wealth of information I discovered here that will help me get this great old guitar back into playing condition! Pics to follow!
First I addressed the bellied bridge. The original owner had sanded the saddle to almost nothing in an effort to make it playable, but it still wasn't. I put heavy books and lead weights on the guitar top around the bridge area, then used a hair dryer to heat the inside of the guitar up. Once it was hot enough to soften the glue I cautiously pushed down on the top. I was able to get the belly down to where a straight edge laid on the neck just contacted the top edge of the bridge. Then I left the books and weight on the guitar top until it cooled down. If you heat the glue it becomes soft and flexible again and you can move the top, then when it cools the glue re-sets and viola', no bridge belly!
I re-strung the guitar and tuned her up. Much more playable and still sounds great, but there is a significant up-bow in the neck which is why I came here. I want to adjust the truss rod and straighten the neck but I can't budge that sucker. With the truss rod as tight as I can get it there is still too much bow. Anyway, I found this site and now I know what to do. I've gotta get the truss rod wrench and a clamp, make the bowing block, etc.
Thanks for the wealth of information I discovered here that will help me get this great old guitar back into playing condition! Pics to follow!
