70's Martin Repair Question

tele72 · July 20th, 2007, 08:55 AM

I've got a 70's Martin that needed some standard work - shrunken pickguard crack, neck reset, etc. But my tech told me this:

"this guitar was made in 1976 and has the bridge located too close to the neck...a common problem with 70s guitars from Martin due to labor walkouts as the bankers took over the family business....consequently the guitar will not tune well...the scale length is off by about 1/8 inch.....the fix is to replace the bridge and slot it so the insert is located correctly ...this involves plugging the pin holes in the top and bridge plate as they have to be relocated also"

Does this ring any bells with anyone? Never heard this before.

Thanks!

Teletwang · July 20th, 2007, 09:28 AM

Certainly have seen bridges off of proper location. And certainly have done my share of filling slots and re-routing saddle slots. Rarely have I seen the bridge so far off that it needs replacing. What might be happening is that the bridge has been shaved so many times over the years that there is little left to work with. Especially after a neck reset dictates the bridge should sit higher than where yours most likely is. So yes, a new bridge would be in order. The downside to replacing a bridge that far off is it usually has to be oversized to cover the footprint of the old bridge. Not always the most delicate look. Pluggng pin holes through the top and BP is par for the course. My question is how long have you played this guitar? And you hadn't noticed the intonnation was that far off?

tele72 · July 20th, 2007, 09:45 AM

Thanks for the detailed reply! I recently acquired the D35 in a trade with the understanding that it needed work. So I sent it off right away to my tech to get 'right'. Only played it for a few minutes to check the tone - which is spectacular. As long as he's not pulling a fast one on me, which according to you sounds legitimate, I'm ok with the repairs needed.

Thanks

July 20th, 2007, 08:55 AM	#1 (permalink)
tele72 TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: atlanta Posts: 17	70's Martin Repair Question I've got a 70's Martin that needed some standard work - shrunken pickguard crack, neck reset, etc. But my tech told me this: "this guitar was made in 1976 and has the bridge located too close to the neck...a common problem with 70s guitars from Martin due to labor walkouts as the bankers took over the family business....consequently the guitar will not tune well...the scale length is off by about 1/8 inch.....the fix is to replace the bridge and slot it so the insert is located correctly ...this involves plugging the pin holes in the top and bridge plate as they have to be relocated also" Does this ring any bells with anyone? Never heard this before. Thanks!

July 20th, 2007, 09:28 AM	#2 (permalink)
Teletwang Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Connecticut Age: 41 Posts: 1,275 1 Photos	Certainly have seen bridges off of proper location. And certainly have done my share of filling slots and re-routing saddle slots. Rarely have I seen the bridge so far off that it needs replacing. What might be happening is that the bridge has been shaved so many times over the years that there is little left to work with. Especially after a neck reset dictates the bridge should sit higher than where yours most likely is. So yes, a new bridge would be in order. The downside to replacing a bridge that far off is it usually has to be oversized to cover the footprint of the old bridge. Not always the most delicate look. Pluggng pin holes through the top and BP is par for the course. My question is how long have you played this guitar? And you hadn't noticed the intonnation was that far off?

July 20th, 2007, 09:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
tele72 TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: atlanta Posts: 17	Thanks for the detailed reply! I recently acquired the D35 in a trade with the understanding that it needed work. So I sent it off right away to my tech to get 'right'. Only played it for a few minutes to check the tone - which is spectacular. As long as he's not pulling a fast one on me, which according to you sounds legitimate, I'm ok with the repairs needed. Thanks