WezV - Antique Parlour restoration

WezV

He's a maine coon, I also have 2 other maine coon crosses in the house, and a normal sized tabby.

Most of them are rescues/fosters.

BillDL

That accounts for his size.  He's a lovely looking cat.  They love staking out their territory just as he has done with the guitar.  I remember every time I used to lay out a guitar on the table to work on it my cats would be up sitting on it and trying to oust the other from the new throne.  Comical animals.

WezV

Back is repaired ready to go back on.

WezV

I've started cleaning up the top.   The aim is to remove the existing finish, but not the wear.  It seems to be a mix of original French polish and a later attempt at re oiling it.

Anyway, it starts to come off with elbow grease and isopropyl... maybe I should go straight to paint thinner instead.

Still a long way to go, but the spruce is starting to reveal itself again and this should give a good base for a appropriate finish that shows its age





Also, there is a slight bellying of the top under the bridge.   Part of me is tempted to fit a bridge doctor tosolve that and take away many of the string tension worries that come with these things.

ICBM

WezV said:

Also, there is a slight bellying of the top under the bridge.   Part of me is tempted to fit a bridge doctor tosolve that and take away many of the string tension worries that come with these things.

I would probably just put very light strings on it, maybe silk & steels. It's never going to be, nor needs to be, a loud guitar, so there's no benefit in over-stringing it to try to get more volume.

(I'm not a believer in using high string tension to 'drive the top', unless the guitar is designed and built specifically for it.)

WezV

I was thinking newtone heritage strings, which start from 94lbs* on a set of 10s... but I might push up to 11s at 115lbs if I'm confident it will be stable.    They are comparable to silk and steel in that regard 

*That's on a 25" scale length,  this is 24.5" so slightly lower.

SteveF

What a cool old guitar!

BillDL

I'm really intrigued by what's hanging next to it on the wall.  Some obscure Godin model, or is that one of your own builds?

WezV

this one
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/248019/wezv-building-an-electric-with-the-laser-cutter#latest

BillDL

Wow!  I missed that thread.  I really love that guitar.

Penn

BillDL said:

Wow!  I missed that thread.  I really love that guitar.

Yeah, it’s cool! 

WezV

i've got some streaky ebony I think will make a nice bridge.  it will probably get a brown stain to make it match the rosewood fretboard a bit better


I've roughly shaped it, lots more carving to do.  it's slightly oversize compared to the original, but not by much.  

Chris.B

This is a fascinating project. It's great to see so much skill and care being used to restore a lovely old instrument.

WYNIR0

I am enjoying this thread immensely .

WezV

Thanks, glad it's not just me that is interested in these things.


Looking at the bridge, I'm tempted to fill the exting string holes and move the pins back a bit from their original location. 

WezV

The bridge holes have been drilled out slightly larger and plugged with new wood.


I've also put some cleats on the inside.   They look a little random, but the aim is to not have then all sitting perfectly in line along the same grain, or that becomes the location of the next split.

I've also cleaned up the back edge ready for the plate to be glued back on


But obviously it doesn't quite fit now.


It's not far out, and I may be able to align it all during clamping... but this wood is very old and brittle so that becomes a bit riskier.   It's time to do some dry clamping and see what will and won't work

WezV

Tuner button experiments

I've cut a load of 15mm circles from this acetal rod.



Not a bad size match for the original buttons


As a test I drilled a quick hole into one, warmed uo the shaft and pushed the button on.  It's wonky because I hand drilled and didn't push it all the way on, but it is actually on very firmly, so I'm happy this material will work well



The next test is if I can discolour it.  Seems like I can with a quick test with colron scratch filler.


Not an exact match for the old ones, but I think this will work well.

Next I will make a jig for drilling and shaping so I can fit them properly.

BillDL

It's amazing how much really finicky work can go into making some small and apparently simple things like tuner buttons.  I think the stained modern material one you showed looks excellent.

If you have any of the old solvent-based (turpentine?) Colron or Ronseal wood stain/dye in something like antique pine, I've found that it is able to impregnate some plastics and leaves the plastic stained permanently even after the surface residue is wiped off.  I've used it for bridge pins, tuner buttons, scratchplates and control covers, switch tips, knobs and pickup covers.  I wouldn't leave the parts soaking in it, but brushed on and left for about 20 minutes it stains the plastics.  Some trial and error is needed and if there is an inconsistency in the plastic it can leave them slightly different shades or blotchy on larger surfaces.

WezV

I have fiebings leather dye in a couple of brown shades, and tend to keep walnut and antique pine spirit stains around for tints and relics.  Between them I should be able to get a nice colour. . Worse case I spray the buttons

BillDL

My initial thoughts had been of using some ebony from an old fretboard or similar, and making them look well worn and aged, but I think the ivory / bone appearance will match the guitar much better.