Checking it out

Tonight I'm going to take a look at the top braces; I'll try to loosen some of the old fabric patches, maybe the bridge plate, and try to get a feel for what's going on there.

More bridge work

Yesterday I dry clamped the bridge, just to see if it might be re-usable. It's pretty far gone, but at the very least, I'll glue it back together and then have a nice template to work from as I make a new one.

Interior back braces

The back braces were so loose that they required little more than a whisper to come free.

The top three braces should go back in place with no trouble. The bottom portion of the guitar has old repairs which need to be re-done. This will call for the removal of some old linen patches, careful cleaning of the area, and then careful clamping and gluing to align the cracks. After those problem areas are dealt with, I'll glue in the last brace.

Once I have the braces and back strip glued back in place, I will attempt to clean the back up a little bit, and make it less dingy. I don't want to do this before I glue the braces in place, because moisture could cause the back plate to curl. The surfaces that I glue will, of course, be scraped clean of any old glue residue.

And now...

...the real work begins.

The back braces need to be re-glued. This will be the next project. As I consider the interior, and the many problems the top and sides have to offer, the back seems as if it will be the most straightforward step of the entire project.

Once I re-glue the old braces securely, I'll try to remove the layer of paint on the back. The hole will probably need to be patched too.

The bridge

There were screws in the bridge that went through the top and into a big piece of wood inside which spanned the X-brace. At some point--maybe in a misguided attempt to lower the action--these screws were tightened to the point that the bridge cracked and the top buckled. It was ugly, and undoubtedly spelled the end of [round 1 of] this instrument's playing days.

More Deconstruction

The neck came out quickly and easily. While I was at it, I thought I'd see how loose the back really was, and before I knew it, the back was free from the rims. Apparently, this old D-18 was the victim of neglect--maybe it even spent some time under water--and then left somewhere to dry for a long, long time. The glue joints between the back and sides were brittle. Using just my trusty putty knife, a small Buck knife, and a little brass hammer I worked my way around the guitar.

I had expected this to be a time consuming and difficult step, but instead the back came off almost effortlessly, without damage to the back, sides or kerf.

Neck Removal

The fingerboard extension area contrasts nicely with the painted top.

To remove the neck, I used the time-honored method. I removed the 14th fret, and drilled a small hole in the fingerboard in the center of the slot where the 14 fret once was, and then gently steamed the neck joint with a pressure cooker, hose, and bicycle pump needle. The neck came out easily.

The dovetail and the neck pocket show the precision work of the Martin factory. It was a clean, tight joint which had just enough glue to do the job, and no more.

Plan of attack

What a beast.

This old Martin dreadnought, looks like it's been through the war, taken prisoner, and badly treated while incarcerated.

After careful consideration, [and consultation with a true guitar repair expert] the decision has been made to remove the back and shore up all the problems inside.

I'll be taking the bridge and neck off first, then the back.

Once the body is fixed, and glued back together, I'll deal with the finish.

The top has been painted; if you look closely, you can see that a sunburst finish was attempted. The back and sides may retain an original finish, though if it is original, it is in poor condition. But, if it's original, I'd rather clean up what is there and let it be. As for the top...? We'll see.

187*** Upon Arrival

It's a '63 D-18, #187*** which has seen a lot of bad treatment in its 45 years. There are bashes, cracks, and repair attempts, all of which contribute to the overall run-down feel of the instrument. Last but not least, someone painted it. I'm hoping the paint was applied over the factory finish, but it'll be a while before I can make that determination. My goal is to put the guitar back into playing condition. If it can be made to look okay cosmetically too, that would be a bonus.

This old guitar has had a tough 46 years. It's been painted, smashed, and 'repaired.' It will never be a collector's item, which may be a good thing for some player out there. Structurally, it will take a fair amount of elbow grease for it to become a guitar again. The old attempts to repair it will need to be undone, and then redone. A good number of unrepaired cracks and bashes will need to be fixed. The bridge plate is broken, along with the bridge itself. Numerous braces inside will need to be re-glued at the very least. Finally, once it's all glued back together, the paint that covers the entire instrument--top, back, and sides--will need to be removed somehow, to reveal the real guitar below the surface. Then a new finish will need to be applied. Finally, the neck will more than likely need to be re-set before giving it a final set-up. I'll be picking away at this project as the time presents itself, but there's no real rush. The guitar has waited patiently to be rescued and put back in circulation. It's worth the effort, and I'm glad it came along.

This will be a fun job.