Major Repairs Explained

We often are presented with many instruments in need of repair, some requiring extensive work that only a skilled repairman should handle. Maybe you have been presented with the following phrases: neck reset, bridge reglue, fret crowning/replacement, or bracing reglue. In this article we will explain what these repairs entail and the problems associated with repairs. As a word of caution, this article could lead to "medical-student paranoia", in which you believe your instrument may need these repairs. We highly stress that only skilled repairmen can identify these problems and perform the repairs needed.

Bridge Reglue

Using paper to gauge the depth of a bridge pulling away from the top.

Bridge reglues are common for instruments that have been improperly stored, or for lower priced instruments in which the bridge was improperly attached to the body. The bridge will initially pull away at the rear (away from the strings) as the string tension essentially pulls the bridge off the body. If left unrepaired, the bridge could completely pull off of the body, taking large sections of the top with it. If a small gap is visible between the bridge and body, try slipping a thin piece of paper between the joint to determine how far the bridge has pulled away from the top.

This repair requires a luthier to heat up the remaining glue on the bridge (without damaging the bridge, top, or finish), clean up the gluing area, and then reglue the bridge to the clean area on the top. Placement and adequate gluing is essential, and a skilled hand can perform this repair with no effect to the appearance. Many times on lower priced instruments with heavy gloss finishes, some finish may need to be removed to allow the glue to make a strong bond between the bridge and top. If the bridge has pulled away some of the top wood as well, care must be taken to match the splintered wood with the respective divot on the top.

Low frets in need of replacement, too low to recrown

Fret Leveling/Crowning
Replacement

After multiple years of playing, the nickel frets on instruments tend to wear down, creating divots along the width of the fret. These divots can lead to poor intonation, uneven playing feel, and buzzing. If you notice deep divots under regularly played notes, or are noticing fretboard wear in these same areas, a leveling/recrowning or refret may be needed.

A fret recrowning and leveling requires a luthier to file the frets down from the top so an even plane is achieved across the tops of the frets. Specialized files are then required to reshape the fret to allow a clean break for the string to ride over. If the frets are already quite low, or the divots too deep, some frets will need to be replaced, leveled and crowned. This requires the repairman to carefully pull the existing fret out without damaging the fingerboard, and to install the new fret securely and neatly (protruding fret ends are not acceptable). Instruments with fretboard bindings require extra care as removing or reinstalling the frets improperly will damage the binding. A good refret/leveling/crowning will ensure pure sounding notes with easy playability across the whole fretboard.

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