Cost of replacing a dreadnaught's back

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

That ebay D55 with everything ruined except the back has me wondering. What would it cost to swap the backs of two dreadnaughts? I assume the bracing inside would be the same on each, so you could leave the bracing alone.

 

[chazmo]

That ebay D55 with everything ruined except the back has me wondering. What would it cost to swap the backs of two dreadnaughts? I assume the bracing inside would be the same on each, so you could leave the bracing alone.

Well, assuming the dimensions are exactly accurate for swapping (which is maybe asking alot for two old Guilds), let's see.

You've gotta get the binding off the back. I don't know if Guild used cyanoacrylate (crazy glue) to apply the bindings on older guitars, but I think you could heat/melt the glue off the old binding. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be salvageable though once you pulled it off. Then, I guess you just start cutting, trying to avoid the back braces. You'll cut through the kerfing (unless there's some way to get that off -- I don't think so, but maybe a hair drier could blow hot air in through the removed binding...)

I don't know. Sometimes I'd love to try my hand at something like that, but I doubt I ever will.

Cost? I'd easily expect north of a grand Darryl.

 

[West R Lee]

On that particular guitar, I really don't know which shocks me the most Darryl, that someone has bid $1600 on that bon fire refugee, or that the bid didn't meet the seller's reserve! :shock: :shock: 4 days left.

West

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Chaz,

I didn't know that getting off binding is such a process. I also assumed there would be a way to do ut without damaging any kerfing, but I guess there isn't. So I think it would be a rare situation that this would be worth doing.

West,

I thought maybe an Austin fan would want it. Maybe the high bid is by somebody for whom money is no object.

 

[cjd-player]

Don't know what type of glue Guild used, or other manufacturers for that matter, but if it was done in the traditional style (the right way), they used hide glue. Then all of the joints (except for the binding) could simply be steamed apart for repairs. No need to cut any kerfing or anything for that matter.

 

[chazmo]

cjd probably has it right. So, maybe heat/steam is all you need to get things apart. That would certainly be preferable, eh?

 

[hideglue]

Later Westerly Era:
Binding was adhered using a Duco cement-like glue. Hideglue was used primarily on neck-sets only.
Kerfing and braces were adhered with yellow/white glue, and that explains a lot of the "shoddy" squeeze out you more than occasionally see inside a Westerly Guild.

 

[cjd-player]

The yellow/white PVA glues can still be steamed apart. But not as easily as hide glue.




Hey hideglue,

Do you need to avoid high-humidity locations to keep from coming apart? :mrgreen:

Guess you don't shower. :shock:

 

[chazmo]

Later Westerly Era:
Binding was adhered using a Duco cement-like glue. Hideglue was used primarily on neck-sets only.
Kerfing and braces were adhered with yellow/white glue, and that explains a lot of the "shoddy" squeeze out you more than occasionally see inside a Westerly Guild.

Thanks for that info, hideglue! I was wondering why my new (old) F-50R had such apparently sloppy kerfing glue. I guess that was unavoidable when the top was finally glued on.

So, really, getting the binding off is really the only tricky part of this in that you'll probably destroy that (or perhaps not). Cool.