doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT- Vintage guitar 1937

Chuck,

Mark Simon is the right man for this job. It would be like bringing you Purdey to David Trevallion for a stock repair. Then when it is done you can leave it with me for ten or fifteen years to make sure it is not due to the dry conditions in Ca. Your guitar looks like it is in great condition otherwise. I would not even consider refinishing the entire top. Instrument repairs have more to due with sound than cosmetics. I hope you do bring it to NJ, I'd love to see it up close.

Bill G.

Guitars are interesting in that they are one of the few products in which they are surrounded by more pretense than guns.

If you think having a gun that was once owned by Elmer Keith or Elvis is something to brag about, just try owning a guitar that was once owned by Ledbelly Jackson or Geronimo Geremiah.

Some info you might find useful http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/default.htm

This is why this board is great.

Bill, My wife travels to WDC for biz on Sept 10-11 and then on to her sis's in Bridgewater the 12th. So, I'm thinking I may try to get to Bridgewater on the 12th thru that weekend. I'll let you know in a while.

Beautiful guitar, Chuck. If you have problems tuning it, that is, getting it tuned perfectly (you think) and then play several chords only to find one string is out (often the 2nd or 3rd string), here is some help. I've found this tuning technique very useful. -- Ed

Go here: http://users.adelphia.net/~cygnusx_1/equal_temperament.html

Chuck:

This may give you some idea:

http://www.umanovguitars.com/store/browse.asp?cat=630&path=600,630

Bouvier

Anybody looking for a Gibson pear-back (not an F-style) "trap-door"--mandolin that is?

jack

" Chuck, If you Google"Froggy Bottom Guitars" VT. My Good Friend Michael Millard Has 'Refurbished ' both my D18 Martin, and my early 1960s Harmony 12 String(One of the last Spruce-Tops)The Martin became Damaged in a Bar in Portsmouth, NH.(Irish Night!!)The 12 string actualy 'Floated in the creek at the Friendship,Indiana Muzzle Loading Shoot,1976.Buckskin Booze from Gallon Jugs helped it get there!!!I did my best after drying it out to play it for the next 11yrs. But the parties on board Boats in Maine, took their toll!!! I met Mike, Guns Introduced us, Then we traded Work for Work,He has a Spec, Edit. Grulla,12/16 combo,That needed a Little Repair,I had a 'buggeredHarmony 12, and the Martin Finger-Board & frets from 'nut' to the 7th were almost non-excitant(sp) Mike did a Superb Restoration job on them both. His is a "Luthier"(sp)of the 1st Water!!!That really is a Grand Looking Gibson and built in a Great Era. CC/trevallion

Guitars are made to be played, oily fingers and strings kept in pitch(A440).
Giggin' will get you a few nicks, but thats what keeps 'em up-to-snuff.

You need to get it to a top luthier, one I know of is http://www.guitarspecialist.com/

A friend inherited the same guitar from his father. You DO NOT want the top refinished if at all possible, it can destroy the tone that took 60+ years to develope. You want the crack fixed and braces checked, reglued if necessary, The neck needs to be properly set, etc.

Do your home work first. A guy who may be a specialist in acoustics may not be up to snuff on hollow body F hole styles.

Rob