MIMF

Hi Beate, I understand the bass VI has regular guitar tuners. you have decided to use bass tuners for this build. Why is this? Do you envisage there being an issue with ratio or the side of the holes through the tuning shafts themselves? Are you making purchase decisions based on measurements of a c...

On to steaming the heel block out of the neck block. i bought a hand held steamer, some injector hose and a football pump needle and constructed a steaming device. it didn't exactly go swimmingly. the heel block finally popped out after some technical difficulties surrounding the connection between ...

The headstock has at some time sustained a knock and there is a chip out of the plastic facing. P7221937.jpg While there were no holes drilled in the soundboard for pots thankfully a makeshift jack plate was attached over a crudely 'drilled' hole on the side of the body. this has been filled and san...

The Story so far: As mentioned above, I found the battered old Hofner on eBay one day while on holiday and thought that she could serve well as a practice piece in order to hone some restoration skills. little did I know what i was letting myself in for! P7221936.jpg P7221938.jpg initially i could t...

Beate Ritzert wrote: i did the fanned bracing - and that's an approach i would do once again.

I found that a very eloquent solution and enjoyed reading about it in the link you provided

Thanks Beate, I will continue to post pictures of my progress

Thanks Barry, I agree

Thanks Karl - frustrating is another adjective that might be pertinent :lol: Nevertheless, this evening the weights came off and the story is one of success! the arch has remained in place. while the curve isn't completely faultless it is within fractions of a millimetre which makes me a lot happier...

earlier i removed my braces once again and a thought occurred to me. i took my razor saw and cut away the glue joint on the back edge of my patch (closest to the bridge) found a small block and placed it under the collapsed section. with some pressure to the top i found that the fallen area would ra...

Yes the block I'm thinking if would not be fixed but would come off once the glue joint with the filler is set. I would then reintroduce braces back to provide the support. It may be that I would use maple again for it's added rigidity as opposed to spruce

Thanks for the input guys, I must admit it has been bothering me that this dip is presentbajd I'm worried that it will be incredibly evident when I apply the finish. If I did take it apart and redo the top my idea presently is to make a tall filler block in spruce this time then make a form for eith...

Thanks Brian, Your reponse gives me confidence. i fell in love with a friend's Congress many years ago and have always wanted one. i know what you mean about loud and brash. i may add a floating pickup to this guitar in the future if i like the way it turns out maybe a Benedetto S-6 or something. I ...

Hi Beate, Thank you for the reply and the link; it appears that we have had a similar idea and similar experiences. The previous work carried out to my Congress was very poorly executed and unfortunately the aperture for the pickup is quite unsightly and there is also scoring around the bridge area ...

I've been looking around the site for some time and used to be a much more active member. Life and funds have always made my building experience a slow one. While on holiday last week I decided to invest in a 'project' guitar. I found a 1961 Hofner Congress in very bad shape. I paid a little more th...

What type of acoustics? -Matt Hi Matt, A pair of OMs with euro spruce tops, Indian rosewood backs and sides with African mahogany necks. One will have rosewood bridge, fingerboard and head plate and the other will have ebony. Quite standard stuff for these first forays into the acoustic world. I ha...

The biscuit barrel?

Get the seam on the face of the guitar right first and you will avoid any unsightly matching miscalculations on the most visible part when you are involving a lot more glue

Thank you Eric the wood is bought and currently in transit for the next projects - 2 acoustics.

Thank you very much Dave!! They are a pretty standard cream as far as i know, they were just the cheapest ones i could find from a UK based vendor. They are likely just an all parts style generic replacement.

With modern sand papers and careful applications there are now many ways to achieve a good result without applying multiple thin passes of shellac, and many people buff with a glaze at the end of the French polishing but pure bread technique is to build you're coats with those little swirls over and...