Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco

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Firefrets -> Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:17:27)
Meet Jessica (I like to give them all a name). She's a rather old Flamenco guitar, probably built in the 1920's, so around 100 years old. She's a very simple, rustic guitar, and certainly nothing like a Santos etc, but she has a certain charm. She 'was' perfectly happy sat in storage while I dealt with other work, but a luthier friend who has a taste for old Flamenco peg heads dropped enough hints to persuade me to let her jump the queue, so I'll be restoring this guitar for 'his' entertainment. You know who you are ha ha. Now I'm going to bore the pants off you by posting the entire restoration from start to finish. [sm=tongue.gif] I'd also like to give Stephen Eden a mention. Over the years Stephen has been very supportive, which has helped me tremendously. His kindness and mentoring enabled me to take everything to a whole new level. Thank you mate x [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551416745_5e3e163131_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551312298_34cf4d7abd_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551312318_ed4e783fe1_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551312303_7497f18af2_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54550202267_de6fc50411_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54550202257_1f0dc7933d_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551258894_74679f4cd0_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:22:40)
There's quite a lot of work needed. The most complicated by far is the separation of the back seam. She's very dry, and so plenty of cracks. The rosette area in particular needs a lot of intricate salvage work, and we're going to need to splice the soundboard in a few places. The bridge needs a lot of consideration. I'll need to remove and reglue it, do some pearl inlays, and repair some string damage etc. The fretwork will need to be removed, the fingerboard planed, and the original frets replaced and reworked. The headstock is going to need a lot of peg work, and there's lots of hair line cracks on the back which is going to make taking her apart a delicate affair. The neck and headstock has been painted at some point, and they've used a type of impenetrable fence paint which is difficult to remove, but it looks terrible so has to come off. I can keep going, but we haven't even opened her up yet, so there'll be plenty of other work needed once I'm inside. You rarely get in without having to create more damage, but if I can keep it to a minimum then we'll be off to a good start. Then there's putting everything back together again, and of course trying to get the neck angle spot on, with a bridge design that has no saddle. The top is going to need a bit of fresh polish if she's to survive the next hundred years, as definitely not enough to protect her, and of course I'll have other finish work to do after the repairs, but she'll look the part when completed. So, let's get started ..... [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54550244357_d9f89c5ae8_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551416470_8b9df17f05_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551462905_c5215263b4_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551306874_f3ebb6d57a_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551375423_979d1a0451_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551321359_b06370bcc7_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551375028_201c2c8c0e_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:26:27)
100 years of dirt and fluff greet me on the way in. The back took some time to remove, but overall went very well. The top of the heel block on one side has failed at some point and came away with the back. The surface is quite oxidised so likely an old wound. If I try to remove it it can cause more trouble than it's worth. It will throw me off centre a bit but the trade off is ok. Guitars are just pieces of wood glued together, so absolutely of no concern. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551460264_bba3cb5204_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551522558_ef69d24932_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551470119_1520a06233_b.jpg[/img] The most important tool in my workshop ... [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551332736_1acd3e40e2_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:27:42)
I want to keep things original where possible, so removing braces without harming them is important, and no better way to do it than with a razor blade, and a little heat from an air gun when required. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551669085_ae12737a68_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551523919_4ebd7ca559_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54550472697_848024c5d7_b.jpg[/img] The seam cleats are going to be replaced, so I hit them with a small brass hammer. The shock from the hammer releases them, and I clear up afterwards with a sharp chisel. Throughout, the back (and the top) will get thoroughly repaired. It's the subtle stuff that accounts for a lot of the work, that is too 'boring' to fully document, but from the moment you open a guitar up to the moment you close the box, the subtle stuff is endless. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551531934_94e60765d1_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551591118_47cd8dd16e_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:31:23)
Nitromors unfortunately won't remove the paint, so I'm going to have to do it the hard way. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551557294_7119ea7106_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551557284_73ccffc7d6_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551377446_dc8c747e25_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551713430_6edd7f7cd8_b.jpg[/img] I deal with a few knots, with dust and superglue, and will prep everything prior to finishing later down the road. It's important that I was able to establish that the paint wasn't added to cover up repairs, or damage. Obviously somebody didn't think the wood was up to their standard, so hid it. I'm much more comfortable with the old guitars having lesser visual quality. There were 2 world wars, and a Spanish civil war to deal with, so guitar makers had to build with what ever they could get their hands on in those days. She'll look great once I've finished. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54550500932_55e7fc8f29_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:33:31)
I needed accuracy so I decided to make a new shooting board. It doubles as a work board so nice and wide. I can clamp to it etc without needing to put it in a vice. 4 MDF boards, glued offset, and ran through my jointer, which I should have done in my other workshop, as the dust extractor on it is a shambles. I don't like the feel of MDF so gave it two rag coatings of Garnet. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552372860_0f1b72be58_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552198293_ed2f4fdc26_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552242913_5cbdbe2fde_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551751645_b4d5c97ff8_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:34:35)
I probably spent a day dealing with anything I felt was needed before I started to joint everything. Some old cracks, some new ones, anything I could find while I had the luxury of being able to access the guitar. I have different ways of dealing with cracks depending on their location. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552068146_f8e69d31c4_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552306588_f8dc005ef9_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552257679_4f5c8dcf35_b.jpg[/img] I considered going with walnut and staining it, but eventually decided to use rosewood. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54551228332_84238e3d99_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552305424_00491dc679_b.jpg[/img] Here I've used superglue to stick masking tape together, which allows me to run a thin strip of rosewood over the edge of the shooting board. I think I switched to my number 5 plane eventually. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552104026_1d345caa87_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552135211_c4f2c747d0_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:38:52)
So how on earth am I going to glue everything together? I needed to invent something loosely based on a jointing set up, but one where I could bring round edges together, as opposed to flat plates. The basic idea was to draw the outline of the guitar, drill a hole right on the edge, and cut slots out on the band saw. The string can then get a grip rather than slide off. I'd love to see how other luthiers would overcome this, so please chime in ... [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553387884_9761a2f4ae_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553204416_cfee2c5d30_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553387874_28d391f1f9_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552328912_59d7c60dcd_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552328917_68526d49f0_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553445168_63d90f82b1_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553445173_547a2d9fb0_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553543945_9dd18442fc_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552328892_b5edf8c9d5_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553387829_79100356d6_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552328882_d93d697e65_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552328857_df0529e3cc_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553543910_7a1dd7b839_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552328862_c70a3db32e_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553543900_36b5a226d8_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:42:58)
In order to get the braces in the right place, I just put my hand through the soundhole, and blindly drew around them. I've reduced the radius a little, and used little wedges on my go bar deck to help respect the radius during glue up. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552354092_2abe356616_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553229596_0ce562367e_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553229601_506a64f39d_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553229586_30bab6f2d2_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552354007_ba0486f12f_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553569635_27d3aefae0_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553412869_57125d50f1_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:49:19)
Let's make some seam cleats ... I'm going to add a few extra cleats than the builder added. I thought about adding another brace, but I want to keep the guitar original and not interfere. Nor am I going to add any fan braces etc, as the guitar sounds fine without me interfering, and is incredibly lightly built. The seam cleats will end up around 10mm wide, maybe 20mm in width, and around 1mm by the time I'm finished. I don't want pure while cleats jumping out when you look through the soundhole, so I age the cleats a little. A line of tape helps me to line them up like pretty maids in a row. If the back seam ever opens up again, it won't be because of a lack of effort on my part. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553245691_5c71683756_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553486778_b93f634d6c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553486763_0111a82c83_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553486743_dc4de08033_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553486758_5b64dd5845_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552370602_e443c17781_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553486703_e81485b4da_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552370587_a65ee39f1c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553586540_c060e01096_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553429089_e2396ac3d2_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553586490_9290e4bbe6_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553245611_d3ac170a83_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553429094_1fb19e866d_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:50:28)
Time to fill a few cracks with a piece of spruce ... Splicing the soundboard is something you have to do a lot in restoration. It's become expected now, so much that I've almost got it down to a fine art. I can't always get the perfect piece of spruce, so can only do my best, but they'll always be better than a wide gaping crack. Don't throw your cut offs out guys. Send them to me ... [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552392692_265a91c308_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553508423_ce1ee3f638_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553451784_5e99db659b_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552392657_1cbd7d06cf_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552392677_4d2950e4de_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553451764_00ee2fc7bc_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552392642_4ff14779be_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553508373_c4c8f881a2_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553609020_e7d710a061_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553451724_9e14baeca4_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553267981_fb930777dd_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553508353_46c25f1c6e_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553267986_1b829f08c6_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553609000_716dbb092b_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:51:43)
Time to start work on the rosette ... The rosette needs a lot of work, and so I have to think outside the box a bit. A thick plane shaving will help me here. I don't want to make the area look new, and so I'd quite like to leave many scars. It would be so easy to sand everything down, and perfectly smooth, but then I would lose a lot of character. Once I've done enough gluing, added the inlays I need etc, I then make a quick glue wash, using water, and go around the entire rosette. I do this twice. It will seal any cracks up that I can't find, and once dry the surface will look normal. No need for any sanding or scraping other than to level my own repairs. There's a lot of detailing which I haven't discussed. Know that stuff you'll never see probably makes up for 50% of the work in a restoration. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean the work hasn't been done. It's just too complicated to go in to detail on right now, but other luthiers won't need an explanation. I'm not teaching here, just sharing. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553648480_22de395425_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553491794_53c37aaf75_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553307691_c7ed7f8a8b_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552431972_800fb71e3c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553547953_3bc77d300a_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553307671_b439c0066a_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552431937_945044d625_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553307651_cf5665ae2a_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553307646_7a4fb03ccc_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553307611_785316f0a0_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552431882_5eebe5d525_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552431887_a22d21904c_b.jpg[/img] Adding little messages to yourself during a job is very wise. It only takes a second to forget not to add tape to the top. There's very little finish on the top, and the tape will pull up anything it feels like if I'm not careful. Any time I add tape, I have to be extremely careful. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553307621_ffebf63f76_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:58:37)
Time to deal with the frets and fingerboard ... Well, there's been a fair bit of shrinkage over the decades, and the fingerboard needs a lot of work. The neck angle isn't too bad, nor is the relief, but I'm not spending this much time on a guitar, and then not make her the best she can be, so all the frets were removed, and the fingerboard planed. I didn't need to remove too much material. However the fingerboard needed lot of nourishing back to life. Some small repairs, some stain, a few different oils, and a bit of shellac to seal the dye. By the time I do a final prep before refretting she'll look great! If I need to edit the neck angle at all once done, (it can change slightly on the box closing) I have plenty of fingerboard to work with. I'm fairly confident that she'll be close enough though. I'll need to decide whether or not to put the old frets back in. If I put new frets in, I can be done in a few hours. If I have to start reshaping the old frets, and levelling etc, it can take half a day, and to be honest I really don't like having to start reshaping at fret 1, knowing there's another 20 or so to go. It drains the living daylights out of you, but a necessary evil unfortunately if you want to preserve originality. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553514684_6332b2821f_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553570228_4e73bdc56c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552454047_881313dd8a_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553514674_e4cb588a3b_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553670685_ab0ff5a202_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552454022_c581eb61db_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553670665_33f2bec455_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553570183_82ac513ab1_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553328896_b151d0cd43_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553328886_ced62ccb86_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553328881_f8209eb118_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553538044_0e5dfcec52_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553670630_58aaf52b96_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553570123_2ff26b9fe7_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553514594_202e57c2d4_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552453967_c1623f1176_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553570118_8ba76849d7_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553514574_951fe0d8fc_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553670600_d026b7ca50_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552453942_de12fab1ba_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552453932_2f94fa4a85_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553514539_27651d78fa_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553670575_13110220b1_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553670580_8f7ec49386_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 14:59:46)
A few miscellaneous jobs in the area ... [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553351701_f1fc1c2a5a_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553593733_d261a1e554_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552476742_561f6b008c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553351696_994c6acae0_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552476757_c5a8cf61e4_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553538039_d43203ab9a_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 15:01:53)
Time to remove the bridge ... I've taken so many bridges off it's becoming a regular routine. I use different techniques, but here I'm using a little heat, mostly on the spatula. Sometimes they come off easy, and sometimes you have to work a bit harder. The bridge has definitely been off before. There's a piece of spruce missing underneath the bridge. It's not to be found so I'll deal with it. As soon as the bridge was off, a hairline crack appeared either side, so I immediately added some containing cleats, which then allow me to work the area without the crack opening further. I added an inlay, and either side of the inlay, I added some wood paste, made of spruce dust and glue. This is much better than simply filling a void with glue. Now the area is super strong again, so I treated it like a seam, and cleated a little more. The cleats are again very thin, around 1mm by the time I'd finished, and slope off to zero around the edges. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553568384_c8f569d3a1_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552507357_fb4cd7b2bb_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553724500_6ddaac62f9_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552507352_9e0f10eaa6_b.jpg[/img] I cut right through so I know I'll catch everything. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553724475_b318c752b2_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552507317_8a3d3307dc_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553568294_81e9192c51_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552507312_b6d89a0513_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553724410_6abce56cf3_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553568249_706c78df4c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553724415_6c9250851c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553568244_c54a9d8f49_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 15:03:41)
Time to do a bit of work on the bridge ... This is a very unusual bridge, and obviously needs a little help. The front of the bridge acts as a saddle. I'm not going to touch that yet, and any work on that will get done when I set the guitar up, hopefully after finding all my efforts have been worthwhile. If not, I'll deal with it all again slightly differently, but for now, I need to add some mother of pearl, and do something about the string scars, as they've been eating in to the bridge for a century. In order to work with the MOP, I glue a backing board to it. Then I cut it oversized in my band saw, then use my belt sander until close, then fit the rest by hand, sanding etc as I go. Everything will get more cosmetic attention once she's on the guitar, as no point trying to be too clever before clamping, and fitting. I can age the mother of pearl in many ways, but just a bit of Garnett shellac will offer a beautiful result. Like the top, the bridge would benefit from a little finish. Also, I need to give some thought on how I'll keep the bridge from sliding out of position under clamping pressure. If I'd have been smarter, I could have done it where the MOP inlays are. Normally I'll drill through the saddle slot and throw a few toothpicks in. I guess having been fairly successful in getting a decent colour on the repairs, I can perhaps drill through and just fill the holes afterwards. I'm undecided yet, and will figure it all out in my sleep and wake up with a plan. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553748920_e2664d1e10_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553406561_15cca4e9e3_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553648053_3aa99c0487_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553592434_4dd07ebece_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553748835_9ae6cb8d6d_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552531092_9681b95783_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553748885_30eab90c6d_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552531087_cb3cf39626_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553748870_df855780a7_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553592399_4359e4cb83_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553648023_6ace42e44e_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552531037_4548d565b3_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553592379_ca7f5c76b8_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553592374_30e67a89ca_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553592359_ed42e6d209_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553648008_5451a2ae11_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553406446_31536dde2f_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552530947_473a6a3ecc_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553592314_a7d7a5f5f0_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 15:04:47)
A little more work on the bridge ... I don't want to make the bridge look 'new', so all I'm after is to return a little structural stability. She was a real mess as you can imagine. Once I finish the structural side of the guitar, I'll improve things further, across the entire guitar, before doing the cosmetics. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553406436_fb12e31f09_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553748785_9991dc8469_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552530922_2751a2db1c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552530917_efe6e0462a_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553406391_2a4452fc34_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553406341_320cd24f1e_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552530872_1d2c8aa44b_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553748730_284ab6b681_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552530867_daeabdd7ca_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 15:06:29)
Time to close the box ... I've done loads of subtle stuff not documented, but once I'm happy that the guitar is structurally sound, a quick clean, and time to glue up. Obviously I've given a lot of thought to the process, and many dry runs. I set my spool clamps to the right size 'before' I start to glue, otherwise it would take a long time to mess around with them later. I only do half a guitar at a time. We're not fitting an oversized back here, and so it needs to be as close as I can get it, without adding stress to the guitar, and of course myself. This morning I went back in and did the other half, and that's where I'm up to at the moment... I'll post some more once I get time x [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553629224_af9a9dc482_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552568022_b64a0fd760_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54552567982_740df240c1_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553685608_1708f27886_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553786675_8574c37322_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553786645_cf2bcb4ba7_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553443406_7951d5a044_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553629169_9f8f749364_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54553786650_eddb9847fb_b.jpg[/img]

Morante -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 15:56:52)
!Olé¡ Maestro Firefrets. One of the most intersting posts I have seen on foropseudoflamenco[:D] Enhorabuena.

RobF -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 29 2025 16:58:27)
Great pictorial and very enjoyable reading! 👍👍

constructordeguitarras -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 30 2025 2:37:36)
Wow, what a lot of work! I mean taking all those photos. Thank you. Fun to see. Don't you want to have a bridge with a saddle?

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 30 2025 5:54:44)
She has a saddle if we look at things from a different angle. It's just not the type of saddle we're accustomed to with the modern Spanish guitar. We have to ask ourselves 'what is a saddle?'. Guitars have evolved over time, and certainly early guitars weren't made in the same way. A modern saddle has become something we take for granted. I have to work with what I have in front of me, so it's not a case of what I want so much.

silddx -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 30 2025 6:56:26)
This is a brilliant read. Thanks so much for taking the time to post it. Really looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

Manitas de Lata -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 30 2025 8:58:22)
massive work..... please shows us some sound when possible

estebanana -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 31 2025 3:55:19)
You need a bigger set of hammers. You could take some restorers license and cut that bridge down and shape it better. And build up a saddle slot hump and give it a saddle. That bridge is a disaster. Sometimes we are allowed to make judgment calls on bridges because it’s the most important part.

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 31 2025 8:07:05)
Why is the bridge a disaster? Let's give it a chance first before worrying. My plan is to first see how she sets up and plays with the original bridge. If I need to intervene I can. It's important that these old designs exist for posterity. I have some options if I need them, but these big jobs are fairly normal for me, so I never rush in. I want the guitar to tell me her story first, listen, then reply if that makes sense.

estebanana -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 31 2025 9:09:55)
I wouldn’t worry too much about saving that bridge in particular. I had a guitar restoration about a year and a half ago, I posted it here. I re cut the bridge to suit what I calculated to be a good lighter design for the era of the inexpensive Japanese classical. Afterwards Richard Brune’ sent me an email confirming that my handling of the situation was very good. A suggestion, weigh the bridge and find out how many grams it is. If it’s much over 22 or 23 grams it very likely to be too heavy. If it were me, I’d want that bridge to be about 20 grams. Another thought is to keep the design, but replace that wood section that wedge shaped part of wood with a glued on piece of bone. And get rid of the trenches the strings were sitting in. The strings shouldn’t be trapped in slots at the bridge, they should go over a hard surface. Recheck the compensation when you glue it back on. Overall my plan is working here. I emplored and semi bullied you to take restoration lessons so you could then teach me advanced restoration techniques that I could cop off you for free.

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 31 2025 12:28:36)
Ha ha, I've copped plenty for free from you over the years so I guess there's some payback coming your way. [sm=Smiley Guitar.gif] The bridge is 18g. The guitar is 912g. By the time we add the pegs, the frets, and a nut the whole guitar will weigh around 980g. Let's not rush in with the bridge. It's an interesting design, and one I think I can make work, but I'm very happy to listen to ideas. Ultimately, I want to be patient. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54556757412_2d5069f39c_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54557822359_973e4a7517_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 31 2025 20:40:48)
I'm slightly off centre after all the manipulation during clamping, but I'm over the moon with the overall fit I was able to achieve. She's right in the ballpark I need in order to give myself a chance of a nice seam. Inlays are normally cut after the back is on so I'm not going to widen the inlay just to be anal. If you offered me the result I've achieved so far I'd have bitten your hand off. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54558268606_071ec448bf_b.jpg[/img]

Firefrets -> RE: Restoration of a 100 year old Flamenco (May 31 2025 20:41:52)
The inlay was shrunken slightly, and actually a little long. I cut it from the narrow end, so it slips in to a tighter fit, but still she's a little undersized. So rather than cut a new piece, I make some wood dust paste, from dust from my bandsaw, Titebond, and a little wood dye. This will help me to raise the rosewood slightly, nearer to flush. Slightly under isn't a bad result either, as that's how they naturally go. It squishes out the sides filling the gaps. It just dries better than if you were to just use glue. No cosmetics have been done yet, but that's what I did with the inlay. The rosewood strip will then be trimmed flush when I do the perimeter. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54558457094_495a627cc9_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54558268731_9c81b10ffa_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54558457074_789dd3ba3d_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54557393187_35e0886a82_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54557393197_b286823a91_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54558511833_072ee8433b_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54558511778_294f00e021_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54558268601_d508802f13_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54558894645_2c6fc7d640_b.jpg[/img] After standing there like a dummy for a few minutes pressing down, I then clean up slightly, and add 'stretched' tape across. The tape will show me the outline of the inlay if it raises, and so I continue to press down until the tape stays flat. [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54557393147_bb31fd97d5_b.jpg[/img] [img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54558268606_071ec448bf_b.jpg[/img]

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