Official Luthiers Forum!

I am wondering if anyone has come across needing to replace a bridge plate
on an old guitar without taking a plate off. Any steps to this process would
be helpful. Thanks

I have used the heating pad sold by Luthiers mercantile. Blues creek guitars has em I believe. You make a clamping caul and clamp it on for a few minutes then reach through the soundhole and pry it off. I use a screwdriver I bent in to J shape and i work it under from the backside there is more room to get at it. You can pull it that way. It doesn't always come of that neat. Sometimes it will break in pieces and it can take some top fibers. I think this is the normal way now. I don't think anyone would remove the top to do this. That just creates more unnecessary work. Mike

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

There is a pretty good picture tutorial over on STEWMAC's site that should help you with bridge plate repair.

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Reguards,

Ken H

Thanks to you both! : )

Ken the stewmac lesson does not teach you how to remove a bridge plate it just teaches you how to do a repair to the worn whole using their special tools. Useless if you have a cracked bridge plate. How come all their tutorials require their special tools? Heres a much bettter tutorial from frank ford at Frets.com Check this site out its the best for learning repair methods.
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Str uctural/NewBridgePlate/newbrplt1.html

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

Here is a tool I made with an old file. Heated, bent, sharpened. I think I got this from Frank Ford