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I have a question regarding the bridge replacement on a guitar I am converting from right to left hand and refinishing...

When I removed the factory bridge it had two 1/4" dowels in addition to the glue holding it onto the top. What I found is that the factory had removed the top layer of plywood in the same shape as the bridge but smaller. It was the same length but not width.

This guitar is an inexpensive plywood guitar and the front side of the bridge, towards the sound hole, was down on the second layer of plywood. The backside of the bridge, away from the sound hole, was sitting on top of the first layer of plywood.

Now when I re-glue the new bridge, should glue it the same way, or...

1... Dremel Router and remove the top layer of plywood with my Dremel Router completely and glue the bridge down on the second layer again using the 1/4" dowels?

2... Dremel Router down a little deeper and glue in a piece of spruce and sand it down level with the top level and again use the 1/4" dowels then glue the bridge on it.

3... use one of the above options without the dowels.

???

_________________
Dean

3, you can pitch the dowels if you want. When we reglue bridges we often don't reinstall dowels, pins, bolts etc favoring a real good wood-to-wood glue joint with HHH instead.

Be sure to clean up all old glue from the bridge bottom and you can also make plugs to plug the dowel holes in both the bridge bottom and the ply top. I would also continue to use the multi ply arrangement on the top as is but devoid of old glue.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Agreed!

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So leave it like they had it with the back of the bridge sitting on the top layer of plywood and the front of the bridge sitting on the second layer of plywood? And, using the dowel pins to only plug the holes.

_________________
Dean