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| Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16-2/32 https://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10137&t=57364 |
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| Author: | BobHowell [ Fri Oct 03, 2025 3:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16-2/32 |
Depress waist and bridge partially pulled loose. otherwise very clean and great shape. Is this a valuable make or cheap model. Where are guides to fixing this problem. Don't know search name. I have built 5 classicals from Cumpiano's book. But no idea how to raise center bout. Help What am I getting into Bob Howell |
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| Author: | bobgramann [ Fri Oct 03, 2025 4:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
I did a search for one to get an idea of value and came up with this: https://neiltamusic.com/en-us/products/ ... cal-guitar Is it possible that the harmonic brace has failed allowing the center of the soundboard to dip? I’ve seen a couple of classicals with the traditional 7-strut fan bracing where the top dipped between the bridge and the soundhole like the bridge torque overpowered the bracing. I don’t know how you’d easily fix that through the soundhole. I’d have a temptation to retop it. Or, maybe you get get the action to work out and just leave it as it is. I’ve made a number of classicals, always experimenting, trying to find a design that stands out. Earlier this year, I got to examine a 1962 Hauser II. It had the lightest fan struts on a classical I had ever seen. It sounded pretty good. The top had sunk quite a bit between the bridge and the soundhole. It sounded pretty good, but not amazing. I just finished making a copy. It’s the most responsive classical I have ever made! But, I wonder if the soundboard will sink in the middle like on the one I copied. For that sound, it might be worth having to rebuild it in 60 years. (It won’t be me who does that.) |
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| Author: | Hesh [ Fri Oct 03, 2025 6:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
Pictures please? We see classicals frequently especially this vintage 70's that need a neck reset. In this case vintage value is $1K or less there were some on Reverb too for in the $800's. These are not typically candidates for resets that cost as much as the value of one of these in great condition. They are also Spanish heels and not typically reset. So to make them work after any structural things such as a loose brace are repaired as Bob suggested it needs be we set them up and see where the action is. If the action is sky high which is what happened to them in time you take the saddle all the way down and make sure the nut slots are as low as possible and you can often add life to them by greatly reducing the action. Sometimes though it's not enough and that's why they get taken out of service. Generally speaking because of the cost and difficulty of the neck reset on a Spanish heel the economics of fixing these are not there. So for a commercial shop we would not touch it even if someone wanted to pay more than the instrument is worth. The repair is fraught with unknowns including if the glue used was even serviceable. As such they may become wall hangers. EDIT: Went away and thought about it and wanted to add typically when I suggest that in the commercial world this is not a repair that a busy shop would take in someone here will push back, stick their chest out and proclaim that they could fix. Great, knock yourself out. It can be repaired but there is risk so it's best as a labor of love or what we call a "project guitar." Then what typically happens on the OLF is someone says that they want the repair experience of repairing this one. The bridge reglue would be repair experience that would translate to other bridge reglues and would be good to learn. Resetting a Spanish heel has no learning value for an aspiring luthier other than what not to take in and make promises about.... It is not an operation that the vast majority of luthiers will ever do let alone do twice. There are exceptions, some do specialize, but that is not the norm. |
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| Author: | BobHowell [ Sat Oct 04, 2025 12:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
I was hoping for a magical fix but I guess it is not out there. Thinking like jacking up brace or adding new one but how? Bob |
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| Author: | Hesh [ Sun Oct 05, 2025 11:59 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
BobHowell wrote: I was hoping for a magical fix but I guess it is not out there. Thinking like jacking up brace or adding new one but how? Bob To properly answer your question we need more information from you such as the pictures I asked for previously please. Every loose brace, crack, etc is an individual and a proper repairperson's approach may vary tremendously depending on what the situation actually is. You asked "how" and that is what I am addressing. Generally speaking we, our shop uses jacks, clamps, weights, 42lb per square inch rare earth magnets, vacuum and even gravity. We also vary the glue we use for the application so I need more information to answer you. I need to know specifically what's broken if anything, what it looks like and anything else you can share. An outside pic of the entire instrument would be helpful too as well as using a straight edge to show the current neck angle. All these things are considerations when I have a guitar like your's on my bench to perhaps be worked on. Thanks. |
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| Author: | BobHowell [ Mon Oct 06, 2025 2:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
working on Pictures and owners interest in fix. Thanks for help. Bob |
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| Author: | BobHowell [ Wed Oct 15, 2025 8:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/68f0480639e97/IMG_0889.zip Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalkt This did not work out as planned Still working on pics Don’t see how anyone can see this |
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| Author: | Hesh [ Thu Oct 16, 2025 5:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
Yep I don't see a thing either. Thanks for your efforts Bob. You can post them directly here on the OLF but they have to be 200K or less if I recall correctly. So resizing them is key to posting them directly on the OLF. But thanks for your efforts Bob a lot of people struggle with posting pics on the OLF, sadly. |
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| Author: | BobHowell [ Thu Oct 16, 2025 12:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
I have succeeded in past. Reducing size. But now I’m using new IPad which has learning curve. Got to learn some time. Bob |
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| Author: | BobHowell [ Thu Oct 16, 2025 2:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
now have on PC desktop 91K but choosing is not working Where are instructions Cant find anything |
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| Author: | BobHowell [ Wed Oct 22, 2025 10:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
Trying again http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/68f8f5f1f1006/Class10-21.zip Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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| Author: | bobgramann [ Wed Oct 22, 2025 11:02 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Kawai classical with depressed soundboard at waist 1/16- |
There doesn't seem to be anything there, Bob. Sorry. |
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