Inside the guitar

**supersoul** · 10-03-2024, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

I see a repair on the top too.

It's not a repair. There are cleats on the center seam. You can also see one on the bottom.

**supersoul** · 10-03-2024, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by HiFi Mule2Ride

Very cool. Looks like a creepy attic space in an old house. Check for bats. ?

lol, I like bats. They have excellent hearing. Ultrasonic bebop.

**AllanAllen** · 10-03-2024, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by supersoul

It's not a repair. There are cleats on the center seam. You can also see one on the bottom.

Oh, I thought cleats were just for repairs. Good to know.

**AllanAllen** · 10-03-2024, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by HiFi Mule2Ride

If I remember correctly some guitar companies/shops use that type of cleat to reinforce the seam between the two back/top pieces. Built for the long haul through time, not a short trip.

Yeah it makes sense to reinforce the place most likely to split from merely existing under pressure.

**sgosnell** · 10-03-2024, 03:56 PM

Mark Campellone uses a full-length strip, not just small cleats. Very obvious in the photos of his builds.

**Little Jay** · 10-04-2024, 04:55 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

Attachment 116055

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That looks really clean and tidy. Did you install the bumblebee caps yourself?

**AllanAllen** · 10-04-2024, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

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That looks really clean and tidy. Did you install the bumblebee caps yourself?

No, I discovered them when I took everything out to upgrade the hardware because the stock Epiphone stuff didn't sound good. Turns out it already had bumblebee caps and Seth Lover 57s. Which shattered the faith I had in everyone's tone and essential upgrade advice. So I bought some $10 eBay p90s and have been loving the guitar ever since.

**DawgBone** · 10-04-2024, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

No, I discovered them when I took everything out to upgrade the hardware because the stock Epiphone stuff didn't sound good. Turns out it already had bumblebee caps and Seth Lover 57s. Which shattered the faith I had in everyone's tone and essential upgrade advice. So I bought some $10 eBay p90s and have been loving the guitar ever since.

Wait, Seth Lovers? Or 57 classics? I'm confused now.

**garybaldy** · 10-04-2024, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

No, I discovered them when I took everything out to upgrade the hardware because the stock Epiphone stuff didn't sound good. Turns out it already had bumblebee caps and Seth Lover 57s. Which shattered the faith I had in everyone's tone and essential upgrade advice. So I bought some $10 eBay p90s and have been loving the guitar ever since.

I'm probably paranoid but I've posted stuff here about my cheap gear and no one's interested!
I love copies and cheap pickups/effects. I seem to be able to get them to sound great.

**AllanAllen** · 10-04-2024, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by DawgBone

Wait, Seth Lovers? Or 57 classics? I'm confused now.

I messed up the name, they were the Seth Lover SH-55.

**supersoul** · 10-04-2024, 11:18 AM

Cleats!

If this is of any interest for the insides of guitars.

First picture is of a new one I'm renovating. No cleats down the middle seam, but I added cleats at the ends of the sound holes, on the advice of some folks here, as a preventative. There is another cleat lower down to stabilize a crack in the top, which I also filled with a sliver of spruce. I think the back actually has cleats on the center seam, but I don't have a picture for some reason.

The bottom two are of the same guitar with the dust ball earlier. Cleats down the center seam of the front and back. That block of wood isn't attached, it was from some clamping I had been doing, and I guess I forgot to take it out when I took the picture.

They're both pretty. They would make good wall art, except then they wouldn't be guitars.

Inside the guitar-img_2987-jpeg

**Betz** · 10-04-2024, 12:00 PM

Hey; how about some ‘Inside the Guitar’ pics?

2012 L5-CT

Inside the guitar-img_7020-jpg

**supersoul** · 10-04-2024, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by HiFi Mule2Ride

What make are these two acoustic vintage German/Scandinavian/Norden archtop guitars? Looking at the two neck blocks, it appears they both may have had the Stauffer bolt/key adjustable neck system. A little tlc might get the mojo back in these two. It would be a shame to demote them to decorations.
I really like my ‘59 R.Hoyer acoustic archtop guitar. Its a very good instrument.

Those pictures are old. One of the guitars is now back together and playable. The other one I'm still working on. It's slow going because I'm learning as I go.
I don't know the brand names of either, but I've looked at a ton of German archtop websites, and both are definitely German. I bought them in Germany. And yes, both have the Stauffer bolt. It uses a key that is usually used for winding up clocks.
And I was just saying that they are beautiful objects, but I really don't like instruments to become decorations. When I work on them sometimes I just look at how cool they are! But their main purpose is to make sound.

**DawgBone** · 10-04-2024, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by garybaldy

I'm probably paranoid but I've posted stuff here about my cheap gear and no one's interested!
I love copies and cheap pickups/effects. I seem to be able to get them to sound great.

I sure do love copies but I like good Gibson pickups in them because, well, Gibson pickups are excellent. I like quality amps that nobody wants to lug, which gets me bang for my buck, but I do generally go for higher priced effects because I only gig with a single OD box.

**lawson-stone** · 10-04-2024, 02:21 PM

The new innards I installed in my Gibson L5ces:

Inside the guitar-l5ces-wiring-jpg

**wintermoon** · 10-04-2024, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

The new innards I installed in my Gibson L5ces:

Inside the guitar-l5ces-wiring-jpg

what was the thinking behind that decision Lawson?

**AllanAllen** · 10-04-2024, 03:27 PM

I’m surprised and L5 needed anything replaced.

**DawgBone** · 10-04-2024, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

The new innards I installed in my Gibson L5ces:

Inside the guitar-l5ces-wiring-jpg

Very nice work there Mr. Clean. Tidy!!!

**Little Jay** · 10-09-2024, 03:15 AM

My DIY ES-330:

Ibanez AF55:

Condor ES-175 copy:

Furch G-1:

Gretsch 2420T:

Sigma J-45 copy:

Gibson ES-333:

Gibson ES-125: (missing sound bars)

**AllanAllen** · 10-09-2024, 10:06 AM

What does missing sound bars mean?

**supersoul** · 10-09-2024, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

Gibson ES-125: (missing sound bars)

Is it unusual that the top has no bracing, but the bottom does. I'm assuming that the top is up in the picture, since we're seeing the bottom of the pots.

Your ES-330 copy is cool. You've shown it in other threads and it looks like a great guitar.

**Little Jay** · 10-09-2024, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

What does missing sound bars mean?

That it has no sound bars/ parallel bracing. I don’t know what happened. They were in there at some point. My guess is the old hide glue crumbled, they came loose and some former owner took them out. I put a sound post under the bridge the prevent the top from sinking and that has worked for almost 8 years now.

**Little Jay** · 10-09-2024, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by supersoul

Is it unusual that the top has no bracing, but the bottom does. I'm assuming that the top is up in the picture, since we're seeing the bottom of the pots.

Your ES-330 copy is cool. You've shown it in other threads and it looks like a great guitar.

Well the bracing has been there but somehow got removed. I have no clue how. You can just see the sound post I installed to support the top.

And yes, the back has braces. It is flat and braced like an acoustic. It’s a feauture of the early post war ES-125, between ‘48-‘50.