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obviously, just based on pics alone..that bridge height doesn't seem too bad...right now its workable...
if you get it, you might want to reverse the bridge base...otherwise that looks as good as most
cheers
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05-20-2020 10:18 PM
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I have a ‘69 and it looks exactly the same. I am the original owner, and it has always been like that. On mine, the f-holes look normal and the braces are perfectly intact, indicating that there has been no sinking going on. I would prefer a little more pronounced arch, but I think that is just the way many 175’s were during that era.
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This top does not look sunken. At all. It looks like it’s in great shape for a 50 year old guitar. Play it. If you like it, and the price meets your expectation, buy it.
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General consensus seems to be it does not look sunken! It can’t hurt to bring a little inspection light and a dentist’s mirror to inspect the braces when you try out the guitar.
(Which is what I should have done when I bought my ES-125. The top looked in perfect condition but the bracing was completely missing as I later found out..... solved with a sound post btw, still enjoying that guitar every day)Last edited by Little Jay; 05-22-2020 at 06:43 AM.
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in progress
from one of the top repair/refinishers around...curt of old school guitars
pics so far- showing that sunken top can be result of/or result in- cracked bracing
Old School Guitar Repair >> Gibson ES-175N that’s sporting the broken brace issue. (still in progress).
cheersLast edited by neatomic; 09-18-2020 at 03:44 PM. Reason: pic-
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Curt is a living legend he help me with a Gretsch repair I needed to do. I will never forget. Gave me the exact measurements I needed on the neck set. I did not use hide glue.............just don't tell him that.............He is pro!
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One day I'll get round to getting the sunken top on my 1961 ES-175D seen to - for the last few years a sound post has been added and - so far so good - its holding up well and acoustically even appears to have more bass resonance than before the sound post was added......
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Wow, that’s quite a far-reaching repair, taking the whole back off. Of course it’s the most thorough way of repairing but if the top has not sunk too much I have seen them get cranked up and a spuce slat being glued against/on top of the broken brace, which can be done without taken the whole back off. Which is a lot less intrusive of course.
But your luthier apparently deemed it necessary, he will know best!
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It must have been the weight of that useless bridge pickup that caused the damage.
Let that be a lesson to everyone!
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Interesting to see how the laminate will be re-formed. Some kind of press?
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Most people would say that the older ES 175's were built better than the new ones. The ES 175 in the pictures have kerfed braces. Modern ES 175's including my 2013 model have solid braces. Ha ha.
Last edited by Tal_175; 09-18-2020 at 06:32 AM.
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I'd bet good money that the guitar fell over on its face...probably at a bar gig, or, when the owner got up from playing (guitar on stand/still plugged into the instrument cord) and started walking to get a beer in the fridge..foot tangled in the cord.
I've had both mishaps occur--fortunately with a Telecaster.
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Originally Posted by Greentone
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while we’re here chaps
how are kerfed braces supposed to work ?
i understand the kerfing allows
the brace to conform to the top ....
but how does the kerfed brace
help maintain the arch ?
surely the kerfed brace has lost all its strength ?
with a kerfed brace guitar ...is it just the glue on the brace that’s helping keep the arch up ?
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Actually, if the builder filled the kerfs with glue the brace would be about as supportive as a solid brace.
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I never understood kerfed braces. It just seems so....wrong!
Anyway, this thread made me want to look at the braces on my '55 es 175 which has absolutely no sinking in the top.
The braces do have kerfs, but they're about 4" apart.
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Here’s a broken tonebar repair done without taking the back off:
FRETS.COM Field Trip
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Originally Posted by Little Jay
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Hi, my friend neatomic suggested I wander this way.
Yes the broken braces could have been repaired without removing the back but with limited access the stability over time was questionable with the kerfs. Additionally, a solid brace produces vibrations that a kerfed one could only dream of. Placing splines in the kerfs was another thought but the owner and myself wanted undisturbed wood. Not a biggie removing the back, actually it's a lot of fun.
I'l be getting back to this on in a few days and will update the site.
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Originally Posted by Little Jay
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Here's a situation where the replacement pickups were wider than the braces so they needed to be moved and replaced with 200 year old Douglas fir from the schoolhouse.
https://www.oldschoolguitar.net/gall...eamliner-into/
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Originally Posted by CurtW
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Originally Posted by pingu
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The gaps are too wide for that to work. I understand the theory and it’s plausible but fails in execution. And I like my tone bars uninterrupted.
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Originally Posted by CurtW
Do all kerfed tone bars fail in execution?
If the glue is solid the gaps, regardless of width, can not compress at the top (ie where the bar is in compression). It's the integrity of the continuous timber at the bottom (which is in tension) which is crucial.
Lucy’s Jazz Guitar Gretsch G5420 an Projects
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