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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | When the mothership referbished my '89 TS-01-5, they installed a new bridge; it did not have the original Abalone dots so JB sent me several and I set out to install them Monday afternoon; the bridge, while it looks like ebony is actually rosewood with an ebony stain; this means that in order to drill holes (I use a Dremel w/a small router bit) the speed of the dremel must be kept down...I drilled both holes and fit both dots; and then i was deepening the dot under the G string...my Dremel speed was too fast and suddenly the bit hit a grain in the wood and jumped backwars tearing a chunk out of the bridge...Great! At first I thought about sending it to JB and crew, but really didn't have the money for the new bridge and shipping both ways...so I called on my knowledge from my repair shop days; got my materials and tools and got to work. I took a broken piece of ebony gridge and cut a very small flat piece to go over top of the string barrel channel; drilled a piece to obtain some ebony dust (yea I coulda/maybe shoulda used rosewood - explination coming); placed the dust in the hole where the chunk was (the chunk disapeared...I have no idea where it went) placed two drops of Cyanoacrylate on the dust and let it cure. After curing, I used very fine wet/dry sandpaper and handsanded the repair flat...thats when I discovered the bridge was actually rosewood and not ebony (I was so upset that I had done this I senior momented that fact originally)...no problem, I just went to the local Sherwin Williams store and got some ebony stain ($9) which I applied today. Here is the result: 
The repair is very nearly invisible (honestly from directly over top you cannot see it...from behind the flat ebony edge is a bit shiny but again no one would notice) and I am more than pleased! The bridge dots are correct now and all is well!
In hind sight, always check what kind of wood you are working on and assume nothing!
Blessings... |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | You'da thought he'd learned his lesson when he f@cked-up the first one . . . .
:rolleyes: |
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Location: closely held secret | The picture on the other thread shows the repair better. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | WTG Mike!
No guts, no glory! |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Those dremels have a mind of their own sometimes... |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Cliff Wrote: You'da thought he'd learned his lesson when he f@cked-up the first one . . . .
Ok, I have no clue what you're referencing here Cliff:
What first one? |
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Location: GA USA | That poor snake. I'm glad he's better. |
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Location: NJ | You posted this "twice", Mike . . . |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Exellent Job....Well Done... :)
Vic |
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Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | You posted this "twice", Mike . . .
Cliff, yeah, I guess I did...I have no idea how I did that either...not exactly one of my better weeks...lol
But thanks for pointing that out! BTW, if you haven't had that drink for me yet, don't bother...I'm doing fine! :rolleyes:
Blessings... |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Thou dost not REPAIR snakes!
They are cast OUT!
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Location: Minden, Nebraska | Nice work! |
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Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Thanks everybody! And also for the pokes at my double posting as well...I really don't know what happened there, but anyway glad you all had a laugh...and glad my snake is doing fine: truly none the worse for the wear.
Blessings... |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | If that had happened to me with my impatience, certainly the bridge and possibly the entire snake would be floating down the Platte River at this very moment. |
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Location: Tennessee | Glad it worked out for you Mike (and HB, BTW), but I gotta ask ... why did you even bother? I imagined the originals had the dots to cover the additional bridge attachments, not for asthetics. They look kinda out of place to me. But if you like it, that's cool. :cool: . Maybe they represent fang marks? :) |
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March 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | stonebobbo wrote: I gotta ask ... why did you even bother? I imagined the originals had the dots to cover the additional bridge attachments, not for aesthetics. I ran a vintage instrument repair shop for nearly 10 years full and part time...I always tried to return the guitars (or stringed instruments) to their original state if possible. This Snakeskin Thunderbolt is so very rare (two models of the graphic tops: snake skin, dragon skin): made only in 1989; less than 30 probably by most accounts and no more than 50 total: three colors: Blue (most common), Red (rarer), and black (I know of only three)...most of these were trashed by rock and rollers and the survivors are in pretty poor condition. Mine was in better than most condition but needed quite a bit of work to bring it back to life...the original had the abalone dots on the bridge in the same positions as so I wanted to return it as close as possible to original. These are dark abalone and I think they go well with the top and are really nice in lights and sun. So, that’s the reason; I understand some may not like the glitz, but then this is not a "bland" instrument...
BTW, in my quest for info on these, I found that the artist who airbrushed the top graphics lived on a 53 foot Chris Craft yacht and the factory actually sent the guitars there to the boat for him to paint. His signatures are hidden within the graphics of each top. The guitar plays great and with the op-24 electronics sounds very nice! The mothership did an outstanding job with this and I picked it up during the tour (and left my 1758-1 for some work). I had a great time playing this at the jam at the Ski Lodge on "Shootin' Creek". :D
Thanks SBBO for the BD wishes as well!
Blessings... |
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Location: Simpsonville, SC | Music, it sounded pretty darn good at the Southern Jam too! It's a beautiful guitar, I am glad that you got it the way YOU want it.
Jim |
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March 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Thanks Jim: BTW can you say ROAD TRIP? Wadda ya think? Randy? Jas? CL? TRBoy? Southern Fried Fall Jam?
Blessings... |
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Snake Repair
