Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 74

COLUMN Shop of Hard Knocks
it from my cousin, Danny Darden, who taught
me the first song I learned on guitar (Jim Croce's
"Operator") and was a big inf luence on my
musical career.
I live in the South, where humidity shifts from
swampy to bone-dry. This can wreak havoc on an
acoustic guitar, so I adjust and clean it every six
months to keep it in perfect working condition.
Unless you take precautions to stabilize the
environment in which you store and play an
instrument, you'll have problems. Dehumidifiers are essential, as are seasonal adjustments
of neck angle and string clearances. Here's what
I do to - actually, for - the Martin.
The author's prized
Martin D-16H93. In case
of fire, grab and go!

PINS AND POLISH

A Mid-Summer Tune-Up for Acoustic Guitars
By Will Kelly

W

hen talking with clients or other
guitarists, I like to ask, "If your house
was on fire and you could only grab
one guitar on the way out, which would it be?"
It's a tough one, so I'm not surprised when
someone bounces back, "I couldn't grab
just one..."

This '93 Martin D-16H93 is my "grab it
on the way out" guitar. A fine-sounding
mahogany dreadnought with scalloped/
forward-shifted X braces, ebony bridge,
and small bridge plate, it's one of a run
produced for the NAMM show as proof of
concept leading to the D-18V. I inherited

1

2

VINTAGE GUITAR

74

September 2017

1) When changing strings, cut the ball end off
of the old ones and set aside the brass eyelets.
I'll explain later...
2) Remove and inspect the bridge saddle. If
it's grooved, replace it with a new one made of
bone (my preference), brass, titanium, Tef lonimpregnated composites, or simulated ivory. All
are substantial upgrades from plastic.
3) The first thing I do with a new saddle is
shave the bottom to proper height. This requires
several measurements with the strings on, so I
place the saddle in the bridge slot and re-string
several times until it's correct. It's vital that I
keep the bottom of the saddle square and flat.
To f latten bridge saddles, I use a diamond
whetstone, which removes material in small
increments.
4) I also radius the top edge to match the
fretboard. Most Martins have a 16" radius (your
guitar's may vary). I use a f lat, three-sided file to
shape the top of the saddle to a matching curve



Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open

Contents
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - Cover
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - IFC
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 3
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 4
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Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - Contents
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