Wanting to get the 5-year-old son started on guitar, I got the Yamaha JR2S 1/2-sized acoustic guitar for him.
But it was still a tad too big and the metal strings hurt too much.
So I was thrilled to receive a damaged Hofner H-RZ Rolf Zuckowski 1/4-sized classical guitar (for free!) from a nice gentleman Nikolas.
There were 2 long cracks along each side on the top. One of them extends to the sides but it appeared to be mended with a glue residue trail.
The other crack is open but can be solved by seeping some titebond into it.
The more problematic part was the partially lifted bridge which had caused the top to cave in. And worse still, the lifted bridge had ripped off some of the wood on the top.
Photo credit: Nikolas
A puzzling find when I removed the saddle was multiple pieces of paper shims (cut from magazine pages) underneath. Paper shims?
Also, the saddle was too thin so it slants forward in the slot. With an uncommon length (61 mm), it is unlikely to find one directly for use so will have to cut up and sand down an existing one someday.
Despite the guitar warranting many repairs, I decided to give it a go.
First up, using the travel iron on the bridge to heat up the glue, radius gauge as a make-shift spatula and lots of patient nudging, I managed to remove the bridge rather cleanly.
Sadly, another short crack appeared down the middle as the bridge was removed.
Next, applied masking tape along the perimeters to protect the finish before scraping off the glue residues and loose splints with a blade. Same for under the bridge.
Then applied a generous coating of titebond into the bridge, positioned it on the top before putting on the clamps. Mopped up the excess glue squeezed out with a damp towel and left it to cure overnight.
The next day, the glued part looked sturdy so it was time to put it to the test. Removed the masking tapes, cleaned the fingerboard, steel-wooled the frets and slapped on new strings. Repair job looks fine!
Picking up the semi-restored guitar, it showed a glimpse of its former glory.
Solid sitka spruce top.
Rosewood back and sides.
Love the mahogany bindings, a refreshing change from the maple bindings that are more commonly used.
The best part is that the size looks just nice for the boy! And he found the nylon strings easier to press. With some lessons on the ukulele, he could actually play individual notes on the guitar without any muting or buzz.
Future work: put in a new and fitting bone saddle plus cosmetic repairs using superglue fill up the surface of the cracks before dry-wet sanding and hand buffing it to touch up the appearance.
But that's for another day.
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