Top Sinkage

[mugnut]

I have a 1922 Style A that on the whole is in very good shape - and I am getting ready to put it up for sale to fund an other acquisition.

under the bridge there is what I guess must be very slight top sinkage - that is to say, the portion of the top under the bridge appears to be slightly flattened relative to the remainder of the arch of the top.

Obviously this must be disclosed in any pictures etc. during any sale. But is it soemthing that should be dealt with immediately (and prior to sale) Does it present a signficant adverse impact on sales price? And what is the standard fix (and is there a standard cost for such a fix)?

Your help is much appreciated.

[sunburst]

If the top sinkage is a result of a loose brace, like this (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Mandolin/Structural/MandoBrace/mandobrace.html), the standard repair is to reglue the brace.
If the sinkage is very slight, most people just live with it.
If the sinkage is too bad to live with and the brace is good, there's no standard repair. A luthier will figure out the repair on a case by case basis.

[mugnut]

thank you John; anyone recommend a luthier in Boston area to check the brace determine whether a repair is necessary, and, if so, what repair it should be?

[Bob DeVellis]

I would think that the guys at Music Emporium in Lexington would be able to tell you what it needs. By the way, they're always looking to get their hands on Gibsons, but you'd probably get a better price selling privately.