Determining Glue Under Bridge

[Walt]

A buddy has a Martin DR (circa lates 90's or early 2000s). This would have been one of the entry model dreadnoughts with a laminated rosewood back and sides. The bridge has started to lift ever so slightly, and we're trying to decide whether to (a) remove the entire bridge, clean, and reglue, or (b) just work some animal protein glue under there and reclamp. From what I understand (and correct me if I'm wrong), option (b) could work only if the bridge was originally installed using some sort of animal glue--as seen in this video.

Is there a way to find out what sort of glue was used? I was thinking about wicking a drop or two of water under the bridge, and working a razor under there to see if the glue breaks down like hide glue.

Anyone have any ideas? Or is anyone privy to what Martin would have used on this model?

Thanks!

[Greg Mirken]

The bridge was glued with aliphatic resin glue [Titebond].
What to do depends on whether you can push the bridge down so that the gap disappears. If not, the glue has probably gotten warm enough to creep, and you'll have to pull the bridge, clean and reglue. You can use hide glue at that point if you wish.
If you can completely close up the gap under the bridge I would work Titebond in with an artist's palette knife and clamp it.

[Walt]

Thank you, Greg! I’ll see if I can close the gap and go from there.