Do you know anyone who has fixed sunken Vega tops?

[sannella]

Sorry to be asking a question as my first post, but I'm a guitar player and occasional mandolin player who needs help with a 1919 Vega cylinder back. The brace that goes from side to side under the bridge has broken on the treble side where it thins down right before it meets the kerfing. The thicker part of the brace has separated from the top, and the top has sunk quite a bit. In what I'm guessing was a misguided attempt to keep the string from buzzing on the upper frets as the top sank, the ten upper bar frets were removed. It's such a beautiful instrument, with a flamed maple back and kind of a reverse shaded top. I'd really like to get it back in playing condition. Any recommendations for someone who has experience working on these?

[MikeEdgerton]

Any chance you could give us a state, city or country you live in? It might be easier to recommend someone if we knew that.

[sannella]

Oops. I'm the western United States (Utah) and would happily ship the instrument anywhere in the US for repair by someone who knows Vegas.

[rcc56]

You can pm me if you wish.

If you can post a picture of how distorted the top is, it would be helpful. And a picture of the inside, if possible, would be very useful.

I have some Vega experience, and might be able to give a rough evaluation from a picture. However, the final judgement of what is necessary to repair the instrument would require an in-hand evaluation.

If the repair can be executed by gluing the brace together through the sound hole, it would be do-able.

But if the brace has to be replaced, the instrument may have to be opened. It is not practical to open a cylinder back Vega by removing the back. The top would have to be removed, which is a difficult job, and also part or all of the fingerboard. And there would be at least some evidence that the instrument had been opened.

[j. condino]

Check with the guys at Intermountain Guitar and Banjo in SLC.

http://www.guitarandbanjo.com/