Guitar repair question - WARNING: No mando content!

[Marty Henrickson]

I am posting this question here, A) because there is no other musical instrument forum that I trust any more than the Mandolin Cafe, and B) because I know that quite of few of the participants here are also highly skilled guitar builders and / or repair persons.

Tonight, I noticed for the first time that my Martin (a 2003 D-28 CW, aka a Clarence White model) is starting to develop a slight "belly" behind the bridge, and if you are looking straight down at the guitar (from playing position), parallel to the top, you can see that the top of the saddle is leaning slightly toward the neck. I have never noticed this before, and I'm quite sure it is not how it should be. So, a few questions:

1) What could be causing this?

2) Should it be covered under the warranty?

3) I have checked the Martin website to see if my local dealer is also a Martin service center, and he is not. Any recommendations for the best service center within 4 hours of Birmingham, Alabama? That area would include Nashville (as well as a large portion of Tennessee), Atlanta (as well as a good bit of Georgia), all of Alabama, and parts of western Mississippi and northern Florida.

4) What should I do with my guitar until such time as I can have it repaired? Loosen or remove the strings? Swap from mediums to lights? Keep playing as if nothing is wrong?

Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide. This guitar is very special to me, and I want to do the best I can to keep it in great shape for years to come.

Marty

[Rick Lindstrom]

Is there a dip in the soundboard between the soundhole and bridge?

[Andy Miller]

Have you had your dealer look at it? A little bit of either of those conditions isn't necessarily indicative of a problem, while a lot usually is. Your dealer ought to be able to take a look inside and out to evaluate it, or recommend someone who can.

[Tom Haywood]

Call Martin and ask where their nearest repair person is located, then call for an appointment with that person. This may be covered under warranty if you bought it new, but I think they base the decision on their repairman's judgement as to the cause and severity. They may want you (or more likely the repairman) to ship it to them. Meanwhile, see if it straightens out with no string pressure on it and if it comes back when you tune it up. That model is designed for medium gauge strings, so there may be some bracing issues.

[Marty Henrickson]

Is there a dip in the soundboard between the soundhole and bridge?

If there is a dip, it is so slight that I am not even sure it is there.

Have you had your dealer look at it? A little bit of either of those conditions isn't necessarily indicative of a problem, while a lot usually is. Your dealer ought to be able to take a look inside and out to evaluate it, or recommend someone who can.

I just detected the issue at 9:30 or 10:00 last night. My plan is definitely to take it in for my dealer to check as soon as I can, likely next Saturday. Just trying to get some idea of what the issue could be in the mean time.

I did continue my research online last night, and according to Frank Ford this problem could be as simple as over-humidification. It has been extremely humid here lately, but I have always thought that air-conditioning counteracted the ambient outside humidity. Therefore, I am rethinking my practice of leaving instruments out on stands. I guess the potential for problems really does outweigh the convenience of being able to "grab and pick".

Also, If anyone does want to make a recommendation for a good repair person, feel free to do so off-list if that is more proper in regard to forum policies, or if you are simply more comfortable doing so.

Thanks! ~MH

[Ed Goist]

Hi Marty; no recommendations, but The Martin website lists the following two authorized service centers within 100 miles of Birmingham, Alabama:

Huey Givens Repairs
Approximately 85 Miles from 35201
3502 Carroll Circle
Huntsville, AL 35801
256-539-4698

Counts Brothers Music
Approximately 98 Miles from 35201
713 Waverly Ave
Muscle Shoals, AL 35661-2331
256-383-7454

FWIW, I'd take the strings off until I've at least spoken with an authorized service person. I'm guessing you have another guitar (don't all guitarists who own mandolins have multiple guitars due to the fractional expense they represent compared to mandolins? ).

Finally, I'm guessing Martin/the repair center will do right by you on this.

Good luck with it. Please keep us posted.

[Marty Henrickson]

So, it seems the consensus is to relieve the string pressure until such time as I can take it in to be checked. I will do so ASAP.

Thanks for the info, Ed. I did check the Martin website. I'm going to let my Martin dealer make a recommendation Saturday, but Counts Brothers in Muscle Shoals should be within 15 minutes of my dad's house, so that may be the way to go.

PS - Yes, Ed, I do have another guitar, a Seagull mini-jumbo (oxymoron, that). I guess I'll take it out of open G for a while.

[mandomedic]

It's been my experience as a repairman, that many guitar tops will pull up a bit behind the bridge over time. I would have it checked, but I've also found that depending on temperature and humidity, it is normal for them to pull up anywhere from 1/8" to up to 1/4" and not have any issues with bracing or bridge plate, and this is with medium strings. Any more than that, I would be concerned.

[Buck]

Norman Blake says you should never trust a Martin without a belly.

If that's all you have, a little belly behind the bridge, it's perfectly normal for a forward braced Martin like your Clarence White. That will allow the the bridge to tilt a little forward, which is normal.

If what you're seeing is the saddle tilting forward, you could have a cracked bridge. That condition should be fairly obvious due to a gap behind the saddle that mostly closes up when the strings are off the guitar. That's not extremely common with a modern Martin long saddle, but it does sometimes happen.

The bridge itself could be lifting. Look for a gap between the back to the bridge and the top.

One more thing about the normal kind of belly, it should be a fairly smooth curve. If the top shows a wrinkle near the corner of the bridge, you could have a loose X-brace.

The only person I've personally dealt with close to you is Richard Starkey in Franklin, TN. He's a former Martin employee and Authorized Repairman. Marty Lanham at the NGC in Nashville has a good reputation, although I have not personally had him do work on my guitars.

Whoever you choose, try to get recommendations from someone that has first hand experience with them. Just because they're "authorized" doesn't necessarily mean they do top notch work on all repairs.

[Willie Poole]

Ditto on what Mando Medic said....Every Martin guitar I ever owned had a slight "Pull-up" behind the bridge and they never got any worse through the years, I guess you could say that it was just the wood taking a set.....But I have seen some that had the entire bridge plate pull loose so it is a good idea to get it checked out ASAP....Pickers were using heavy gauge strings and causing most of the problems, shouldn`t be any worse if you are usin mediums...I imagine that model has a thin top like the old Martins did.....

Good luck.....Willie

[Marty Henrickson]

Thanks for all the info, if it's good enough for Norman, it's good enough for me!

I spoke to my dealer yesterday, and he told me basically the same thing about the slight belly. I will take it in to be checked Saturday morning, just to make sure.

[Marty Henrickson]

UPDATE: The talented and friendly Herb Trotman, owner of Fretted Instruments in Homewood, Alabama, confirmed that I have nothing to worry about on my Martin. He gave my CW a thorough inspection, cleaning, and restrung it for me. What a great guy.

On a mandolin-related note, I played an Eastman mandocello while I was there!. I was browsing in one of Herb's guitar rooms when I spotted what I thought at first was an Eastman jazzbox guitar. When I noticed eight tuners on the headstock, I got excited. It had a huge sound and played very easy. I have to admit, I didn't really know what to play. It was kind of difficult to wrap my mind around guitar-like fret spacing and mandolin tuning.

PS - Thanks for all of the advice!