NOGD

[Ten]

He brought it down a week ago before everything changed. (New old guitar day) My Dad found my late mother’s guitar somewhere in his house recently. She got it when traveling and playing music with her church group in the 70s. He figured I was the only child who may want it.

Probably 40 years of dust, missing a tuner, and this apparently adjustable bridge.

I’m not sure if this is a project I’ll tackle myself or bring in to a luthier, but you can bet it’s gonna get fixed up and played again.

Side note, he also brought me her autoharp. Although I’m not looking forward to learning how to restring an autoharp, you can bet on some Mother Maybelle getting jammed out around here.

Curious about anyone’s experience with these guitars, what you did with the bridge, etc. I know it’s not the typical NGD we see around these parts and probably worth less than firewood monetarily, but’s it’s a special one for me. I don’t expect much in the way of tone, but who cares if it is playable. I’m really looking forward to playing her guitar, she was an amazing woman.

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[numb fingertips]

I've heard that if you replace the adjustable bridge with a regular bridge, it sounds better. Might be worth it so you pick it up to play more often.

[Lee Callicutt]

Wicked cool provenance if the neck angle makes the play ability approachable and affordable.

And a sweet way to remember your mother as wall art if the work proves to be prohibitive.

[Birchtop]

Your Moms guitar, that’s pretty cool!

[jschmitz54]

Not the usual NGD, better than most anything, your mom’s guitar. How cool is that.

[PapaC]

Yeah, that’s awesome! Fix er up and report back.

[Wellington]

Very cool, but if that bridge is in fact I would definitely keep it installed. I’m probably in the minority, but I love the adjustable bridge era. My old man’s guitar is an old Epiphone with an adjustable bridge, so simple to tweak the action exactly where you want it. It doesn’t transfer the vibrations to the top as a fixed bridge does, but to be honest, you’re talking about a cheap guitar (and super cool), I don’t think the potential tone improvement of a fixed saddle will make much difference for what the guitar is imo.

Anyway, whatever you decide, it’s a very neat thing. For my 16th birthday my uncle gave me my grandpas old guitar, it was heavily used, no name arch top, repaired many times with glee and epoxy by my grandpa, but super cool guitar. As an adult I gave it to my dad, as he started playing daily again about 10 years ago after many years of a couple times a year. Seemed right for him to have it. One day I might inherit it, but who knows, I’m just glad he’s got it.

[KenL]

My first guitar was a '74 Alvarez 5023, and it had that exact same bridge.

It sounded good back then, and it still sounds pretty darn good for a $150 guitar. If that were my guitar, I would put it back to original condition, bridge and all, and call it good.

[FrankHudson]

My old 1970s Cortez (Cort) cheapo 12-string has a similar bridge. On mine the saddle was softish plastic that the octave strings had worn grooves in. I was able to find a replacement blank saddle wide enough to fit in the metal slot.

I've had a magnetic sound-hole pickup my Cortez since circa 1980. Assuming you deal with the tuner situation and the neck angle and ability to get a decent action/setup is OK, I think this is a decent/low cost way to get use out of this type of guitar with sentimental value.

The very thing that people knock mag pickups for (sensing the strings rather than the top and acoustic subtleties of a guitar) plays to the strengths of an inexpensive all-laminated guitar like ours.

[TRose]

Very cool for you to get your Mom’s guitar. Keep us posted as to how it sounds once it’s playable.
I hope you enjoy it.

[Marshall]

Yeah. I'd fix it as is. Cool story.

[Nyghthawk]

That is a cool story and a nice old Japanese guitar. I had an early 70's Lyle Hummingbird that sounded pretty good. It had that adjustable bridge.

[Acousticado]

Wow, look at the finger wear on the fretboard! That’s your Mom’s indentations which your fingers will add to. How cool is that?! You’re going to enjoy that!