I'll start the ball rolling - The critical thing is what kind of glue
was used to attach it to the soundboard. If it's synthetic, there's no
easy way to get it off.
If hide glue was used, alcohol can dissolve it, though you need to be
careful because it can also ruin the finish of the instrument -
particularly if it is French polished.
For what it's worth, I'd do my best to preserve the original
soundboard. I believe that older wood is generally better than what we
can get nowadays. It IS possible to take off a soundboard, perform
repairs, and put it back carefully without making too much of a mess of
things. Any signs of repair are, I believe, honourable features of a
mature lute. At least that's how the old ones liked them.
Bill
__________________________________________________________________
From: sterling price <spiffys84...@yahoo.com>
To: "lute-buil...@cs.dartmouth.edu" <lute-buil...@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Friday, 15 June 2012, 5:27
Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] Archlute Bridge
Hi-I'm not sure if this list is still active so here goes---I have a
small archlute with a bridge that is made of ebony and I would like
to
replace it with something more appropriate. Also because the string
spacing and action is all wrong. My question is--what is involved in
removing a bridge and replacing it without removing the soundboard? I
just need some advice on how to proceed, or if I should leave it
alone.
--Sterling
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