How to Replace or Reset a Guitar Bridge

Repair Guitar Bridge

As a guitar ages, some maintenance is required from time-to-time. Replacing or reseting your guitar bridge is required when pressure exerted on the bridge of steel strings. If the guitar bridge starts to lift or comes completely off your guitar, it needs to be reset or replaced.

Things You'll Need

• 2' Putty Knife
• Hammer with Plastic Head
• 1/4" Stove Bolts, Nut and Flat Washer (2)
• Deep Throated Metal Clamps (3)
• Sharp Mat Knife or Scribe Knife
• Masking Tape and Cardboard
• 2-part epoxy, urethane or hot hide glue
• 1/4" chisel
• Iron w/o steam

Instructions

1. If the bridge has cracked, it will need to be replaced. There are many sellers of bridges, both online and in music stores.

2. Sometimes a bridge will just "pop off" due to brittle glue. To remove your bridge, try using a putty knife. Simply ease the putty knife under the edges of the bridge and apply a slight upward pressure around the entire perimeter of the bridge. Move around the perimeter several times, trying to extend the knife a bit further under the bridge each time until it comes off completely.

3. If this technique does not work, the glue may need some help to loosen. You can use an iron to accomplish this. Simply heat up the bridge with the iron to soften the glue. As the glue heats up, pry off the bridge with the putty knife as instructed in step #2. Alternatively, you can use the iron to heat the putty knife during use with an iron. Then you simply have to use the hot putty knife to loosen the glue.

4. Clean and sand the exposed area of the top where the bridge was removed. Use chisels, rasps, and sandpaper to do this. Finish sanding with 220 grit sandpaper.

5. Take 2" masking tape and tape around the perimeter of the bridge. Be sure to overlap the bridge perimeter. Also make sure that the tape is tightly adhered to the top.

6. Dry fit the new or existing bridge on the top using the 2 stove bolts and the bolt through the "E" string peg holders. Finger tighten the nuts on the bottom or inside. The bridge should overlap the masking tape.

7. Run a mat knife around the perimeter of the bridge, cutting through the tape.

8. Remove the bridge and the scraps of tape from the interior of the bridge area.

9. Glue 3/4" x 1" x 1" blocks to the jaws of the 3 deep throated clamps.

10. Prepare the epoxy glue or other glue and spread a thin later on the bottom of the bridge.

11. Carefully set the bridge and put the stove bolts with nuts & washers inside the guitar. Tighten with a large screwdriver as tight as you can. Now is a good time to clean up any excess glue. Use the 1/2" chisel for this followed by a bit of sanding.

12. Now place the 3 clamps into position. Place one at each side of the stove bolt and one between the bolts. You will now have 5 pressure points clamping the bridge.

13. At this time, you may have additional excess glue that comes out on the sides of the bridge. Clean this now.

14. Allow to dry overnight and then remove the clamps and the bolts. Do some final clean up with your chisel and sandpaper.

15. Lase remove the tape, drill out the "E" string peg, and replace the guitar strings.

Tips & Warnings

• In order to keep your putty knife from sticking its corners into the top of the bridge, round off the edges to a 1/4" radius. You can also thin the putty knife using a belt sander until it has a sharp gradual blade edge.

• Be sure to dry-fit the clamps before the glue operation to make sure they fit!

• Visit Ultimate Guitar Online for more great tips on caring for your guitar and much more!

Resources

• Ultimate Guitar Online