Here is a top-mounted Kahler (not original to this guitar) that needed to be routed 3/16" into the body... for a couple of reasons:
- This made it possible to set the action properly. The action could not be set to a playable height when the bridge was top mounted. In addition, the neck was glued in, so shimming it was not an option.
- Routing also made it possible to achieve the proper down pressure on the saddles. Before the repair, the strings would flop on top of the saddles when they were lowered, killing the sound and sustain. The bridge rout was best for this guitar, and the customer was very happy with the results.
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Here is the completed job with the Kahler bridge routed into the body. Notice the nice angle on the saddles: |
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Here, an angry little beaver nibbled at the alder wood body. | 
The new Kahler rout, cleaned up as much as possible, then painted. |
| Note: The pickups were also replaced as part of this job. |
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Repairs Gallery