On with the repair job — My soundboards split at some of the glue joints. I steamed them apart and recut the spring joints. Now using “go sticks” to clamp the ebony bridge to the soundboard and then I will pad shellac varnish. I am eternally grateful to Tony Smith for teaching me about go sticks and padding shellac and spring joints and the tone of ebony and rosewood and how to carve wood and sharpen chisels — for ultimately it is about the sound — and working with these natural materials has given my instrument a remarkably better sound.
