Removal of the Top Plate is quite a large repair and you should do it only when there is no other choice available to you. By removing the Top Plate you disturb the major sound component of the guitar, and if it is a rare vintage guitar, you need to exercise extra care not to ruin the tone or a least degrade the tone of the guitar.
Removal of the Top Plate is very much like removal of the Guitar Back Plate. There are, however important differences that you should be aware of and that is the reason for this separate article on this subject.
Reasons for Guitar Top Plate Removal:
There can be many reasons you need to remove the top plate. Here are some of the conditions that I have seen that make a back plate removal necessary:
The Top Is Destroyed Beyond Repair
The Top Needs Extensive Repairs – Like New Bracing, Additional Bracing
The Sides Are Severely Cracked and You Need Access to Them
Removal of Bindings:
Your first step in Top Plate Removal is to Remove Plastic Bindings or Remove Wood Bindings. The links to these articles will give you a step by step process as to how to do this. We won’t repeat that here. Please visit either of these articles and when you have completed the binding removal, come back here.
Removal of the Fingerboard:
If the fingerboard is in poor condition, you should remove it at this time as this will be the easiest time to address this issue. If the fingerboard is in good shape, do the following:
Remove the fret where the neck joins the body. This will be either the 12th or the 14th fret.
Next saw through the fingerboard with a fine saw – I prefer a Japanese Pull Saw for a lot more control. Be very careful not to saw below the joint of the neck/fingerboard.
Removing the Top Plate:
There are several methods for removal of the back plate.
Method One:
This is used for very old or vintage instruments or one in which the glue holding the back if very brittle, cracked and already letting loose.
Take a Re-Worked Putty Knife – One with rounded edges and slip it into the top plate joint at the Guitar Waist. If the glue is old and dried out enough (and often it is) The top will start popping off with very little effort.
Keeping working the putty knife around the perimeter of the top until the top plate is completely freed.
If you encounter difficulties, it will most likely be at the head and tail block, as there is a much larger gluing surface at these points. Gently coax the knife through the joint, but minimize any prying action as the back wood on these old guitars is very dry and brittle and will be very easy to split.
Also a lot of extra care will be needed around the fingerboard, as it is most likely still attached. Go at the Head Block at an angle from each side, using a gentle lifting action, being careful not to crack the top. You may also encounter some top braces that you need to stay away from, especially around the fingerboard area, and along the sides of the fingerboard. It is best to inspect the guitar top from the inside with a mechanics mirror and an LED flashlight to get a full picture of what is going on with the top bracing.
Ultimate Guitar Repair Tip: Make a plate release solution made from diluted alcohol. Mix up one part alcohol, 3 parts water and a few drops of dish soap. Place this mixture in a hypodermic needle you can pick up at the drug store.
Insert the needle as far as you can into the joint and along the stubborn seam and let it set for a little while. Give the Putty Knife a try again. If still no luck, repeat.
Do this same procedure with the other block, except prop the loosened end with a block to put pressure on the opposite block.
Method Two Using a Hot Knife:
When removing a top on a newer guitar, you will need to keep a hot knife setup going during the operation. I just bought a hot glue pot, used for heating hide glue crystals and fill it will water. I dump in a few of the rework putty knifes and let them get really hot. It works best if you devise some sort a a hanger assembly to actually suspend the knifes into the water.
Experiment with how much water you want to use. Be care not to introduce too much water to the guitar as you will start to warp the top. A dry knife is best if you can get away with it. First heat it up with the glue pot, then give it a quick wipe with a rag before using it.
With persistence you will get all the way around the guitar top plate.
Tags: guitar back top removal, Guitar Disassembly, how to remove a guitar top
