Gone by the sex a place, it became a Swedish guitar but not a Levin. There are no stamps on it, but all indications are that it is a Gerdin guitar. The year is uncertain, but about 1910-1915 I would guess. The very special attachment with a straight "dove tail" and some other details that I recognize make me pretty sure of the thing.
The guitar had been involved in an accident with a crocodile gap from neck to waist. It had been cooked perfectly OK, in addition, the lid was sanded wood. Fortunately, the lid had remained 3 mm thick. Otherwise in good condition with a luxurious ebony board that was in good condition (one of the details suggesting Gerdin). The stable was strange, string through and in spruce. Very large probably to hold. Tuning screws of the old model with tight between the posts. A few pictures after the dismantling, the guitar fits in a Gator 3/4 case 🙂
One reason for the crocodile gap was that both the neck and the bottom pads were very small. Too small. There has been an idea of having very nice blocks in the Swedish building tradition, Levin also hit for a short period. Have seen several Swedish buildings from the 1940s and 1950s where the bottom block was broken when it was deciduous. Fortunately, no one is doing so nowadays. I glued on reinforcements in the form of birch plywood on both blocks.
Ribbed both bottom and lid, the original was sparse! The crack in the rim was reinforced with maple veneer. A stable with string sticks was made of rosewood. It is a bit big for its own good, but I wanted to cover the wound in the lid after the old stable. Carbon fiber rod in neck and new tuning screws. Top saddle toning, composite stable legs and a mounted K&K mic were ordered.
The tape tracks in the grip board filled up again and new ones were sawn up, it separated someone mm here and there. In contrast, the board was cut shorter at the top, exactly where my oversaddle lining wanted it to be 🙂 When the board was uneven, the thickness was reduced from 4,5 to 4 mm, which can be considered the pain limit. Did not fit with 2 mm side dowels on the thin grip board so it could be 1,5 mm white plastic dowels instead.
The renovation process was painless and most of it fell into place. I gave the lid a little yellow-orange color before I coated with alcohol varnish, used teak chips that drew in 99% alcohol and dissolved some of the color in the chip. Very natural and sparingly spirited bite that is easy to put on a spruce cap without it getting big uneven stains, you wet what the spruce wants to suck with a paper bush, which makes it all even in color. The method of shavings in spirits works with all oily woods, rosewood, teak, walnut etc. You can get slightly different shades of brown, yellow and red.
Has it on vibration right now but it sounds good. I am happy with the 🙂 Little fine pictures.
