Caring for a 60-year-old guitar before restringing

You have found an old guitar and want to hear it. Before the strings go on, a short inspection can save a bridge or a top. This is general advice for a first look. It is not a repair guide, and it does not replace a luthier.

Do the date first, and do not clean

Read the serial and photograph the inside and the labels before you do anything. Dirt, old marks and original finish are information. Leave them alone until you know what you have. Do not polish, strip or glue anything for now.

Look at the whole instrument

Hold the guitar under good light and turn it slowly.

Top. Look for belly behind the bridge, a ripple in the finish, or a bulge. A top that is lifting is a reason to stop.
Bridge. Look at the edges and the line where it meets the top. Gaps you can slide paper into mean the glue has failed.
Cracks. Run a fingertip along the top, sides and back. Note each one with a photograph.
Braces. With a torch and a mirror through the soundhole, check that the braces are seated and not loose. Listen for buzzing when you tap the top gently.
Binding. Look for lifting at the edges, which often shows on old celluloid.
Neck joint. Check for a gap, a shift in the angle, or a step between the neck and body.

Check the neck

Sight along the neck from the headstock end. A gentle bow is normal. A sharp twist or a kink is not. If there is a truss rod, do not turn it on an old instrument without knowing which way you are going. A seized rod can snap. Many vintage Martins before 1985 had no adjustable rod, so do not look for one.

Look at the frets for wear and lifting ends, and at the nut for cracks.

Choose light strings

Old tops and necks were built for lighter strings than many modern sets. Start with the lightest gauge that suits the instrument, and bring it up to pitch in stages. Tune a little at a time, check the bridge and top after each stage, and stop if anything moves. Do not tune up to pitch in one go.

Electric instruments

For electrics, look at the control cavity, pots, wiring and jack. Do not plug in an old instrument that smells burnt or has frayed wiring. Pot codes in the cavity give an earliest date, as described in dating by pots, and reading them needs no soldering.

When to stop

Stop and take it to a luthier if you see any of these.

A lifting bridge or visible gap under it.
A top that bulges or sinks, or a crack that moves.
A loose or detached brace.
A neck that is twisted or has shifted at the joint.
A strong smell of damp, or signs of woodworm.

A good repairer will say what is worth doing. Original condition matters to many buyers, so ask before they refinish or replace parts.

Keep a record

Write down what you found and when. Include the serial, the readings and the confidence, and any marks. The note is useful for yourself and for anyone who deals with the guitar later.

Check this next

Photograph the bridge edges and the inside of the body, then ask whether the glue joints look sound before you apply any tension.

This is general guidance only. Nothing here values an instrument or checks that it is genuine, and a repair decision belongs to someone who can handle the guitar.