Wilson Burnham Guitars

retrofit   verb ret·​ro·​fit | \ ˈre-trō-ˌfit  , ˌre-trō-ˈfit \ retrofitted or retrofit ; retrofitting ; retrofits Definition of retrofit transitive verb 1: to furnish (something, such as a computer, airplane, or building) with new or modified parts or equipment not available or considered necessary at the time of manufacture 2: to install (new or modified parts or equipment) in something previously manufactured or constructed 3: to adapt to a new purpose or need  Routing the edges of the sound board in order to remove the top. Three years ago, I made my first "Brahms" guitar. A "Brahms" guitar is a classical guitar that has an extra bass string, usually tuned to the second "B" below middle "C", and an extra treble string that is tuned to the "A" above middle "C", giving the guitar eight strings. These extra strings extend the musical range of a classical guitar. Top removed. The problem with adding those two extra strings

 After installing the new redwood top and re-glueing the fret board extension on the 1991 Manuel Contreras guitar, it was time to make a new bridge. I chose a nice piece of East Indian rosewood from my stock and ripped out a piece. I made the bridge to be a very close copy of the original Contreras bridge, a large tie block with a deep valley between the block and saddle slot, the owner wanted a piece of bone to top the tie block. I prefer to install the bridge before I apply any finish to the top, it is easier for me to clean off any glue squeeze out, there is less damage to the finish if I do it that way. Once the bridge is properly located, I made locating pins from a sliver of rosewood. Making these pins is a fun task! Several years ago, I purchased a vacuum pump and vacuum clamp for glueing the bridge, both items were well worth the money. No longer do I have to fuss with clamps and worry about the risk of a bad glue-up! Once the bridge is glued on, I can shape the fret board to o