1970s Applause AA14-1

I bought this one on ebay for $12.00 in August of 2007. It had a yard sale sticker on it that said 50 cents... draw your own conclusions there.

This one is a 1976-82 US made Applause, plywood top, oversized binding, aluminum(?) and poly foam neck... not exactly the recipe of a high class guitar.

Like many Applauses, the bridge had lifted and took a chunks of plywood with it. The plywood under the top was all splintered and frayed with a few holes right behind the bridge, and someone had attempted to repair it by driving wood screws down through the bridge, actually splitting it in one spot.

I reached inside to assess the damage and plan my next move.... and I discovered that some of the top braces were missing altogether. I made a stout bridge plate so the bridge could actually be glued to something solid and made two braces that ran alongside the bridge plate. Unconventional, yes, but simple, strong, and fairly easy to install with the top still on the guitar.

This guitar wasn't much more than a rescue mission, trying to save it from the dumpster. It sounds incredible and the action is dead flat.

Sometimes guitars make no sense....

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Email: ksdaddy@yahoo.com