how much would it cost to....

[Pickles]

get my bridge repaired (its coming up a little bit) on my 12 string and fix a tiny crack on the body? maybe around $50? hopefully? i dont wanna spend that much. it happens on every 12 string, unless its some magic 12 string that has some magic wood and some magic bridge... not to mention its held up this good since 1973...

[Der-ak]

That can be a hard one to fix my friend. Simply because there's usually some warping of your guitars top accompanied by the bridge lifting up.
How do you tune your 12-string? As a general rule ALL 12-strings should be tuned a half-step down (E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, G-flat, B-flat, and E-flat) to compensate for the extra load on the truss rod, neck and bridge. Make a few calls to your local guitar shops and see what they have to say.

If nothing inexpensive can be done to the bridge, you do have some other "temporary-fix" options; Sometimes a simple truss-rod adjustment will take care of your action problems, Or you may also have to go as far as filing down your saddle and/or nut to get better results. As always, check with the pros to see what they think is best for your individual guitar/budget. It'd be a shame to see a guitar thats survived since '73 kick the bucket now.

As for the crack... that shouldn't be nearly as much of a problem. A luthier/repair-guy should be able to go inside your guitar through the soundhole, (don't worry, it doesn't hurt) stabilize the crack and lay a bit of glue along it to seal it up and keep it together. The right amount of glue really shouldn't hurt the sound quality of a solid-top guitar that much and if you have a laminate-top, you really shouldn't hear any difference at all.
Make sure you keep that axe tuned down a half-step and give it a little TLC. And for heaven-sake,... go easy on it! That poor guitar is like... eighty years old in guitar years!

Good luck with it however it turns out!

D*

[Pickles]

thanks dude.

[grock]

How do you tune your 12-string? As a general rule ALL 12-strings should be tuned a half-step down (E-flat, A-flat, D-flat, G-flat, B-flat, and E-flat) to compensate for the extra load on the truss rod, neck and bridge.

I don't know that this is a rule. i have never seen any 12 string guitarist that has to like use a capo to play in tune or anything. and i've been to many a bluegrass festivals and seen many a 12 string players. shoot i go to school in indiana. home of the battleground fiddler's festival. so, in my experience, der-ak, i don't think this rule is true. i think it is a good idea (and i believe this to be true of all guitars) not to tune it above standard, unless you are using strings that are designed to be tuned higher (eg. raised B)

i think a much more obvious rule for 12 stringers is to use light strings. i'd recommend even extra light strings. if fact i'd only use the light if i couldn't get my hands on the extra light. that'll keep the tension down. and 12 string guitars are made to hold the extra tension in having 12 strings on there. it is in the design. really the reason the the bridge is coming up is the same reason any bridge would come up. and that is probably humidity/heat/age. we call all remember what happened to jkanter's old guitar just awhile back. so yeah.

My advice is to bring it to a luthier, buy some extra light strings, and don't worry about having you guitar tuned to standard.