Question:
On my acoustic (well, technically, acoustic/electric, but what does that matter?), my bridge isn't fitting right. The back end of it (side furthest from the neck) rises a centimeter or two off of the body of the guitar. That actually doesn't affect the tuning too much because it's stuck like that -- it doesn't give either way. However, it is a bit annoying, as you may imagine. I've tried resetting it with glue, but I found that the underside of the bridge isn't flush with the body of the guitar. I'm not sure if it's the bridge or the body, but at least one of the two has been warped. So when I reapplied the bridge, the same thing happened again.
Answer:
You should take the guitar there for evaluation, which will normally be free. Why do you think that properly removing and regluing the bridge would cost $200? This is not at all what I would call a serious repair, though it is a necessary one - whatever it is. It's actually a pretty run of the mill task, and probably takes no more than a couple hours of work (more than that for drying times). Serious repairs tend to be things like patching tops and sides, neck resets, head splices, etc. BTW, I can't see your guitar or the problem, so I'm not sure exactly what is wrong or what the correct course of action is. I'm also not sure exactly what the guitar looks like - no listing on the takamine page. If the bridge is lifting, it's possible that the problem actually stems from a worn bridge plate. When this happens, the ball ends go through what's left of it and then through the top and rest against the bottom of the bridge, pulling it off. This can cause the top to tear, and that *is* a major repair. Often a rosewood or maple strip is glued over the worn plate, the holes are redrilled, and that part of the problem is gone. Takes under an hour plus drying times. If the plate is in fact worn in this way, and you just reglue the bridge, the problem will immediately re-assert itself. As to replacement bridges, these are often made on the spot. You may be able to get a premade one from StewMac, but there's no guarantee at all that it will be the same shape, and do you have the tools or skills to do the work? Regluing a bridge does require some specialized tools, particularly clamps, and those will cost you pretty much what a professional repair will.
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