Have a same LAG guitar as the second one that you have had in the shop. After one year playing on it the neck warped itself and the guiar is now almost unplayable. Buzzing sound, wrong intonation etc. All LAG guitars are garbage
I have very limited experience with LAG guitars. I will always evaluate each guitar separately, regardless of make & model. But I'm sorry to hear about your experience.
Hey man, thnx for the video! I would like to ask - how do you think, it might be a common issue for this model? Would you recommend to buy one? I was thinking to get one of these player p basses, but now I'm kinda concern...
Each guitar (or bass) needs to be evaluated separately. I've seen significant differences within the same make & model or guitars (or basses). That's to be expected in mass production.
I have been very ill/disabled for 21 years and can’t afford gear being on Medicaid. I own one guitar and would love to participate if I’m able - guess it depends on how I’m feeling and if the space is accessible to a wheelchair. I live in Queens (but grew up in the Bronx and lived there most of my life) and know there are still lots of great places around my hometown that unfortunately aren’t accessible. Hope you can let me know because if I’m feeling well enough, I’d very much love to come check out the space with my task trained service dog who deeply enjoys music. I have lots of friends who live around the NYC area and would love to help spread word. Thanks for doing this! It’s great to help each other out - the music community rocks! ❤️🔥🤘🏻🎸😎
There's potentially good news here for you and for me, if you wish to appear in a Guitar Quackery video. I have been trying to come up with creative giveaway ideas. Not all giveaways will be contests. I have been thinking of recording a video of me giving a guitar to a random person on the street. The problem with that idea is that most people are not guitar players, so a random person is most likely not going to be a good candidate. Another idea that crossed my mind is that I could give away a guitar to the first random person who asked me for one. And you just did that and your request is clearly recorded in the comments section of this video. The first step, which is this exchange of comments, has already taken place. And as the old Chinese philosophers would say, "The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step." Now we just need to figure out what the next step should be. Do you prefer an acoustic or an electric guitar?
It is a really good rehearsal studio and it's really great that there's a corner where I was able to set up a guitar repair shop. Since you seem to be from NYC, feel free to participate. I just updated the description of this video. It's all explained there.
@@MrAldo68 OK, to be honest, I wasn't even expecting that I would be getting any request from RU-vid viewers, as these videos are literally being watched all over the world, and at this time the giveaways are just local events, at the studio. I guess I didn't think it through. That said, if you (or anyone else watching) wants to enter any of the upcoming giveaways, anyone should feel free to sign up, as long as they are willing to come to Midtown Mahattan to pick up their guitar (if they win) and as long as they are willing to appear on RU-vid, accepting the guitar. I updated the description in this video, so it's all clearly explained and there's a link. Good luck.
Chers to you, too. If you are in NYC and if you wish to participate (and possibly win a guitar) please feel free to check the updated description of this video.
I got those stock on a 2010 Les Paul. I also put the inline system version on my 2004 70's reissue Stratocaster. I think I'm the only one who really loves them. The thing is, the people who don't like them are the ones that never really gave them a chance. They didn't want to put the time in to learn how to use it properly. Everyone seems to have a dreaded fear of being on a gig, hitting a wrong button, and end up in some odd tuning before the next song starts. Now, while that "could" happen if they didn't know how to use it, it's not the fault of the tuners. If you panic and just start mashing buttons, it's just gonna end up in disaster. If they would have taken the time to learn how to use it (just like one does with everything else new and unfamiliar), they would have grown to love it. You are always in full control of what it does. It would never do something unprovoked. It's always user error. After a while, its operation became part of my mussel memory. I don't have to think at all and my guitar is in tune, in the tuning of my choice in seconds. The only issue I can honestly say i've have with them is the battery. They start to discharge quickly only after a few years and now, they won't hold much of a charge at all anymore. The RED battery light will come on after a tune or two. Anyway, anyone can call it an unnecessary gimmick if they wish but, these people don't play with alternate tunings. So, if you play in E the majority of the time but, have a song or 2 you play in drop D and all you need to do is tune the E string to D, the TronicalTune system isn't really for you. It's a tool you have to learn to use to appreciate.
First and foremost, thank you for posting this well thought out and enlightening comment. This is more than just a comment, it's a contribution to this video. I sure hope viewers take the time to read through it all and also give it some time to think about what you said, which are opinions based on years of experience. I'm sure you've heard plenty of negative comments about those robot tuners and have probably grown tired of all the negativity and criticism. Yet, you were able to express a strong opinion that goes against common opinions and you were able to do that without even a hint of negativity. I sure hope that anyone replying to your comment will keep it civil. I am personally still processing what your thoughts and really don't have much to say, as I currently don't have access to any guitars equipped with robot tuners. I'll be the first to admit that I did not take the time to learn to use them and certainly did not bother reading a manual. As with most other things that I try to do, I just try to figure out how tings work on my own. Perhaps that is a mistake with this particular product. Due to my own lack of experience as a user, I'm not even sure if it would be fair for me to say that the developers should have taken more time to develop this product in a way that it would be more intuitive. Perhaps the more intuitive version of this product would have ended up with more buttons to deal with. I really don't know. The only real opinion I have is about the batteries. Basically, batteries are like strings. They are not guaranteed to last forever. I'm not really sure how long it took for your batteries to go bad, but in general, it is expected they would need to be replaced at some point. Thanks again for takin the time to post.
Interesting. I am surprised to hear that, as I've done all luma corrections, using the waveform monitor, in Final Cut. I guess it's possible that my exposure setting on the close-up camera is low (as I did lower it, to avoid burnout, as recommended by some RU-vid tutorials) but perhaps I should raise it back up a bit. I also don't really have a good way to light up the workbench for that close up side camera. Thank you for pointing this out.
many similarities with guitars from Cort, where, for example, Ibanez acoustics are also manufactured alongside other brands. I think the Harley Bentons come from Cortek. tens of thousands of Cort guitar models have this bridge design and you don't hear anything negative about it... maybe an isolated case
D'Angelico acoustic guitar also have the same bridge design. It's a bad design, in my opinion. There's simply less support for the bridge pins. The design does have some benefits, such as lighter weight (which is beneficial for the sound) and also a naturally occurring brake angle of the strings over the saddle (which is also beneficial for the sound). The break angle can be achieved on a conventional bridge by cutting string slots against the holes, but it does result in a heavier bridge. I think the entire bridge pin design and the actual proportions that we are stuck with is not ideal to begin with.
I take my videos very seriously. In fact, prior to posting anything on this prestigious social media platform that is RU-vid, I always test my videos with a live audience comprised of volunteers, who sign waivers that they are watching at their own risk. On this particular video screening test, I noticed, around the 7:30 mark, that half of the people in the audience were jerking off as they were watching the video. Initially I assumed that it was because of my good looks. But now that you've pointed out that the video is boring I now believe that those audience members were jerking off simply in a desperate effort to keep themselves entertained, as they were struggling to watch through this boring video. Darn, I should have never published this video. I wish you had alerted me to this fact sooner. Thank you for this enlightening feedback.
Another viewer made a similar comment, not so long ago. If you don't mind, I just want to copy and paste part of the reply I made to his comment. "At around 7:30 I can see that the string is siting in a narrower slot that I filed at the bottom of the pre-existing wider string slot. It is not ideal, but it is still better than it was. It is actually possible to make a narrower slot at the bottom of a wider slot, if there's enough material to file lower. As I re-watched the video, I did hear myself say that there might not be enough material to fix this by filing, as the existing slot is already very low. At around 8:00 I also say that it's am improvement and that "we'll see what the customer wants." I think it is clear that this was nothing more than a small improvement - the best improvement that I could achieve by filing and without replacing the nut. The sitar buzz at the nut doesn't come up every day, so I just took the opportunity to record a video that shows why this can happen." Hope this makes sense. Thanks for dropping by and hope you enjoy the videos.
Fascinating demo of what many feel to be a benighted technology. You didnt say so expressly but I got the impression that if a player wants to defeat the robo tuners it's just a matter of removing the motors and tuning manually. Did i get that right?
You can’t remove the motors and then use the tuning machines manually. A lot of players don’t like the robotic tuners, they simply change the entire set and put manual tuning machines on. For those who do just that, it is recommended to save the set of robotic tuners in the case, for resale value of the Guitar. I hope this makes sense.
It takes far less time than 50 years for something to be considered "vintage." I have a Russian Big Muff that that goes for ten times what I paid. I was broke from going to the bar too much and it cost less than the US made equivalent. I'm only 40 years old! What happened?! 😭
@@GuitarQuackery that means I would have a vintage stratocaster if my parents hadn't sold it as a punishment for disassembling it to see how it worked! On the other hand, I gained a much more valuable, intangible skill so I think it was worth it.
How so? If you changed your string gauges for an alternate tuning, it might be necessary to tough up the string slots on the nut, so the strings don't get stuck in the narrower slots. If the strings are getting stuck in the nut, I would imagine the robot tuners would have a hard time. Everything else must be just right on the guitar for these to work.
It looks to me like the unit detects the pitch of the string then converts that into a number that equals tension…so basically tension equals pitch…it’s quite ingenious…well done👍
@@GuitarQuackery I mean I'm not really knowledgeable on robo tuners, but I like your approach. I will share, but I don't visit guitar forums. Alot of those ppl think changing your volume knobs can affect and change your tone.
Robo call, lol. 😂😂😂 Great dissection video! I always have said the Robo Tuners were ahead of their time. Great idea, but poor execution because the technology wasn’t ready to support it. If Gibson would try it again today and team up with the right company, the technology would be much smaller/thinner/lighter, with better software, etc. Band Industries would probably be the most equipped to help make a modern Robo Tuner, as the Roadie 3 is essentially the same thing (with more features) that is not attached to the headstock. Band Industries has been making their tuning devices (that do much more than tuning) since their first Kickstarter was launched in 2014. There have been 3 iterations for guitar and most other stringed instruments, as well as 2 versions for Bass that were build with a different motor. I’ve had these tuners, and they were all fantastic and delivered on all their promises - never had failure with the hardware or software, the motors have all been robust, etc. That said, I bet Band Industries can make a unit for Gibson that’s attached to a headstock like the original Robo Tuners, but with much stronger motors, more advanced and smaller hardware, and much better firmware and app support. Is Tronical still around these days?! I’d be curious what they’ve been doing since the failed Robo Tuners. 🤔
I am not familiar with Band Industries and I don’t know the Roadie 3 products either. I’ll look it up. Thanks for letting us know. Tronical is still around. I was on their website when I was making this video.
It was interesting to see inside the tuners. I have two sets of the in my spares box, they were removed from a couple of used 2015 Gibson guitars I own. I found that although the robot tuners worked I prefer manual tuning so I replaced them with Grover tuners. If I sell the guitars I can include them with the sale so that the new owner can reinstall them if they want.
I definitely think that's the way to go. Tuners are just accessories and it only takes a few minutes to change them around, as long at the replacement tuners fit all the holes.
Yeah, I don’t see any guitar players retrofitting their vintage guitars with Robo Tunes. I tried to mess with them a couple of times and I couldn’t even tune the guitar. But I’m sure I was doing it wrong. But, again, it was not intuitive.
I think Gibson was going for a proprietary thing where you would buy the product and wouldn’t mod it, if you wanted a guitar with the tuners you would just have to get the full stock guitar without mods
As a measurement and laboratory engineer, I love your "scientific" approach do reviewing this guitar, with a lot of measuring I have not seen on other channels, awesome!
Very good work! I own the exact same figured Epi 335 I recently purchased used. The previous owner had it for 4 years and played the heck out of it. Had my luthier dress the frets and fret board cleaned, added a bone nut plus setup. No issues with the fretboard or frets (except normal wear) before the job. I’ve owned a Gibson 335 in my youthful days when we could afford one… (I have an older Gibson J200 which I will cherish forever…). The Epi I have is the next best thing and reconciles with my old 335 no longer affordable. The fact is the recent cheap guitars are no longer “cheap” and are giving to the big brand manufacturers a run for their money… And that’s a great thing for all those kids who want to become musicians.
The cheap brands have become really good, for sure. The expensive brands have a lot of the same problems that we see on cheap brands. Every guitar is different.
Its going to be some AI powered instrument, made out of plastic and a microprocessor, and a built-in battery. No skill required to play. Which will also mark the end of music lessons. Welcome to the future.
Future generations will no doubt come up with new music and new types of instruments. Guitars will undoubtedly drop in value. There are simply too many of them around.
@@jarodreddig63 I guess it will be a great buyers' market for those who will wan to play old fashioned music on nearly forgotten instruments. And I guess guitar repair techs will be what typewrite repair techs are today.
I'm pretty sure you can replace the fretboard if it gets too thin. I know that further deviates from originality, but that means you can maintain the functionality of the instrument past the lifetime of the fretboard itself.
You shouldn't need to keep resurfacing the fretboard. If it's a little uneven due to movement of the wood then it'll just move again after you resurface it. If it wasn't flat when it left the factory then I guess leveling it won't hurt. It's unlikely that some slightly out of flat fretboard surface will impact your ability to level the frets and get the instrument to play very well. Scalloped fretboards are not flat, also please don't flatten those either.
You make very good points. I think there are many different reasons why techs might decide to level the boards. Let's say one tech levels it on the first refret, after finding that the board is not trued. Decades later the board has dimples from the fingers and at that time one tech might decide to fill them. After filling, the leveling should take place. So, leveling should touch the entire board. Another tech might decide to level the dimples with the board, instead of filling. But in either case, leveling took place. There might also be a scenario when yet another tech decides to use a short leveling beam to touch up just one area of the board. That might lead to another tech discovering that the board is is kicking upwards over the fingerboard extension, so leveling the entire board (again) might be what that tech recommends. There could be also a scenario where the truss rod is maxed out and a tech decides to level the board at the two extreme ends, to reduce the up-bow. I can think of many scenarios where multiple tech work on the fretboards, each having a different idea on how to tackle a refret, for different owners, with different budgets. I really don't think there is a fretboard that will stay true over the course of decades and that will never again have to be leveled. For example, if we look at an old granite stairway, all the stairs are worn down from all the foot traffic. It does take many decades, or even a few centuries of constant foot traffic, but eventually they do wear down. Again, I do think you are making really good points and I am simply presenting all these other possible scenarios. In a more ideal hypothetical scenario the guitar would only be worked on by the same tech, over many decades, but that is of course not possible. Even in that case, again, I don't think the board would stay true forever.
But will anyone notice it was slightly sanded to perfection or will we assume it was made well at the start, and after one sanding will it ever need to be sanded again?
This seems to be the most frequent comment on this video. Not surprisingly, actually. As it makes sense. I already wrote a long reply to one of the comments, so I think I can just do a copy and paste here. "I think there are many different reasons why techs might decide to level the boards. Let's say one tech levels it on the first refret, after finding that the board is not trued. Decades later the board has dimples from the fingers and at that time one tech might decide to fill them. After filling, the leveling should take place. So, leveling should touch the entire board. Another tech might decide to level the dimples with the board, instead of filling. But in either case, leveling took place. There might also be a scenario when yet another tech decides to use a short leveling beam to touch up just one area of the board. That might lead to another tech discovering that the board is is kicking upwards over the fingerboard extension, so leveling the entire board (again) might be what that tech recommends. There could be also a scenario where the truss rod is maxed out and a tech decides to level the board at the two extreme ends, to reduce the up-bow. I can think of many scenarios where multiple tech work on the fretboards, each having a different idea on how to tackle a refret, for different owners, with different budgets. I really don't think there is a fretboard that will stay true over the course of decades and that will never again have to be leveled. For example, if we look at an old granite stairway, all the stairs are worn down from all the foot traffic. It does take many decades, or even a few centuries of constant foot traffic, but eventually they do wear down. Again, I do think you are making really good points and I am simply presenting all these other possible scenarios. In a more ideal hypothetical scenario the guitar would only be worked on by the same tech, over many decades, but that is of course not possible. Even in that case, again, I don't think the board would stay true forever."
Super vido! Excellent points! How about a middle path, do as little as possible to maintain playability. When I need to refret I go to Guitar Quackery! And I ask for the fret board to be perserved never to be planed, cause it makes a difference on the feel of the neck and if one is prone to injury can cause strain, trigger tendonitis.
Sports Injury or repetitive motion injury is most often due to muscle adhesion that goes unaddressed before and after activity. Pro guitar hand/arm stretches involving myofacial release have spared me from being palsied by the fury of my guitar playing. I'm 72.
I think if you have a 1 inch thick neck, it is less likely that the fretboard would need to be planed. On thinner necks (the so-called fast necks) there is a higher possibility that planning the fretboard will be required, due to the possible twisting and/or bending of the neck. I have had situations when I was leveling the frets, only to discover that some of the frets were losing a lot of height, on one end, because the board was uneven. In act, the guitar in this video had this problem. I was initially doing a fret Level, Crown & Polish and discovered that some of the frets would have to end up quite thin. After I discussed with the customer, he decided to have me do a refret.
There is nothing like the smell of the old wood being sanded down to an absolutely crisp, level fingerboard with new frets well set and polished in anticipation of uber perfect string action and the total shred dance to come, leaving with the feel of now having a potent tool.
@@GuitarQuackery Sure but they'll last a lot longer than standard frets for sure ! I've had a strat with Stainless since 2005 and I can barely see any wear at all ! Keep Rockin and Fixing Instruments !
Guitars are wearable instruments. When the fretboard becomes worn, it needs to be replaced. Traditional "nickel-silver" fretwire material is a joke; frets need to be leveled every six months.
Interestingly, different people wear through the frets at different rates. My current hypothesis is that it must have something to do with skin type. it also has to do with the condition of the strings. Some people let their strings develop rust, which is more abrasive to the frets.
