A few years ago now a pretty but unplayable guitar forced me to learn the secrets of a great guitar set up. Since then I've been able to prove my theory that inside every dog of a guitar is a cool cat just waiting to get out :-)
My '5 Steps to Guitar Heaven' eBook shows step-by-step how to set up electric and acoustic guitars with loads of background info, DIY tools and links to exclusive workshop video. You can buy direct from me as a PDF or iBooks format - just check the 'pinned' post here:
facebook.com/relovedguitars/
(You can get a preview of the content here on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/book/reloved-guitars/id1185340893?mt=11 but they take 30%)
Well set up & custom-made Reloved Guitars for sale on my eBay page: www.ebay.co.uk/usr/sam_deek
If you'd like me to set up your guitar (either dropped off by you or sent via courier) then please get in touch via the Reloved Guitars Facebook page: facebook.com/relovedguitars
Both my Jet Strats needed neck shims to get the saddles off the deck to float the trems. I think it's fairly constant, the guitar is built to deck the trems.
Electoral College. Relic from slavery times. It causes particular states' vote tally to be outrageously more important than the rest, the so called battleground states. Leads to many flyover states during campaigning. Our US presidrntial campaigns are far too long. The French electorate saved their own government over one weeks time essentially, you all have 6 weeks to campaign. In the meantime our election just got jolted back to life today, thank goodness.
My favorite guitar, only in cherry-burst. I bought one of these long ago, as a store returned item. It had one ding, and neck pickup didn't work. A large blob of the clear finish, projected into the cavity, and whoever assembled it, must've "made it fit", which broke wires in the coil. I had a set of repro hexbuckers thrown in, and plays great. I've several others, but this one just feels the best.
For a guitar that is almost 40 years old in 2026, its 2 years away from ots 40th birthday! They were well ahead of its time! I grew up on a 1986 Westone Spectrum LX (198-MBK). I kept my money, my 22 guitars, & my one of the first five Steinway & Son's piano's ever built after the passing of Mr.Steinway. My fathers house was stolen by my brother with everything we owned inside!
Considering one of those as I actually like working on guitars. It seems like all the issues are fixable and if you are willing to put the time in, you could wind up with a real nice guitar for a decent price. Would love to see what results you get if you wind up buying one for yourself. Well done on an honest assessment! Was not expecting the nut slot and neck pocket issues. Fixable but a bit of a bummer that makes me second guess my decision to purchase one for sure. At least if I do, I know what to look out for.
I've shared your information with many. Wondering if they came to you and started asking for these. In an episode, you gave much detail on what to get and where. You did a fine job at explaining the process too. I'm grateful
It could be - about half of the people who have bought the 'Golden Banana Pack' so far are people I know from regular interaction on my Facebook page & repeat customers; some are new people I hadn't interacted with much yet. :)
@@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars , I'm glad that's happening. It really is worth the learning qnd sharing. My favorite thing to do is help people. I give my time for free and work on guitar's for fun. I hope you get a flood of new requests. We'll, of course, if you would accept the challenge. You helped me a ton.
You may have come here looking for deal with screwing the pickups back in with insane spring installation, if anyone finds out the above problem please let me know.
Hi Sam I'm glad to hear what you think about this style of bridge. I've thought much the same ever since I came across them. They do seem to've been invented by Trevor Wilkinson, and appear on his Wilkinsondirect web site under the name Wilkinson GTB LITE. To quote from their webpage - "... the development of a multitude of string gauges and the replacement of the wound G string to a plain G string in many cases meant that the newer developed stud bridge was not fit for purpose. The GTB Lite bridge tail/tailpiece solves the issues found in the traditional bridge/tailpiece combination ..." As you say this design fails spectacularly in this aim. That doesn't seem to've put Musiclily and their many Chinese friends off from plagiarising the design. I'm rather disappointed in Thomann using it on their guitars - I'd hoped they were better than that. Changing the subject … Did you end up changing the tone capacitor and, if so, did it markedly improve the pickup sound? Your capacitor discovery is very interesting because those pickups are used on several Harley Bentons - Fusion series, SC series, DC series, etc The reviews I've seen of these guitars have all said the pickups rather let down an otherwise very good guitar. I wonder if the problem exists on all Roswell fitted guitars, and a simple change of capacitor would've fixed the issue all along.
Hi Sam ...isn't the conventional thing with pickups a .22 cap & 250K pots with single coils, and .47 cap with 500K pots with humbuckers? It's the combination that's most important. Even a 1mg pot will allow more treble to come through. Cheers Terry
You cannot use logical thought process with Trump. Epiphany is not in his mind at all, there no space there for this lunatic for consequential process.
I am not trying to teach Grandma to suck eggs , but is the G string slot on the bridge already a little bit back from the B slot thus "PERHAPS" allowing a bit of adjustment? Just a thought, not trying to justify what appears to be an iffy design. I hang on your every word and you have saved me lots of time and money. Thank you.
@@mototakahe836 The G string and B are fixed in their normal ‘3 plain, 3 wound’ stagger on that single movable block. They’re already correctly intonated; there is zero benefit of moving those two strings together as a pair (which is all you can do). It’s literally pointless.
Hello Sam, that bridge is different from my CST-24. I have a Lefty Ocean Mist which came with a Wilkenson bridge that is comprised of 6 individual adjustable saddles. As far as the tone cap goes, the side of the tone cap that is visible does not have any printing on it. Cap color is deep red. I did not notice you mention the grit of paper you had on the "banana". Was still 400 or something more aggressive?
Hi Rick, seems that the ones currently out of Thomann (in Germany) have this bridge on it - the call it 'DLX GTB wrapover' on the specs. I think Wilkinson came up with this bridge a while back or one very like it. The tone cap on close up investigation has 0.047 on it... but thinking about it I don't think that value has to do with the darkness of the pickups. They're just dark and a bit muffled to my ears. And yes the paper is 400 grit... it seems to work well for me although if you're using this method then 600 or even 800 will slow down your process if you're nervous :)
Hey Sam 👋 is it the nature of wood that makes it difficult to make the fretboard perfectly straight thereby remaining perfectly curved under string load? You know what I mean!!! Lol. We can put a man on the moon!! Thanks for the video 👍
That's what I think, Ronnie. it's organic; inconsistent, flawed, varied... And though we went to the moon remember there were course corrections along the way. CAPCOM: Apollo 11, you're currently on target to miss the moon and sail off into the distant solar system so we need to put in a course correction APOLLO 11: Lucky we have those Reaction Control Systems and Newton's Third Law to rely on...
@@mrfatbobrider1969 We're good - except for the our 'summer' weather up here NORTH of the jet stream ;D (we're not supposed to be north of it at this time of year...)
Hi..I am from India... When I play my silent guitar which steel string.. a plectrum hit sound coming from 2,3,1 string ( which is muddy sound).. what I do to solve it.. pls help me
@@qayyumyumz4190 either 1) your nut slots are cut too low or 2) your neck is slightly back-bowed with a hump in the middle that makes notes fretted in the first half of the neck buzz or choke. If 1) get a new nut and cut the slots down to the right 1st fret action (my target is 0.3mm) or 2) turn your truss rod adjuster counter-clockwise to slacken the neck until it first goes dead flat and then a tiny bit of curvature.
Question : I’ve owned a lot of Variax guitars from the beginning through the standard but all the Variax guitars I have owned have had a 5 position pickup switch . What about the 59 the Les Paul model with its 3 position switch . Aren’t you losing a lot of sounds ? I’m curious to know
Only in so far as with a Les Paul you've 'only' got the 3 switch options to begin with... 3 pickups suit 5 way switches; 2 pickups suit 3 way switches - although, as with many Telecasters, you can use a 4 way switch to get an extra tone (but that's only usually a modified tone rather than a unique pickup combination).
@@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars Your video here was an inspiration. Mine doesn't have a problem with the top yet so I might not have to go as low. I was wondering why it seams like I can never get it to sound in tune. I can't hear hear hear the harmonics with the cursed thumpy tone.
Sam, you saved me again. I found that the fretboard on the Taylor was lifted off the body to the point that it needed a new neck. But thanks to your banana 🍌, I was able to compensate for the few millimeters that ir was raised and I was able to save it. Truly, it's because of you that I found my way. 7 frets replaced, full level and soon a crown. I've got the whole neck playing again. It sounds awesome. You saved my client 3 thousand dollars and me from telling him, I can't fix it. But thanks and I'm telling everyone about you. Bless you Sam. That's also my son's name.
I'm very glad that you were able to rescue it - although I can't work out from your description what could have gone so bad on that guitar. You said the fretboard was 'lifted off the body to the point that it needed a new neck'... ? Can you explain further? (I'm just curious that's all!)
@@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars , yes Sam, I can explain more. The guitar had a severe neck break at the heel and the guy left it strung up like that. The neck pulled forward and it warped the fretboard at the lower boute. The high e side took the worst damage. I had to rebuild the heel on one complete side. When I reinstalled the neck, it wouldn't sit flush to the body anymore. It did need a new neck but I was able to repair it to a degree that I was able to put it back on. Frets filed lower on one side to keep it playable.
Hi @gold94wing (I wonder what motorcyle you ride?) :) It's a Fender Mustang III amp.. you're right, it was sounding good. I keep thinking "Oh, I'll take this back for band practice / gigs and bring the Katana to the workshop..." and once I done it, I then think the opposite and reverse my decision lol. I do think it's a very powerful, capable amp... I think that its complexity tires me out. It's SO tweakable, adjustable... yet I still end up with a whole set of patches with crazy different volumes that I can't use in practice, even if I like the tone I've made. I keep reverting to a bizarre mix of my MicroCube (as a pre-amp / pedal) into a clean channel in my Katana because it gives me as much control as I want from as few (very familiar) amp models and knobs. Simplicity is what I need!
@@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars I appreciate the time you spent sharing these great insights. Much obliged. Unfortunately, the Mustang III is no longer available in the United States, although I may still find a used one. It apparently was replaced by the Mustang GTX, but it does not have the same projection as yours. Oh well. And yes, I still have my old GoldWing, although I do not ride as much anymore. The Texas heat and my "evolving" age have made me a recluse at home. No complaints. Thanks for all your great work. It is mesmerizing to me.
Sorry to hear that. Taylor in Netherlands (Amsterdam) have been helpful to me... but it was very unclear for years how - or even if - they would respond to requests. It STILL seems to vary from region to region. I've tried to explain to them that the more guitar techs they support / encourage to do this work safely, the more we'll recommend Taylor.
@@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars, yeah, it wasn't that alone. They asked me for the serial number on the one I'm working on and I felt funny so I didn't provide it. Then he told me it was to ban this gutiar from being worked on by a rep. All he cared about was that, not helping. Turns out he did buy it from Taylor but has lost the original receipt. That rep made me feel like I was breaking the law. It's why I'm so mad. You're right and I told him they probably lose a lot of business that way. He won't respond now but I knew I lost him anyways. I've been working on guitar's for over 3 years now and I'm good. Learned everything on my own starting with the Squier name.
'Road worn'. Which road, which band, how much amount of playing takes the paint finish off. Call a fake a fake, nothing else.Other than, thanks Sam, I'm running out of heroes.
Rocky Roadworn. I think most of us wish that we'd had a lifetime of down-to-earth nightly rock and roll grind, the kind that puts real wear on our instruments.
Tex Mex pickups are tough to beat for the $. There's definitely something about them. Very versatile. EDIT: On builds, I always enlarge the neck mount holes on the body simply to make neck alignment adjustments easier. I found that if those holes are too tight, you'll never get some necks completely straight in the pocket.
Knowing my customer I don't think he'll be removing the neck for any reason so it was less of an issue. But ideally, yes, they should be 'loose tunnels' for the screws to go through AND move slightly if necessary.
This is still going on. They've updated the packing to reflect the current Ernie Ball product, but it seems to take them a little while to catch up. The strings inside are probably the same no matter which brand or pack you buy. Thousandths of a inch is the usual engineering unit, so 0.030 is "thirty thou". Calipers can't give you 0.001" accuracy, so that half gauge give or take is usual. In my experience if you hold pressure they will usually read about 0.001 under or worse. The more accurate tool to use is a micrometer, which usually has a mechanism to account for tension (essentially a constant torque mechanism) and the accuracy is ten times better. My fake high E reads 0.008 with the calipers but 0.0099 with the micrometer. Way closer than I expected, which goes to show we shouldn't jump to conclusions. I don't really have a problem with companies selling a reasonable product at a very good price (eg Alice), but I certainly do have a problem with them passing it off as a genuine product. At that point it doesn't matter how good their product actually is. I think it's fair to say that any product that ships from China at a fraction of the price of the American made product is most probably fake. Some companies do manufacture in China to the appropriate quality (but not Ernie Ball AFAIK) and it can find it's way onto the grey market, so sometimes you have to do a bit of research.
Good points - the bottom line is that while those factories probably could make decent strings but they couldn't charge anywhere near the £12-14 they're charging for fakes on Amazon.
I keep my nut locks totally loose after restringing. Till the strings break in and stretch. I know when to tighten the nut locks. When it stays in tune for days. My trem ibnz are very stable with the nuts loose. But i run my strings in backwards. So the washers on the tuners. So there's no winding to slip. And string changes are much faster. Faster than locking tuners
Yep, good idea to leave the 'caps' loose until tuning is stable. I think the ball end being in the tuner is a very good idea.. I don't know why more people don't do it.
@@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars Thanks for the replys! The good vids and responding got you a new sub! I will ask my local GC Tech Josh. On Saturday about the edge low pro trem locking jam nut. There having a sale/ jam party. He's extremely knowledgeable and is extremely friendly
I dont believe my to Prestige Ibanez with the low pro trem have the locking nut. One of the alan 🔧 on the multi tool goes all the way down. And seens to fit into it. Gut it justs turns and turns. In both directions
That's interesting to hear. Unfortunately I don't know it well enough to suggest what's happening i.e. I don't have any guitars with this bridge on it. Sorry not to be any help!
the way you stretch the string is useless they only need stretch at the tuners ! , oh my don't use these files they are garbage you even bite into the wood ...
1) Wrong completely 2) When you have a very low action at the 1st fret (which I do) AND you have a slope backwards (which you need) you can't avoid touching the wood IF the manufacturer has put more wood behind the nut. Some do, some don't. If you're ruled by cosmetics and either don't cut a good low 1st fret action or don't angle down the slot just because you're afraid of cutting into the wood (that you have no choice over) then you're nowhere near the super-duper expert luthier you seem to think you are. BTW next arrogant stupid comment from you and you're hidden from my channel, understand. The key is the the words 'MY CHANNEL'
I have to say, stratocaster is my favorite. I'm about to get my vintage series back the way it was supposed to be. It had a blonde neck. I'll go roasted. Good video
@@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars , I wish I could come there. I just got offered a guitar shop. Bet you didn't know, I'm not allowed to play guitar in my own home. Sick of it!
I've not set up one with fibreglass reinforcement rods in it (as far as I know at least). Do any brands / models come to mind that I could keep my eyes open for?
@@SamDeeksRelovedGuitars Thank you for responding! So, I would guess the most common are the Schecters. Many models have the carbon fiber reinforcement rods. Also, Kiesel have them standard on every model
I like to sing when I can... .but never rated my own singing! Having said that, there have been one or two moments when I've surprised myself (such as the occasional open mic night).
I've got one from 2012 in sunburst, best guitar I could ever buy. Found it NOS in a store 2 years ago. It took me 6 months to set it to my string gauges and my tuning with the floating bridge. But now it's incredible, such a marvelous guitar
@@ronnielopez9644 hi Ronnie - more force of habit, but it is also useful as a ‘diagnostic’ of the general condition of the neck. Most, if not all, of the chokes on bends occur when pushing the high e and B across into the ‘G track’ so I like to take care of the treble side of the neck first. Once in over the hill (the centre line of the neck) then I’m coming down to the bass side, looking to alleviate or remove ‘fret slap’ from those thicker, wound strings. You could do the whole thing in reverse if it suited you that way :)
I set the saddles to give a spread of heights of the string above the last fret ranging from 1.5mm low E last fret across to 1.25mm high E last fret. The in-between strings increase by a tiny amount moving up from the low E to the high E. It's partly measurement and partly done by eye (which you can get used to over many years!).
Fly spray? In the past I've been known to use gloss varnish, gloss black, or whatever paint rattle can that's to hand. Gives them a really shiny ending ;-)
Oh man. Many years ago I was working in Germany and renting a little apartment. One summer's evening there were a ton of mosquitos in my window so I thought I'd do the James Bond trick and light a deodorant spray at them. Being a smoker I had the lighter to hand and whoooosh a jet of flame rushed out, fried the mosquitoes, hit the window pane and spread out sideways, setting the net curtains on fire immediately. I had to explain to my landlady (in very broken German) what exactly had happened. I don't think she ever understood what I'd done! It was AND wasn't very James Bond at the same time :)
Thanks Sam! This is spooky, I have been casually looking at these Road Worn Vinteras recently AND not one but TWO youtubers have shared what I have been thinking, you, and another guy in the past couple of hours! I don't technically know you or the other youtuber! It's not even Halloween!
