I'm so glad I tuned into this channel because for years I really had a problem getting my fish to stick together and never even realizing that they make fish glue it's amazing what you can learn
Ted, I want to thank you so much for helping me learn how to fix my own guitars. As a full-custody, single Dad with two teenagers I can't really afford my dream guitar. So I play budget guitars, and have most of them playing nicely except for one. 2 years ago I bought a Mitchell ME1CE on sale for about $230, it is a beautiful looking guitar that looks and feels well made. But it had a problem, a buzzing issue which i thought i could easily fix or so I thought. I messed with this guitar countless times and finally got the action adjusted so that it was perfect. But it still buzzed like crazy past the 8th fret and it sounded too bright. It turns out that the guitar was shipped without a proper fret job. So I followed your instructions, used a fret rocker and then filed down my frets so that they are all now perfectly balanced. The end result is that now this cheapo guitar plays like a guitar worth 5 times it's cost and for the first time in 2 years I actually want to play this guitar. I owe it to you sir! Thank you so much for for your highly practical lessons, I was ready to pawn this guitar or trade it for another one, and now I want to keep it. Thanks again!
I watch all your vids. I'm a finish carpenter and I've employed some of your luthier wizardry in my field. ...so I don't want to come off as a jackass who's just here to tell you that youre doing something wrong, but I would have put the thumb-wheels *on* before removing material from the length of those bridge pins. Remember, gang - cutting a bolt with the nut on (whenever possible) is cheap insurance against cross-threading. Love your channel, friend - maybe someday, someone will send a baritone in for extensive repairs and all my dreams will come true. Be well.
I bought one of these guitars -a very early example from 1952, serial number under 2000 I seem to remember- in Denmark Street in London. It had a loose heel joint- actually flopping around in there- and an action that made it feel like punishment. Now, I bought that guitar for it's sound. It boomed and jangled at the same time. I had a confident luthier reset the neck and remove material from the bridge, both improving the action. I played that guitar in bands around the country. Sometimes hot through fuzz boxes and old amps, sometimes clean, mic'd up with a little treble from the pickup I had installed. I sold that guitar a few years ago for roughly the money I put into it plus the cost of the instrument- break even. Now I have no guitar and money doesn't play the same. Investment in an instrument should be personal and grounded. Nice to hear your relationship with the customer is honest and earnest.
Wow, i have one of these, nearly the same. The over all condition of my instrument is nearly mint, seems like not used, after 60+ years. i got it as a gift and it is very nice playable and rings like a bell. The sustain is about 18 seconds. Ok, it is not a high end guitar, but for the time in which they build it, it is very nice done....
This is the best RU-vid channel that I have dug into in a while. It’s been like 1 week, 30+ hours of watch time , and I feel like I’ve learned more about not just guitar repair, but guitar history and culture, than I have on any other formant .
@@richardweinberger6302 Hey my friend,. My dear old pops got me an arch top Harmony for Christmas one year. I don't know what he paid for it or where. The "music" store in our town when I was a sophomore in highschool in '62 was just a few C&W records, maybe a guitar string or 3. That was about it as I seem to recall. Yeah, there was a C&W band that would play in a place called the Cave, which was underneath a building in my town. Some of my old partners in crime in those days would sneak down the steps, poke our heads into the door to see what sort of denizens would be present inside. The bartender saw us and yelled to get out a stay out ! Holy cow, we knew it was adults only allowed -- we just wanted to get a glimpse. Anyway, I don't think my old man paid more than 20 bucks. One of the fellows in my dad's Dixie Land band showed me some chords and how to tune it to pitch. Gawd forbid I ever break a string tuning it. I'm of the opinion these working musicians, such as they were had to drive to Billings, MT to get strings, etc. The strings were rusty, the windings we're coming off before I ever knew one had to change strings every once or twice in a year or two. But I had Peter, Paul and Mary to listen to and try in vain to figure out how they played those songs....By my senior year we had Dylan and Blowin' In the Wind. What fun learning how to play that, even with decrepit strings. Still nothing broke in those years. Somewhere in '66 and with a bit more knowledge about good guitars, I was stationed in California in the military, so was able to buy a Gibson J-50 new off the wall in a phenomenal music store in Sacramento. Ha, they even had guitar strings. I paid $250 for that J-50. Kept that gem for many decades until I had to sell it during Dubya Bush's tenure due to financial hardships. It broke my heart -- it was like a beloved lady leaving me. Elderly in Michigan gave me $1,880 for it. Vintage, ya know and well cared for. That's my guitar story. Never replaced it -- discovered the mandolin instead. Cheers, brother. Bob in Montana. 😃😁🍺🍅❤️☮️
Interesting that he would mention about the changing dimensions of the ball ends of strings over years and it just so happens that the diamond string factory in New Brunswick New Jersey renovated the building and gave me all the lumber they pulled out of the building but in doing so I ended up with tons of ball ends dating back to the 1800s and whatever that's worth I'll just say good night
I had a 1950s Hofner Senator arch top back in the early 1960s so I’ve found this video even more enjoyable than usual. My guitar had a three piece neck but no adjustable truss rod, (I don’t know if it had a bar in the neck). It had a Hofner single coil pickup which attached to the end of the neck and I actually used the guitar to play several gigs with the beat group I was in at the time. I remember that it had a really heavy action despite me sanding down the bridge so it was really hard on the fingers. Although it was a fabulously good looking instrument I very quickly traded in part exchange for a nice red Hofner Colorama solid, although not the finest guitar in the world it didn’t sound completely horrible and got me through a summer holiday season playing 6 gigs a week at holiday parks without shredding my fingers.
You also have to take into account the sentimental value to the customer. I have repaired many guitars that customers have been told are not worth repairing because the tech decided that it wasn't worth the effort or cost. I just did one of these Hofner's a few months ago. It was the sentimental value that made it worthwhile doing. Every guitar has a story and some are amazing.
According to the guitar tech who sorted out my Hofner Congress, they were shipped from the Hofner factory without being set up, the retailer was supposed to do that but they rarely did.
I picked up a Silvertone and Kay archtop at estate sale for $10 dollar each. They're in for repair right now. 40 and 50 dollars to repair. So appreciate your comments on the worth of repairing theses things. Just trying to get them playable. They are good wall ornaments! Thanks, enjoy watching your channel.
I’d call it sentiment vs fetishized. I still have the ‘77 Takamine F-360 (D-28 copy) that I bought new in junior high. It is the first guitar I ever bought and I still love it; it’s in great condition, and plays/sounds great. When I bought it, the MSRP was $300 and I got it at a going out of business sale for $150. Now, if something were to happen it that would required $500 worth of luthier work, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. Yes, that’s likely twice it’s current value, but my “sentimental” connection to that instrument, is deep. I’ve owned/played it for 43 years.
I had to reset the neck and re attach one of the top struts on my old Framus archtop I rescued . You can't really get super slinky action on these old girls, they never had it back in the day. Yep when changing strings, the ball ends get well stuck, suspect that ball ends have changed over time. Love your videos :)
Great video. I like the pace and the way you explain things. For those press in tuner bushings on many older, less expensive guitars I"ve found that small metal grommets that you can buy at fabric or sewing stores are an exact replacement, especially on Harmonys, Kays, Stellas, etc. They are very inexpensive and they come in many small sizes
had one, her name was lulu. Could only keep 2 strings in tune. a great bass guitar. one day I took off the strings and found that the neck had broken and was kept by the strings.,heavy strings and trying to keep up with the volume. She went to guitar heaven
Wow! There is some seriously thoughtful and careful craftsmanship on display in this video. Of course, it's what we've come to expect from you, Twoodfrd. It is a pleasure to watch you work, sir. I love seeing these old wall-hangers coming back to life. It probably plays and sounds better now than it ever did. Thanks for making these videos!
Its not just the learning that is good from you, its also the experience you carry to us. Many cannot afford the repairs and don't know how valuable this is. God bless ya!
Great stuff! I’ve been to the original factory in.Bubenreuth and the new one(they moved in the late 60’s but still call it the new one..) in Haganu. They have a lot of cellulose nitrate from the 50’s & 60’s saved that was used for inlays! Really nice folks!
For the thin bushing, when non available , aluminium coffee capsule sheets are quite thick and offer good stifness. I used that on my '44 Harmony archtop, and the spacing is just perfect. Intonating is so smooth now. It really helped straightening the poles and relief friction on the machine parts, which was really bad prior to that..
I know you can't read everything you get - just wanted to say though that I love the channel and your commentary - very droll and witty, lots of eclectic asides and observations! I have binged your videos HARD, and love, love the channel. Thanks so much. I am also learning a tremendous amount - I am a woodworker and hobbyist, and am thinking of doing a kit or finding a guitar to repair/rebuild for fun. Cheers from NH, USA!
Thanks again for the effort that goes into letting us all watch you work. We really appreciate it. I have learned more from your channel than all the other luthiery channels combined.
That would be a dream to find. Love the whole vibe of that rig. I do have a super nice 1957 Gibson ES125 that is in really good shape and plays so nice its sick. I snagged it from my brothers father in law for $1000 reciently, it was a super buy in my opinion. Wish one like this would come to me somehow.
A have a 1960 Framus which apart from having a cutaway is almost identical. Action was very high on this, I made a new bridge out of ebony to sort this. Also, gave it a refret, installed electrics and now it plays great.
At 13:35, although I often cut screws and bolts shorter with the Dremel tool, some electrical crimpers have a set of built-in threaded cut-offs for #4, 6, 8 and 10 (SAE) screws that gives you a clean, essentially burr-free edge to the shortened screw. You can also buy crimpers with metric-thread cutoffs but those are much harder to find and typically a bit more expensive.
Ted, nice to see you are one of only a small handful of luthiers that know the proper way to fill a bridge to an arch top, Jerry Rosa is among then. Thanks and cheers. Bob
Thank you so much for these videos! I am not a guitar repair guy...but I think guitars are beautiful...and I play a little. Your obvious passion and skill coupled with your calm demeanour makes for a fantastic companion to my morning coffee.
Just when Todd is done wowing us with his knowledge, train of thought and mechanical skill, working in the smallest scale, gives us a taste of one sweet like. The camera set up of the dremel cutoff was most oddly satisfying to me
I got a broken one exaclty like this one, just darker sunburst. I know its not finacially smart, but im a musician and it was my granddads guitar. So its not about the money, its for the sentimental value youknow. I asked a luthier for what the job would cost and its was all from 1000$ to 1500$ And im fine with that, it originaly belonged to my grandads brother who passed away many decaded ago. He has since taken care of it, well its not been looked after, so repairs will be needed. But from my perspective! Its worth it, just based on the pure family history it has. Thanks for the headsup in the video! -Mats Odin.
Just a tip re gluing binding in this situation I suggest using un thinned lacquer for the re adhesion if any mishaps it can be wet sanded leveled and buffed..
This is a really cool guitar. Surprisingly little sag in the top arch considering its age. I play a modern Hofner (Verythin Single Cut) and so I have a soft spot for them. Brilliantly conscientious resuscitation work and words of wisdom as always, sir. I almost dig the Freddie Green action in its original condition!
Love your channel, love what you do and the respect and professional way you go about any repairs you do, it's so nice to see someone who cares about their work. And hi from Wales UK.
I’m catching up on loads of your videos. I have to say thank you for making me laugh at the start of this one … trying to work out if you were John or Paul :)
Among my many guitars, I have a Hofner Congress (1965). a Senator (1959) and a President (1965) as well as a Framus (1964/5)...they're lovely to play..I really appreciate your attention to detail..... and I knew somehow you were going to suggest fish glue..!
I bought (maybe WAS bought) a new dark ‘burst Hofner Congress in 1962, my first guitar. Clearly a later model than your ‘mother of toilet seat’ encrusted version, I have to say I do not recall my example being anywhere close to as glossy as the model you worked on here, and reference to contemporary pictures of me adopting the ‘Rocker Pose of the Day’ bear this out as well. I do recall that the action (although, back in the day, I didn’t know it as such) it had for my initial ‘learning’ process, was virtually as you found on your first examination of this instrument. And I do know, when I traded it in for a lightly used example of the ‘stiletto neck’ Framus Hollywood (solid-looking, hollow ply nod to the single cut Les Paul of the day), the action on that German guitar, compared to it’s distant Hofner ‘cousin’ was, for its time, astoundingly playable!
I have one of these and it had the same problem. I worked on the bridge,as you did ,but still the action was just to high , then one very cold night I heard a : ping ! Some time later I found the neck glue had given way and the neck was loose, I was able to ease the neck out and shim it , now plays beautifully.
I'm in the midst of doing some guitar rebuilds that are not worth it monetarily: 1) New Squier strat cost £115 I've spent at least that again in parts, to Fenderise it and make it look, sound and play as well as it can - Bone nut, better saddles, etc. 2) I have two old Japanese Washburns, one is a wreck, missing pickups and been a test bed guitar for various pickups and has bypassed electronics which are a rat's nest. 3) the second Washburn plays nicely and sounds good, but I'm replacing all the black hardware with chrome and sticking a real Floyd Rose on it - one assembly worth as much as the whole guitar. Makes no sense in terms of £££s but I want the guitars that will be the outcome! So there's value in it. I'll also make RU-vid videos of it. I love your vids and I'm quite experienced but learn loads from you!
Hi there from Jim Paton in Fife, Scotland. I totally agree with your opinion of Hofners of this era.( I owned several of them). I think this one could be a Senator from the late fifties. The UK price new would have been £18 -18 shillings.
Huss & Dalton from the Shenandoah Valley Staunton, VA. custom boutique instruments one of the best round shoulder tones to compare with other top of the food chain of guitars.
Thanks for this mate, I have a 456 and was trying to fix a couple of these issues myself. Hands down, the best structured and we'll thought out guitar fix video I have found! I'm missing the strap button from the bottom of my hofner and I'm not sure how to fix it / whether the fix is worth the risk of breaking it, it seems like the join where the strap button was is pretty vulnerable. No obligation to respond, but if anyone reads this and has a fix - I'm keen!
These old Hofner guitars and basses never used the type strap needing a strap button. Most used a strap that was tied in front of the nut, under the strings. McCartneys strap is actually this same style, only he tied it under the heel area of his bass. Brilliant idea even if it did make the bass a bit neck heavy.
The secondary purpose of this guitar is a musical instrument. Its primary one is firewood. If someone brought this to me, I'd take that bottle of Ronsonol and do a Hendrix. Top marks to you for making it playable.
After years of playing a cheap factory guitar I bought an old cheap factory guitar. A mid fifties hofner Congress. It needed its neck reset some crazy action fixes, but I used to thrown it through an amp and let it growl! Foolishly sold and always regretted. This is hard to watch!
I love celluloid for picks, but it does suck for inlays and pickguards. Because it will inevitably start to decompose. It’s a nice disposable plastic though.
Oh boy oh boy, another present under the tree! Good timing, 'cause I have an SS Stewart archtop on the bench I'm scratching my head over. Again, WHO is that one guy? There's always one "thumbs down" on your videos. Do you do it yourself as sort of a "zen corner"?
I build and work on drums and any time I am going for a vintage WMP (white marine pearl) or am trying to match something from the 40s or 50s, Precision Drum Co. Services can print custom wraps and probably match anything your shooting for. Made from delmar. Just a heads up if you ever are in that route.
Super job all around, reasonable and appropriate, solved all the problems without getting ridiculous. I hope you made some money and I think you've added real value too. Somebody would gladly pay the owner more than market for this guitar just for the condition, appearance and playabilty combined with what many buyers would be drawn to for the perceived historical value of the brand.
Two, one of the first things I do with trapeze tailpieces , is to glue a piece of leather underneath the leading edge to prevent the metal ever coming into contact with the top.
Hofner became a thing not because of legendary design and workmanship, but only because Paul McCartney needed a bass during one of the Beatles' early tours of duty in Hamburg. Apparently the Fenders and Rickenbackers were hugely expensive due to steep German import duties, so he found the domestically-produced Hofner for about a third of the price. Also, the symmetrical violin shape allowed him to turn it over and play left handed.
