I watch a lot of luthier videos, and I just gotta say that I really love your production level. You don't try to be goofy, funny, nutty, different, etc. You talk honestly and describe what you are doing in easy to understand descriptions. Your videos aren't cluttered with selling stuff on the side or singing over an instrument you just fixed. THAT is annoying! Thank you for keeping your videos highly educational, simple, yet complex in the work you do. They are truly a joy to watch!
Jack, you must be one hell of a boring dude. Woodford is very talented and explains things well but I like a lot of the other guys too. Variety is the spice of life.
@@jimbucket2996 :) not boring at all, just tired of the goofiness of the other videos. Sorry my opinion doesn't agree with yours, but like you said, variety is indeed the spice of life.
@@Jackofallthetrades I know what you mean. And this is coming from a person who makes jokes all the time and often acts silly. Sometimes the joking, singing, and other stuff, comes off maybe as forced, and also detracts from content of the video.
Exactly why I watch.. straight to the point. A true professional. And he always gives a take whether good or bad and that takes guts, because hes not trying to rebuild the guitar he just wants to fix it
He's definitely different, has funny or goofy lines in nearly every one of his videos, thankfully. He's a funny, likeable guy and it comes through in his videos.
I'm new around here, and found you down one of those rabbit holes - I can't even remember what I was looking for, but I'm very pleased that I ended up here. Not only are the repairs you do amazing, but the accuracy you work to and the way you describe what you are doing (and why) are superbly relaxing! Please keep up the good work!
I get great enjoyment watching your videos! You are a true CRAFTSMAN! But its your way of getting things across knowledgeable but not condescending! BRILLIANT WORK!
Enjoyed your video very much. I especially appreciate what you said about setting the string height at the first fret. This is exactly how I do it. Just high enough to see a hair's thickness when holding the string down at the third fret and placing the first fret in front of a light source. I've never heard anyone else mention this way on RU-vid.
Wow that was the most enjoyable and informative repair video I have seen so far. I learned so much and love how you explain little details about why you are doing what you are doing. Thank you!
Hi, I came across a great way of removing a nut without affecting the wood on either side. You use a hack saw to cut a channel in the middle of the nut, across the string slots. Take the slot as deep as you dare without risking cutting into the nut pocket. Then, just pinch the two sides of the nut in towards the middle. It cracks the bottom of the nut that wasn't cut and pulls the two halves away from the pocket sides and bottom. It works a treat.
Very instructional and love your commentary! I'd interested in your view of a zero fret on a guitar. I have several guitars like that.....mainly gypsy jazz types.....that also have floating bridges and tail pieces. These guitars also have a fret marker at the 10th fret, which I really like. Seems to make more musical sense to me anyway. Thank!
Again, as I have said several times, your work and professionalism amaze me. I love to watch it as I felt as passionate about my work as I believe you do. Thank you so much for sharing.
Another nice video. I agree, I also make the string centres equidistant when slotting a nut. A five string bass can look a bit strange this way though.
Thank you so much for this. There were two points that were making me hesitant to do this on my own that you tackled with common sense application and that really hit home, and probably saved me a bundle in unnecessary tool purchases. I've been happily subscribed for a few weeks.
I’m glad you mentioned the string spacing. I’ve always been skeptical about equal gap spacing being better or preferable over equal center spacing. I never understood the logic behind that. I just did it because it seemed to be preferred by luthiers. Maybe not.
I had to set up a right handed Strat neck nut to left handed. Interestingly, the fret board was ebony. I found out the hard way that ebony loves to chip! Thankfully, after watching many of Ted's videos, I knew exactly how to repair the chip (yes, superglue) and set that nut up to perfection! This is literally the best information on guitar luthiery money can't buy!! Thank you for the generous, and kind sharing of your skills my good man!!
That nut may have been cut for a lutenist! The string spacing between the first and second course is significantly wider than the rest of the string spacings on a lute as a matter of historical design. It allows for some left hand fingerings that would be difficult or impossible otherwise.
Nut slots work best if they are shaped like the bell of a trumpet split on the long axis of the bell. No binding on the back of the nut. The string only contacts the slot near the front edge of the nut. This minimizes friction and eliminates string rattle.
Great video, You make & install the nut the same way I was taught many years ago. I also agree 100% with you regarding the stew mac ruler, I always spaced the strings with a caliper ike you but when I first saw the stew mac ruler I thought this is cool make things go a bit quicker but I never really use it much. Anyway Thanks again.
I recently saw a method of removing a stubborn nut when you will be replacing with a new one. Use a hacksaw or thin kerf handsaw and cut the nut length-ways through its middle. Then you can collapse the nut into itself towards the kerf line and remove it upwards. This minimizes blowout when knocking the nut sideways to remove it. The only issue with this would be to have a very steady sawing hand. One slip and well... (saw this method on "That Pedal Show" from the 17:43 minute mark - Dan & Mick's Guitars Get A Refret - That Pedal Show)
In my guitars I usually laid a small ruler over the first fret and stack feeler gauges under it till they matches, then add a 0.10 to that and attach them with some painters tape. For the fancy jig they sold for this.. I just use some hair rubber bands at the end of the feeler gauges crossing the back of the neck, just the necessary to match the radius but not overbend. Cheap, easy and works like charm. Cheers!
I love... And i mean really LOVE the amount of energy and.. Just the way you give every piece of the guitar the importance that needs Enjoyed the nut making keep on doing good work man... Cheers from Algeria Btw you inspired me to start learning how to fix guitars (just for fun not like a job or sth) thank you man
Ah, hah... The luthier who put that reinforcement for the G string tuner did not use a right angle screw driver. I believe this was mounted when the tuning machines were off. So a jeweler's screwdriver was simply inserted under a slight angle, right through the peghead hole. Then the hardware was mounted back.
I’m a bit late to the video but “Aggressive Tackiness” could be a good band name. 😁🤪 I do like how the headstock laminations create the stripes in the tuner slots. Looks very nice.
Not in the building circle but still a fan of your work and the content you post. Upon seeing the effects that the wooden spacer made on the tuning post, I would say that there is still a flaw in that the baseplate of the tuner looks bulged outward. Perhaps a better measured spacer would fix that. I do recognize that wood moves and shifts, but I am not so sure that is the culprit. Keep up the good work!
I wonder why you use (so many) glue for holding the nut in place. I never glue it in and that works perfectly, the string tension keeps it in place. Perfect workmanship! Great tip on first slotting the string placement with an exacto. I do (did) it exactly the same way, but marked the lines with a pencil, and that is sometimes problematic. Thank you very very much for this tip and for your videos!
Love a luthier that treats an instrument as if it were his/her own. There is guy here on UToob that does an OK job, but marks up the instrument because he doesn't protect areas...even on vintage instruments.
the little details make a guitar sound great! you do a really good job !! thats why i dont like plek machines......they cant apply that "touch" that makes a guitar sound good.
On string spacing - when you explained how you press on the top radius of the strings and that’s why you think the slots should be equally spaced you got me thinking, damn yeah! that makes sense, but then when I play I also sense the space with the strings next to the on I’m pressing especially if you have thick fingers like me, and that’s where maybe the stewmac tool helps??
For drafting tape I have always used dataprint.com. I've been using them since the early 2000s and their customer service is second to none. I personally use standard Alvin drafting tape but alot of others like the drafting dots.
Drafting tape is kind of passé, yes - it died with cheap CAD - but you can use strips of frisket film (under airbrushing supplies at, say, Curry's). Same low-tack, no-residue characteristics as drafting tape... and there's the bonus of being able to use it as a frisket mask when you need to. (By the bye, the name's the one I was christened with _long_ before anyone ever heard of Nathan's dad/Garnet's brother. And I'm a "junior". There are a lot of Stans among the Rogers of the world.)
It’s curious that you use imperial and metric. Having grown up with both systems ( Australia went metric in 1970’s) I can’t visualise thou’ inches at all but millimeters make more sense.
It's the American influence. In Canada most woodworkers deal with both because a lot of sheet goods and timber are dimensioned in inches and most of our steel rules are graduated in both.
So glad you mentioned that you can 'hear it' with the nut height . . . its something I noticed early on and I have always done it that way, but never heard any mention of it . . Might I also add, that if that sound dissappears, you have gone too far . . bad
I have a great tape for you to try...it's called FROG tape sharp lining it's a painters tape and is perfect for what you need. Also BLUE PAINTERS TAPE three one that literally says sharp lining all over the tape itself, it also works great. Not very tacky and prefect for what you need! Try them out Home Depot sells them
i love the videos but i must say... you should have said something about the scuff mark you made (and blended in/repaired/colored) when removing the nut. No one is perfect and i think that admitting it would have made you ever better at what you do. Thanks again for the work you put in!!
I've never seen so much care put into a nut. I went and looked at all my guitars and they look like trash now....actually, except the nut on my Korean made Guild Starfire V - the fit and finish on that guitar is amazing for some reason, such a hidden gem compared to a 335.
What is the determining factor as to whether you will leave a bridge in-place and reglue it as you did on this guitar or whether you will remove it entirely? Thanks.
I noticed the divots in the fretboard, right behind the first fret on the b and g strings, possibly from the players fingernails. Wouldn't they make you go sharp when fretting?
One ?. Is it bad to hit or strike the nut from the side of the fretboard? Also when sanding the nut location I noticed sometimes the fingerboard will chip a bit. Is that normal? I used painter's tape and the second time it didn't chip. Had to do it twice because someone set it for a lefty though a right handed guitar. I couldn't get the bridge out so I took the nut out and will replace it with a lefty nut.. only because my son keeps grabbing guitars as a lefty though hes a righty.. so I thought what the hell, I'll just give it to him and see if he likes playing left handed..lol
good job , but .... i would have kept the strings on , opens the gap at the bridge even more? and with a tight nut, i make a cut lenght wise. no offense just my 2 strings.
I really enjoy your videos, and as others have said, relaxing and, very enjoyable, if your shop was near me I would be bugging you to take me on as an intern. For Free of course :-)
Thanks for the videos! I have a question, for you or any readers out there. If the guitar is intonated, nut slots are as low as they can go however, when I fret the strings on the 1st or 2nd fret, lightly, they are all sharp! Is the nut too close to the bridge or too far away? Thanks in advance for replies
Rudi, Your nut is too far away from the bridge. You need to either _shelf the nut,_ or _trim the fretboard,_ SLIGHTLY! Think of it this way: Tune your guitar. Now imagine moving the nut closer to the bridge. The strings will go sharp with open tuning... right? To compensate, you'll now need to _flatten_ those sharp open strings using your tuners. Right? So, NOW when you fret them, those flattened strings will stretch slightly, which sharpens them up a scosh, bringing them back up into proper pitch. The key is knowing how FAR to compensate that sucker. It doesn't take much, so play it safe by making small adjustments until you find the sweet spot. Always remember, Guitars are finicky, if yer doin' it right. Note: Observe that bass strings are more responsive to changes than the treble side of the equasion. I suggest you try 'shelving the nut' to find out where the fretboard needs to be before you start hacking up the fretboard. Or stick with the shelf nut and be done with it. Works for me. As wise ol' Gallager used to say about _slicing and dicing_ watermellons: _"Oh, it can be done. But ya gotta smack that sumbitch jussst riiight!"_ Good luck. Happy loothering!
