This was awesome. Definitely gonna help out people with their first guitar, actually had quite a few little nuggets to help out guitar vets as well. Best part of the vid, though, was Chris actually letting Matt speak his mind. Lol. Yall are really getting good at this youtube thing.
Interesting discussion about UV cure Poly finishes. My favorite guitar is a mid 2000s Canadian made Larrivee rosewood OM with a satin finish (OM-03R) that has a key crack (long story) but what surprised me was that the finish actually shattered and flaked off. It's a great guitar that will never be sold off but if I had one gripe it's the finish - particularly with satin finishes. I repaired the cracks myself but kept the wood bare.
Thanks guys. Very helpful! Watching your series has really helped me see areas where I can identify problems and resolve them quickly. This episode will help when I'm trolling pawn shops for deals. Most people in pawn shops don't know that much about acoustic guitar construction. Being able to point out flaws and developing flaws can help bring the price down.
Though I’ve owned many guitars since i started as a teen 14 years ago i still found a lot of this really informative. Definitely makes me less antsy about buying a more high-end $1,000+ secondhand.
Thank you Chris and Matt!!!! Short version- in 1985 MyLady had a custom guitar made for me. I never kept up with other guitars after that, just played mine. Then, open heart surgery. Custom guitar went to med bills. As well as 80% of my right arm ability. Now, I can only hold a parlor without too much pain. On disability, and want to get a parlor. Will have about $150 budget. (even that will take 2 years to save) any suggestions? I know you review a LOT of guitars, but I have not seen any in this range. Would LOVE your take on what to do. I get 1 chance to make this right. I finger pick mostly blues and old time hymns. Thanks guys!
The neck angle and the head gasket are the perfect analogy. I’ve had both. I bought a used car with a blown head gasket and you get that sinking feeling like what am I gonna do. I also bought a used guitar before I knew what I was doing and it needs a neck reset in the worst way.
My first guitar was a Ibanez acoustic package. Included a dust cover, amp, and a few extra accessories. Bigest mistake was it had a laminated top and I could see light between the front, back, and side joints. I wish I had a mirror to look inside, like you said.
useful guide chaps. just to add my five penneth, i have a 1966 gibson J45 i've owned since the 70's, and i just got hold of a 69 epiphone texan, both beaten up, knocked about, scratched, dented, badly finished (whoever owned the texan had varnished it by hand, stripped the frets out to play fretless, put the frets back, but loose) but they are amazing sounding, (since i got them both refretted) and to me the scars are signs of life. all the shiny guitars i've owned i end up selling cos i'm afraid to touch them. (on my channel you can see an ozark steel resonator i used to play in bubble wrap cos i didn't want to fingermark it - lol).
1:48 "Is the neck the right width, is the body to big or to small". If somebody's looking for their first guitar that have absolutely no idea what neck they need or what size body. You can't check if it's comfortable or not - you don't know what 'comfortable' is when it comes to guitars
If the strings are missing, I'd also check if the saddle and nut are still there. Although it'd be a brave person indeed to buy a non functional entry-level guitar... I'd bring my guitar nerd buddy along to check on such deals. On another note, I don't think you mentioned overbuilt guitars? Especially at entry level, it'd be common to have the tops thickened to factory standards, braces off-the-shelf and a nice, thick anti-aerial attack finish. I like to tap lightly on the top of a guitar to hear how it responds. Should have a nice bell-like answer IMHO. Also, when strumming, I like to feel the vibration of the back against my chest. It's also really interesting to look for broken guitars on eBay. Not as a first purchase for sure (unless you are very handy), but as a way to see what kind of failures a given brand may have. There is a tremendous amount of broken neck cheap beginner guitars that were no doubt bought online for price and shipped in an unpadded box...
This may seem like an odd comment, but the very first time I watched one of your videos with the both of you dudes, I didn't know Matt's name yet, but I thought he was the Guitar Demonstrator/Teacher, Corey Congilio, who I believe works as a rep for Martin Guitar. Don't know if anyone ever thought Matt and Corey are each other's Doppelganger. You even talk alike!🤔 Anyway, it's just a thought, as Beau Of The Fifth Column would say.😁 Like your Videos guys. Thanks
Ur video had me get a fret saw and make that jig to make pictures out of wood. It's an addiction. If you could do a tutorial on how you make the images ready for print I would appreciate it. You guys are awesome and I love your channel
You're one of the few I've heard mention the straight edge tip. It's essential. If the neck and bridge are not perfectly aligned, is there a preference to being slightly above or below the top of the bridge or does it not matter? Good video, guys.
@@dickdarlington2765 Thanks for the reply. Do I want to measure the height from the last fret(20th fret) to the top of bridge or from the highest point of the fretboard accounting for the bow of the neck? Sometimes the body of the guitar swells at the 14th where the neck meet the body. I hope I'm explaining this correctly.
06/24/2022: What is the difference in the quality and tone between the Guild D-150ce Guitar Westerly Collection Acoustic-Electric Guitar, and the same guitar made in China?
Great advice, many thanks for so generously providing it. Regarding the neck angle: is shimming a neck frowned upon when dealing with electrics with bolt on necks? Is it better to just avoid the guitar altogether?
I think you missed one guys,all five fingers of your hand gently press down on the guitar top in different areas and listen for a creaking sound.That sound is a loose brace.I just checked my 25 year old Martin HJ28 and just as you said,the binding at the waist is just starting to delaminate.So your next video could be a how to fix it............................................
Great tips even for experienced guitar players. You didn’t mention checking that the guitar actually intonates properly especially on a used guitar. Is this generally not a problem?
Is there a way to fix the finish delaminating finish on a Taylor. I have a 2002 that I have owned since new and its starting around the tuners and neck joint.
@Driftwood Guitars Great channel! I have a question about the best way to keep an acoustic guitar kept in a hard shell case humidified in southern Arizona? A whole room humidifier is not an option.
Just a couple questions...On your guitars Chris, with the slotted bridge and unslotted bridge pins, aren't the balls of the strings being held in place by the bridge plate? If so, wouldn't that mean most of the string tension is being carried by the bridge plate and not the bridge? I would have thought the majority of force being applied to the bridge, would be a downward force from the strings toward the soundboard via the saddle. Just thinking out loud....not trying to be argumentative. Love the video by the way.
That’s a correct assumption my friend! That’s why there’s issues with bridge lift more often with the typical slotted bridge pin setup that most guitars have these days. It’s also why the bridge plate will be more chewed up in that scenario.
Good tips, guys. What's your opinion on "dead notes". I mean those particular tones that sound mostly "dull" or "muffled", with a significantly shorter sustain, among others. In my experiences, every acoustic guitar has them, usually somewhere between D# - G on the D string (and of course the same tone on the A string). And they are often more audible on expensive, well vibrating guitars. I've even heard it quite often on YT shows of really expensive boutique guitars. I've had many guitars pass through my hands, whether mine, borrowed, or those in stores, and I haven't come across a single one that doesn't have this dead tone. Why is this so little talked about?
Those are called “Wolf Notes” and can be easily explained by the sound waves on a particular note be almost cancelled out when it comes in phase with the size of the body of the guitar. Every guitar body has a resonant frequency based on its cubic volume and shape, and there will inevitably be some notes that have phasing issues with that. It’s just inevitable. It can be relieved by well thought out voicing techniques when building a guitar, but even then it can be a crap shoot.
@@DriftwoodGuitars Thanks a lot for the explanation. I suspected it was due to some kind of phasing of specific frequencies, as they bounce in the guitar body. I just thought that wolf tones were the opposite, i.e. cases where the frequencies add up to each other to cause an even more resonant and loud tone...
![[SFM] Risky Recital](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RzNkY1_Nk3o/mqdefault.jpg)
I’m not a beginner and already have an acoustic but, That’s some good advice. I’ll have to watch this again before I buy my next guitar.
You would be surprised how much glue and rough cut braces you'll see inside some guitars
This was awesome. Definitely gonna help out people with their first guitar, actually had quite a few little nuggets to help out guitar vets as well. Best part of the vid, though, was Chris actually letting Matt speak his mind. Lol. Yall are really getting good at this youtube thing.
Interesting discussion about UV cure Poly finishes. My favorite guitar is a mid 2000s Canadian made Larrivee rosewood OM with a satin finish (OM-03R) that has a key crack (long story) but what surprised me was that the finish actually shattered and flaked off. It's a great guitar that will never be sold off but if I had one gripe it's the finish - particularly with satin finishes. I repaired the cracks myself but kept the wood bare.
Thanks guys. Very helpful! Watching your series has really helped me see areas where I can identify problems and resolve them quickly. This episode will help when I'm trolling pawn shops for deals. Most people in pawn shops don't know that much about acoustic guitar construction. Being able to point out flaws and developing flaws can help bring the price down.
Love the videos! I now plan my mornings on the weekend with breakfast and Driftwood Guitars. Really enjoy them!
Though I’ve owned many guitars since i started as a teen 14 years ago i still found a lot of this really informative. Definitely makes me less antsy about buying a more high-end $1,000+ secondhand.
Thank you Chris and Matt!!!! Short version- in 1985 MyLady had a custom guitar made for me. I never kept up with other guitars after that, just played mine. Then, open heart surgery. Custom guitar went to med bills. As well as 80% of my right arm ability. Now, I can only hold a parlor without too much pain. On disability, and want to get a parlor. Will have about $150 budget. (even that will take 2 years to save) any suggestions? I know you review a LOT of guitars, but I have not seen any in this range. Would LOVE your take on what to do. I get 1 chance to make this right. I finger pick mostly blues and old time hymns. Thanks guys!
The neck angle and the head gasket are the perfect analogy. I’ve had both. I bought a used car with a blown head gasket and you get that sinking feeling like what am I gonna do. I also bought a used guitar before I knew what I was doing and it needs a neck reset in the worst way.
All good and helpful information. Thanks....
My first guitar was a Ibanez acoustic package. Included a dust cover, amp, and a few extra accessories. Bigest mistake was it had a laminated top and I could see light between the front, back, and side joints. I wish I had a mirror to look inside, like you said.
I saved up from working in a factory and I bought a martin d28 and a martin 018
I think that tapping on the sound board in the quadrants to hear any rattling which might indicate loose bracing.
useful guide chaps. just to add my five penneth, i have a 1966 gibson J45 i've owned since the 70's, and i just got hold of a 69 epiphone texan, both beaten up, knocked about, scratched, dented, badly finished (whoever owned the texan had varnished it by hand, stripped the frets out to play fretless, put the frets back, but loose) but they are amazing sounding, (since i got them both refretted) and to me the scars are signs of life. all the shiny guitars i've owned i end up selling cos i'm afraid to touch them. (on my channel you can see an ozark steel resonator i used to play in bubble wrap cos i didn't want to fingermark it - lol).
1:48 "Is the neck the right width, is the body to big or to small". If somebody's looking for their first guitar that have absolutely no idea what neck they need or what size body. You can't check if it's comfortable or not - you don't know what 'comfortable' is when it comes to guitars
Great video! I seem to notice a lot of what I call "key cracks" along the side where the guitar would rest on your leg (keys in pocket).
If the strings are missing, I'd also check if the saddle and nut are still there. Although it'd be a brave person indeed to buy a non functional entry-level guitar... I'd bring my guitar nerd buddy along to check on such deals.
On another note, I don't think you mentioned overbuilt guitars? Especially at entry level, it'd be common to have the tops thickened to factory standards, braces off-the-shelf and a nice, thick anti-aerial attack finish. I like to tap lightly on the top of a guitar to hear how it responds. Should have a nice bell-like answer IMHO. Also, when strumming, I like to feel the vibration of the back against my chest.
It's also really interesting to look for broken guitars on eBay. Not as a first purchase for sure (unless you are very handy), but as a way to see what kind of failures a given brand may have. There is a tremendous amount of broken neck cheap beginner guitars that were no doubt bought online for price and shipped in an unpadded box...
This may seem like an odd comment, but the very first time I watched one of your videos with the both of you dudes, I didn't know Matt's name yet, but I thought he was the Guitar Demonstrator/Teacher, Corey Congilio, who I believe works as a rep for Martin Guitar.
Don't know if anyone ever thought Matt and Corey are each other's Doppelganger. You even talk alike!🤔
Anyway, it's just a thought, as Beau Of The Fifth Column would say.😁
Like your Videos guys.
Thanks
Ur video had me get a fret saw and make that jig to make pictures out of wood. It's an addiction. If you could do a tutorial on how you make the images ready for print I would appreciate it. You guys are awesome and I love your channel
I wish you guys would make a classical model!!!!!!
You're one of the few I've heard mention the straight edge tip. It's essential. If the neck and bridge are not perfectly aligned, is there a preference to being slightly above or below the top of the bridge or does it not matter? Good video, guys.
Slightly ABOVE by a 1/16" is ideal, If slightly below might indicate neck is pulling up already,,,
@@dickdarlington2765 Thanks for the reply. Do I want to measure the height from the last fret(20th fret) to the top of bridge or from the highest point of the fretboard accounting for the bow of the neck? Sometimes the body of the guitar swells at the 14th where the neck meet the body. I hope I'm explaining this correctly.
06/24/2022: What is the difference in the quality and tone between the Guild D-150ce Guitar Westerly Collection Acoustic-Electric Guitar, and the same guitar made in China?
Great advice, many thanks for so generously providing it.
Regarding the neck angle: is shimming a neck frowned upon when dealing with electrics with bolt on necks? Is it better to just avoid the guitar altogether?
I love a good extra self-important luthier
I think you missed one guys,all five fingers of your hand gently press down on the guitar top in different areas and listen for a creaking sound.That sound is a loose brace.I just checked my 25 year old Martin HJ28 and just as you said,the binding at the waist is just starting to delaminate.So your next video could be a how to fix it............................................
Great tips shared here
Great tips even for experienced guitar players. You didn’t mention checking that the guitar actually intonates properly especially on a used guitar. Is this generally not a problem?
I generally never see it if all of the other factors are in order like the neck angle.
How about fret wear? Is it going to need a fret dress or a refret very soon?
Is there a way to fix the finish delaminating finish on a Taylor. I have a 2002 that I have owned since new and its starting around the tuners and neck joint.
@Driftwood Guitars Great channel! I have a question about the best way to keep an acoustic guitar kept in a hard shell case humidified in southern Arizona? A whole room humidifier is not an option.
Google or RUclips how to check guitar's humidity inside the case.
@@nilsaduran9683 Thank you.
I think I want in. We’ll have to talk again.
Have u reviewed a Zager 900?
I wish i had y'alls wisdom before i made so many mistakes, it's sad that salespeople take advantage of the first time buyers, thanks for the info.
After watching this, I feel I’d much better getting new rather than used.
Just a couple questions...On your guitars Chris, with the slotted bridge and unslotted bridge pins, aren't the balls of the strings being held in place by the bridge plate? If so, wouldn't that mean most of the string tension is being carried by the bridge plate and not the bridge? I would have thought the majority of force being applied to the bridge, would be a downward force from the strings toward the soundboard via the saddle. Just thinking out loud....not trying to be argumentative. Love the video by the way.
That’s a correct assumption my friend! That’s why there’s issues with bridge lift more often with the typical slotted bridge pin setup that most guitars have these days. It’s also why the bridge plate will be more chewed up in that scenario.
Who's that LeFou guy on the right?
Good tips, guys. What's your opinion on "dead notes". I mean those particular tones that sound mostly "dull" or "muffled", with a significantly shorter sustain, among others. In my experiences, every acoustic guitar has them, usually somewhere between D# - G on the D string (and of course the same tone on the A string). And they are often more audible on expensive, well vibrating guitars. I've even heard it quite often on YT shows of really expensive boutique guitars. I've had many guitars pass through my hands, whether mine, borrowed, or those in stores, and I haven't come across a single one that doesn't have this dead tone. Why is this so little talked about?
Those are called “Wolf Notes” and can be easily explained by the sound waves on a particular note be almost cancelled out when it comes in phase with the size of the body of the guitar. Every guitar body has a resonant frequency based on its cubic volume and shape, and there will inevitably be some notes that have phasing issues with that. It’s just inevitable. It can be relieved by well thought out voicing techniques when building a guitar, but even then it can be a crap shoot.
@@DriftwoodGuitars Thanks a lot for the explanation. I suspected it was due to some kind of phasing of specific frequencies, as they bounce in the guitar body. I just thought that wolf tones were the opposite, i.e. cases where the frequencies add up to each other to cause an even more resonant and loud tone...
You forgot to bring ball bearings. C’mon guys, it’s all ball bearings nowadays.
First! Excellent gents!
And whatever it is, don't fret 🤪
I know what to look for in an acoustic guitar…I just want to see if YOU know what to look for…