I enjoy the fact Ted never seems to feel sorry for himself when a job gets nasty. It's never "poor me." Ted has the pride of someone who expects to prevail even when the job doesn't go as expected. That's admirable and refreshing.
Steve Grooms that’s an excellent point.... some of the other RUclips videos I’ve watch include O poor me bs with continued complaining.. this guy just deals with it without a bunch of drama... good catch Steve.
@@gnuclur8952 yeah, Jerry from Rosa String Works has "It’s not easy to be me" moment in almost every video, but I like him a lot, Its almost become a running joke ;)
There was one episode where he started with an extended rant about how the Canadian tax system punishes self-employed people, it seemed like something that had been building up inside him for a while. So he vented it all out in one shot and has never mentioned it since! I'm glad he got it off his chest. Ted is a class act. I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoy his videos, every single one of them. As somebody who has played for over 50 years and thought I knew guitars inside and out, but I've learned SO MUCH from watching a master repairman/luthier at work.
TWOODFRD: "Now I'm mad..... calmly explains the problem and a solution to fix it." ME: "smashes guitar." I wish I had your ability to be so calm and collected.
@@jfrorn making Modifications changes an "unfixable" instrument into a "fixable" one. In its current state, it is unfixable with respect to preventing bowing of the instrument neck which is primarily caused by the poor structural design. Fixableness is a state directly related to the design of the instrument as well as the integrity of the materials and manufacturing process. This is very much a spiritual matter
@@PetraKann First of all you completely missed the point of my initial post, which judging by your comments is understandable, secondly (and lastly) modifying something so that it works is actually fixing it. At least in this universe it is...
@@jfrorn Making design modifications is changing the instrument. Fixing something is repairing it to it's original or intended state. You do understand the difference. I know it's subtle, but give it some thought.
"In this case I can only charge so much for the work, the budget ran out long ago". I hear that. I work on my own guitars because I got tired of trusting people who never really cared and I got better as I went. My real job is plumber and I go through the same type of thing dealing with poor workmanship and design, etc. To even persevere and not just give up is a testimony of your conscientiousness. That tells people that you really care and commands respect. Every now and then it is a labor of spite, just as you said, and you just get through it and move on. I watch all your videos. I really enjoy them. Thank you so much for showing what you do and keeping it real.
I admire your patience in dealing with the cigar box. I’d have been tempted to return it to the owner and say, “I’m sorry, but this is a badly engineered piece of garbage and I really hope you didn’t pay very much for it. There’s really nothing I can do to make this a durable instrument.” Kudos to you for doing what you could.
Whoo! Refretting is something I may try later on. Just did my first level & crown and it turned out pretty good. Got 1 fret that may need a little more love but I started with 17/21 that needed touched up. Most were just high by a thou or 2 on one end or the other. Ends were still seated well so I didn't have to glue any down. 2 entire frets needed addressing and a couple were high right in the middle. Plus a few that needed touched up on one end or both and I had 17 total! it started with me thinking I had 2 high frets around 13 & 14. Once I got the neck straight with the strings off, the fret rockers told a different story lol. I only had bends choking out at 13/14(fretting the 12th/13th) and everywhere else was ok but I went ahead and knocked them all down anyway. Ended up breaking a tuner in the process but it wasn't my fault. The previous owner of one of my guitars tried to string up a G string(.016"-.018") in the high E slot, and then tried to tune it to high e. It bent the tuner over about 20+ degrees and snapped the string, and they gave up and sold the guitar. I made the bent tuner work for 4 months and it finally gave up on me yesterday.
Loved the candor, I would have been just as surprised that the chips were not original but I'm sure i would have missed that, outstanding narrative and work, Thank you.
While your cigar box guitar repair was outstanding in its inventiveness and sheer stubborn effort, the level of craftsmanship on the Gibson was inspirational. I'd bet that as a kid you could do 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles practically without much effort at all. Your patience with these repairs is as amazing as the finished work is beautiful. Beyond showcasing your incredible skills, the sheer variety of repairs you're called upon to do is truly remarkable.. Love the videos!
I like this channel so much , I've been letting the ads play out and even click on em from time to time. Useful enjoyable content isn't easily found, and always a 👍
Nicely done on both instruments. I especially enjoyed watching you repair the Gibson’s sound hole. Masterful work. I have to say, at the risk of enthusiast’s wrath, that I never have understood the making of a stringed instrument from a cigar box or the like, but to each his own. Thanks for yet another enjoyable and informative video.
As a Structural Engineer myself he did a great job in explaining how loads are transferred from the neck and body. Yeah you can’t have too many braces or gussets for that cigar box. Maybe the owner will have to detune a whole step or so?
You didn't fail, Ted. You took something that was going to fold itself in half withing the next month or two and extended its life greatly. At least the client has a cute little wall hanger now instead of something clogging up a landfill. I had planned to make something similar this summer with parts I have lying around. I'm thinking that a maple neck bolted to a 2x4 that's routed for a Tele neck pickup is a damned fine idea. I'll ironically use an Amazon box as the body. This was also a fantastic lesson in small-body bracing techniques. Not a failure at all, sir.
That cigar box sounds good, rather like a banjo. I watched a cute vid about a little pig not knowing other pigs, it grew up with cats so it behaved like a cat, it purred and meowed and jumped about 1,5 meters up while playing. It became a cat at heart. Why i do come up with this: This cigar box grew up with guitars, it is a guitar at heart while still a cigar box. But without the love and care of some good people it would never gotten that far. Without the dedication of the caregivers they would´ve ended up as a pork chop or wood chip mulch. Now more than ever the world needs people who don´t see the misfit but the joy that they bring -after a little work...
Great video and thank you for posting. Mixing the colour on the see-through material was fantastic, also the artist chalk pastels, as luck would have it I have a high quality artist shop in my town and I'll be picking some of those up.
Great tip on using the clear mixing palette! I really enjoy your videos, I’m a luthier, I build violins mainly, but your work is so informative and inspiring. Thanks
I recently found my dad's old Gibson. It was bought by my mom with S&H Green Stamps around 55 years ago. I'd guess that it's not the highest end guitar that Gibson made. I can't find any kind of number, just Gibson at the top of the headstock and the black bell near the nut. I say found, I knew where it was, but I hadn't thought about it until I started watching your channel. It still has (most of) the original strings from the last time that he played it. All things considered it's done pretty well just sitting in its case for at least the last 30, maybe 40 years.
I certainly dont relish the fact that some of your jobs dont go as planned but I not only learn the most from them but they remind me your job is just as much troubleshooter as luthier. My jobs ALWAYS seem to be the troubleshooting kind lol so at least I know I'm not the only one. Thanks for taking the time to share your frustration. When I'm frustrated on a job it takes everything in me to keep from going into "rush to a solution" mode. Anyways I really love these videos!!
I did a wine box with all Strip laminates. Even with an admittedly small and potentially weak neck join my box reinforcement and transition from the neck and attaching it to the face. It hasn't creeped. Bracing across the back and bridging in between the resonator and pickup.. Exactly what I have. Dollarama sell stainless cat food bowls that have a bottom surface flush with the outer rim.. My resonator of choice.
I find your videos, and definitely this one, very interesting and also well made. Thanks so much! (Your investigations, discoveries and solutions captivate me.)
You are an inspiration, man! I've never found a luthier/guitar tech with your philosophy and work ethics. I'm a dedicated amateur guitar tech BECAUSE of those bad professionals I've met and after watching hundreds of your videos I know just the type of professional I wanna become. Yeah, I wanna be like you when I grow up, lol (I'm only 37). Thank you!
Ted, I absolutely love watching your videos! They’re always fascinating and I never get enough of seeing you perform magic on these instruments. You’re a brilliant luthier and I would never have a moment’s hesitation about letting you work on one of my instruments. (Other than the fact that I’m in the USA almost as far south as you can get without ending up in the Gulf of Mexico! 🤣) Please keep the videos coming!
Another great instructional video thank you so much I’m about to attempt my first neck reset and bridge removal . Watching your videos has given me invaluable information to have confidence that I can do this 👍
These jobs are like those cakes in France we call "galettes des rois", in which there's hidden a small porcelain object. Objects that can give you a crown, but on which you'll also certainly lose a tooth.
Je suis réparateur ( et non luthier) en magasin. Et j'ai beau aimer mon métier, j'ai beaucoup de mal à aimer ce genre de petites cochonneries "à la mode"
ADDENDUM: When I made my cigar box guitar [from a real cigar box], I made it a neck-through design. I used a maple plank which goes all the way through the box. I hinged the box so I can access the interior very easily. No problems with the action over many years.
It takes a very high skill level and analytical acumen to do a job like this, especially to do it right. Ted has more patience than I'd ever have. I'd hate to think how I would utterly destroy the Gibson...I shiver to think about it.
Very nice... the cigar box one , to a 55 Gibson . Now that is cool. That covers a lot of ground . Sure wish I lived in Ontario ...I would be bringing my guitars to you. The 46 & 55 , yes Gibson’s
Slav Overlord. The fellow that contrived this "black box" contraption would have done better to have built a sort of solid topped "banjo" contraption with a co-ordinator rod that could have been adjustable. It's sort of tuned like a "banjer" anyway, sounds to me.
Were you a recording artist in a previous professional career path? Your ability to play all styles and genres of guitar music astounds me. Ive been playing for 20 years and can barely use bar chords. Perhaps I am destined to remain a simple rythm player. Thanks for the great content.
I love your channel. I build CBGs and I run the neck in one piece right through to the back of the box which eliminates the problem you encountered with this project.
Very interesting video. The repair on the J55 was most impressive, it’s almost invisible. I’m sure that the owner will really appreciate all the skilled work you put into achieving an excellent result. Homemade cigar box guitars can be lots of fun but if you’re gonna sell them you really have to pay some attention to structural integrity. As you said a banjo style rod or a neck through body design would have worked, I guess that if the owner of the guitar you fixed just used it for slide, as many cigar box players do, the high action would be ok, (until the thing breaks in half).
This is the second time I've watched this video. Now I'm not saying that i find your voice relaxing but i got home after a 12hr night shift, went to the toilet, started watching this video and woke up 15 mins in with my head resting on the wall!
A question...I was a working bass player for about 30 years...I don’t play any more and was wondering what is the best way to store my basses..a Fender Jazz special,Japan 1989...an Alvarez acoustic,1996,and a Fender Jazz Bass,American 2006.I really enjoy your channel,keep it up !
WOWOWOWOWOWOW.... super info here.. i built many CBG and i saw here many useful info for CBG builders .. neck angle .. use of forces to counteract the strings ... just wow.. thank you ... ps : what will be a good action Height or a well playable a cigar box guitar .. i mean not only slide.. but with picks too.. thanks
Great work on the Gibson, is it just me or does it look like there was a crack in the top underneath the pickguard? right at the curve for the soundhole?
I think it's also a bad design where the strings are hooked into the resonator cover. Any good resonator guitar I have seen has a string holder at the bottom of the body, which I'm sure helps a lot with distribution of string pull.
my first tought was, "why steel strings on that little box?" couldn´t electric-strings solve the problem very easy? or maybe wasn´t there electric strings in the first place? (i´m aware of the difference in sound and feel)
I built a number of those little box guitars years ago; I glued and screwed in internal “roller coaster track” block into the bottom of the box that went from stem to stern, then bolted the neck into that. That seemed to counter the string tension (I used the 4 strings from the middle of a set). I also set the scale length to push the bridge further back toward the tailpiece. It gave the box a yawning, yowling sound (the sound of poverty), which seemed to fit in with the whole idea behind why people made cigar box guitars in the first place.
I worked on a cigar box which was neck thru and even came out the end of the box where it was strung through. No truss rod and 3 steel strings. Sounded great played with a slide. The box was also reinforced with mdf which made it an easier weight to play.
I made one of these cigar box guitars for the first time and even I knew that you need to consider the tension of the strings. I went for basically making a neck through design and attaching the box to it, that way repairs are easy and you can even swap boxes without too much fuss.
It's a James Nelligan. I used to own the version without a PU. Never had any issues with rigidity, maybe due to the absence of the PU cavity and the control cavity at the back. Sound was dull, sold it to some hipster shortly afterwards.
CBG's have to be neck through and need a heel if your chopping out sections for pickups, I made a similar mistake with my first attempt..lol..it would go out of tune when I picked it up...and I sacked the "cigar box" after realizing how rubbish they are, it's been wayyy more fun making the "box" and trying to employ techniques that you and other real luthiers use....a great way to develop skills with very little expense and easy to play. Great upload. I would absolutely love to see you build a CBG style 4 or 3 stringer...
I think spite driven industriousness is a positive character trait.
"Spite driven industriousness"... You sir, are a wordsmith. If you don't write for a living, you should!
I enjoy the fact Ted never seems to feel sorry for himself when a job gets nasty. It's never "poor me." Ted has the pride of someone who expects to prevail even when the job doesn't go as expected. That's admirable and refreshing.
Steve Grooms that’s an excellent point.... some of the other RUclips videos I’ve watch include O poor me bs with continued complaining.. this guy just deals with it without a bunch of drama... good catch Steve.
@@gnuclur8952 yeah, Jerry from Rosa String Works has "It’s not easy to be me" moment in almost every video, but I like him a lot, Its almost become a running joke ;)
He probably does, but is able to edit out all the moments of despair so it all seems mundane.
There was one episode where he started with an extended rant about how the Canadian tax system punishes self-employed people, it seemed like something that had been building up inside him for a while. So he vented it all out in one shot and has never mentioned it since! I'm glad he got it off his chest. Ted is a class act. I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoy his videos, every single one of them. As somebody who has played for over 50 years and thought I knew guitars inside and out, but I've learned SO MUCH from watching a master repairman/luthier at work.
TWOODFRD: "Now I'm mad..... calmly explains the problem and a solution to fix it."
ME: "smashes guitar."
I wish I had your ability to be so calm and collected.
Well he would also have a very mad client 😂😂😂
@D Zuke I thought they just channeled the rage into harsh, cynical lyrics wrapped up in massively involuted prog rock anthems :D
"This is unfixable.....So I made up a couple of back braces here..." haha, I love this channel.
Unfixable meaning without major modifications
@@PetraKann that's not unfixable. Unfixable is in spite of any modifications.
@@jfrorn making Modifications changes an "unfixable" instrument into a "fixable" one.
In its current state, it is unfixable with respect to preventing bowing of the instrument neck which is primarily caused by the poor structural design.
Fixableness is a state directly related to the design of the instrument as well as the integrity of the materials and manufacturing process.
This is very much a spiritual matter
@@PetraKann First of all you completely missed the point of my initial post, which judging by your comments is understandable, secondly (and lastly) modifying something so that it works is actually fixing it. At least in this universe it is...
@@jfrorn Making design modifications is changing the instrument.
Fixing something is repairing it to it's original or intended state.
You do understand the difference.
I know it's subtle, but give it some thought.
"In this case I can only charge so much for the work, the budget ran out long ago". I hear that. I work on my own guitars because I got tired of trusting people who never really cared and I got better as I went. My real job is plumber and I go through the same type of thing dealing with poor workmanship and design, etc. To even persevere and not just give up is a testimony of your conscientiousness. That tells people that you really care and commands respect. Every now and then it is a labor of spite, just as you said, and you just get through it and move on. I watch all your videos. I really enjoy them. Thank you so much for showing what you do and keeping it real.
Lol I'm a plumber also watching to get how to tips
Without a doubt, this is my favourite RUclips channel. I enjoy watching Ted do his magic.
This episode's head slapper: clear plastic palette over the area to be painted! It's at least small-g genius.
Yeah!! Fantastic idea.
I thought so as well..
I had seen a violin maker do it, but it still requires a lot of care. Anyway, Ted is a genius.
I admire your patience in dealing with the cigar box. I’d have been tempted to return it to the owner and say, “I’m sorry, but this is a badly engineered piece of garbage and I really hope you didn’t pay very much for it. There’s really nothing I can do to make this a durable instrument.” Kudos to you for doing what you could.
I would have thrown it in a dumpster and told the owner that some bird flew away with it
As a hobbyist who hasn't quite mastered refretting, channels like yours are invaluable. I think you do a great job of explaining things. :)
Whoo! Refretting is something I may try later on. Just did my first level & crown and it turned out pretty good. Got 1 fret that may need a little more love but I started with 17/21 that needed touched up. Most were just high by a thou or 2 on one end or the other. Ends were still seated well so I didn't have to glue any down. 2 entire frets needed addressing and a couple were high right in the middle. Plus a few that needed touched up on one end or both and I had 17 total!
it started with me thinking I had 2 high frets around 13 & 14. Once I got the neck straight with the strings off, the fret rockers told a different story lol. I only had bends choking out at 13/14(fretting the 12th/13th) and everywhere else was ok but I went ahead and knocked them all down anyway.
Ended up breaking a tuner in the process but it wasn't my fault. The previous owner of one of my guitars tried to string up a G string(.016"-.018") in the high E slot, and then tried to tune it to high e. It bent the tuner over about 20+ degrees and snapped the string, and they gave up and sold the guitar. I made the bent tuner work for 4 months and it finally gave up on me yesterday.
"I'm repairing it on spite" describes my entire career.
Loved the candor, I would have been just as surprised that the chips were not original but I'm sure i would have missed that, outstanding narrative and work, Thank you.
While your cigar box guitar repair was outstanding in its inventiveness and sheer stubborn effort, the level of craftsmanship on the Gibson was inspirational. I'd bet that as a kid you could do 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles practically without much effort at all. Your patience with these repairs is as amazing as the finished work is beautiful. Beyond showcasing your incredible skills, the sheer variety of repairs you're called upon to do is truly remarkable.. Love the videos!
Great analysis of the construction of teh Reso-CBG! As a novice CBG builder, it was both educational and thought-provoking!
I see a c.b.g. in the thumbnail.. I know I'm about to see Steve in the comments.. how's it going mate?
Great, Jon! Thanks for asking!
0:51 That's a JN Guitars Cigar Box Tenor Guitar model Cask Punchcoal, it's an Acoustic-Electric Resonator Tenor Guitar in Black.
Your dedication to the craft is amazing in these days of disposable everything.
I like this channel so much , I've been letting the ads play out and even click on em from time to time. Useful enjoyable content isn't easily found, and always a 👍
Nicely done on both instruments. I especially enjoyed watching you repair the Gibson’s sound hole. Masterful work. I have to say, at the risk of enthusiast’s wrath, that I never have understood the making of a stringed instrument from a cigar box or the like, but to each his own. Thanks for yet another enjoyable and informative video.
The drawings and theory behind it were very informative and cool. I'm not even a luthier, congrats!
That's exactly how I'd have done it and I'm not even a luthier. I'm just a lowly automotive technician lol.
As a Structural Engineer myself he did a great job in explaining how loads are transferred from the neck and body. Yeah you can’t have too many braces or gussets for that cigar box. Maybe the owner will have to detune a whole step or so?
Loved your cigar box resonator playing 👏👏👏👏👍🇬🇧🍺
The work in the Gibson is absolutely gorgeous!!!. Always glad to watch your talent Ted. Greetings from Colombia
Yes, I’m amazed at how well the repair matches up. No one would ever notice.
Beautiful craftsmanship on the sound hole damage. Remarkable 🎶🎶🎶
Great channel and what a genius! Brilliant work you do. Greetings from Ireland.
=) first one is excellent nuanced comedy , the second one with the chalk pigment trick is priceless , thanks!
You didn't fail, Ted. You took something that was going to fold itself in half withing the next month or two and extended its life greatly. At least the client has a cute little wall hanger now instead of something clogging up a landfill.
I had planned to make something similar this summer with parts I have lying around. I'm thinking that a maple neck bolted to a 2x4 that's routed for a Tele neck pickup is a damned fine idea. I'll ironically use an Amazon box as the body.
This was also a fantastic lesson in small-body bracing techniques. Not a failure at all, sir.
That cigar box sounds good, rather like a banjo. I watched a cute vid about a little pig not knowing other pigs, it grew up with cats so it behaved like a cat, it purred and meowed and jumped about 1,5 meters up while playing. It became a cat at heart.
Why i do come up with this: This cigar box grew up with guitars, it is a guitar at heart while still a cigar box.
But without the love and care of some good people it would never gotten that far. Without the dedication of the caregivers they would´ve ended up as a pork chop or wood chip mulch.
Now more than ever the world needs people who don´t see the misfit but the joy that they bring -after a little work...
Repairing for spite made me laugh...keep up the great work!
I love the detail in these videos. Gonna be bingeing for a while
You are the man! I love watching you and Rob Cosman.. I always pick up something useful from you guys 👍 Thanks for the great content.
So satisfying to watch you work, Ted. And the results are always pleasing. Thanks for sharing your work with us!
Great video and thank you for posting. Mixing the colour on the see-through material was fantastic, also the artist chalk pastels, as luck would have it I have a high quality artist shop in my town and I'll be picking some of those up.
Great tip on using the clear mixing palette! I really enjoy your videos, I’m a luthier, I build violins mainly, but your work is so informative and inspiring. Thanks
I recently found my dad's old Gibson. It was bought by my mom with S&H Green Stamps around 55 years ago. I'd guess that it's not the highest end guitar that Gibson made. I can't find any kind of number, just Gibson at the top of the headstock and the black bell near the nut. I say found, I knew where it was, but I hadn't thought about it until I started watching your channel. It still has (most of) the original strings from the last time that he played it. All things considered it's done pretty well just sitting in its case for at least the last 30, maybe 40 years.
That CBG just quadrupled in value! Great video, thanks so much. I love my own CBGs. Neck through.
Another masterpiece. Thanks for sharing your work. It’s greatly appreciated.
Thanks again Ted , best channel on you tube ! 👍👍👍💖
"forgery grade work"
What a phrase
Ted, you are an encouragement for sure. Thanks.
Beautiful work, as always.
The patch work on the Gibson is phenomenal! Way to go buddy!
I certainly dont relish the fact that some of your jobs dont go as planned but I not only learn the most from them but they remind me your job is just as much troubleshooter as luthier. My jobs ALWAYS seem to be the troubleshooting kind lol so at least I know I'm not the only one. Thanks for taking the time to share your frustration. When I'm frustrated on a job it takes everything in me to keep from going into "rush to a solution" mode. Anyways I really love these videos!!
The thumbs down are from the "luthier" (and his friends) who did the original "repair" on that Gibson.
That finish repair at the end of the video looks incredible. Good job, nicely done.
I did a wine box with all Strip laminates. Even with an admittedly small and potentially weak neck join my box reinforcement and transition from the neck and attaching it to the face. It hasn't creeped. Bracing across the back and bridging in between the resonator and pickup.. Exactly what I have.
Dollarama sell stainless cat food bowls that have a bottom surface flush with the outer rim.. My resonator of choice.
It's amazing that you can find things already made if you look around. Colin Furze built a jet engine out of a toilet brush canister.
I find your videos, and definitely this one, very interesting and also well made. Thanks so much! (Your investigations, discoveries and solutions captivate me.)
I get the same way over stuff I have to fix when it's one of these "what the f**k were they thinking when they designed it moment"
You are an inspiration, man! I've never found a luthier/guitar tech with your philosophy and work ethics. I'm a dedicated amateur guitar tech BECAUSE of those bad professionals I've met and after watching hundreds of your videos I know just the type of professional I wanna become. Yeah, I wanna be like you when I grow up, lol (I'm only 37). Thank you!
Sweet dreams! That was an awesome repair and you've earned a good nights sleep. Looks great!
Ted, I absolutely love watching your videos! They’re always fascinating and I never get enough of seeing you perform magic on these instruments. You’re a brilliant luthier and I would never have a moment’s hesitation about letting you work on one of my instruments. (Other than the fact that I’m in the USA almost as far south as you can get without ending up in the Gulf of Mexico! 🤣) Please keep the videos coming!
Another great instructional video thank you so much I’m about to attempt my first neck reset and bridge removal . Watching your videos has given me invaluable information to have confidence that I can do this 👍
Interesting stuff! Enjoying your vids and learning a lot.
"Repairing on spite"... I love it! I know the sentiment all too well.
Great work(as always).👌 A master of your craft Ted @twoodfrd.👏🤘 Always a pleasure to watch👍✌💜🙏
Great video! I love watching your stuff😊
I DEFINITELY think you should build your own "cigar box" guitar
You were really enjoying playing that one
These jobs are like those cakes in France we call "galettes des rois", in which there's hidden a small porcelain object.
Objects that can give you a crown, but on which you'll also certainly lose a tooth.
Je suis réparateur ( et non luthier) en magasin.
Et j'ai beau aimer mon métier, j'ai beaucoup de mal à aimer ce genre de petites cochonneries "à la mode"
Enjoyable , relaxing and educational - Great video / Great channel. Thanks.
Outstanding! Always a fine day in the shop Ted. You can't always re-engineer a design, but I agree with the classical style foot.
Thank you for the tip on chalk substitute. Very helpful. Have a great weekend.
Excellent work, especially on the Gibson.
Several master techniques revealed in this video.
Cheers and Thanks.
Amazing video. Like usual. You take pride in your work.
Only three words.....'Just Great Stuff!'
You are brilliant. And brilliant at explaining things. I hope you know that.
The box guitar needs two tension rods, like a banjo, from neck block to tail block.
Excellent work on the 2nd repair
I love and respect your integrity.
ADDENDUM: When I made my cigar box guitar [from a real cigar box], I made it a neck-through design.
I used a maple plank which goes all the way through the box. I hinged the box so I can access the interior very easily. No problems with the action over many years.
I did the same, though mine is a 3 string bass
Yup. Cigar Boxes should have hinges, or how do you get the cigars out ... ! 😆
This was a reso. Could you still go neck through?
@@jcripp7974 Nope. The resonator chamber, and it's three parts, are in the way, so I don't think it could be done logically.
It takes a very high skill level and analytical acumen to do a job like this, especially to do it right. Ted has more patience than I'd ever have. I'd hate to think how I would utterly destroy the Gibson...I shiver to think about it.
I found this video very interesting....solving problems using common sense...observations...and engineering from experience.
Very nice... the cigar box one , to a 55 Gibson . Now that is cool. That covers a lot of ground . Sure wish I lived in Ontario ...I would be bringing my guitars to you. The 46 & 55 , yes Gibson’s
Wow, you considered the cigar box guitar a failure? Sounds damn good to me! I am glad you pointed out that engineering stuff about cigar boxes
Great Chalk Pastel tip!!! Thanks so much!
God warn us before playing that cigar box next time, i got my cousin pregnant...again
Slav Overlord. The fellow that contrived this "black box" contraption would have done better to have built a sort of solid topped "banjo" contraption with a co-ordinator rod that could have been adjustable. It's sort of tuned like a "banjer" anyway, sounds to me.
Using phillips heads in a place where you can barely apply axial pressure, very clever design.
i don't think "design" had any part in the construction of that instrument.
Were you a recording artist in a previous professional career path? Your ability to play all styles and genres of guitar music astounds me. Ive been playing for 20 years and can barely use bar chords. Perhaps I am destined to remain a simple rythm player.
Thanks for the great content.
This guy is the calmest luthier on RUclips
I love your channel. I build CBGs and I run the neck in one piece right through to the back of the box which eliminates the problem you encountered with this project.
Perhaps you have a future in creating your own line of cigar box (type) guitars? Fantastic to see this work and thanks so much for sharing.
Very interesting video. The repair on the J55 was most impressive, it’s almost invisible. I’m sure that the owner will really appreciate all the skilled work you put into achieving an excellent result. Homemade cigar box guitars can be lots of fun but if you’re gonna sell them you really have to pay some attention to structural integrity. As you said a banjo style rod or a neck through body design would have worked, I guess that if the owner of the guitar you fixed just used it for slide, as many cigar box players do, the high action would be ok, (until the thing breaks in half).
This is the second time I've watched this video. Now I'm not saying that i find your voice relaxing but i got home after a 12hr night shift, went to the toilet, started watching this video and woke up 15 mins in with my head resting on the wall!
Spite repairs, lol. A testament to your workmanship.
Screw the narrative. You are providing us with an education into the life of a luthier. I would love to see how you manage your production schedule.
you really are the best, sir....sincerely
A question...I was a working bass player for about 30 years...I don’t play any more and was wondering what is the best way to store my basses..a Fender Jazz special,Japan 1989...an Alvarez acoustic,1996,and a Fender Jazz Bass,American 2006.I really enjoy your channel,keep it up !
WOWOWOWOWOWOW.... super info here.. i built many CBG and i saw here many useful info for CBG builders .. neck angle .. use of forces to counteract the strings ... just wow.. thank you ... ps : what will be a good action Height or a well playable a cigar box guitar .. i mean not only slide.. but with picks too.. thanks
Great work on the Gibson, is it just me or does it look like there was a crack in the top underneath the pickguard? right at the curve for the soundhole?
Great video!! Haven’t even watched it yet
I think it's also a bad design where the strings are hooked into the resonator cover. Any good resonator guitar I have seen has a string holder at the bottom of the body, which I'm sure helps a lot with distribution of string pull.
Take a solid block of mahogany and rout out for the pickup and resonator! Done! LOL!
my first tought was, "why steel strings on that little box?" couldn´t electric-strings solve the problem very easy? or maybe wasn´t there electric strings in the first place? (i´m aware of the difference in sound and feel)
Yes, lighter gauge?
I built a number of those little box guitars years ago; I glued and screwed in internal “roller coaster track” block into the bottom of the box that went from stem to stern, then bolted the neck into that. That seemed to counter the string tension (I used the 4 strings from the middle of a set). I also set the scale length to push the bridge further back toward the tailpiece. It gave the box a yawning, yowling sound (the sound of poverty), which seemed to fit in with the whole idea behind why people made cigar box guitars in the first place.
I worked on a cigar box which was neck thru and even came out the end of the box where it was strung through. No truss rod and 3 steel strings. Sounded great played with a slide. The box was also reinforced with mdf which made it an easier weight to play.
Really interesting video. Thanks.
I made one of these cigar box guitars for the first time and even I knew that you need to consider the tension of the strings. I went for basically making a neck through design and attaching the box to it, that way repairs are easy and you can even swap boxes without too much fuss.
The cigar box uke seems to be a Stagg brand acoustic-electric resonator. The price? $314 on the web site I saw it on.
Thomann sells something similar for £150
It's a James Nelligan. I used to own the version without a PU. Never had any issues with rigidity, maybe due to the absence of the PU cavity and the control cavity at the back. Sound was dull, sold it to some hipster shortly afterwards.
I'm surprised how much that box guitar can warp with the top being so thick
I'll save this for bed later. :) Thanks.
Michael Dresdner was the person who's books I learned finishing from. I still remember fabulous finishers frequently finish firewood first!
Superb account of the shortcomings of 'cigar box' guitars.
CBG's have to be neck through and need a heel if your chopping out sections for pickups, I made a similar mistake with my first attempt..lol..it would go out of tune when I picked it up...and I sacked the "cigar box" after realizing how rubbish they are, it's been wayyy more fun making the "box" and trying to employ techniques that you and other real luthiers use....a great way to develop skills with very little expense and easy to play. Great upload. I would absolutely love to see you build a CBG style 4 or 3 stringer...
Great comment.
Ah, good one, the old foot test made me chuckle. Your work far surpasses such comedy but levity is great medicine.