NEW NEW To learn the tune I play at the end here are the lessons; Right Handed ruclips.net/video/LCCNs5pvYRA/видео.html Left Handed ruclips.net/video/-lP_lWRSGcA/видео.html
When I was younger I used to talk about needing better gear and a more expensive guitar to sound good... then a man came to my house, picked up my guitar and made it sing... I was immediately confronted by my friends about the idea that I needed better equipment after hearing him use mine.. valuable lesson learned that day and quite an inspiration to play better with what I have. You have inspired many with your playing with the instrument you were using. Thank you.
When I was younger I had an inexpensive acoustic guitar. I got pretty good at playing it. Then I noticed the string action grew fairly large, over a 1/4 inch. I couldn't play it anymore so I put it in the case. It did not have a truss rod and I couldn't figure out how to fix it so I gave it away....
This was a few years before the Internet. Today, because of the Net, I know exactly how to fix it. In fact, you can fix string action without even working on it. All I had to do was put it in a relative's house in a dry climate, under 35% humidity, and pack it with 5 - 300g desiccant packets.
@@Cypherdude1 or maybe even just lighter gauge strings would've helped. I remember buying a new guitar when I was 16, because it couldn't stay in tune and sounded bad. I didn't have a teacher or anyone to tell me that maybe I should put on new strings. I really thought once a year was plenty enough haha
Not sure why but I always find English folks to be so proper in their speech and mannerisms compared to the average American. Much more thorough in their explanations of how things work.
I have thrown so many lower class fender acoustic guitars in my closets just because they did not have that crisp sound now I have my work cut out for me thanks to you!! ... again I can't thank you enough ✌️
@@williambrown6721 Each improvement gives satisfaction and confidence, my first was a fender that was left to me by my uncle, years of use and abuse had left it almost unplayable, especially for a beginner. Adjusting the action was a learning experience for me. Started with the saddle and found that there was more to it than just lowering, especially when the neck had came up due to a compromised body, that also had a swollen belly🤦♂️😂. I decided that i was seeing this one through. Growing up in a wood workshop as well as a machine shop helped with my confident ambition. A little ingenuity,patience, steam and glue later, I had it satisfying to play and sounding decent. Decided to keep going and pulled the back off, reworked and “tap tuned” on the back and bracing as well as the front… involving much more research than actual work. Sorry for the ramble, but this was such a learning experience and had such a feeling of satisfaction when done! I would have never imagined it would have sounded as good as it did when completed. Next i found a cheap made by Gibson acoustic and did the same…it is addictive!
First of all thank you for sharing your knowledge, I began my journey down this rabbit hole with only a basic understanding and very little musical talent. Each improvement gives satisfaction and confidence, my first was a fender that was left to me by my uncle, years of use and abuse had left it almost unplayable, especially for a beginner. Adjusting the action was a learning experience for me. Started with the saddle and found that there was more to it than just lowering, especially when the neck had came up due to a compromised body, that also had a swollen belly🤦♂️😂. I decided that i was seeing this one through. Growing up in a wood workshop as well as a machine shop helped with my confident ambition. A little ingenuity,patience, steam and glue later, I had it satisfying to play and sounding decent. Decided to keep going and pulled the back off, reworked and “tap tuned” on the back and bracing as well as the front… involving much more research than actual work. Sorry for the ramble, but this was such a learning experience and had such a feeling of satisfaction when done! I would have never imagined it would have sounded as good as it did when completed. Next i found a cheap made by Gibson acoustic and did the same…it is addictive! Just felt the need to share, maybe it will give someone else the encouragement to make a go at it for themselves.
I'm a luthier in the UK, and agree with everything you did on here, although I would have gone further to improve the tone from the instrument by putting in a compensated bone saddle and compensated bone nut, which are reasonably cheap to source, and if fitted correctly will bring the mid and bass frequencies more in line with the treble register sounds. Great video mate, and a great instructional aid to those who wish to do it themselves. Quo @ Quo Guitars
my thoughts exactly I bought a cheap ibanez with a broken neck at a charity store. after i re glued the neck it sounded ok. bought a cheap bone nut and saddle intonated it set the string height fret level and importantly put some elyxir strings on it, and it was suddenly twice the guitar, still my main player. I liked it so much I sold my good acoustic for 1500 because I liked my 15 dollar Ibanez better.
@@JM-bg2ts That's great . . there is a sense of satisfaction to making a guitar nice to play as well . . 😀 Everyone seems to miss that this was a series of videos and I actually put a bone nut and saddle on it . . ruclips.net/video/N9dvUg90T6M/видео.html . . . enjoy
A few months back, I purchased a Glarry guitar to keep upstairs in my house. Secondly, it will give me the opportunity to work on the guitar without jeopardizing my expensive instrument. I leveled the frets and replaced bridge and pegs and now I am waiting for the delivery of an electronic pickup system. I am expecting the delivery here in a few days. Low and behold I found this video and It couldn't come at a better time. This project should keep me busy during our "Corona Virus Pause". Thanks for the helpful instruction. It was done very well.
Very professional presentation. Concise, clear, detailed information explained before, during, and after! Your voice is very calming and encouraging! Thank-You so much for your patience in doing this wonderful video. God Bless you and your family and all the viewers on your wonderful channel!
Subscribed, I have an older guitar that my son got from a friend who plays music for our church and was willing to teach him. My son has moved on to electric guitar and I've have taken this acoustic to get back into playing, it's been a while. Your video was top notch and had given me ideas to get the guitar back into playing shape. I'm looking forward to viewing your other videos for tips and lessons. Well done sir, thank you.
listening to you is soothing, i cant believe I watched start to finish and was mesmerised over a guitar DIY upcycle, thanks for this video it turned my first guitar into a beast, just some backstory this guitar is sentimental and was my great grandads passed down and is 180 years old, only issue was it was diabolical in its sound and never used it due to how bad it sounds, vintage doesn't always mean better, but with your tips and improvement its my go to acoustic and words cannot express my gratitude, playing this for my nan and papa brought tears since it usually hangs over the fireplace and everyone in the family knowns how bad it was I could never get it to sound like it should so it never get played, so seeing my nans and papa's reaction is something ill cherish, thank you at least now I can pass it down to my kids and know it will be played as theirs nothing sader than a heirloom that is used as decoration.
wow, great back story. There's something more important than age, sound or value when it comes to an heirloom. Thank you very much and thank you for sharing. 😊😀
Huge respect for your skill brother! Anyone who can make a Gleary, or any other $60 U.S. acoustic sound like that, Fishman or not, is amazing in my paradigm!! Sounds great! Jack ~'()'~ Canada
" Great find this video.!" You are very Natural and Thorough; which is a great example to self training Luthiers . Your tone of voice is very calming and your direction of works reminds me of a Surgeon keeping the team calm in critical operations. Your a RUclips Dimond. Thank you for you Engaging Work.....
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this video.Quite cathartic for me.Thank you and a fine job.Also,the guitar sounded really nice and I enjoyed your playing.
Thankyou, i was able to install a fishman into a 12 string washburn. It sounds beautiful. Then last week i did the same to my 30yr old fender to replace its passive piezo and im still working on the setup right now. All thanks to your video, thank you friend...
Kudos! Aside from the Fishman setup, this work you did was what these cheap guitar factories cannot do and still keep the prices so low. The cost of human labor is a very expensive proposition, even in an Asian country where they can afford to pay people less money than they must in Western countries. That's why these guitars are perfect for someone who wants to learn how to do this kind of work, and end up with a nice playing guitar for not a lot of money.
For me, playability and tonal substance are the key criteria for the guitars I like to play and own. By that I mean it’s not about the price but the potential a particular instrument possesses. A well designed and made guitar may sound great, even using lower spec materials. At a given price point there are compromises, but the most important part is to play the instrument and hear and feel how it resonates. Sure, new strings, fret finishing and a good set up are important too. I’ve bought some pretty low cost guitars as well as much more expensive too. But each one has something to say and has a beating heart in the sound it generates. The enjoyment of improving guitars is a passion. Thanks a lot for this inspiring video.
It's amazing how many guitars marketed as bottom-of-the-line "beginner guitars" have really improved. My Yamaha FG800 was a whopping $200 brand new, but I wouldn't feel embarrassed in the company of Taylors and Martins. It may not be up there on that level, but will hold its own, musically. I had the action lowered, and that's about it. Much that is shown here (especially the neck/fret work) applies to electrics as well.
I have done reviews of expensive guitars and they aren't what they should be anymore . . I'll be uploading a review in the next few days and the guitar was replaced and the replacement was faulty . . and that's a £500 guitar . . very disappointing . .
Thanks for putting this video together. I have a guitar that is a perfect candidate for some upgrades. I'll use a small razor saw to cut the hole for the pre-amp and fit a bone nut and bridge.
I actually have done this exact model of Glarry guitar GT-501 I believe. I did it around 3 years ago, and I am giving it away to another musician who enjoys playing the guitar along with four and possibly five other guitars. He's a keyboard player, but enjoys playing the guitar so he doesn't require an expensive instrument. I have way too many guitars and periodically cull the herd since my brother and I review guitars on our channel. Thanks for the video 😉 👍!
Excellent additions in your points about the use of T cut...... and about dressing the fret ends re checking a lot and file a little ...... but I am wondering why you call the saddle the bridge . The bridge is the wooden base that is glued to the sound board that carries the saddle .
If you put a capo on the neck you can loosen and remove the strings from the pegs without ruining the strings. When you are through adjusting the bridge simply put the strings back in the holes, replace the pegs and tune it.
Your videos have been very helpful to me. I bought a €69 Harley Benton about eight months ago when I decided I wanted to return to playing guitar, as I saw the guitar seemed ok for the rock-bottom price and I just wanted something 'playable' that I wouldn't feel guilty about if I didn't play it all that much. I also figured it would be a good guitar to 'learn' some basic luthier skills on, since I've always been pretty handy and done lots of fine-craft labor (I was an upholsterer and sailmaker for years) and figured I'd be able to do nice work with a little instruction. Since then, I've installed a strap knob on the treble side of the heel, fixed a number of proud spots on some frets, smoothed the fret ends, replaced the saddle with a bone one, removed the casting lines from the tuner knobs, etc. Not to mention, I've played the hell out of it! I'm also planning to switch in some nice-looking new bridge pins that I bought and change out my nut to a bone one, then give the guitar a really proper final setting-up in terms of action...and maybe even try putting in a piezo pickup on my own... Your videos have been really helpful in this regard and have lent me a bit of confidence to try all this out, so thanks again.
@@guitar-academy Thank you for responding back to me and yes, I am grateful for your forwarding the link so I may learn to play it. PS. I just noticed my horrendous grammar I'm my initial comment. Thanks again, FH.
Great video. It just shows what you can do with one of these internet cheapy guitars when you pay attention to the details, always supposing that the guitar is basically correct to start with.
great vid for those who want to set up their guitar or those who buy a cheap one and now can do a lot to make it better. Very clear instructions. Thanks again
I've been a repair technician since I was 15, I'm now 21 but one thing I have ALWAYS been "scared" of, is having a client get me to install a pickup/preamp just like this one so I'd always get another skilled repair tech to install it for me 😅 now that I watched this VERY detailed step-by-step instruction video... I'm determined I can finally do it 🙂 thanks for this and also amazing tune at the end 🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤
I find your video amazing my brother, after watching you reconstruct this particular acoustic!! It was very helpful for me.. one of the best videos yet!!.. thanks again! You are the best!!...
Thankyou so much for your tip & video. Sanding the soundhole was something I never thought about but the best improvements I got IMO was your teaching on fretwork... My gosh, they are like glass now. I also built my own 45 degree file by picking up a fine and medium " diamond file" from a store called Harbor freight here in Indiana. These were basically rectangular, about 4" long and 3/4 wide. I took 2 blocks of wood and trued them flat then used my tablesaw and put a 45degree slot in the block for the files to fit. I then used some epoxy and that was it. I could also put on any radius if needed but the results from this simple tool that cost me less that $5 was great. We put in a fishman acoustic amp and when you stated about using a manual file after cutting the hole in the body and battery that was spot on and really helped. I would love to see some finishing videos. I'm looking for videos on figured Maple with analine dyes.. Anyhow, thanks again for you wonderful video that helped me & my boy turn my 1972 Guild into a modern day Acoustic/Electric.
@@guitar-academy thanks for the Compliment but to be honest, watching your video was exactly what gave me the idea. When you were talking about the difference that using the angled file system could make, I didn't have enough confidence to try it freehand or risk having a bunch of random angles all over the fretboard. After seeing how much they cost from places like StewMac or LMI, I paid attention to your video and read up on the general 45degree angle used on fretwork... The idea I came up with for putting a radius on the block I kinda took from StewMac after I had used what you taught and watched you working with in your video. They sell those wooden radius sanding blocks of solid wood so I figured that's all you need to make and sell your own. I'm not sure if your familiar with Harbor Freight but if not, give them a look online. You can find so many cheap tools for luthier type jobs. They even sell mini diamond files that could be used for fine file work on bridges, tremolo, etc.. The files I bought were $3 a set & came with a coarse, medium, & fine. I only used the medium & fine files however when making the fret files as the coarse one seems like it would eat to much of the fret but then again, it could become handy if I had Stainless Steel frets.. Anyhow... Thanks again for teaching me those " must know" techniques. I'll be able to use them and my boys will now have an advantage when dealing with thier guitars as they get older.
Another mod you could do is check the bracing on the inside and help improve any defects there. You could also reinforce the bridge in case they didnt or the tail in case it isnt reinforced. I think Id have done a full refret if I was going to do so much work anyway on them and use better wire than they used. Anyway cool video and very thorough on the fishman install.
wow explain my doing the same for my guitard really well!!! I watched all your videos on the cheap guitar Glarry gt501 and gt502 and for real it makes all the difference your adjustment thank you very much for making your video very well explaining its helping me not to buy a guitar that is too expensive and to modify well and well amplify the guitard that I already had thank you again a real inspiration and discovery for me I love you thank you a thousand times 🤩😍🎼🎵🎶🎸
I didn't need to watch this but god was it so relaxing and interesting. As a new (basement XD )classical guitar player I didn't know that's how the preamp worked. Thank you, man.
Masterfully done! Lots of great tips, I certainly wasn't aware of. Ty for posting Surprised one of the things wasn't switch out the tuners. They usually don't hold tune well on cheaper guitars, and of course dressing the end of the frets which was done here.
Thank you very much . . glad it was helpful! I very rarely find tuners these days that don't hold the guitar is tune, but I'm sure there out there still.
Well presented. Excellent information. The one thing I would add is intonation. Before choosing a candidate for this work, the intonation has to be very close to perfect or don't bother. You can tweak intonation a tiny bit, but if it's too far off you'll never get it right. These techniques can make it play better and make it more useful with the preamp, but it will never sound right if the intonation is bad. Unless your willing to do ALLOT of work moving the bridge, never buy even the cheapest guitar if the intonation is bad.
Yes, agreed. This video was made for people who already have a guitar they like but want to improve it, so you would know if the intonation was out. I review a lot of guitars (both expensive and cheap) and even very cheap guitars these days, I hardly ever see a duff due to intonation. the joys of CNC I guess. 😊
@@guitar-academy I see far less intonation issues than I used too and I have found some very cheap guitars with near perfect intonation, but I have also found a number of very expensive guitars with intonation that should never have left the factory. Its a personal pet peave when salesman swear that a guitar is perfectly intonated and it's 5-8 cents off. My post had less to do with your excellent video and more to do with my personnel issues with bad intonation.
Bought a Glarry P-bass copy at $67 new. Many of the same issues. Many frets were not fully seated and took some hammer work and then stone work. The fret rocker you mentioned was very useful. The neck needed considerable adjustment. VERY IMPORTANT to oil the tuning machines as they are cheap and have a lot of drag when dry. Oiled up they are acceptably smooth and will last longer. The electronics are cheap crap, replaced them with a kit of parts with CTS American made pots and an Orange Drop 0.047uF cap and that really brought out the true bass tone by cleaning up the high harmonics. PUPs sound good with the improved electronics. It could still use some minor further setup with dressing fret edges better but is now sounding good and is very playable for an amateur like me.
I guess, with the more expensive guitars and basses, that's where the expense comes from. . . the man hours to really finish the instrument off properly. But doing it yourself you get what you want and you get the satisfaction on knowing you did it . . . 😀 oh, and you save some money.
The only thing to remember which is double important, is making sure those iron filings and saw dust are thoroughly removed from inside the instrument, as the magnetic pick up will become clogged over time. Always cover the sound hole during work, especially doing fret work.
This is a great suggestion if you have magnetic pickups. However, the transducer pick up strip I don't believe is magnetic? I would vacuum and wipe clean all dust weather it'd be iron filings or wood.
Same here started playing around 14 yrs old. I am also 49 yrs old, and I also am left handed and I always play righty guitars. I explain to people what's the difference. Both hands need to be skilled and taught. And We were poor . You might be the first left handed righty player I've met. So we're not alone! Have a good day .
@7:50 By far the best pin removal. Grab the leftover tag end with pliers. "Push" the string back _towards_ and "through" the pin, wiggling and bending while pushing. Also pull and push a little. Try to wiggle the pin with other hand. This method "uloads" the stress of the ball wedged against the pin. Works every time unless somebody glued them in. Never have a toolmark on your pins again. This has got to be one of the best tricks ever taught to me long ago.
Well done, my friend. But what makes a cheap guitar sound good is the great talent of the one playing it. You made this guitar sound good twice. Nice work.
Great video. . thank you. . . I have a guitar which I bought s/h when I was 14 (44 years ago - a B&M omg . . yes) I filed the frets myself using an engineers straight edge and a small file. . . . . . (I still have the Guitar and it plays beautifully - although I never really progressed) Proficient players have played it and say it's fantastic.. . .
I love the sound of that preamp ,Did a similar install on a Goya acoustic. It lasted about a month preamp died got new one , was dead upon arrival. am on 3rd preamp currently..still hard to beat for the price..lol Love the blend w mic..Great work .
@@guitar-academy Its a family curse lol... this was before I saw your vids..Its fine I enjoy experimenting ..got a tele w an onboard acoustic preamp and piezo under the bridge I built last year for no reason ...Im 52 prolly never play in another band ,just learning recording in the digital world .I enjoy your videos and skill , well done .
Cheap guitars suffer from intonation issues. A problem that to me is worth saving an extra $400 and jumping up on quality. This seems like a great project to do with my son. Thanks for the video.
You learn to play the tune at the end of this video in the fingerstyle course. It's called the troubled heard by Sad Fantasy ruclips.net/p/PLIQJcXCYbgO2q9hDUBT0E5z1JZDk3bowI
After you completed the installation of all this, what did you connect the guitar to when you played it at the end of the video? Did you connect it to an amplifier? If this was a cheap guitar, what exactly did you pay for it?
This is the summary of a few videos, so to get the full answers to your questions the links are in the description. The guitar went straight through my mixing desk with a tiny bit of reverb from the desks own effects. The guitar was £40 when I got it. here's the review. ruclips.net/video/7AH52fXpljQ/видео.html
You could go just a bit further and replace the plastic bits (nut, bridge, and pins) with bone gubbins. This would dramatically improve the sound and sustain, and make it the best possible version of what it could be. That said, it does sound quite nice as-is.
Yes you're right 😊😀 . . . I did change them but it's in another video. This video is part of a series of videos, you can see the links in the description, but here's the bone one . . . ruclips.net/video/N9dvUg90T6M/видео.html
On the bridge work , it looks like you should've cut out the bridge saddle slot to accommodate the piezo pickup as well as taken some material off the saddle piece to lower the action at the bridge end. The Ovation acoustic electric that I have, the saddle slot is cut deeper, Ovation places shims that are loaded into the bridge that the owner removes to set action height to a desired height.
With this guitar being so cheap I was being causious because I didn't know how deep and healthy the wood was, I know the soundboard wood is very thin. But it worked out perfectly, I've changed the strings again since and I even use this guitar in my latest tutorials leaving my expensive acoustic on the hanger. You need to watch the playlist because you see the entire process where I set the action . . and I set the action properly and level the frets and it is as low as it can be without any buzz. 😀
@@guitar-academy I reacted to the issue that the shaved down bridge saddle piece that wouldn't stay in the saddle slot from this video with the piezo sensor installed & without the strings holding it in place. You did an excellent job of adjusting the action in the end. The hard part of what I suggested would be to dig out that saddle slot evenly and accurately. One would need a file that was the correct width and patiently grind & scrape out the Rosewood for what depth for the piezo sensor. Another possible solution would be to cut the saddle slots as string bend over contact points a little deeper like the nut slots need to be cut for a new nut. beautiful appearance & sounds for an affordable guitar as a completed project of upgrades.
@@guitar-academy Excellent setup! - When I bought my Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Vintage EC there was a problem with the saddle not seating correctly affecting the resonance and pickup. I called up Gibson and they told me to get a spark plug socket and a small hammer or tool to tap with. I said, "What?" - They told me that sometimes they need a little help seating into the slot. They walked me through it over the phone and it worked perfectly, but really, when they told me to place the spark plug socket over the saddle and whack it...I was more than a little worried, nonetheless the first thing I did with that $3000 guitar was whack it with a socket and small tap hammer. lol. ;-)
@@greglawrencemusic ouch . . some repairs are surprisingly brutal looking. Personally I would have sanded the sides of the saddle so it could be pushed in more easily. Both these methods have advantages and disadvantages. I very tight saddle transfers more of the energy from the strings to the body of the guitar, however a slightly looser saddle transfers more of the energy to the pickup . . 🤔
@@guitar-academy - If I remember correctly (thinking about it some more) the "sharp whack" was to seat the piezo under the saddle, but still brutal, yes. ;-) I also remember when the Internet was new, I watched tons of videos with people smashing guitars. I was surprised at how sturdy acoustics were in comparison to electrics. Most had at least two to three encounters with hard concrete pavement before they would actually fly apart in pieces. lol. -Cheers!
Alembic recommends organic lemon oil for fretboards. And dont over saturate, it can cause your frets to lift up. My friend purchased a inexpensive classical guitar, I'm going apply these techniques for setup. Thx
Does the _brand_ of almond oil matter? What brand was that? I'm in the US, so I _may_ not be able to find it. Also, what was the oscilloscope you were using to look at the "note" waveforms? Is it specially made for "music work"?
The brand doesn't matter at all, but I've noticed that in the US more people go with Lemon oil, I don't know if it's because it's easier to get. The oscilloscope is none specific.
Thank you for youre great video, also i have a tip...if you place a capo right under the second or the third fret, you dont have to remove the complete snares, only losen them.
Thank you kind sir for this video. This will help me for when I buy my first guitar and be able to look deeper plus asking the correct questions. I would like to feel the connection to the instrument with my investment of time, to be able even in a small way to have it be a part of me. Thanks again
Beautifully shot and recorded, great explanations and demonstrations. Also checked out your course material, which is by far the best stuff I've seen on youtube. The standard of your work is fantastic, bravo!
Tuners, nut, bridge, bridge pins and, of course, strings are also worth to consider upgradeing. Cheap, poorly cut plastic compared to bone or graph tech's Tusq material is like night and day. It both affects the tone and tuning stability of the instrument
In the US the bone (or tusq or micarta) part is the SADDLE and the wood part is the BRIDGE. So we would sand down the SADDLE. (On a violin you only have a bridge, which can cause confusion)
Yes . . it's the same here in the UK. At the time of doing this I was still thinking in terms of orchestral strings. I've finally broken that habit now 🤔 . .
Very well done...................I think I would have fitted bone nut, saddle and pins as well...............I have found they make a remarkable difference to tone on entry level guitars, for relatively little cost.
How did you separate the preamp from the mounting plate without breaking it or the hinge pins? It's okay found your other video on the full installation. Thanks
I'm going to pick up one of those guitars for my granddaughter! She'll be 10 years old that's my youngest one and she wants to play guitar hi Grandpa LOL but that looks like it'll be a good starter.
I know it's a cheap guitar and the hole in the side probably won't make much of a difference in its sound but you could have fitted something like the Shadow NanoFlex pickup/e-Performer with the preamp volume and treble & bass EQ controls all neatly tucked away just inside the soundhole. No need to cut a big hole in it. I've been playing since 1966 and have seen musicians including myself butcher their guitars in one way or another and everyone regretted it.
It's a matter of taste . . I've never regretted fitting a piezo into a guitar. I've tried several hole pickups and got rid of them because the sound is never natural to my ear and the wires resting on the front of the guitar looks shocking, causes buzzes, gets in the way and can damage the finish over time. But that's my personal taste.
18:44 Hello, just a small correction: the piece on the lower part of the guitar which is sanded by 4mm is called the saddle, not the bridge. Good job on modifying the guitar.
@@guitar-academy honestly that was such a good video! I've just been looking over my guitars at the same time as watching (cheap Stagg and Crafter from Argos!) But to be fair they seem quite well made judging from your tips in the video. I actually felt like someone in a guitar shop the way I was smoothing down the frets to check if any were protruding over the edges, and feeling around the sound hole! You put some much information into what is actually quite a short video considering how much you went over there. I love the way you're patient and explain things slowly and clearly, and you're not here to sell stuff on behalf of brands. As a person, you get it! We came to this video cos we have a cheap guitar, of course we're going to look to eBay for a knock off! You're one of us :) it's not the brand, it's everything but the name! Thanks again, keep rocking! 🤘🎸
To aid the fiddly job of inserting the guitar jack output, push a length of 6mm dowel inside the guitar, slide the input hole over the dowel, then withdraw the dowel back through the access hole .
Excellent vid, thank you!! However... If you do not have any preamp template, why not create one yourself one some thick peace of paper to make sure it fits well before cutting the guitar ???? Cheers from France
I've done this job so often that I feel confident the way I do it works. However point taken, for someone who has never done it before a home made template would be a good idea. There's now a printable template available at the Fishman website if you're thinking of doing this yourself. 😁
Well that's entertaiment a master class on upgrading a cheaper guitar wonderful video but i'm not sure if we are all capable of your expertise but it just goes to show at a small price the end result is worth the while Kudos to you Sir
I got a fret rocker and used it on my guitars. On my Jackson I pretty much only got about 4 frets that DIDN'T rock, does this mean that there is a lot of fret work needed done? Or am I probably not doing something right, but it seems pretty easy, you just lay it across 3 frets at a time and see if it rocks, most of my frets rock just a little.
That does sound like an excessive amount of rocking you're getting. My first question is, does the guitar buzz a lot ? if no, then don't worry about it. Just use the fret rocker to help you cure buzzing frets, don't try to fix buzz that isn't there or you could ruin your guitar. 🙂
I would not use any natural oils on a fretboard. They get rancid and sticky over years. Mineral oils are the better ones. I use baby-oil or vaseline in small amounts for the fretboard (just because I had them already for 20+ years, they are mineral based and did not change properties at all) . These do not alter over decades and don‘t smell at all.
@@lone-wolf-1 Yes. Martin Guitars have recommended 3-in One oil. Each to their own though. I go with Boiled Linseed Oil applied along the grain. Five minutes soak time only then wiped off across the grain. The oil polymerises and dries hard in a few days but is playable straight away. Raw/Non-boiled Linseed Oil will not dry or polymerise in this way and should be left for other uses.
did this with a Glarry GT604 41inch Dreadnought Spruce Front Cutaway Rosewood Back Folk Acoustic Guitar Natural. $99 I had to clean the fret ends and fix one proud fret and adjust the action and neck straightness. I added both a Dimarzio BLack Angel Magnetic (DP234) and a Dimarzio Black Angel Piezo (DP235) Black Angel Piezo dp235 has a 3.55 input jack for the Black Angel dp234 magnetic directly attached to the endpin it comes with so you can connect it directly to the sound hole Black Angel pickup. You just have one output but it is TRS stereo. A regular guitar cable will just pick up the piezo pickup but if you split the trs into 2 mono signals you can have both the piezo and magnetic coming out so you can preamp them on a mixer. Just a single endpin. Sounds great for fingerstyle, percussion. Total is around $400 for this beast.
Nice work but hope you vacuumed all the sound hole sanding dust out of the instrument. I'm still looking for piezo that doesn't sound so tinny on the treble end.
The pickup in this guitar also has a mic and you can blend between the piezo and mic sound. It gives you a lot more tonal variation ruclips.net/video/nK3jum0_Fig/видео.html
Thanks for the great tips! The pickup that came with mine isn’t working and the model has discontinued so a new, larger model will need to be installed. Cheers!
That's a shame . . I hate it when that happens. Sometimes you can find the same pickup/preamp under a different name but it takes a lot of research to find it. 😒
@@guitar-academy eh, it’s ok. I’ve learned a lot through your vid. If I didn’t have the problem, I wouldn’t have been motivated to find out about these things. It’s actually really helped make a poorly made “Esteban” guitar sound pretty good and make it playable!
The stock nut and saddle are plastic these days and that mutes the strings a lot and breaks after corroding. I got mine replaced with bone and it was a massive upgrade. If you can find an antique guitar, these parts are made of ivory which is the best quality (ivory is illegal to own unfortunately)
37:36 Try True Oil, much better finish similar to Danish oil. I'm not a luthier but a cabinetmaker and three years ago I bought a Kort 3/4 size flattop box for the tone. ($280 cdn) I replaced the bridge and nut with deer antler and lowered the action. then I polished the neck with True Oil and bought some gold plated Grover tuners doubling the value of the instrument. Sweet!
Dear Sir.. How high should the strings be off of the 12 Fret?? I have seen some say 2.5mm with the guage.. Also do you measure from the bottom of the string or the top?? You are right, it does sound like an expensive guitar.. Thanks so much for the video.. Take care..
Thank you . . on a steel strung acoustic guitar about 2.5mm from the top of the frets to the bottom of the string is about right. If you have any doubts about now straight the neck is or how level the frets are, you might have to do it in stages. A gap of 3.5mm or more might be a good start and then lower the action a little more if there is no buzz or leave it if you are happy. I find that it is always slightly different from guitar to guitar. 🙂
Yes, , , You might come across a strengthening block. But don't worry because the hole is relatively small and it will then be reinforced by the jack-plug socket it. I hope this helps 😊
NEW NEW To learn the tune I play at the end here are the lessons;
Right Handed ruclips.net/video/LCCNs5pvYRA/видео.html
Left Handed ruclips.net/video/-lP_lWRSGcA/видео.html
😂😂😂
Excellent job! Very well presented! Thank you!
@@israelrivera835 Thank you very much 😊
@Maximo Duke 😊
@@silkysmoof5697 thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it 😃😃
When I was younger I used to talk about needing better gear and a more expensive guitar to sound good... then a man came to my house, picked up my guitar and made it sing... I was immediately confronted by my friends about the idea that I needed better equipment after hearing him use mine.. valuable lesson learned that day and quite an inspiration to play better with what I have. You have inspired many with your playing with the instrument you were using. Thank you.
A good life lesson there . . unfortunately the guitar world is full of snobs . . 🙂
When I was younger I had an inexpensive acoustic guitar. I got pretty good at playing it. Then I noticed the string action grew fairly large, over a 1/4 inch. I couldn't play it anymore so I put it in the case. It did not have a truss rod and I couldn't figure out how to fix it so I gave it away....
This was a few years before the Internet. Today, because of the Net, I know exactly how to fix it. In fact, you can fix string action without even working on it. All I had to do was put it in a relative's house in a dry climate, under 35% humidity, and pack it with 5 - 300g desiccant packets.
@@Cypherdude1 or maybe even just lighter gauge strings would've helped.
I remember buying a new guitar when I was 16, because it couldn't stay in tune and sounded bad.
I didn't have a teacher or anyone to tell me that maybe I should put on new strings.
I really thought once a year was plenty enough haha
You are the kindest teacher in world. such nicely warm spoken voice and no trying to be the funniest guy. LOVE IT.
That's because I'm not funny . . LOL . . Thank you so much, it's really encouraging to get really nice comments like yours . . 😀😀
Totally agreed, he talk nicely and politely kindness teacher on u tube so far I've been watching over.
@@willielee2083 I would not still be making videos if it wasn't for people like you Willie and Rob. Thank you so much . .
Not sure why but I always find English folks to be so proper in their speech and mannerisms compared to the average American. Much more thorough in their explanations of how things work.
I have thrown so many lower class fender acoustic guitars in my closets just because they did not have that crisp sound now I have my work cut out for me thanks to you!! ... again I can't thank you enough ✌️
Again thank you very much . . It sounds like you're going to be busy 😊🎸
Why would you buy a Fender though???
I would rather play a Ibanez than a Fender, but what I recommend is Yamaha. Not to pricy, but good craftsmanship.
@@williambrown6721 Each improvement gives satisfaction and confidence, my first was a fender that was left to me by my uncle, years of use and abuse had left it almost unplayable, especially for a beginner. Adjusting the action was a learning experience for me. Started with the saddle and found that there was more to it than just lowering, especially when the neck had came up due to a compromised body, that also had a swollen belly🤦♂️😂. I decided that i was seeing this one through. Growing up in a wood workshop as well as a machine shop helped with my confident ambition. A little ingenuity,patience, steam and glue later, I had it satisfying to play and sounding decent. Decided to keep going and pulled the back off, reworked and “tap tuned” on the back and bracing as well as the front… involving much more research than actual work.
Sorry for the ramble, but this was such a learning experience and had such a feeling of satisfaction when done! I would have never imagined it would have sounded as good as it did when completed. Next i found a cheap made by Gibson acoustic and did the same…it is addictive!
First of all thank you for sharing your knowledge, I began my journey down this rabbit hole with only a basic understanding and very little musical talent.
Each improvement gives satisfaction and confidence, my first was a fender that was left to me by my uncle, years of use and abuse had left it almost unplayable, especially for a beginner. Adjusting the action was a learning experience for me. Started with the saddle and found that there was more to it than just lowering, especially when the neck had came up due to a compromised body, that also had a swollen belly🤦♂️😂. I decided that i was seeing this one through. Growing up in a wood workshop as well as a machine shop helped with my confident ambition. A little ingenuity,patience, steam and glue later, I had it satisfying to play and sounding decent. Decided to keep going and pulled the back off, reworked and “tap tuned” on the back and bracing as well as the front… involving much more research than actual work.
Sorry for the ramble, but this was such a learning experience and had such a feeling of satisfaction when done! I would have never imagined it would have sounded as good as it did when completed. Next i found a cheap made by Gibson acoustic and did the same…it is addictive! Just felt the need to share, maybe it will give someone else the encouragement to make a go at it for themselves.
Thanks for sharing . . it sounds like you have the bug 😊😀
I'm a luthier in the UK, and agree with everything you did on here, although I would have gone further to improve the tone from the instrument by putting in a compensated bone saddle and compensated bone nut, which are reasonably cheap to source, and if fitted correctly will bring the mid and bass frequencies more in line with the treble register sounds. Great video mate, and a great instructional aid to those who wish to do it themselves. Quo @ Quo Guitars
Thank you . . . and great observation . . 😀
my thoughts exactly I bought a cheap ibanez with a broken neck at a charity store. after i re glued the neck it sounded ok. bought a cheap bone nut and saddle intonated it set the string height fret level and importantly put some elyxir strings on it, and it was suddenly twice the guitar, still my main player. I liked it so much I sold my good acoustic for 1500 because I liked my 15 dollar Ibanez better.
@@JM-bg2ts That's great . . there is a sense of satisfaction to making a guitar nice to play as well . . 😀
Everyone seems to miss that this was a series of videos and I actually put a bone nut and saddle on it . . ruclips.net/video/N9dvUg90T6M/видео.html . . . enjoy
Is that human bone? From a dead musician? Do poor musicians sell their bones?!
@@voornaam3191 from sudents who don't practice . . mwa haa haa haaaa 😲
A few months back, I purchased a Glarry guitar to keep upstairs in my house. Secondly, it will give me the opportunity to work on the guitar without jeopardizing my expensive instrument. I leveled the frets and replaced bridge and pegs and now I am waiting for the delivery of an electronic pickup system. I am expecting the delivery here in a few days. Low and behold I found this video and It couldn't come at a better time. This project should keep me busy during our "Corona Virus Pause". Thanks for the helpful instruction. It was done very well.
Thank you very much . . and every success with your installation . . 😀
Very professional presentation. Concise, clear, detailed information explained before, during, and after! Your voice is very calming and encouraging! Thank-You so much for your patience in doing this wonderful video. God Bless you and your family and all the viewers on your wonderful channel!
Wow . . thank you very much . . . 😀
Subscribed, I have an older guitar that my son got from a friend who plays music for our church and was willing to teach him. My son has moved on to electric guitar and I've have taken this acoustic to get back into playing, it's been a while. Your video was top notch and had given me ideas to get the guitar back into playing shape. I'm looking forward to viewing your other videos for tips and lessons. Well done sir, thank you.
That's great thank you very much . . 🙂🙂
This is just fantastic. Your close ups and narration are the best I’ve seen on RUclips.
wow . . thank you very much . . 😊
listening to you is soothing, i cant believe I watched start to finish and was mesmerised over a guitar DIY upcycle, thanks for this video it turned my first guitar into a beast, just some backstory this guitar is sentimental and was my great grandads passed down and is 180 years old, only issue was it was diabolical in its sound and never used it due to how bad it sounds, vintage doesn't always mean better, but with your tips and improvement its my go to acoustic and words cannot express my gratitude, playing this for my nan and papa brought tears since it usually hangs over the fireplace and everyone in the family knowns how bad it was I could never get it to sound like it should so it never get played, so seeing my nans and papa's reaction is something ill cherish, thank you at least now I can pass it down to my kids and know it will be played as theirs nothing sader than a heirloom that is used as decoration.
wow, great back story. There's something more important than age, sound or value when it comes to an heirloom. Thank you very much and thank you for sharing. 😊😀
Huge respect for your skill brother! Anyone who can make a Gleary, or any other $60 U.S. acoustic sound like that, Fishman or not, is amazing in my paradigm!!
Sounds great!
Jack ~'()'~
Canada
Thank you very much . . 🙂
" Great find this video.!"
You are very Natural and Thorough; which is a great example to self training Luthiers .
Your tone of voice is very calming and your direction of works reminds me of a Surgeon keeping the team calm in critical operations.
Your a RUclips Dimond. Thank you for you Engaging Work.....
Thank you very much indeed 😊😀
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this video.Quite cathartic for me.Thank you and a fine job.Also,the guitar sounded really nice and I enjoyed your playing.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you very much . . 🙂
Thankyou, i was able to install a fishman into a 12 string washburn. It sounds beautiful. Then last week i did the same to my 30yr old fender to replace its passive piezo and im still working on the setup right now. All thanks to your video, thank you friend...
It's really nice to know the video was helpful . . . thank you very much 😊😀
Kudos!
Aside from the Fishman setup, this work you did was what these cheap guitar factories cannot do and still keep the prices so low. The cost of human labor is a very expensive proposition, even in an Asian country where they can afford to pay people less money than they must in Western countries.
That's why these guitars are perfect for someone who wants to learn how to do this kind of work, and end up with a nice playing guitar for not a lot of money.
Thank you . . Yes, these days even many of the expensive guitars seem to be lacking on that final work . .
For me, playability and tonal substance are the key criteria for the guitars I like to play and own. By that I mean it’s not about the price but the potential a particular instrument possesses. A well designed and made guitar may sound great, even using lower spec materials. At a given price point there are compromises, but the most important part is to play the instrument and hear and feel how it resonates. Sure, new strings, fret finishing and a good set up are important too. I’ve bought some pretty low cost guitars as well as much more expensive too. But each one has something to say and has a beating heart in the sound it generates. The enjoyment of improving guitars is a passion. Thanks a lot for this inspiring video.
Thank you very much for your thoughts (I agree with you) and thank you for watching 😊😀
It's amazing how many guitars marketed as bottom-of-the-line "beginner guitars" have really improved. My Yamaha FG800 was a whopping $200 brand new, but I wouldn't feel embarrassed in the company of Taylors and Martins. It may not be up there on that level, but will hold its own, musically. I had the action lowered, and that's about it. Much that is shown here (especially the neck/fret work) applies to electrics as well.
I have done reviews of expensive guitars and they aren't what they should be anymore . . I'll be uploading a review in the next few days and the guitar was replaced and the replacement was faulty . . and that's a £500 guitar . . very disappointing . .
@@guitar-academy Wow, that IS sad.
my Yamaha apx500iii is beautiful!
@@Hakuonu Nice guitar . . 😊
Yamaha stuff is usually very good quality regardless of price. Also I got a $350 Squire electric and it's my favorite guitar hands down.
Thanks for putting this video together. I have a guitar that is a perfect candidate for some upgrades. I'll use a small razor saw to cut the hole for the pre-amp and fit a bone nut and bridge.
Thank you for watching . . a razor say sounds like a good and accurate solution . . 😃
Absolutely speech less in Lock down- Lot of thanks from India.
Thank you . . . 😀
I actually have done this exact model of Glarry guitar GT-501 I believe. I did it around 3 years ago, and I am giving it away to another musician who enjoys playing the guitar along with four and possibly five other guitars. He's a keyboard player, but enjoys playing the guitar so he doesn't require an expensive instrument. I have way too many guitars and periodically cull the herd since my brother and I review guitars on our channel. Thanks for the video 😉 👍!
Thank you . . 😊😃
I watched and enjoyed your entire video. I appreciate your attention to detail. The refinished guitar sounds beautiful too. Nicely done!
Thank you very much! 😊😊
Excellent additions in your points about the use of T cut...... and about dressing the fret ends re checking a lot and file a little ...... but I am wondering why you call the saddle the bridge . The bridge is the wooden base that is glued to the sound board that carries the saddle .
It was just habit at the time I made this video as I was trained as a violinist.
If you put a capo on the neck you can loosen and remove the strings from the pegs without ruining the strings. When you are through adjusting the bridge simply put the strings back in the holes, replace the pegs and tune it.
good suggestion . .
Your videos have been very helpful to me. I bought a €69 Harley Benton about eight months ago when I decided I wanted to return to playing guitar, as I saw the guitar seemed ok for the rock-bottom price and I just wanted something 'playable' that I wouldn't feel guilty about if I didn't play it all that much. I also figured it would be a good guitar to 'learn' some basic luthier skills on, since I've always been pretty handy and done lots of fine-craft labor (I was an upholsterer and sailmaker for years) and figured I'd be able to do nice work with a little instruction.
Since then, I've installed a strap knob on the treble side of the heel, fixed a number of proud spots on some frets, smoothed the fret ends, replaced the saddle with a bone one, removed the casting lines from the tuner knobs, etc. Not to mention, I've played the hell out of it! I'm also planning to switch in some nice-looking new bridge pins that I bought and change out my nut to a bone one, then give the guitar a really proper final setting-up in terms of action...and maybe even try putting in a piezo pickup on my own... Your videos have been really helpful in this regard and have lent me a bit of confidence to try all this out, so thanks again.
wow, you've been busy. It's really nice to know that my videos have helped you on your way . . thank you 😃
That melody was beautifully played! As well as beautifully written (revised grammar @ 1504 hours)
Thank you very much . . I've done a video on how to play it if you want to learn it ruclips.net/video/LCCNs5pvYRA/видео.html
@@guitar-academy
Thank you for responding back to me and yes, I am grateful for your forwarding the link so I may learn to play it.
PS. I just noticed my horrendous grammar I'm my initial comment.
Thanks again, FH.
@@francoishynes7739 I didn't thank anyone did grammar in RUclips comments . . LOL 😊
@@francoishynes7739 If you want the tab it's part of this years Christmas give away:
ruclips.net/video/m5Lp0T2LqWM/видео.html
Great video. It just shows what you can do with one of these internet cheapy guitars when you pay attention to the details, always supposing that the guitar is basically correct to start with.
Well said! I think the intonation is probably the hardest thing to correct and therefore the most important thing to be right. 😊😀
great vid for those who want to set up their guitar or those who buy a cheap one and now can do a lot to make it better. Very clear instructions. Thanks again
Thank you very much . . and thanks for watching and commenting 😊
This video was awesome. Informative, calm and calming, and with very pleasant music at the end!
Seriously nice improvement on the guitar!
Thank you very much indeed . . . 😀
@@guitar-academy You're seriously welcome.
Fantastic videos you do.
I've been a repair technician since I was 15, I'm now 21 but one thing I have ALWAYS been "scared" of, is having a client get me to install a pickup/preamp just like this one so I'd always get another skilled repair tech to install it for me 😅 now that I watched this VERY detailed step-by-step instruction video... I'm determined I can finally do it 🙂 thanks for this and also amazing tune at the end 🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤
Thank you very much indeed . . the can learn the tune in my fingerstyle course . . you'll find the playlist at my channel homepage. 😀
I find your video amazing my brother, after watching you reconstruct this particular acoustic!! It was very helpful for me.. one of the best videos yet!!.. thanks again! You are the best!!...
Thank you very much . . that's really nice of you to say 😊😀
Such of knowledgeable musician you are, generously sharing those technically stuff too, love your lessons.
I appreciate that! thank you 😀
Thankyou so much for your tip & video. Sanding the soundhole was something I never thought about but the best improvements I got IMO was your teaching on fretwork... My gosh, they are like glass now. I also built my own 45 degree file by picking up a fine and medium " diamond file" from a store called Harbor freight here in Indiana. These were basically rectangular, about 4" long and 3/4 wide. I took 2 blocks of wood and trued them flat then used my tablesaw and put a 45degree slot in the block for the files to fit. I then used some epoxy and that was it. I could also put on any radius if needed but the results from this simple tool that cost me less that $5 was great. We put in a fishman acoustic amp and when you stated about using a manual file after cutting the hole in the body and battery that was spot on and really helped. I would love to see some finishing videos. I'm looking for videos on figured Maple with analine dyes.. Anyhow, thanks again for you wonderful video that helped me & my boy turn my 1972 Guild into a modern day Acoustic/Electric.
wow really good job making your own angled files . . 🙂🙂
@@guitar-academy thanks for the Compliment but to be honest, watching your video was exactly what gave me the idea. When you were talking about the difference that using the angled file system could make, I didn't have enough confidence to try it freehand or risk having a bunch of random angles all over the fretboard. After seeing how much they cost from places like StewMac or LMI, I paid attention to your video and read up on the general 45degree angle used on fretwork... The idea I came up with for putting a radius on the block I kinda took from StewMac after I had used what you taught and watched you working with in your video. They sell those wooden radius sanding blocks of solid wood so I figured that's all you need to make and sell your own. I'm not sure if your familiar with Harbor Freight but if not, give them a look online. You can find so many cheap tools for luthier type jobs. They even sell mini diamond files that could be used for fine file work on bridges, tremolo, etc.. The files I bought were $3 a set & came with a coarse, medium, & fine. I only used the medium & fine files however when making the fret files as the coarse one seems like it would eat to much of the fret but then again, it could become handy if I had Stainless Steel frets.. Anyhow... Thanks again for teaching me those " must know" techniques. I'll be able to use them and my boys will now have an advantage when dealing with thier guitars as they get older.
I know I'm never going to be doing this, but, anyhow, I loved watching every moment of this.
thank you . . 😊
@@guitar-academy its tedious work. I would gladly pay someone else do it.😁😁😁😁
@@jab376 😊
Another mod you could do is check the bracing on the inside and help improve any defects there.
You could also reinforce the bridge in case they didnt or the tail in case it isnt reinforced.
I think Id have done a full refret if I was going to do so much work anyway on them and use better wire than they used.
Anyway cool video and very thorough on the fishman install.
I put a tuner and pickup electronics set like this in a ukulele I found in a dumpster. The job went just the same as in your video!
Very cool! 🙂
wow explain my doing the same for my guitard really well!!! I watched all your videos on the cheap guitar Glarry gt501 and gt502 and for real it makes all the difference your adjustment thank you very much for making your video very well explaining its helping me not to buy a guitar that is too expensive and to modify well and well amplify the guitard that I already had thank you again a real inspiration and discovery for me I love you thank you a thousand times 🤩😍🎼🎵🎶🎸
Thank you very much indeed . . thanks for watching my videos too 😊😃
I didn't need to watch this but god was it so relaxing and interesting. As a new (basement XD )classical guitar player I didn't know that's how the preamp worked. Thank you, man.
Glad you enjoyed it! thank you . . 😊😊
Masterfully done! Lots of great tips, I certainly wasn't aware of. Ty for posting Surprised one of the things wasn't switch out the tuners. They usually don't hold tune well on cheaper guitars, and of course dressing the end of the frets which was done here.
Thank you very much . . glad it was helpful! I very rarely find tuners these days that don't hold the guitar is tune, but I'm sure there out there still.
Nice video. The problem I've always had with inexpensive acoustics are those which don't intonate correctly. Not a breezy fix.
Very true . . if the intonation is out it isn't even worth starting these modification . . . 🙂🙂
Intonation becomes a problem at the higher registry..for most players, they dont play beyond the 10th fret
@@parrotbrand2782 Chet said he never made any money past the fifth fret
A playlist of all the modifications I did on this guitar. ruclips.net/p/PLIQJcXCYbgO24x4LaTVk6ecndsWx5kFCa
Well presented. Excellent information. The one thing I would add is intonation. Before choosing a candidate for this work, the intonation has to be very close to perfect or don't bother. You can tweak intonation a tiny bit, but if it's too far off you'll never get it right. These techniques can make it play better and make it more useful with the preamp, but it will never sound right if the intonation is bad. Unless your willing to do ALLOT of work moving the bridge, never buy even the cheapest guitar if the intonation is bad.
Yes, agreed. This video was made for people who already have a guitar they like but want to improve it, so you would know if the intonation was out. I review a lot of guitars (both expensive and cheap) and even very cheap guitars these days, I hardly ever see a duff due to intonation. the joys of CNC I guess. 😊
@@guitar-academy I see far less intonation issues than I used too and I have found some very cheap guitars with near perfect intonation, but I have also found a number of very expensive guitars with intonation that should never have left the factory.
Its a personal pet peave when salesman swear that a guitar is perfectly intonated and it's 5-8 cents off. My post had less to do with your excellent video and more to do with my personnel issues with bad intonation.
@@yadaroniYes, I understand. In the past I have even seen a batch of Fender acoustics with shockingly bad intonation. 😊
The guitar looks and sounds great but of course it's in the hands of a master guitarist.
Thank you very much . . . 😀
Bought a Glarry P-bass copy at $67 new. Many of the same issues. Many frets were not fully seated and took some hammer work and then stone work. The fret rocker you mentioned was very useful. The neck needed considerable adjustment. VERY IMPORTANT to oil the tuning machines as they are cheap and have a lot of drag when dry. Oiled up they are acceptably smooth and will last longer. The electronics are cheap crap, replaced them with a kit of parts with CTS American made pots and an Orange Drop 0.047uF cap and that really brought out the true bass tone by cleaning up the high harmonics. PUPs sound good with the improved electronics. It could still use some minor further setup with dressing fret edges better but is now sounding good and is very playable for an amateur like me.
I guess, with the more expensive guitars and basses, that's where the expense comes from. . . the man hours to really finish the instrument off properly. But doing it yourself you get what you want and you get the satisfaction on knowing you did it . . . 😀
oh, and you save some money.
The only thing to remember which is double important, is making sure those iron filings and saw dust are thoroughly removed from inside the instrument, as the magnetic pick up will become clogged over time. Always cover the sound hole during work, especially doing fret work.
Great point!
This is a great suggestion if you have magnetic pickups. However, the transducer pick up strip I don't believe is magnetic? I would vacuum and wipe clean all dust weather it'd be iron filings or wood.
I am lefthanded but I have played righthanded since birth, 49 now.
GREAT video GCH
Thank you very much . . . it's easier to get guitars playing right handed don't you find. 🙂
Same here started playing around 14 yrs old. I am also 49 yrs old, and I also am left handed and I always play righty guitars.
I explain to people what's the difference. Both hands need to be skilled and taught. And We were poor .
You might be the first left handed righty player I've met.
So we're not alone! Have a good day .
@7:50 By far the best pin removal. Grab the leftover tag end with pliers. "Push" the string back _towards_ and "through" the pin, wiggling and bending while pushing. Also pull and push a little. Try to wiggle the pin with other hand. This method "uloads" the stress of the ball wedged against the pin. Works every time unless somebody glued them in. Never have a toolmark on your pins again.
This has got to be one of the best tricks ever taught to me long ago.
Agreed! Good job!
Well done, my friend. But what makes a cheap guitar sound good is the great talent of the one playing it. You made this guitar sound good twice. Nice work.
Thank you very much . . . 🙂
Fantastic videos, very very detailed.
It's improving my understanding and slowly I'm able to adjust my guitar to how I like it. Thanks.
that's great . . . thank you 😊
Great video. . thank you. . .
I have a guitar which I bought s/h when I was 14 (44 years ago - a B&M omg . . yes) I filed the frets myself using an engineers straight edge and a small file. . . . . . (I still have the Guitar and it plays beautifully - although I never really progressed) Proficient players have played it and say it's fantastic.. . .
There's nothing better than a properly aged instrument . . especially a nice one . . 😊😊
I love the sound of that preamp ,Did a similar install on a Goya acoustic. It lasted about a month preamp died got new one , was dead upon arrival. am on 3rd preamp currently..still hard to beat for the price..lol Love the blend w mic..Great work .
what . . that is not good. You're the first person I've heard who's had that problem . .
@@guitar-academy Its a family curse lol... this was before I saw your vids..Its fine I enjoy experimenting ..got a tele w an onboard acoustic preamp and piezo under the bridge I built last year for no reason ...Im 52 prolly never play in another band ,just learning recording in the digital world .I enjoy your videos and skill , well done .
Cheap guitars suffer from intonation issues. A problem that to me is worth saving an extra $400 and jumping up on quality. This seems like a great project to do with my son. Thanks for the video.
Professor: Good project to take on; and excellent results. Now I want to learn to play that song at the end. Subscribed.
You learn to play the tune at the end of this video in the fingerstyle course. It's called the troubled heard by Sad Fantasy
ruclips.net/p/PLIQJcXCYbgO2q9hDUBT0E5z1JZDk3bowI
The song at the end...lesson, please. All around interesting lesson!
After you completed the installation of all this, what did you connect the guitar to when you played it at the end of the video? Did you connect it to an amplifier? If this was a cheap guitar, what exactly did you pay for it?
This is the summary of a few videos, so to get the full answers to your questions the links are in the description. The guitar went straight through my mixing desk with a tiny bit of reverb from the desks own effects. The guitar was £40 when I got it. here's the review. ruclips.net/video/7AH52fXpljQ/видео.html
I would like to have heard the guitar before all of your work. The after is a very nice sounding instrument.
Yes, I wish I'd done that, but it was too late. You can here it if you listen to the original review of the guitar. The link is in the description. 😀
@@guitar-academy or you can buy the same exact guitar (if possible) but that is another story.
You could go just a bit further and replace the plastic bits (nut, bridge, and pins) with bone gubbins. This would dramatically improve the sound and sustain, and make it the best possible version of what it could be.
That said, it does sound quite nice as-is.
Yes you're right 😊😀 . . . I did change them but it's in another video. This video is part of a series of videos, you can see the links in the description, but here's the bone one . . . ruclips.net/video/N9dvUg90T6M/видео.html
On the bridge work , it looks like you should've cut out the bridge saddle slot to accommodate the piezo pickup as well as taken some material off the saddle piece to lower the action at the bridge end. The Ovation acoustic electric that I have, the saddle slot is cut deeper, Ovation places shims that are loaded into the bridge that the owner removes to set action height to a desired height.
With this guitar being so cheap I was being causious because I didn't know how deep and healthy the wood was, I know the soundboard wood is very thin. But it worked out perfectly, I've changed the strings again since and I even use this guitar in my latest tutorials leaving my expensive acoustic on the hanger.
You need to watch the playlist because you see the entire process where I set the action . . and I set the action properly and level the frets and it is as low as it can be without any buzz. 😀
@@guitar-academy I reacted to the issue that the shaved down bridge saddle piece that wouldn't stay in the saddle slot from this video with the piezo sensor installed & without the strings holding it in place. You did an excellent job of adjusting the action in the end. The hard part of what I suggested would be to dig out that saddle slot evenly and accurately. One would need a file that was the correct width and patiently grind & scrape out the Rosewood for what depth for the piezo sensor. Another possible solution would be to cut the saddle slots as string bend over contact points a little deeper like the nut slots need to be cut for a new nut. beautiful appearance & sounds for an affordable guitar as a completed project of upgrades.
@@guitar-academy Excellent setup! - When I bought my Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Vintage EC there was a problem with the saddle not seating correctly affecting the resonance and pickup.
I called up Gibson and they told me to get a spark plug socket and a small hammer or tool to tap with. I said, "What?" - They told me that sometimes they need a little help seating into the slot. They walked me through it over the phone and it worked perfectly, but really, when they told me to place the spark plug socket over the saddle and whack it...I was more than a little worried, nonetheless the first thing I did with that $3000 guitar was whack it with a socket and small tap hammer. lol. ;-)
@@greglawrencemusic ouch . . some repairs are surprisingly brutal looking. Personally I would have sanded the sides of the saddle so it could be pushed in more easily. Both these methods have advantages and disadvantages. I very tight saddle transfers more of the energy from the strings to the body of the guitar, however a slightly looser saddle transfers more of the energy to the pickup . . 🤔
@@guitar-academy - If I remember correctly (thinking about it some more) the "sharp whack" was to seat the piezo under the saddle, but still brutal, yes. ;-)
I also remember when the Internet was new, I watched tons of videos with people smashing guitars. I was surprised at how sturdy acoustics were in comparison to electrics. Most had at least two to three encounters with hard concrete pavement before they would actually fly apart in pieces. lol. -Cheers!
Alembic recommends organic lemon oil for fretboards. And dont over saturate, it can cause your frets to lift up. My friend purchased a inexpensive classical guitar, I'm going apply these techniques for setup. Thx
Great tip! and as bad as the frets lifting, if you over saturate the neck you can cause the glue to degrade . . 😮
Awesome Tut! Thanks a Ton. Will have to get started on my guitar now.
thank you . . . enjoy 😊
Thanks for putting this out> I have a great acoustic and dobro but I appreciate folks putting time in to helping others learn.
Thank you very much . . .
Does the _brand_ of almond oil matter? What brand was that? I'm in the US, so I _may_ not be able to find it.
Also, what was the oscilloscope you were using to look at the "note" waveforms? Is it specially made for "music work"?
The brand doesn't matter at all, but I've noticed that in the US more people go with Lemon oil, I don't know if it's because it's easier to get. The oscilloscope is none specific.
Thank you for youre great video, also i have a tip...if you place a capo right under the second or the third fret, you dont have to remove the complete snares, only losen them.
Great tip! Yes, I use that way of doing things in other videos on my channel 😊
37:19 LOL now THAT'S an actual plot twist.
🤔
Thank you kind sir for this video. This will help me for when I buy my first guitar and be able to look deeper plus asking the correct questions. I would like to feel the connection to the instrument with my investment of time, to be able even in a small way to have it be a part of me. Thanks again
No problem! thank you 😊
Beautifully shot and recorded, great explanations and demonstrations. Also checked out your course material, which is by far the best stuff I've seen on youtube. The standard of your work is fantastic, bravo!
Wow . . thank you very much, that's really nice of you. . 😀
Tuners, nut, bridge, bridge pins and, of course, strings are also worth to consider upgradeing. Cheap, poorly cut plastic compared to bone or graph tech's Tusq material is like night and day. It both affects the tone and tuning stability of the instrument
It's already been done . . . ruclips.net/video/N9dvUg90T6M/видео.html
Great work, very good Video. I don't need a pickup, but I want to install one now.
LOL . . it's handy to have a tuner built into the guitar if nothing else . . 🙂🙂
In the US the bone (or tusq or micarta) part is the SADDLE and the wood part is the BRIDGE. So we would sand down the SADDLE. (On a violin you only have a bridge, which can cause confusion)
Yes . . it's the same here in the UK. At the time of doing this I was still thinking in terms of orchestral strings. I've finally broken that habit now 🤔 . .
Very good video. But I really loved your playing at the end.
Beautiful.The Guitars tone sounds very good to my ear.
Good job all round.
SUBSCRIBED.
That's really nice of you . . thank you . . 😊
Very well done...................I think I would have fitted bone nut, saddle and pins as well...............I have found they make a remarkable difference to tone on entry level guitars, for relatively little cost.
Read the description, it was all done . . . Here's the bone parts being fitted ruclips.net/video/N9dvUg90T6M/видео.html
How did you separate the preamp from the mounting plate without breaking it or the hinge pins? It's okay found your other video on the full installation. Thanks
It's a really tricky job . . not my favourite job . . 🙂
Just got the same guitar to turn it elctro, basically doing the same as this will lower the action too this sounds sweet for a dirt cheap guitar.
I hope it turns out well for you . . I was very pleased with this one 😃
I'm going to pick up one of those guitars for my granddaughter! She'll be 10 years old that's my youngest one and she wants to play guitar hi Grandpa LOL but that looks like it'll be a good starter.
agreed . . a good instrument to get started on. 😀
I know it's a cheap guitar and the hole in the side probably won't make much of a difference in its sound but you could have fitted something like the Shadow NanoFlex pickup/e-Performer with the preamp volume and treble & bass EQ controls all neatly tucked away just inside the soundhole. No need to cut a big hole in it. I've been playing since 1966 and have seen musicians including myself butcher their guitars in one way or another and everyone regretted it.
It's a matter of taste . . I've never regretted fitting a piezo into a guitar. I've tried several hole pickups and got rid of them because the sound is never natural to my ear and the wires resting on the front of the guitar looks shocking, causes buzzes, gets in the way and can damage the finish over time. But that's my personal taste.
hello, good work. how far string should be on the first fret and on the last fret? is it universal or depence on some..in mm please, thx
it's easier for you to watch this video . . ruclips.net/video/UgsN_HOjV2c/видео.html
18:44 Hello, just a small correction: the piece on the lower part of the guitar which is sanded by 4mm is called the saddle, not the bridge. Good job on modifying the guitar.
Yes, this video was done when I was still in the habit of talking violin 🤔
This is like watching a David Attenborough video, but for guitar players!
Agreed!!!!
Wow, thanks! . . . 😀
@@guitar-academy honestly that was such a good video! I've just been looking over my guitars at the same time as watching (cheap Stagg and Crafter from Argos!) But to be fair they seem quite well made judging from your tips in the video. I actually felt like someone in a guitar shop the way I was smoothing down the frets to check if any were protruding over the edges, and feeling around the sound hole! You put some much information into what is actually quite a short video considering how much you went over there. I love the way you're patient and explain things slowly and clearly, and you're not here to sell stuff on behalf of brands. As a person, you get it! We came to this video cos we have a cheap guitar, of course we're going to look to eBay for a knock off! You're one of us :) it's not the brand, it's everything but the name! Thanks again, keep rocking! 🤘🎸
@@guitar-academy Watching the video on bone saddle/nut replacement.
@@DavidAndrewsPEC that's the first thing I went to eBay!
Very clear and well done! Thanks for the valuable tool and almond oil, T-cut product information too.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you . . 🙂
To aid the fiddly job of inserting the guitar jack output, push a length of 6mm dowel inside the guitar, slide the input hole over the dowel, then withdraw the dowel back through the access hole .
wow . . great tip, thanks . . 🙂
I use the bent and flared 'rim' end of a bicycle spoke to pull the jack back through the body hole.
@@kennethkowalchuk7868 I am genuinely surprised by the imaginative solutions people find for this . . . brilliant 😀
The sounds almost seems natural💛, did you connect the pickup to a pedal or any soundcard?
Thanks . . the pickup goes through a mixer and into the soundcard and it was all set flat so it should be transparent. 😃
Excellent vid, thank you!! However... If you do not have any preamp template, why not create one yourself one some thick peace of paper to make sure it fits well before cutting the guitar ???? Cheers from France
I've done this job so often that I feel confident the way I do it works. However point taken, for someone who has never done it before a home made template would be a good idea. There's now a printable template available at the Fishman website if you're thinking of doing this yourself. 😁
Well that's entertaiment a master class on upgrading a cheaper guitar wonderful video but i'm not sure if we are all capable of your expertise but it just goes to show at a small price the end result is worth the while Kudos to you Sir
Thank you very much . . I guess that's how I see car building programs on Discovery TV, entertaining to watch but I could never do one . . 🙂🙂
I got a fret rocker and used it on my guitars. On my Jackson I pretty much only got about 4 frets that DIDN'T rock, does this mean that there is a lot of fret work needed done? Or am I probably not doing something right, but it seems pretty easy, you just lay it across 3 frets at a time and see if it rocks, most of my frets rock just a little.
That does sound like an excessive amount of rocking you're getting. My first question is, does the guitar buzz a lot ? if no, then don't worry about it. Just use the fret rocker to help you cure buzzing frets, don't try to fix buzz that isn't there or you could ruin your guitar. 🙂
Really enjoyed that mate, I'm three Whisky's in and way more confident to attack my Guitar. Many thanks.
the whisky will do that . . 😊
Did you say "almond oil"? I wonder what oil you used because I want to do the same to my guitars as well. Thanks!
Yes, I use Almond oil, you can get it on the internet or at a pharmacist . . 😀
I got almond oil here.. I use it as skin moisturizer. Never thought I’d use it on fret work! Great tip! Thanks so much!
I would not use any natural oils on a fretboard. They get rancid and sticky over years. Mineral oils are the better ones.
I use baby-oil or vaseline in small amounts for the fretboard (just because I had them already for 20+ years, they are mineral based and did not change properties at all) . These do not alter over decades and don‘t smell at all.
Hi could you please tell us the brand of Almond oil your are using ? Many thanks ... great video indeed ...
@@lone-wolf-1 Yes. Martin Guitars have recommended 3-in One oil.
Each to their own though.
I go with Boiled Linseed Oil applied along the grain.
Five minutes soak time only then wiped off across the grain.
The oil polymerises and dries hard in a few days but is playable straight away.
Raw/Non-boiled Linseed Oil will not dry or polymerise in this way and should be left for other uses.
did this with a Glarry GT604 41inch Dreadnought Spruce Front Cutaway Rosewood Back Folk Acoustic Guitar Natural.
$99
I had to clean the fret ends and fix one proud fret and adjust the action and neck straightness.
I added both a
Dimarzio BLack Angel Magnetic (DP234) and a
Dimarzio Black Angel Piezo (DP235)
Black Angel Piezo dp235 has a 3.55 input jack for the Black Angel dp234 magnetic directly attached to the endpin it comes with so you can connect it directly to the sound hole Black Angel pickup.
You just have one output but it is TRS stereo. A regular guitar cable will just pick up the piezo pickup but if you split the trs into 2 mono signals you can have both the piezo and magnetic coming out so you can preamp them on a mixer.
Just a single endpin.
Sounds great for fingerstyle, percussion.
Total is around $400 for this beast.
PLEASE MAKE A TUTORIAL ON HOW TO ADJUST GUITAR ACTION PROPERLY
I am planning on doing that . . .
Nice work but hope you vacuumed all the sound hole sanding dust out of the instrument. I'm still looking for piezo that doesn't sound so tinny on the treble end.
The pickup in this guitar also has a mic and you can blend between the piezo and mic sound. It gives you a lot more tonal variation ruclips.net/video/nK3jum0_Fig/видео.html
A huge improvement I've done is replace the cheap plastic bridge and neck nuts with real bone.
that's great . . . 😊
A very good flat surface is plate glass. An old thick mirror is what I use on Saxophone mouthpieces. Beautifully flat.
Thanks for the tip! Yes I have a glass topped desk I sometimes use . . 🙂
sounds very nice at the end, sounds expensive.
Thank you, 🙂
Thanks for the great tips!
The pickup that came with mine isn’t working and the model has discontinued so a new, larger model will need to be installed.
Cheers!
That's a shame . . I hate it when that happens. Sometimes you can find the same pickup/preamp under a different name but it takes a lot of research to find it. 😒
@@guitar-academy eh, it’s ok. I’ve learned a lot through your vid. If I didn’t have the problem, I wouldn’t have been motivated to find out about these things. It’s actually really helped make a poorly made “Esteban” guitar sound pretty good and make it playable!
@@1rgam3r That's great news . . 😊😀
I have a guitar that I left in the village coz of high action, plastic pegs and fake preamp... I'm so going to get it and work on it
That sounds like the perfect project . . 😀
The stock nut and saddle are plastic these days and that mutes the strings a lot and breaks after corroding. I got mine replaced with bone and it was a massive upgrade.
If you can find an antique guitar, these parts are made of ivory which is the best quality (ivory is illegal to own unfortunately)
the nut and saddles on this guitar were bone by the time it was finished. ruclips.net/video/N9dvUg90T6M/видео.html
@@guitar-academy oh thought you missed it but damn the difference in sound is amazing
0000 Steel Wool with lemon oil rubbed on the back of the neck will make it feel great without taking off so much finish.
Great tip!
37:36 Try True Oil, much better finish similar to Danish oil. I'm not a luthier but a cabinetmaker and three years ago I bought a Kort 3/4 size flattop box for the tone. ($280 cdn) I replaced the bridge and nut with deer antler and lowered the action. then I polished the neck with True Oil and bought some gold plated Grover tuners doubling the value of the instrument. Sweet!
I can make a 400£ guitar sound like a 1£ guitar.
LOL . . well done you . . I think 😀
Omg me too
Wish I could.
👍
That’s quite impressive man 😂
Dear Sir.. How high should the strings be off of the 12 Fret?? I have seen some say 2.5mm with the guage.. Also do you measure from the bottom of the string or the top?? You are right, it does sound like an expensive guitar.. Thanks so much for the video.. Take care..
Thank you . . on a steel strung acoustic guitar about 2.5mm from the top of the frets to the bottom of the string is about right. If you have any doubts about now straight the neck is or how level the frets are, you might have to do it in stages. A gap of 3.5mm or more might be a good start and then lower the action a little more if there is no buzz or leave it if you are happy. I find that it is always slightly different from guitar to guitar. 🙂
@@guitar-academy That is clear.. Thanks so much for your time.. Appreciate it...
This is a top video, great instruction. Bought the GCH course yesterday
Yes I recognize the name . . Thanks 😀😀
This is great just one question is it likely that you may encounter bracing or block when placing the socket in the end of the guitar
Yes, , , You might come across a strengthening block. But don't worry because the hole is relatively small and it will then be reinforced by the jack-plug socket it. I hope this helps 😊