Thanks so much for working on this one for me Ted. For the people asking questions about the guitar and price. I paid $450 USD and am very happy with it at that price. This particular guitar sounded very unique among them all. It was fantastic and fun to visit his shop and he was very happy and proud to show how they do their work. It's not a high end concert instrument, but it plays very nice (much nicer now that Ted worked his magic on it). Most of the instruments in this shop were for the local market for sure and he's having to compete against cheap $100 Chinese guitars, so I understand the need for the cheap tuners, etc and it was not a surprise. This instrument sounds beautiful in the room and with a mic in front of it. The decorations are a little over the top, but there were others with even more bling if you can imagine! This was about the sound and the story/memory for me and I think it hits the mark all around ;)
That's one of the things that drew me to this particular one. It was a lot different in the lower end than most of the ones in his shop, and I played the majority of them before I chose that one!
The fretboard is definitely made out of black palm. It isn't a bad looking wood, but it is rather brittle and very prone to splitting. With the drastic humidity change that guitar has gone through, I am not surprised that it cracked.
Exactly!! Just the simple "story" kept us entertained for 20 minutes!! My guitars have plenty of imperfections, and they all have their own story adding to the memories. So much today is expected to be perfect, and if it's not, it'll be replaced. Nobody appreciates the sentimentality of hand built, hand played, passed down from generation to generation anymore.
So cool! As a side note, from 50 yrs ago. In my 20's, I spent a few yrs with the 5 sons of medical missionaries that grew up in Ecuador. Living in the jungle with the Ahuca (headhunter) indians. The wood of choice for the Indian's bows was Black Palm. That fingerboard was identical to the bow Danny Fuller, 3rd son, gave me way back then. I always coveted the shrunken head he had dangling from the mirror in his VW bus. He'd watched it being shrunken 😮 the Palm was elastic but really hard!
@@tomhrio it being comfortable to hold might not be that hard to think up, anyone can hold a guitar. But this comment by @cameronwhite9959 definitely makes me think of the Volume pot location that's standard on Strats and how it makes palm muting the treble strings while strumming very difficult, my only real gripe with the style after buying one as my first electric recently! though it's gotten me interested in doing modifications, so that's a plus :)
@@tomhrio I recommend the book Fender: the Sound Heard around the World for a comprehensive history of the strat and other Fender products. The strat was field tested extensively re: it's design.
@@michaelnewell9662 Good point, hadn't considered that as an option! Not something I'm used to thinking about having started on accoustic. Will admit I often practice without it even plugged in, though i've been moving away from that more.
I’m not one who likes a lot of ornamentation, but for some reason I find this guitar to be gorgeous. Thank you for BBC the tour of the shop in Equador. Fascinating.
I actually Love the design of this guitar. It looks bold, but not to the degree of being obnoxious. And the colors work so well together. For me, I absolutely adore this design. (Of course I'm Colombian-Cuban 50/50, but grew up in America) Anyway, I honestly dream of getting such a beautiful guitar like this one day.
I agree, it's awesome and gorgeous! The efficiency of their work is, from the standpoint of someone who makes things, extraordinarily impressive. They're effectively cutting out steps by using exacting hand/eye processes. Just, incredible!
@twoodfrd I was in that very shop last year, their skill is amazing and they couldn't be nicer people! They told me they make most of their own chisels and plane irons as well. The fretboard is a type of black palm called chonta, the indigenous people in the area used it to make weapons, its incredibly dense.
Some might say that the decoration is over the top. But I think it's amazingly cool. It speaks volumes about the maker and the musical society of the region. And was it bad of me that when you showed the crack in the fingerboard that my first thought was "mini bow tie inlays" as a suitable fix that would fit right in with the flamboyant look?
I bought a nylon string guitar in Massaya, Nicaragua about a decade ago. Made entirely with local wood, it’s got a Mahogany top, and some truly stunning Cocobolo back, sides, fretboard, & bridge. I’d love to visit Paracho in Mexico, and these other guitar making towns throughout Latin America. It’s like visiting a distant cousin in a foreign country.
I almost bought a guitarrón while on vacation in Mexico some 25 years ago, and I've regretted my decision since. It was dirt cheap and it sounded nice!
I have a few instruments built in Bolivia, a Cuatro Venezolano (4 string small guitar) made in the Spanish style and two ukuleles made in the style of charangos where the neck, back and sides are carved from a single, solid piece of timber. The tops are made with spruce or pine from salvaged orange crates. They are not the the most refined instruments in the world, yet they are among the loudest and richest sounding acoustic instruments i have ever heard. These guys know what they are doing. Perhaps it gets into the DNA.
Such a lovely truly hand crafted instrument. What it lacks in precision it makes up for with bucket loads of charm. I would love and cherish it if it were mine. 🥰
I like that you called the ornamentation exhuberant rather than ostentatious. Your word choice denotes consideration for the craftsman and respect for the time, effort, and skill it took to accomplish.
WOW! What a beautiful guitar. Loved the ornamentation on it. It's amazing how they build it with such minimal tools. Over here, people I talk to are put off from building instruments because they think they need tens of thousands of dollars worth of tools. Thank you for the vid and thanks to the customer for sharing pics with us!
Lemme see... a bench top band saw, spoke shave, hand plane, block plane, chisel, fret saw, mallet, bench top drill press (with bits and sanding drum), lots and lots of clamps, router, fret wire nips, files, radius block... I think that's all I bought for my hobby - plus standard shop stuff I already had, like screwdrivers, a soldering iron, and a vise. My cost was
Very rich overtones; sounds like a responsive instrument. It can be hit and miss with these ethnic-folk type export instruments, but it sounds like this one is a winner. I hope the owner understands that it will probably need constant attention to humidity, especially in your Canadian winters when the heaters are on full blast... It would be a shame to have it come apart due to splitting and cracking, as I've seen with other similar imported instruments from South America and also the Middle East.
You can watch anyone fix a guitar but what other channel gives you in depth history on every repair? That's why I watch..and I'm a drummer! Keep it up sir!
Love the concept. My cousin lived next door to Robert Benedetto, builder of archtop guitars costing 20k and up. He is a master. This man builds simple guitars with the same passion for pennies in comparison. I respect both the same. I started building cigar box guitars 12 years ago and worked up to electric solid bodies and acoustic models. It takes passion.
That guitar construction is baffling, I can’t imagine trying to put one together like that, but if it works for them more power to them. I’ll stick to my methodology
Being a player who has never attempted building a guitar (the world is far better off for me never attempting such a thing) I'm always amazed at Ted's skill in repair and building guitars. Add to that the construction techniques of this fine instrument and its wonderful voice and I'm truly in awe! Mr Guertin you are a very fortunate man and I hope this guitar brings you as much joy to play as it seems to have to those of us who simply watched it being made even better by Ted's magic. This will become an heirloom instrument if you're not careful!
Once I study with a Luthier to learn about archtops building techniques, he mentioned going to meet up there about that same village. I never went there it took me 10 years to do this. Mostly how to use a bandsaw and restoring a Sears redial arm saw. It was the first powered equipment I was using it and building an A frame cabin in Mammoth Mountain. Ufie Nelson taught me and we were like brothers. So I really started ready doing the work was in 2019 and I made one this year, Ms. Teatar Duncan. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing this. I've lived here in Ecuador for 15 years, a couple of hours outside Quito, which is in the north of Ecuador. I believe there are some good luthiers in the country, but I haven't had a chance to visit them yet. As I am now retired, I plan to visit a lot of them. As the luthiers here are not very well known outside the country, there hasn't been a lot written about the state of the craft here.
Actually pretty amazing build quality considering it's all hand tools and NO Forms (that's just flat out mind boggling). I spent almost as mu ch time building my octave mandolin/bouzouki forms as I did on the instruments getting them set up and clamp surfaces routed in place.
As others have stated - that is one lovely guitar. The imperfections are just singing to me a wonderful tune of the hand made character of the instrument. The fretboard on the other hand - not such a lovely song... Thanks for taking the time to share about this instrument and it's heritage.
When I first saw the sound hole inlays I thought it had an overall Inca vibe. Very beautiful guitar in spite of the possibility of it being hastily built. Thanks for sharing something that most of us would never have known. Sounds great too.
Just a wonder to see it brought to Speed. New tuners were Magic touch. Any minor inlaid imperfections. Are a perfect charm. Proving human craftsmanship. Every guitar must pass many hands and eyes. Check and dubble check. Only by being played Can it reach true immorality. Lastly only time and season with loving care can bring it to legend. Such as the one we see hear. Thank you for the journey
Interesting construction! I've come across quite a few similar examples clearly made to be accurate "guiter shaped objects" with little or no thought put to playing the damn thing. Wall hangers for sure. Neat this one cleaned up so easily!
I love his benches. they yell "I've been working every week day for the past 100 years". you see a lot of them here in Brazil as well, you cant even tell what kind of wood they are made of. Night and day to a youtuber with a scandinavian bench that does 2 ugly boxes a year and uses sacrifice boards so he does not mark his bench
I wouldn't be surprised if the cost for the work shown being done here was above the cost for the brand new guitar. Imperialism and the underdevelopment and poverty it causes can be shocking to people who have only lived in the first world.
Now have the owner return the guitar with the improvements.....have the builder incorporate the improvements in his future work with a minor cut back on the decorations.
The ABR1 I just put on my guitar made almost every string right on or just a hair flat so all it takes is regular playing and you press down hard enough that it's in tune down the neck also. I think EVH used to have his guitars set up this way on purpose.
Thanks so much for working on this one for me Ted. For the people asking questions about the guitar and price. I paid $450 USD and am very happy with it at that price. This particular guitar sounded very unique among them all. It was fantastic and fun to visit his shop and he was very happy and proud to show how they do their work. It's not a high end concert instrument, but it plays very nice (much nicer now that Ted worked his magic on it). Most of the instruments in this shop were for the local market for sure and he's having to compete against cheap $100 Chinese guitars, so I understand the need for the cheap tuners, etc and it was not a surprise. This instrument sounds beautiful in the room and with a mic in front of it. The decorations are a little over the top, but there were others with even more bling if you can imagine! This was about the sound and the story/memory for me and I think it hits the mark all around ;)
It looks awesome to me and it sounds awesome and its definitely a cool story. For 450 bucks made completely by hand thats amazing!
It amuses me that most of the value of the guitar is now in the tuners. That said, it's certainly punching above its price.
It’s a beautiful guitar and I love it’s sound! It’s definitely a wonderful souvenir! Plus now upgraded by Ted :) enjoy!
Beautiful guitar. I hope you play it till the top falls off. Very nice!
Thank you for the pics and story. Really very interesting. You got to pick too. Now it is much better thanks to Ted.
Cool! I was a student of William Cumpiano back in 1979!!
I like the way that thing RINGS.
Bill Cumpiano works down the road from me. A great guy. I’ve been to his shop many times over the years.
such a sweet bass tone
That's one of the things that drew me to this particular one. It was a lot different in the lower end than most of the ones in his shop, and I played the majority of them before I chose that one!
It is a really pretty and very human-made instrument. Glad you put your finesse on it.
Such a beautiful instrument!
The fretboard is definitely made out of black palm. It isn't a bad looking wood, but it is rather brittle and very prone to splitting. With the drastic humidity change that guitar has gone through, I am not surprised that it cracked.
yup. recognized it immediately. cool!
Even though not 100% perfect, this guitar has music in it. The slight imperfections make it way more interesting to be honest. Such a cool guitar
Exactly!! Just the simple "story" kept us entertained for 20 minutes!! My guitars have plenty of imperfections, and they all have their own story adding to the memories. So much today is expected to be perfect, and if it's not, it'll be replaced. Nobody appreciates the sentimentality of hand built, hand played, passed down from generation to generation anymore.
So cool! As a side note, from 50 yrs ago. In my 20's, I spent a few yrs with the 5 sons of medical missionaries that grew up in Ecuador. Living in the jungle with the Ahuca (headhunter) indians. The wood of choice for the Indian's bows was Black Palm. That fingerboard was identical to the bow Danny Fuller, 3rd son, gave me way back then. I always coveted the shrunken head he had dangling from the mirror in his VW bus. He'd watched it being shrunken 😮 the Palm was elastic but really hard!
The imperfections stand out a lot, but it just adds to that handmade look.
Just a shame it’s got that long scratch in it.
@@SquirrelDarling1 I think he said a dog did it.... Well, canine
@@SquirrelDarling1 That's a Canadian scratch from a Canadian dog.
@@roytofilovski9530 You mean from Trudeau???
Of course, probably the most influential guitar maker who couldn’t play the instrument is Leo Fender…
Great video as usual, Ted :-)
weird how did the strat shape ended up being so comfortable
@@tomhrio it being comfortable to hold might not be that hard to think up, anyone can hold a guitar. But this comment by @cameronwhite9959 definitely makes me think of the Volume pot location that's standard on Strats and how it makes palm muting the treble strings while strumming very difficult, my only real gripe with the style after buying one as my first electric recently! though it's gotten me interested in doing modifications, so that's a plus :)
@@bittersweet5161 the flip side of the strat volume knob position is that it can make volume swells easier - a poor man's volume pedal
@@tomhrio I recommend the book Fender: the Sound Heard around the World for a comprehensive history of the strat and other Fender products. The strat was field tested extensively re: it's design.
@@michaelnewell9662 Good point, hadn't considered that as an option! Not something I'm used to thinking about having started on accoustic. Will admit I often practice without it even plugged in, though i've been moving away from that more.
I’m not one who likes a lot of ornamentation, but for some reason I find this guitar to be gorgeous. Thank you for BBC the tour of the shop in Equador. Fascinating.
I actually Love the design of this guitar. It looks bold, but not to the degree of being obnoxious. And the colors work so well together. For me, I absolutely adore this design. (Of course I'm Colombian-Cuban 50/50, but grew up in America) Anyway, I honestly dream of getting such a beautiful guitar like this one day.
I agree, it's awesome and gorgeous! The efficiency of their work is, from the standpoint of someone who makes things, extraordinarily impressive. They're effectively cutting out steps by using exacting hand/eye processes. Just, incredible!
It looks 10x better than any abalone decorated Martin
You should see the inside!
Yeah, right! It's different that's all.@@podfuk
@twoodfrd I was in that very shop last year, their skill is amazing and they couldn't be nicer people! They told me they make most of their own chisels and plane irons as well. The fretboard is a type of black palm called chonta, the indigenous people in the area used it to make weapons, its incredibly dense.
Yep it is Chonta, I couldn't remember the proper name until I read it here. They are indeed super nice there!
Those tuners were the cherry on top of this beautiful guitar. Well done!!
Some might say that the decoration is over the top. But I think it's amazingly cool. It speaks volumes about the maker and the musical society of the region. And was it bad of me that when you showed the crack in the fingerboard that my first thought was "mini bow tie inlays" as a suitable fix that would fit right in with the flamboyant look?
I bought a nylon string guitar in Massaya, Nicaragua about a decade ago. Made entirely with local wood, it’s got a Mahogany top, and some truly stunning Cocobolo back, sides, fretboard, & bridge. I’d love to visit Paracho in Mexico, and these other guitar making towns throughout Latin America. It’s like visiting a distant cousin in a foreign country.
I almost bought a guitarrón while on vacation in Mexico some 25 years ago, and I've regretted my decision since. It was dirt cheap and it sounded nice!
The icing on the cake is its beautiful voice.
You should make a podcast about the history of guitar making. I enjoy those anecdotes so much!
Agree, Teds storytelling, wit and richness of words would make a great podcast or another RUclips playlist.
That headstock stencil is immaculate.
One of the more fascinating repair videos. The guitar looks and sounds bright.
That is a stunning instrument. I personally love the “handmade” qualities as it makes the guitar unique.
Thanks for taking us on a tour, Ted and Owner. Looks like great work done quickly, and now refined. ❤
I have a few instruments built in Bolivia, a Cuatro Venezolano (4 string small guitar) made in the Spanish style and two ukuleles made in the style of charangos where the neck, back and sides are carved from a single, solid piece of timber. The tops are made with spruce or pine from salvaged orange crates. They are not the the most refined instruments in the world, yet they are among the loudest and richest sounding acoustic instruments i have ever heard. These guys know what they are doing. Perhaps it gets into the DNA.
Such a lovely truly hand crafted instrument. What it lacks in precision it makes up for with bucket loads of charm. I would love and cherish it if it were mine. 🥰
This makes me want to go to Ecuador.
(iPhone autocorrect just tried to correct “Ecuador” to “Europe”. I’d love to go there too, but not the same)
I like that you called the ornamentation exhuberant rather than ostentatious. Your word choice denotes consideration for the craftsman and respect for the time, effort, and skill it took to accomplish.
WOW! What a beautiful guitar. Loved the ornamentation on it. It's amazing how they build it with such minimal tools. Over here, people I talk to are put off from building instruments because they think they need tens of thousands of dollars worth of tools. Thank you for the vid and thanks to the customer for sharing pics with us!
Lemme see... a bench top band saw, spoke shave, hand plane, block plane, chisel, fret saw, mallet, bench top drill press (with bits and sanding drum), lots and lots of clamps, router, fret wire nips, files, radius block... I think that's all I bought for my hobby - plus standard shop stuff I already had, like screwdrivers, a soldering iron, and a vise. My cost was
It would be interesting to see exactly how they put them together like that. I can't imagine putting the sides on last.
Very rich overtones; sounds like a responsive instrument. It can be hit and miss with these ethnic-folk type export instruments, but it sounds like this one is a winner.
I hope the owner understands that it will probably need constant attention to humidity, especially in your Canadian winters when the heaters are on full blast... It would be a shame to have it come apart due to splitting and cracking, as I've seen with other similar imported instruments from South America and also the Middle East.
I'm building a humidity controlled display cabinet for it and some of my other acoustic guitars ...
That's a gorgeous guitar. I love the way the blue abalone, especially pops.
I am always amazed at how much history and background you provide on these obscure instruments. Great work
I look at that and I am speechless.
Now, there's an instrument with genuine soul. Very nice video.
Glad you put those nice German tuners on it. Nice glimpse of traditional Ecuadoran Guitar making.
Most beautiful guitar I’ve ever seen
Rubner (Ltd.) makes fantastic parts. Located in Markneukirchen, Germany. A rich history since 1864.
Wow. Extraordinary video of a totally different approach to construction - but that tone. Superb.
Cool video, thanks for sharing the photos of the little shop very interesting.
That headstock looks like it'll be on Ancient Aliens some day. 😆
You can watch anyone fix a guitar but what other channel gives you in depth history on every repair? That's why I watch..and I'm a drummer!
Keep it up sir!
I’ve never been to Ecuador but, if I do go, I’ll visit that shop! Those were beautiful instruments.
Love the concept. My cousin lived next door to Robert Benedetto, builder of archtop guitars costing 20k and up. He is a master. This man builds simple guitars with the same passion for pennies in comparison. I respect both the same. I started building cigar box guitars 12 years ago and worked up to electric solid bodies and acoustic models. It takes passion.
Outstanding episode. Thank you.
That guitar construction is baffling, I can’t imagine trying to put one together like that, but if it works for them more power to them. I’ll stick to my methodology
Being a player who has never attempted building a guitar (the world is far better off for me never attempting such a thing) I'm always amazed at Ted's skill in repair and building guitars. Add to that the construction techniques of this fine instrument and its wonderful voice and I'm truly in awe! Mr Guertin you are a very fortunate man and I hope this guitar brings you as much joy to play as it seems to have to those of us who simply watched it being made even better by Ted's magic. This will become an heirloom instrument if you're not careful!
Beautiful example of handmade quality and the BEST IN CLASS! I love the decorations!
Once I study with a Luthier to learn about archtops building techniques, he mentioned going to meet up there about that same village. I never went there it took me 10 years to do this. Mostly how to use a bandsaw and restoring a Sears redial arm saw. It was the first powered equipment I was using it and building an A frame cabin in Mammoth Mountain. Ufie Nelson taught me and we were like brothers. So I really started ready doing the work was in 2019 and I made one this year, Ms. Teatar Duncan. Cheers!
WOW THAT GUITAR SOUNDED AMAZING TED!!!! Great show great job 👏 well done 👍
Beautiful purflings and rosette!
Gorgeous, simply gorgeous! As were the other instruments we saw in the shop photos. I hope that art and skill never depart.
THE TUNING. KEYS YOU PUT ON. REALLY. IMPROVED. THAT GUITARS
APPEARANCE.
Really enjoy rustic local instruments.
Really cool. The extended bridge I could take or leave but I REALLY like the rest!
Awesome episode! Thanks for sharing the pics
Been enjoying catching up on your videos. I enjoy your insights into dealing with difficult customers
Your videos complete my Sunday. Thanks.
Really like this guitar.
Thanks for sharing this. I've lived here in Ecuador for 15 years, a couple of hours outside Quito, which is in the north of Ecuador. I believe there are some good luthiers in the country, but I haven't had a chance to visit them yet. As I am now retired, I plan to visit a lot of them. As the luthiers here are not very well known outside the country, there hasn't been a lot written about the state of the craft here.
It's beautiful and I want one now.
Absolutely amazing. Beautiful guitar, absolutely beautiful repairs/mods. Excellent work. Great history too.
A awesome looking guitar thanks for sharing God bless
Actually pretty amazing build quality considering it's all hand tools and NO Forms (that's just flat out mind boggling). I spent almost as mu ch time building my octave mandolin/bouzouki forms as I did on the instruments getting them set up and clamp surfaces routed in place.
Great episode! And good on you for putting those nice tuners on that guitar.
As others have stated - that is one lovely guitar. The imperfections are just singing to me a wonderful tune of the hand made character of the instrument. The fretboard on the other hand - not such a lovely song... Thanks for taking the time to share about this instrument and it's heritage.
Those photos are wild!
I have a couple pieces of that fretboard material! The endgrain looks like straws.
Absolutely fascinating video thank you
What an amazing story and insight. Thanks for sharing!!
It’s gorgeous. Makes the trip to Ecuador almost worth it.
Fascinating insights and lovely work, thanks
She sounds great!
DUDE. Love it! Great video.
ALL HAIL TWOFORD! THE THINKING MAN'S LUTHIER! WE LOVE YOU MAN!
Thanks for playing them for us Ted!
That has to be the most ornamented classical guitar I've ever seen. Some really impressive inlay work!
Wow, what a beautiful guitar
A great find. The shop pictures are fascinating.
Very amazing sound for nylon strings and the response sounds like a very expensive guitar. Thanks for sharing!!
That is a beautiful instrument! Thanks for sharing
Sounds brilliant!
When I first saw the sound hole inlays I thought it had an overall Inca vibe. Very beautiful guitar in spite of the possibility of it being hastily built. Thanks for sharing something that most of us would never have known. Sounds great too.
Just a wonder to see it brought to
Speed. New tuners were Magic touch.
Any minor inlaid imperfections. Are a perfect charm. Proving human craftsmanship. Every guitar must pass many hands and eyes. Check and dubble check. Only by being played
Can it reach true immorality. Lastly only time and season with loving care
can bring it to legend. Such as the one
we see hear. Thank you for the journey
Sweet! Nice conservation, Ted!
Rubners! I have them on three of my mandos. Love em. Nice video, and cool gtr. Thanks!
Interesting construction! I've come across quite a few similar examples clearly made to be accurate "guiter shaped objects" with little or no thought put to playing the damn thing. Wall hangers for sure. Neat this one cleaned up so easily!
Wow! Those pictures are GREAT! 😮👌
Sounds pretty darn good for what it is.
Always learn something from you Ted. The Fir wood this time, Thanks.
I looked carefully, didn't spot a CNC machine in José's workshop
I love his benches. they yell "I've been working every week day for the past 100 years". you see a lot of them here in Brazil as well, you cant even tell what kind of wood they are made of. Night and day to a youtuber with a scandinavian bench that does 2 ugly boxes a year and uses sacrifice boards so he does not mark his bench
Thank you. Another excellent trip down guitar lane.
What’s the cost of that guitar? Just curious :) sounds lovely and I’m sure it will bring the owner lots of amazing memories every time he plays it.
Yeah I assume it’s a lot of work! Especially that they are using old school methods. Thanks 🙏
@B WJ I kind of doubt that the Ecuadorian guys selling to tourists on day trips are asking 2-3K.
@B WJ No way a guitar that expensive would have "$11 Chinese tuners" that are barely functioning.
about $100.00 US
I wouldn't be surprised if the cost for the work shown being done here was above the cost for the brand new guitar. Imperialism and the underdevelopment and poverty it causes can be shocking to people who have only lived in the first world.
WOW THOSE GERMAN TUNER MACHINES ARE IMPRESSIVE! I like!!!
Splendid end to my weekend thanks 😊
Now have the owner return the guitar with the improvements.....have the builder incorporate the improvements in his future work with a minor cut back on the decorations.
The ABR1 I just put on my guitar made almost every string right on or just a hair flat so all it takes is regular playing and you press down hard enough that it's in tune down the neck also.
I think EVH used to have his guitars set up this way on purpose.
Very cool, thanks Ted.