I bought a D35 with a BLACK pickguard in the mid 70's. I didn't apply polish, cleaner or anything, in fact I rarely played it. It sat in its hardshell fiberglass case for about 10 yrs when I noticed the PG starting to lift from a low edge. I found out that it was a common problem with the PGs that Martin used for several years, and all of them curled. They were all black in color. Just maybe this guitar from the 70's was among them. Martin did not want to honor their lifetime guarantee, but with a bit of social media pressure, they sent me to my local Martin Service dealership. They fixed it and it didn't cost me, of course, it was under warranty. By the way, the 'fuzzy' material inside the case changed the binding from a pretty ivory to a discernable orangish color. Martin-caused problems~!
If I was the owner of this guitar and went to pick it up after the repair, I would give Jerry a big tip. One of the most impressive “before and after “ videos yet. Amazing repair -great work!
Jerry, my profession is as a technical service chemist in a chemical manufacturing company. Before that, I developed products. I can tell you that no spray of a polish type is manufactured without an oil, silicone or solvent component. They all have that combination. Your assumption that those products affect plastics and acetate type surfaces is correct. Plastics are like a sponge to solvents and react by shrinking or expanding. Sometimes that is just a dulling , other times it is what you have here. So, good advice as usual.
The pickguard problem is a known thing with '60s Martins. In those guitars, the guard was put directly on the wood, using solvent on the back of the guard, then sticking to the naked wood. The finish was applied over the pickguard. The plastic used was prone to shrinkage, and since it was glued directly to the wood, would cause the inner (under the G string) and outer edge cracks. You'll note that if you pull one of those pickguards off, and let it sit for a day or two, it will shrink even more, since the wood isn't holding it in place. Martin switched to pickguards with adhesive on the back, applied over the finish. To "age" a glossy new pickguard, sometimes I'll use a 5000 or more micromesh pad, going in the direction of the owner's pick strokes.
" It's not perfect but it is improved" You have VERY high standards for the quality of your work. Sometimes that can be a problem when you are limited by how much a customer willing to spend on a repair. That Martin is beauty the crack repair was hard to see, customer should be more than happy!
I don't know how I found you but I am glad I did. I love repairing and saving things. I is just in my nature. Enjoyed your outstanding repair job and your attention to details. New Subscriber.
It's craftsmen like you that make the rest of us guitar pickers appreciate the fine job you do. Excellent work, with some interesting tips thrown in. Thank you for posting this.
Thanks much for the video, thumbs up to crush a troll. I'm a big fan of the D-35. I have a D-35 that was made in '72, I bought it new in '73. By 1997, my pick guard had curled up until the pointed end was higher than the strings. I slowly peeled it off one evening and fortunately didn't remove any wood and didn't have any cracks in the top. (I've heard of other people having that problem, too.) I had always wanted a tortoise shell pick guard, but black was the only option when that guitar was made. My then-wife called the factory and ordered me a plastic tortoise shell replacement. They told her that when they built mine that they would stick the pick guard down and then spray the guitar. They said that now they finish the body and THEN stick down the pick guard, so they suggested that I coat the bare wood with multiple coats of lacquer until it was flush with the existing finish and then stick the new pick guard down, so that's what I did. So far it still looks good.
im not a luthier but i love your videos. i feel as if i had to do repairs on my own guitars i feel confident in attempting it. these videos are better than most programs on tv. thanks again.
Excellent work sir! Years ago I was given a very abused classical guitar with a hole punched in the front along with "several" cracks. I had never repaired a guitar - figured I had nothing to lose. Couple of tubes of super glue, some time spent, and a now somewhat ugly beautiful sounding instrument... After watching your wonderful videos I am considering attempting to make it look closer to how it sounds 😊 Thank you sir!
Gosh, if only I could posses 1/100 th of your talents and bring back to life my old J50 the way you repaired those two raised cracks. Such hability combined with patience is a blessing from the Allmighty. Keep healthy !
I've become a big fan. I learned working on instruments from a adopted uncle by the name of Steve Hepner. He also was a mandolin player. He passed on a few years ago but what he showed me as a teen hanging out in his shop will last a lifetime. Its amazing we have all kinds of information, tips and tricks and all kinds of fancy tools these days. By the way I love your thickness sander.
A Martin D-35 is a a great sounding model, and that one is also a beautiful looker!! I really LOVE that finish!!! You made the back look unbelievable! Great job on spiffing that one up!!!
Martin glued the pick guard directly to the wood on the top back in the 70's as they did going back to the prewar days. Then they sprayed lacquer over the top, pick guard and all. The lacquer caused the pick guard to shrink which created the classic Martin pick guard crack. This led to their practice of using self-adhesive pick guards on top of the finish. You did a good job!
Right. I had the same problem with my D-35 from 1973. Fortunately the crack was small and it was beatufully fixed by a friend who's a marvelous luthier and does this all the time! I actually saw a video from Stewmac where this problem was solved on a D-35. I thought it would be smart to check out my guitar as well and guess what...? So I had it fixed and sent an email to StewMac to thank them! :)
I’ve been binge watching your fabulous videos during the Covid lockdown from my home in Scotland, really informative and you are great to watch. Was looking forward to catching you and your band at the Milngavie folk club, hope that happens one day soon. Keep the videos coming.
Great work! I wouldn't sweat the troughs in the finish. The owner knows how bad it was to begin with. Getting those cracks sealed, leveled best you can and finished are a huge improvement and what matters most at the end of the day.
Thanks for showing an interesting repair, it turned out really good in the end. The song and sound of the guitar were good too. To Melissa, the color of your nails made me wish for the spring to come, still much snow in the northern part of Norway.
Hi Jerry!!! Every repair video you do, you always seem to make out in the Jerry Rosa way that you are on to a fail, but you never fail and the repair's always turn out fantastic and always a hell of a lot better than when they came in to your workshop!!! also you sort of pulled down your own song you wrote which i thought was a good'n and if the Legend Marty Robbins was still with us, he would have made that a hit. Yourself and Randy Shartiger have taught me so much about guitar repairs and i am so grateful to you both my American friends!!!! Eddy from Sunny old Liverpool England.
It was a GREAT SONG !! Nice repair -NICE attention to detail !! SO MUCH better to catch all that unknown (to us) stuff before than after (obviously) !! God's got his own's backs !!
Watching your shows has given me the confidence to finally set up the 50-something year old Guild electric hollow body guitar I was given six years ago. Dropped down the adjustable bridge (which had also been placed poorly), fixed the intonation, swapped out the strings and it plays soooooooo much better! Thanks, Jerry!
Dear Jerry, I have tried cutting the ends shorter on the superglue pipettes when wicking in the superglue, and for me, I get a very precise flow, I am a luthier for thirty years now, and I love your show! I learn stuff from you all the time, Thank you Jerry,,, John Ashton
Hey there John, i am just a plain ol home Guitar player....but i have learnt so much watching Mr RSW. Things that i used to have to take to a store to get fixed i can now do myself thanks to him. Like a lot of home players, intonation has plagued me for years. I have not fully wrapped my head around it, but i understand it a lot better after watching Mr RSW for some time now. Anyway, take care my friend...D.
Yeah - I've been doing this, too. The shorter tip allows you to get much better control. Usually, I'll put the tip on a pipette, rather than on the bottle - even more control.
I'm so glad I found your page. Just got my first "nice" guitar - martin 12 fret 000-15. It's getting set up and so I'm just sitting here watching video of people playing one. I restore vintage pens and could watch you do repairs for hours. RUclips led me to a guy working on Willie's Trigger and I said damn pretty near what I do. Then on to you. I appreciate what you're doing
Excellent repair video. My only suggestion, if the customer would allow, would be to video their reaction to seeing the guitar after the transformation. I can only imagine that they would be picking their jaw off the floor just when opening up the case. That's just a suggestion. It really is an excellent video and I have liked and subscribed.
I have heard many explanations of the notorious Martin pick guard crack that range from the plastic shrinking to the plastic not allowing the spruce to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. I also remember hearing once that the curling like this D-35 was caused by chemicals in cigarette smoke !. Nice back repair Jerry !
I have been telling customers that sprays do that to their pickguards for years. And I always get told I'm crazy, well I'm happy to hear I'm not the only one. I've been doing this for 18yrs and your the first to share this same thought.
I stumbled across this channel a week or so back after picking up my guitar again after a couple of decades. I don’t know why I am enjoying these so much! 🤣 It’s rather like taking in a zen garden, very relaxing. Very much enjoying your channel!
You do yourself down Mr RSW...you tried everything to get those two cracks back together. I dont know how long it was left like that but i think the wood expanded somehow, which meant they were never going to reseat....all things considered you did an amazing job...but you always do. I really love the running commentary, mixed with thinking out loud, and just plain ol talking to yourself...very endearing. Absolute peace and respect to ya Mr RSW.
Thanks for the education, I am no Luthier but thanks to you I can now fixed broken necks, scrape fretboard and do general repairs, if I was 30 years younger in lived in the USA I would ask for an apprenticeship lol
This double crack is extremely close to what is going on with my mid to late 60s Regal jumbo. Very nice job well done. I've kinda had to take a break from it due to hurricane Hannah, but the Lord was very kind and we only had a little branch problems and debris on the yard. We didn't even loose power except for just about 2 minutes. My prayers go to those who are flooded out.
I know the Martin D-35 customer must have loved what he saw, when he picked up his guitar!! He had to be very appreciative of all the restoration done to his guitar; not to mention that it stayed in tune!!
Love Ya Jerry you're a great guy and you know your Business!... You've turned me from "The guitar tech", into someone who can actually reset a neck on an acoustic guitar. Until I started watching you a couple years back I couldn't do that.
Wow! What a great job you did on this guitar! It sure looked a lot better than I thought it would. I sure wish there was a luthier with your skill in my neck of the woods.
I think you made a fab job of that crack repair! The guitar looked gorgeous when you had finished it all. If I were the customer I would be dead chuffed with it! Great job Jerry!
Great job on a very nasty couple of wood cracks. The finished job was as good as it could ever have been in my opinion. I’m not surprised that spray furniture polish causes glued on scratch plates to lift as in the past I’ve found that it is quite good for removing the sticky residue left by price labels . Keep the excellent videos coming and stay well in these troubling times.
I set my strings by allowing for three winds. After threading the string through the post I crimp it against the host and in the direction it will be wound and the other end the same in the opposite direction thus locking the string at both ends of the post. Then finally I wind the string over itself once and under the remaining turns thus locking it once more. If I have too much wound around in the end, I adjust. It's that important to someone who bends strings. I saw your repair on that fancy green Les Paul model with the broken head. Don't know how you set about getting the measurements but that was incredible.
I would drive from my home in Michigan to your shop in MO if I needed work on my beloved Martin and Guild guitars. I would wait a week for you to do the work before driving home with it. Yep, I would. Thanks for the informative videos - you clearly enjoy doing things right. TT
As usual, thank you for showing your struggles and thinking process during these videos. A lot of RUclips luthiers don't do that, and it makes them appear perfect, which they are not. Also, thanks to Melissa for lending her hands to the video. Unusual, but much appreciated. Amazing job on that player Martin! The back repair was remarkable, and the guitar was beautiful.
Your analogy to applying drywall mud is a good one. I’ve done plenty of drywall seams, and it sure takes patience and knowing when to stop when it’s good. I really enjoyed this video of another masterful repair. I love your original ‘love-gone-wrong’ song. Thanks for showing us.
Great job as usual. Repaired a back crack on a J-50 several years ago compounded with broken cross braces. Now after watching your video, I've realised that I should have used my wife's assistance and ca glue. The sample song tops it off.
Great repair of a tough break, and you song touched me. Take care and thank much for your sharing of your journey and your skills as a luthier. It is greatly appreciated.
This was an excellent but heartbreaking video for me, lol. I truly love the Martin D35's. I have owned two of them over the years. I bought my first D35 in 1976. Someone robbed my home in the mid-'80s and took. I currently own a 2001 D35. I would never sell it. (I went into detail when I bought my first D35 for a reason.) I think the wood in this guitar has defected from the factory. An old man once told me to never buy a sunburst color guitar. Cause usually the factory will paint the sunburst color to hide mistakes in the wood. When the wood defects. But all in all. Jerry, You did an awesome job considering what you had to work with. I think I would have removed the brace inside. Then refitting the cracks. But it still worked out good. It sounds and looks great. I truly like what you did with it. Thanks for posting this video. Many thumbs up to your video. I hope you have a blessed week.
I too own a Martin D35. Mine is from 1980 and what I love almost as much as playing it is taking the guitar out of the case and smelling the wood. One variation I noticed is more recent ones have two strips of rosewood on the back with one mahogany. Mine has two mahoganies and a rosewood in the middle. This one here looks similar. I'm wondering if your '76 had the same back? When and why did Martin make the change? Am I making stuff up???
I enjoy your videos. I’m a picker for fun on my D-28 but appreciate the construction and I fine tweaking of function and sound a quality instrument more and more as a result of watching the final results when you diagnose and apply your skills. Thanks and stay safe.
Your idea for the dowel being a spreader is good one. I use a turnbuckle with different length ends and cauls that way I can adjust it to fit inside and then expand it once inside. When my new workshop is finished, I'll find the box that I packed it in and send you a pic. Great job by the way..
Good job. I've fixed a lot of cracked guitars, but I haven't seen one any tougher than that one. I can relate to your comment about knowing when to stop. I've messed up some decent repairs by simply trying to make them look a little better. Keep up the good work.
Yeah...nah...yeah...that's a great job Jerry. I think you probably couldn't have done any better. I'm sure the customer will be pleased. Its very cool you take care of the case as much as the instrument. Thanks for taking the time to put out the video. I let the ads play too. Cheers 😊
Jerry, I had a professor in art school who told me I had over worked a pretty nice drawing. He told me of an old expression "there's a time to shoot the artist"😊
I'm too late to help you, and I'm not a luthier. But, I've faced similar challenges working on furniture repairs. What worked was using a sheet of folded sandpaper to remove the offending material. Pressing down on the lower piece will give you the clearance you need. Simply insert it in the crack and slide it back and forth. Still not a quick process, but it does lessen the stress of a knife slip while leaving surfaces that mate fairly well. (I'm also a great Monday morning quarterback)
I've done things like that many times. But I guarantee you that you wouldn't have gotten it through this crack. At least not without opening the crack up more and making it worse
Hi Jerry; Still surviving in southern Wisconsin. Great job on a difficult repair. It really looks nice and seems to play very well too. Another two thumbs up. Be well my friend.
More awesome tips! I thought the back cracks were going to be a total loss and they look great. Loved the song. My Daughter heard the song and she says you sing like Roger Miller.
Brilliant, as usual from you. Who'd dare mess with a Martin D 35 ? Only the brave! Thanks, and don't worry about the song...I'm sure it will come around one day!
After watching the full video, I must say that was a good repair. The approach to the cracks seemed to work out well and the finish is a dang sight better than what it was on the back. For a guitar with a "matte" finish, that bugger came out awesome. I almost bought one of the newer Martins, with their funky matte finishes. I'm glad I didn't. Now mind you, Martins are good guitars, but my money was better spent elsewhere. Thanks for the video and thanks to Melissa for the helping hands.
Those old D35s had many of the same problems and I don't think Martin responded very well to customer complaints. Most of us D35 owners just sent our guitars off and had them repaired quietly and just kept moving. I wish I had known about you years ago, Jerry, because some of the repairs were not done properly. You would moan if you saw my old axe! Thanks for another terrific video, brother!
My humble opinion is that guitar was subjected to a high degree of heat that expanded the wood and curled up the plastic pick guard on the opposite side. Unless you were told by the owner that it suffered a blow. You have ressurectered that instrument so beautyfully.
Jerry, having experience with 70’s martins, the reason all the old celluloid pickguards shrink like that is because when the guitar was new, they were glued to the bare wood and then sprayed over with lacquer. And over the years, the guard shrinks, pulls the wood with it, causing cracks, and curls like a potato chip. They all did that in the 70’s. Anytime I get one, first thing I do is take the old guard off so the top can breathe
Martin used truss rods. The problem is that they're not adjustable. It's a "T" section and there's no threads on it. At the time, they claimed that it didn't need to be adjustable if you built it right. Like the prayer says, "Let my words of today be tender and sweet, for I may have to eat them tomorrow." Like Mortensen 1961 says, by 1985 their truss rods were as adjustable as anyone's.
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I bought a D35 with a BLACK pickguard in the mid 70's. I didn't apply polish, cleaner or anything, in fact I rarely played it. It sat in its hardshell fiberglass case for about 10 yrs when I noticed the PG starting to lift from a low edge. I found out that it was a common problem with the PGs that Martin used for several years, and all of them curled. They were all black in color. Just maybe this guitar from the 70's was among them. Martin did not want to honor their lifetime guarantee, but with a bit of social media pressure, they sent me to my local Martin Service dealership. They fixed it and it didn't cost me, of course, it was under warranty. By the way, the 'fuzzy' material inside the case changed the binding from a pretty ivory to a discernable orangish color. Martin-caused problems~!
If I was the owner of this guitar and went to pick it up after the repair, I would give Jerry a big tip. One of the most impressive “before and after “ videos yet. Amazing repair -great work!
This man is a magician! The guitar appeared to be a hopeless case, a real lost cause. Great work!
Why do
i find these so relaxing, it’s like meditation.
Aint that the truth. I can turn on his videos late at night, and just listen to the audio. I drift right off to sleep.
Ditto
You don't even realized one hour have gone by watching his video, that Martin is a beauty !
Jerry, my profession is as a technical service chemist in a chemical manufacturing company. Before that, I developed products. I can tell you that no spray of a polish type is manufactured without an oil, silicone or solvent component. They all have that combination. Your assumption that those products affect plastics and acetate type surfaces is correct. Plastics are like a sponge to solvents and react by shrinking or expanding. Sometimes that is just a dulling , other times it is what you have here. So, good advice as usual.
What about ax wax? Supposedly it doesn't have anything like that in it.
The pickguard problem is a known thing with '60s Martins. In those guitars, the guard was put directly on the wood, using solvent on the back of the guard, then sticking to the naked wood. The finish was applied over the pickguard. The plastic used was prone to shrinkage, and since it was glued directly to the wood, would cause the inner (under the G string) and outer edge cracks. You'll note that if you pull one of those pickguards off, and let it sit for a day or two, it will shrink even more, since the wood isn't holding it in place. Martin switched to pickguards with adhesive on the back, applied over the finish. To "age" a glossy new pickguard, sometimes I'll use a 5000 or more micromesh pad, going in the direction of the owner's pick strokes.
BTW - love these videos & have picked up a few new tricks. Thanks!
Very important information to know, sincere thanks
Don here from Hamilton NZ on my Wife's tablet (Susan) I also do minor repairs on acoustic guitar's thanks for that information 😮😊
" It's not perfect but it is improved" You have VERY high standards for the quality of your work. Sometimes that can be a problem when you are limited by how much a customer willing to spend on a repair. That Martin is beauty the crack repair was hard to see, customer should be more than happy!
I don't know how I found you but I am glad I did. I love repairing and saving things. I is just in my nature. Enjoyed your outstanding repair job and your attention to details. New Subscriber.
I find your videos very informative & enjoy your accent & singing excellent although I need hearing aids.
It's craftsmen like you that make the rest of us guitar pickers appreciate the fine job you do. Excellent work, with some interesting tips thrown in. Thank you for posting this.
Thanks much for the video, thumbs up to crush a troll. I'm a big fan of the D-35.
I have a D-35 that was made in '72, I bought it new in '73. By 1997, my pick guard had curled up until the pointed end was higher than the strings. I slowly peeled it off one evening and fortunately didn't remove any wood and didn't have any cracks in the top. (I've heard of other people having that problem, too.) I had always wanted a tortoise shell pick guard, but black was the only option when that guitar was made.
My then-wife called the factory and ordered me a plastic tortoise shell replacement. They told her that when they built mine that they would stick the pick guard down and then spray the guitar. They said that now they finish the body and THEN stick down the pick guard, so they suggested that I coat the bare wood with multiple coats of lacquer until it was flush with the existing finish and then stick the new pick guard down, so that's what I did. So far it still looks good.
I really appreciate these videos, you’re country, and honest, I enjoy the humor,and those three go great together. Good day
im not a luthier but i love your videos. i feel as if i had to do repairs on my own guitars i feel confident in attempting it. these videos are better than most programs on tv. thanks again.
Excellent work sir! Years ago I was given a very abused classical guitar with a hole punched in the front along with "several" cracks. I had never repaired a guitar - figured I had nothing to lose. Couple of tubes of super glue, some time spent, and a now somewhat ugly beautiful sounding instrument... After watching your wonderful videos I am considering attempting to make it look closer to how it sounds 😊
Thank you sir!
Gosh, if only I could posses 1/100 th of your talents and bring back to life my old J50 the way you repaired those two raised cracks. Such hability combined with patience is a blessing from the Allmighty. Keep healthy !
This is the most riveting drama I have ever seen ! The tension , the suspense. Never give up.
Good job. An hour well spent watching a craftsman. You really go the extra mile. 👍😊🎶
I've become a big fan. I learned working on instruments from a adopted uncle by the name of Steve Hepner. He also was a mandolin player. He passed on a few years ago but what he showed me as a teen hanging out in his shop will last a lifetime. Its amazing we have all kinds of information, tips and tricks and all kinds of fancy tools these days. By the way I love your thickness sander.
Jerry, your voice was in fine form in this video, another great tutorial. Thanks
A Martin D-35 is a a great sounding model, and that one is also a beautiful looker!! I really LOVE that finish!!! You made the back look unbelievable! Great job on spiffing that one up!!!
Martin glued the pick guard directly to the wood on the top back in the 70's as they did going back to the prewar days. Then they sprayed lacquer over the top, pick guard and all. The lacquer caused the pick guard to shrink which created the classic Martin pick guard crack. This led to their practice of using self-adhesive pick guards on top of the finish. You did a good job!
Right. I had the same problem with my D-35 from 1973. Fortunately the crack was small and it was beatufully fixed by a friend who's a marvelous luthier and does this all the time!
I actually saw a video from Stewmac where this problem was solved on a D-35. I thought it would be smart to check out my guitar as well and guess what...?
So I had it fixed and sent an email to StewMac to thank them! :)
I had the same problem with my 1972 D-28. My good friend and ace luthier Larry Brown removed the curled pickguard and made a new one. Perfect.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it speaks volumes of your character.
Had this been my guitar, I would have been very pleased with the results. Looks like a new guitar!
Beautiful song,wonderful repair,gorgeous instrument. You are the MAN !
I’ve been binge watching your fabulous videos during the Covid lockdown from my home in Scotland, really informative and you are great to watch. Was looking forward to catching you and your band at the Milngavie folk club, hope that happens one day soon. Keep the videos coming.
Great work! I wouldn't sweat the troughs in the finish. The owner knows how bad it was to begin with. Getting those cracks sealed, leveled best you can and finished are a huge improvement and what matters most at the end of the day.
Thanks for showing an interesting repair, it turned out really good in the end. The song and sound of the guitar were good too. To Melissa, the color of your nails made me wish for the spring to come, still much snow in the northern part of Norway.
Hi Jerry!!! Every repair video you do, you always seem to make out in the Jerry Rosa way that you are on to a fail, but you never fail and the repair's always turn out fantastic and always a hell of a lot better than when they came in to your workshop!!! also you sort of pulled down your own song you wrote which i thought was a good'n and if the Legend Marty Robbins was still with us, he would have made that a hit. Yourself and Randy Shartiger have taught me so much about guitar repairs and i am so grateful to you both my American friends!!!! Eddy from Sunny old Liverpool England.
It was a GREAT SONG !! Nice repair -NICE attention to detail !! SO MUCH better to catch all that unknown (to us) stuff before than after (obviously) !! God's got his own's backs !!
You're definitely the Martin luthier king! ;-)
Thank you. I see what you did there. LOL
@@RosaStringWorks ^.^
No this man is the Maestro , I think you should say Master another great performance
Lmao
Watching your shows has given me the confidence to finally set up the 50-something year old Guild electric hollow body guitar I was given six years ago. Dropped down the adjustable bridge (which had also been placed poorly), fixed the intonation, swapped out the strings and it plays soooooooo much better! Thanks, Jerry!
Nice to hear. Congratulations.
Dear Jerry, I have tried cutting the ends shorter on the superglue pipettes when wicking in the superglue, and for me, I get a very precise flow, I am a luthier for thirty years now, and I love your show! I learn stuff from you all the time, Thank you Jerry,,, John Ashton
Hey there John, i am just a plain ol home Guitar player....but i have learnt so much watching Mr RSW. Things that i used to have to take to a store to get fixed i can now do myself thanks to him. Like a lot of home players, intonation has plagued me for years. I have not fully wrapped my head around it, but i understand it a lot better after watching Mr RSW for some time now. Anyway, take care my friend...D.
Yeah - I've been doing this, too. The shorter tip allows you to get much better control. Usually, I'll put the tip on a pipette, rather than on the bottle - even more control.
I'm so glad I found your page. Just got my first "nice" guitar - martin 12 fret 000-15. It's getting set up and so I'm just sitting here watching video of people playing one. I restore vintage pens and could watch you do repairs for hours. RUclips led me to a guy working on Willie's Trigger and I said damn pretty near what I do. Then on to you. I appreciate what you're doing
Man, i was cracking up in how much this guitar gave you a hard time
Thanks for posting and being sincere about it
You did a great job of repairing and hiding those cracks..Good video ..lots of learning information in it.Thanks for sharing...Stay safe my friend.
Excellent repair video. My only suggestion, if the customer would allow, would be to video their reaction to seeing the guitar after the transformation. I can only imagine that they would be picking their jaw off the floor just when opening up the case. That's just a suggestion. It really is an excellent video and I have liked and subscribed.
I have heard many explanations of the notorious Martin pick guard crack that range from the plastic shrinking to the plastic not allowing the spruce to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. I also remember hearing once that the curling like this D-35 was caused by chemicals in cigarette smoke !. Nice back repair Jerry !
I have been telling customers that sprays do that to their pickguards for years. And I always get told I'm crazy, well I'm happy to hear I'm not the only one. I've been doing this for 18yrs and your the first to share this same thought.
I stumbled across this channel a week or so back after picking up my guitar again after a couple of decades. I don’t know why I am enjoying these so much! 🤣 It’s rather like taking in a zen garden, very relaxing. Very much enjoying your channel!
I might be a bit sadistic....but I love watching the difficult repairs...especially when they come out this well...nice one👍
You do yourself down Mr RSW...you tried everything to get those two cracks back together. I dont know how long it was left like that but i think the wood expanded somehow, which meant they were never going to reseat....all things considered you did an amazing job...but you always do. I really love the running commentary, mixed with thinking out loud, and just plain ol talking to yourself...very endearing. Absolute peace and respect to ya Mr RSW.
Very likely correct. Once it's exposed like that, the water in the atmosphere will start to wick into the grain and swell it.
That repair turned out much nicer than I thought it would! Very nice job.
I love what you do and the time you take to do things right. You don't see enough of that these days. And I love the song, you tell it like it is.
Just had today’s fix of RSW repairs Jerry, feel so much better for it!
From a grey day in old London Town ❤️🏴❤️
Loved watching the repair- patience is the key here!
i was taught by a master luthier,,, your level and crown and especially final polish boggles my mind.
Love gone wrong songs are the best. Well, next to a murder ballad. Who doesn't love a good murder ballad? No one, that's who. Great video Jerry.
Agreed! I'd like to hear Jerry do "Knoxville Girl", as made famous by the Louvin Brothers.
Thanks for the education, I am no Luthier but thanks to you I can now fixed broken necks, scrape fretboard and do general repairs, if I was 30 years younger in lived in the USA I would ask for an apprenticeship lol
This double crack is extremely close to what is going on with my mid to late 60s Regal jumbo. Very nice job well done. I've kinda had to take a break from it due to hurricane Hannah, but the Lord was very kind and we only had a little branch problems and debris on the yard. We didn't even loose power except for just about 2 minutes. My prayers go to those who are flooded out.
I know the Martin D-35 customer must have loved what he saw, when he picked up his guitar!! He had to be very appreciative of all the restoration done to his guitar; not to mention that it stayed in tune!!
Love Ya Jerry you're a great guy and you know your Business!... You've turned me from "The guitar tech", into someone who can actually reset a neck on an acoustic guitar. Until I started watching you a couple years back I couldn't do that.
Wow! What a great job you did on this guitar! It sure looked a lot better than I thought it would. I sure wish there was a luthier with your skill in my neck of the woods.
I think you made a fab job of that crack repair! The guitar looked gorgeous when you had finished it all. If I were the customer I would be dead chuffed with it! Great job Jerry!
This could be my new fav guitar you have had in Jerry. So beautiful and such a lovely sound, wow.
Great job on a very nasty couple of wood cracks. The finished job was as good as it could ever have been in my opinion. I’m not surprised that spray furniture polish causes glued on scratch plates to lift as in the past I’ve found that it is quite good for removing the sticky residue left by price labels . Keep the excellent videos coming and stay well in these troubling times.
I set my strings by allowing for three winds. After threading the string through the post I crimp it against the host and in the direction it will be wound and the other end the same in the opposite direction thus locking the string at both ends of the post. Then finally I wind the string over itself once and under the remaining turns thus locking it once more.
If I have too much wound around in the end, I adjust. It's that important to someone who bends strings.
I saw your repair on that fancy green Les Paul model with the broken head. Don't know how you set about getting the measurements but that was incredible.
They are really fortunate you were able to restore that finish as you did after what they had done to it
I’m addicted to your repair videos. Great song too!
I would drive from my home in Michigan to your shop in MO if I needed work on my beloved Martin and Guild guitars. I would wait a week for you to do the work before driving home with it. Yep, I would. Thanks for the informative videos - you clearly enjoy doing things right. TT
Thx Jerry! I have a D-35 w/o cracks! TYG! I think your repair was great. I love the Renaissance wax!
As usual, thank you for showing your struggles and thinking process during these videos.
A lot of RUclips luthiers don't do that, and it makes them appear perfect, which they are not.
Also, thanks to Melissa for lending her hands to the video. Unusual, but much appreciated.
Amazing job on that player Martin! The back repair was remarkable, and the guitar was beautiful.
Your analogy to applying drywall mud is a good one. I’ve done plenty of drywall seams, and it sure takes patience and knowing when to stop when it’s good. I really enjoyed this video of another masterful repair. I love your original ‘love-gone-wrong’ song. Thanks for showing us.
Great job as usual. Repaired a back crack on a J-50 several years ago compounded with broken cross braces. Now after watching your video, I've realised that I should have used my wife's assistance and ca glue. The sample song tops it off.
glad to see that you are doing the SWING A THING even in those hard time and THANK YOU for that
How to ressucitate a broken and lonely Martin guitar ! Well done Jerry
you are much to humble I have worked with all types of wood for years and would be happy with the result you got. Don't be so tough on yourself.
Jerry, I always enjoy your approach to figuring out what needs to be done to make it right. Another great, and I think frustrating, job.
All considering the repair job is great! And my God the sound of an older Martin is so beautiful.
Great repair of a tough break, and you song touched me. Take care and thank much for your sharing of your journey and your skills as a luthier. It is greatly appreciated.
This was an excellent but heartbreaking video for me, lol. I truly love the Martin D35's. I have owned two of them over the years. I bought my first D35 in 1976. Someone robbed my home in the mid-'80s and took. I currently own a 2001 D35. I would never sell it. (I went into detail when I bought my first D35 for a reason.) I think the wood in this guitar has defected from the factory. An old man once told me to never buy a sunburst color guitar. Cause usually the factory will paint the sunburst color to hide mistakes in the wood. When the wood defects. But all in all. Jerry, You did an awesome job considering what you had to work with. I think I would have removed the brace inside. Then refitting the cracks. But it still worked out good. It sounds and looks great. I truly like what you did with it. Thanks for posting this video. Many thumbs up to your video. I hope you have a blessed week.
I too own a Martin D35. Mine is from 1980 and what I love almost as much as playing it is taking the guitar out of the case and smelling the wood. One variation I noticed is more recent ones have two strips of rosewood on the back with one mahogany. Mine has two mahoganies and a rosewood in the middle. This one here looks similar. I'm wondering if your '76 had the same back? When and why did Martin make the change? Am I making stuff up???
just found this show a few weeks ago and absolutely love it, you do good work sir and the song at the end is like a bonus
Well, U Solved ANOTHER Dilemma~And as Usual~ACED It!
Amazing Work once again, "Doc"!
I enjoy your videos. I’m a picker for fun on my D-28 but appreciate the construction and I fine tweaking of function and sound a quality instrument more and more as a result of watching the final results when you diagnose and apply your skills. Thanks and stay safe.
Perfection is an almost impossible goal but I can't see anyone getting closer to it than you Jerry every time. Thank you as always for showing us
Very good repair on these cracks.Martin D-35 sounds amazing. The repair on the case gave me sone ideas to fix one of my cases.
Your idea for the dowel being a spreader is good one. I use a turnbuckle with different length ends and cauls that way I can adjust it to fit inside and then expand it once inside. When my new workshop is finished, I'll find the box that I packed it in and send you a pic. Great job by the way..
I am a fan Jerry, great insights to your repairs and humor. Thanks and great original about Love Gone Bad tune as well. Cheers!
Nicely done Jerry. Thanks for sharing.
fantastic job you have hell of a lot of patience real craftmanship really enjoyed watching
Good job. I've fixed a lot of cracked guitars, but I haven't seen one any tougher than that one. I can relate to your comment about knowing when to stop. I've messed up some decent repairs by simply trying to make them look a little better. Keep up the good work.
"Maybe not the best song" That was a beautiful song! This was the first video I watched here and I'm already enjoying it! Keep going!
Thank you for the video during this time.
Yeah...nah...yeah...that's a great job Jerry. I think you probably couldn't have done any better. I'm sure the customer will be pleased. Its very cool you take care of the case as much as the instrument. Thanks for taking the time to put out the video. I let the ads play too. Cheers 😊
That was a tough repair, but it turned out great. I love Renaissance wax. I use it on all my guitars.
Jerry, I had a professor in art school who told me I had over worked a pretty nice drawing. He told me of an old expression "there's a time to shoot the artist"😊
You got the wounded Martin looking great! Nice job!
I'm too late to help you, and I'm not a luthier. But, I've faced similar challenges working on furniture repairs. What worked was using a sheet of folded sandpaper to remove the offending material. Pressing down on the lower piece will give you the clearance you need. Simply insert it in the crack and slide it back and forth. Still not a quick process, but it does lessen the stress of a knife slip while leaving surfaces that mate fairly well. (I'm also a great Monday morning quarterback)
I've done things like that many times. But I guarantee you that you wouldn't have gotten it through this crack. At least not without opening the crack up more and making it worse
Hi Jerry;
Still surviving in southern Wisconsin. Great job on a difficult repair. It really looks nice and seems to play very well too. Another two thumbs up. Be well my friend.
More awesome tips! I thought the back cracks were going to be a total loss and they look great. Loved the song. My Daughter heard the song and she says you sing like Roger Miller.
Jerry: it looks great. Besides it's how it sounds that is the most important.
When you see the female influence used, you know its not an easy repair, but the result is amazing. well done (both of you!)
@Bunty McCunty I saw the diamond engagement ring. That gave it away !
Brilliant, as usual from you. Who'd dare mess with a Martin D 35 ? Only the brave! Thanks, and don't worry about the song...I'm sure it will come around one day!
After watching the full video, I must say that was a good repair. The approach to the cracks seemed to work out well and the finish is a dang sight better than what it was on the back. For a guitar with a "matte" finish, that bugger came out awesome. I almost bought one of the newer Martins, with their funky matte finishes. I'm glad I didn't. Now mind you, Martins are good guitars, but my money was better spent elsewhere. Thanks for the video and thanks to Melissa for the helping hands.
Loved this video, especially. Tried working on an old Fender 12 string. Didn't fix it but didn't make it any worse......Top warped behind bridge.
Those old D35s had many of the same problems and I don't think Martin responded very well to customer complaints. Most of us D35 owners just sent our guitars off and had them repaired quietly and just kept moving. I wish I had known about you years ago, Jerry, because some of the repairs were not done properly. You would moan if you saw my old axe! Thanks for another terrific video, brother!
God what a wonderful job you did gone are the cracks and all the other little problems have turned out perfect too
My humble opinion is that guitar was subjected to a high degree of heat that expanded the wood and curled up the plastic pick guard on the opposite side. Unless you were told by the owner that it suffered a blow. You have ressurectered that instrument so beautyfully.
3M spray contact cement has always been super expensive. I feel your pain. Nice job Jerry.
Jerry, having experience with 70’s martins, the reason all the old celluloid pickguards shrink like that is because when the guitar was new, they were glued to the bare wood and then sprayed over with lacquer. And over the years, the guard shrinks, pulls the wood with it, causing cracks, and curls like a potato chip. They all did that in the 70’s. Anytime I get one, first thing I do is take the old guard off so the top can breathe
Nice repair job, great song! This time you rock...fixing that nasty crack!
No truss rod ..amazing. Thank you
Yeah. Martin didn't start using truss rods until 1985. . .
Martin used truss rods. The problem is that they're not adjustable. It's a "T" section and there's no threads on it. At the time, they claimed that it didn't need to be adjustable if you built it right. Like the prayer says, "Let my words of today be tender and sweet, for I may have to eat them tomorrow." Like Mortensen 1961 says, by 1985 their truss rods were as adjustable as anyone's.