Love these old guitars with wood that could have been 300-500 years old before it was cut down and dried out. Playing something that potentially started it’s life in 1500!
@@kostringworks what gauge , or brand strings do you install on yours? Is it a rule of thumb, light 11s gauge for folk or parlour size, where dreadnaught and jumbo get 13s?
@@user-dj1gl5ix3m Good question! Short answer, yeah totally, I think that could get you by as a decent starting point. But it really depends! The stiffness of the neck/top, how heavily they're braced, stuff like that. My rule of thumb - but this purely relates to the style of guitar I play - is as heavy as makes sense for the specific guitar. I think guitars sound best with heavier strings, because of the extra downward pressure on the top. But I take a bunch of stuff into account before slapping a pair of heavy strings on something. Let me know if that answers your questions!
@@kostringworks Thank you for your reply and sharing your knowledge. I don't know that much about guitar construction or materials, I'm just a novice player. I'll continue with that basic rule of thumb.
Hey fantastic video. Love your attitude about fixing, not throwing out. If high quality handmade guitars were just $17 (or $250 in modern money) back then, makes you wonder why you need to pay thousands for something of similar caliber today
Means a lot! Share it with a pal! That’s probably the #1 sign to RUclips that this is a quality vid, so they say. Either way, thanks for watching and saying hey!
Awesome find, thanks for trying to preserve a piece of history. Every time I restore a piece of 1800's cast iron cookware I wonder who all may have had a meal prepared from it. Great video keep up the content.
Kyle. I too found one in a pawn shop. No markings, but intense perf, thin rosewood, same inlays. 24 1/4 scale. Reset neck, new frets, new bridge, some brace work and a k&k mini, its my stage rig.
@@kostringworks I never did find out. It started life with a tailpiece and got a ebony bridge with a silver fret saddle at some point. I had your mentor take a look at it it was definitely Chicago made rosewood guitar. He thought just before the turn of the century. No logo’s or labels were left. just a faded signature on one of the braces.
Ha, right?! I did in fact tell her it would be valuable once repaired, but once I told her the cost of repairs she was stoked on the 15 bucks. Thanks for watching!!
Great news about the subscribers Kyle. I admire the re-use philosophy, but Mike is correct: it will break again, and I’m sure you know that also. Sounds great Btw. Nice job 👌🏼
Just this winter I fished out a 50 year old Harmony from a thrift store for $10, the pinless bridge just needed to be put back on. But since I'm a lefty, redrilling the treble side wasn't an option, so I took it to my favorite vintage shop, flipped it for $30 then used THAT toward a lefty guitar that was already discounted. They fixed it up and put a $269 tag on it, as I discovered a few months later. They're hoping to get 200 for it.
Crazy dude! Those harmonies used to be every where for NOTHING, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen one turn up at a thrift/estate sales. Great little guitars for the dough. Good luck on your lefty journey! I’m a lefty too, but learned righty 😂.
Great story, love the vibe of your Channel. You did a wonderful job with the guitar. Yes you were lucky to find the guitar and the guitar was lucky you found it. I subscribed, smashed the like button and definitely will share. Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks dude! Thanks for smashing, and I really appreciate you saying hey! I've got lots of cool guitars in the cooker for future vids so I hope you keep coming around!
My mate found a Sovereign Tree of life parlour in a barn that was getting emptied out.. luckily what was left of the original case saved it from the pigeons and the leaking roof..he paid $20 and we fixed it. It's also a beautiful sounding guitar..Had similar problems with the bridge. I really like your solution a bit of extra meat to play with as well. Anyways thanks for the video I really enjoyed it.
Heckuva deal you made, Kyle. That guitar found you buddy. One of my friends was just gifted an old Stella. His neighbor passed away and the neighbor’s kids knew my friend was a guitar player/tinkerer. He repaired the guitar (bridge reglue, strings, tuners, cleanup) and then regifted it to another friend of ours. That particular guy had a Stella back in the day that his 4 year old (now 40 something) daughter jumped on and broke. The guitar circle of life continues
Glad I found you channel, Kyle. Amateur ‘git fixer’ myself. Honestly I found you due to your Charlie Parr videos. CP is a national treasure. I’m a little jealous that you get to find out what makes him tick. Please keep inviting him over once in a while for our sakes.
Do you check the pawn shops? I used to go with an elderly friend who would buy horns , pay me to fix them and then he would sell them for what it cost him to kids that couldn't afford newer instruments. Not a lot of people like him around anymore. He's been gone several years. and I sold most of my tools then to a student from Red Wing Vo Tech who took them to Las Vegas to set up a shop.
Old parlor guitar.I think the closest I got to it is.I think it's a lyon and healy(Washburn)distributed my regal..I found 1 victoria from the 60's..this os much older.Have not found anything on it..
Did Lyon & Healy actually make instruments? I was told by a shopkeeper that L&H imported unfinished instruments (he was talking specifically about violins), then finished them and put their sticker on them.
I found a Victoria 155 parlor guitar at goodwill for 10 bucks...original case ..case is trashed but guitar is in great condition..I cant find any info online about it at all..Think i foynd a gem..but just dont know
I found an old European guitar from the 50s maybe on eBay in the Uk for $20. Thought I’d try some repair work 😳. Sadly when it arrived it looked like it was kept in a shed on its back and the top had sunk in the bridge area by about 3/4”. Was probably just plywood (but I was curious to hear how it sounded) but replacing the top is above my skill set. Am sure you’d have sorted it 🤔
Dang, yeah warped plytops are kinda toast, probably not worth the investment to retop it, but if you’re looking for a fun project I think you should just go for it!
You said it was intended for gut strings. Did it have strings when you got it? Were they gut strings? Did you consider putting gut strings on it? Is there a reason why you wouldn't? I know they are expensive, but I went looking for some about 20 years ago and was surprised to find they were available. I didn't want them bad enough to spend the money, but I've always wondered what they would sound like. A friend once told me Blind Blake might have played gut strings and I wonder what other early recordings also might be on gut strings.
It did not have gut when I got it, but I’m not sure it even had strings 😂. Very rare to find intact vintage gut strings though. I have a guitar string with gut every now and again, very amazing sound. There’s actually a place in town that makes them so we’re lucky that way. The reason not to go gut is they take a little more looking after than steel and when they pop it’s harder to come by. And yeah, they cost a lotta dough. You’ll also probably need a set up if you ever get gut because the tension is also so different!
The inflation index you used is a lie like most everything from the System. 17 dollars was 17 ounces of silver= 17x silver at $25 per ounce is $425 although silver is very depressed Latey. Compare an ounce of gold @ 20 dollars back then X .83% = 1660 $. Not a cheap instrument at all. Mike
Love these old guitars with wood that could have been 300-500 years old before it was cut down and dried out. Playing something that potentially started it’s life in 1500!
I absolutely love that perspective!!
@@kostringworks what gauge , or brand strings do you install on yours? Is it a rule of thumb, light 11s gauge for folk or parlour size, where dreadnaught and jumbo get 13s?
@@user-dj1gl5ix3m Good question! Short answer, yeah totally, I think that could get you by as a decent starting point. But it really depends! The stiffness of the neck/top, how heavily they're braced, stuff like that.
My rule of thumb - but this purely relates to the style of guitar I play - is as heavy as makes sense for the specific guitar. I think guitars sound best with heavier strings, because of the extra downward pressure on the top. But I take a bunch of stuff into account before slapping a pair of heavy strings on something.
Let me know if that answers your questions!
@@kostringworks Thank you for your reply and sharing your knowledge.
I don't know that much about guitar construction or materials, I'm just a novice player.
I'll continue with that basic rule of thumb.
Hey fantastic video. Love your attitude about fixing, not throwing out. If high quality handmade guitars were just $17 (or $250 in modern money) back then, makes you wonder why you need to pay thousands for something of similar caliber today
Hey Issam! Thanks so much! Yeah dude that is a super interesting talking point that I’ve actually got brewing up for another vid!
Oh damn man. Now I'm going to be driving all over to find Savers stores. sigh. Nice deal. You got very lucky. I should be so lucky. lol.
Ha! Yeah man, ya just never know!
Shocked at how few views this has. Production quality is great, keep up the good work!
Means a lot! Share it with a pal! That’s probably the #1 sign to RUclips that this is a quality vid, so they say. Either way, thanks for watching and saying hey!
Awesome find, thanks for trying to preserve a piece of history. Every time I restore a piece of 1800's cast iron cookware I wonder who all may have had a meal prepared from it. Great video keep up the content.
Thanks Mark! Yeah man, the stories these old relics could tell.
Great find!
Super stoked! Gave it to coop!
Kyle. I too found one in a pawn shop. No markings, but intense perf, thin rosewood, same inlays. 24 1/4 scale.
Reset neck, new frets, new bridge, some brace work and a k&k mini, its my stage rig.
Dude that’s awesome!!! Rare to find folks actually gigging with these things, but why not?! Love it, enjoy it!
That’s a great find!!! Wish I still had mine
I know right?! Did you have a lakeside or some other branded Lyon & Healy?
@@kostringworks I never did find out. It started life with a tailpiece and got a ebony bridge with a silver fret saddle at some point. I had your mentor take a look at it it was definitely Chicago made rosewood guitar. He thought just before the turn of the century. No logo’s or labels were left. just a faded signature on one of the braces.
@@drewwilliams4642 gotcha! At some point “Chicago Guitar” is all you gotta say haha.
Great story 👍 Well on your way to 2000 now 💪💪💪
😁 thanks Bruce!
This is awesome man, this video was randomly suggested for me and it looked super interesting and it was. You earned a new sub keep it up!
That’s awesome, so glad ya dug it!! I’ll keep ‘em coming!!!
Neat find, happy you got in my recommended ☺️
Awesome!! Thanks so much for saying hey!
Awesome job, looks and sounds amazing!
Thanks Brad! Been playing the heck out of it too!
Imagine if you've said to her how old and valuable this guitar is.... she might not let it go for 15 bucks :)
Ha, right?! I did in fact tell her it would be valuable once repaired, but once I told her the cost of repairs she was stoked on the 15 bucks. Thanks for watching!!
Great story! I wonder how many of these instruments are in attics, basements, or thrift stores? Super cool you found it and brought it back.
Right?! It is the stuff that keeps me up at night for sure haha.
Gosh that sounds beautiful, great job mate :)
Awesome!! Thanks for checking it out!
Great news about the subscribers Kyle. I admire the re-use philosophy, but Mike is correct: it will break again, and I’m sure you know that also. Sounds great Btw. Nice job 👌🏼
Yeah I’m 100% sure it’ll break there again too, but the question is how much mileage can I get outta it! I’ll keep y’all in the loop!
She's a beauty 😍. Nice work and nice video 👊
Thanks Parker!! Yeah she's still playing great too!
Just this winter I fished out a 50 year old Harmony from a thrift store for $10, the pinless bridge just needed to be put back on. But since I'm a lefty, redrilling the treble side wasn't an option, so I took it to my favorite vintage shop, flipped it for $30 then used THAT toward a lefty guitar that was already discounted. They fixed it up and put a $269 tag on it, as I discovered a few months later. They're hoping to get 200 for it.
Crazy dude! Those harmonies used to be every where for NOTHING, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen one turn up at a thrift/estate sales. Great little guitars for the dough.
Good luck on your lefty journey! I’m a lefty too, but learned righty 😂.
Really great video! Expected you to have loads more subs actually. You'll do well with great content like this.
Thanks Chris! Yeah I’m small potatoes, but thanks for checking this out!!
@@kostringworks guitar sounds really great. A nice tin sort of vibe on the highs.
@@chrisegonmusic Totally! Sounds great with a flat pick too, real punchy.
Really nice. First time I've seen a guitar with a wooden nut.
Thanks! Yeah you'll find them on a lot of the catalogue guitars. Cheap!
Really nice story. And a great sounding guitar. Subscribed!
Thanks much!!
Best deal ever - insane!
😂 I know what the heck!
Nice story Kyle, a great find and sounds awsome 👌
Thanks john! It’s still holding up too!
Great story, love the vibe of your Channel. You did a wonderful job with the guitar. Yes you were lucky to find the guitar and the guitar was lucky you found it. I subscribed, smashed the like button and definitely will share. Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks dude! Thanks for smashing, and I really appreciate you saying hey! I've got lots of cool guitars in the cooker for future vids so I hope you keep coming around!
My mate found a Sovereign Tree of life parlour in a barn that was getting emptied out.. luckily what was left of the original case saved it from the pigeons and the leaking roof..he paid $20 and we fixed it. It's also a beautiful sounding guitar..Had similar problems with the bridge. I really like your solution a bit of extra meat to play with as well. Anyways thanks for the video I really enjoyed it.
Amazing! Love those stories, glad you dudes were there to save it.
The bridge cap is working great so far! Glad ya found the vid!
@@kostringworks Man the first time we both heard its voice was such a good moment!.. your vids are great looking forward to watch some more
Heckuva deal you made, Kyle. That guitar found you buddy.
One of my friends was just gifted an old Stella. His neighbor passed away and the neighbor’s kids knew my friend was a guitar player/tinkerer. He repaired the guitar (bridge reglue, strings, tuners, cleanup) and then regifted it to another friend of ours. That particular guy had a Stella back in the day that his 4 year old (now 40 something) daughter jumped on and broke. The guitar circle of life continues
Thanks Ben!!
Pretty much my favorite part about sharing my stories is hearing yours. So
Many good guitar sagas!
Glad I found you channel, Kyle. Amateur ‘git fixer’ myself. Honestly I found you due to your Charlie Parr videos. CP is a national treasure. I’m a little jealous that you get to find out what makes him tick. Please keep inviting him over once in a while for our sakes.
You should have made a new bridge, the cap may hold for awhile but it will eventually separate.
I’m really curious! Wouldn’t have tried it on a customers guitar, but thought it was worth a try on my own. I’ll keep the channel updated!
Ok. You win.
I'll give you $20 and throw in my $3.99 Goodwill mandolin
Haha, hell of an offer. I dunno, I literally just bought a bridge for yr hand-me-down archtop, so I might have my hands full.
Do you check the pawn shops? I used to go with an elderly friend who would buy horns , pay me to fix them and then he would sell them for what it cost him to kids that couldn't afford newer instruments. Not a lot of people like him around anymore. He's been gone several years. and I sold most of my tools then to a student from Red Wing Vo Tech who took them to Las Vegas to set up a shop.
That’s amazing. You’re right man, not a lotta folks with that kind of talent and heart floating around. Amazing you got to get to know him.
Old parlor guitar.I think the closest I got to it is.I think it's a lyon and healy(Washburn)distributed my regal..I found 1 victoria from the 60's..this os much older.Have not found anything on it..
Crazy, yeah they had so many different brand names going then it’s hard to keep track of them all!
Did Lyon & Healy actually make instruments? I was told by a shopkeeper that L&H imported unfinished instruments (he was talking specifically about violins), then finished them and put their sticker on them.
They did both!
I found a Victoria 155 parlor guitar at goodwill for 10 bucks...original case ..case is trashed but guitar is in great condition..I cant find any info online about it at all..Think i foynd a gem..but just dont know
Nice Greg! I’m not sure I’ve heard of Victoria either but sounds like you scored no matter what kind of guitar it is!
I found an old European guitar from the 50s maybe on eBay in the Uk for $20. Thought I’d try some repair work 😳. Sadly when it arrived it looked like it was kept in a shed on its back and the top had sunk in the bridge area by about 3/4”. Was probably just plywood (but I was curious to hear how it sounded) but replacing the top is above my skill set. Am sure you’d have sorted it 🤔
Dang, yeah warped plytops are kinda toast, probably not worth the investment to retop it, but if you’re looking for a fun project I think you should just go for it!
You could try to install one of those bridge doctors stewmac sells. I’ve never used one, but people talk about em anyway.
@@kostringworks good point. Thanks
@@billallen1594 thanks for watching bud!
You said it was intended for gut strings. Did it have strings when you got it? Were they gut strings? Did you consider putting gut strings on it? Is there a reason why you wouldn't? I know they are expensive, but I went looking for some about 20 years ago and was surprised to find they were available. I didn't want them bad enough to spend the money, but I've always wondered what they would sound like. A friend once told me Blind Blake might have played gut strings and I wonder what other early recordings also might be on gut strings.
It did not have gut when I got it, but I’m not sure it even had strings 😂. Very rare to find intact vintage gut strings though. I have a guitar string with gut every now and again, very amazing sound. There’s actually a place in town that makes them so we’re lucky that way. The reason not to go gut is they take a little more looking after than steel and when they pop it’s harder to come by. And yeah, they cost a lotta dough. You’ll also probably need a set up if you ever get gut because the tension is also so different!
ｐｒｏｍｏｓｍ 😄
The inflation index you used is a lie like most everything from the System. 17 dollars was 17 ounces of silver= 17x silver at $25 per ounce is $425 although silver is very depressed Latey. Compare an ounce of gold @ 20 dollars back then X .83% = 1660 $. Not a cheap instrument at all. Mike
Crazy!
You gotta put some nickel flat ones on that thing man it's gonna sound beautiful seriously nice channel by the way you're accool cat
Dude I love flats, but I’ve never put them on a flat top! Should I do it? I’ll do it.