This unsolicited repair work reminds me of the time we stole my old lead singer's guitar. It was the only thing his dad ever gave him and some idiot smashed it during an argument. It had been broken for years and he kept it in the back of a cupboard. We had a get together, snuck into his room and swiped it and took it to the guitarist's luthier. Once we explained the situation to him he dove into the project and rebuilt the entire thing. We gave it back to him on his birthday a few weeks later (he never realised it was missing), he cried for ages and hasn't put it down in the 15 years since.
Thanks everyone for such lovely comments, I am so appreciative considering I’m not a repair person and I’ve learned a lot from all of you! He actually really loved it in the end - I mean, it was disgusting... 😂❤️🎸
Yeah its awsome that you can do that stuff I've played guyar for like 8 years and can barely change the strings. Dont get my wrong I'm decent enough at the actual instrument but absolutely hopeless at the maintenance stuff.
Daisy, You did a fantastic job!👌 This is actually the first video of yours that I've seen. Looks like I will be checking out your list of other videos to see what I can see.😉 I have played many instruments over the past 50+ years and always appreciate the younger generations getting involved with instrument building. Thank you.🙂 If you build them you most certainly know how to fix them, even if you are not entirely familiar with particular materials. As you have demonstrated, the process is still the same.🤙
I’ve been woodworking, making and repairing guitars for 53 years, and it’s plain to see you have a natural talent! Keep up the great work. Bill from frozen Mn.
2 things. I would glue up the cracks when I cleated them, reestablishing the top as 1 piece. Also, when establishing a radius for the bridge, short strokes towards and away from the sound hole over where the bridge will be replaced. That is where you are gluing, so that is the shape you need. Going side to side just removes material without shaping to the desired contour. Nice job.
I am exactly the opposite. I “can” repair but can’t built 😅. The main recommendation I would give is to not use the heat gun without covering the rest of the guitar, except the bridge itself because heat will damage the finish. A quick way to isolate is to use cardboard leaving only the bridge cutout open. Cardboard is extremely resistant and doesn’t allow the heat to melt the finish. Some finishes might start creating bubbles almost immediately. Another good tip is to use steel wool on the fretboard to remove the “finger grease”. ;)
Is it ok to rub steel wool against the grain to be more aggresive with the cleaning? I worry that I will damage the fretboard if I use stool wool against ths grain, but going with the grain doesn't seem to take the crud off.
@@brushstroke3733 yes thin steel wool is absolutely fine for rosewood alike fretboards. Don’t forget to clean it well after. A magnet can pick up all the fine dust. Also lemon oil to hydrate every 6 months.
@@NelsonGago Thank you for the assurance and also the tip to use a magnet to pick up any wool shavings I miss when wiping down the guitar and area after. For anyone reading this, you must cover your pickups with tape completely before using steel wool anywhere near an electric guitar, as the shavings from the wool could damage the pickups if they get inside the windings.
Hi Daisy. With a gloss finish on the soundboard it has become quite common now to flood cracks with low viscosity cyanoacrylate glue (very thin superglue) and let it set in its own time. The excess can then be scraped and buffed to approximately match the original finish. Cracks on a soundboard even after this kind of repair will always be slightly visible but the idea, similar to your cleats, is to reinforce to prevent them from growing. The idea with the glue is that it saturates into the fibre of the wood creating a matrix similar to any resin and fibre bond. Its also good to remember that as most glues cure they pull the surfaces together as the solvent cures off. Cool video. I enjoyed this. Hope the owner was pleased :)
I wondered if the mass of the cleats attached to the soundboard might affect the tone or projection. I'm more used to hearing about superglue for this kind of repair.
Wonderful to know that there are young people keeping these old crafts alive. Particularly wonderful to see young women doing this. I'm almost 60 and have been playing guitar for 40 years, but unable to do anything other than re-stringing my acoustic. Fantastic video. Your boyfriend's a lucky guy.
Great video! After my dad passed away in 2018, I still had his guitars. An 08 LP Supreme in nice condition, and his pride and joy $90 Yamaha 1983 FG335ii acoustic that had no less than 5 cracks in the neck, a nice 6" cave-in on the back and frets that looked pretty much like a line of silver paint they were so worn down. After repairing all the cracks and other stuff, I realized that with guitars like that it's either All or nothing. If you replace a few bits here and there but leave others it will have problems. When it's used, over time it wears evenly and still sounds good. So I left the frets, bridge and nut since they all worked well together. Anyway, it plays beautifully now, and it's no wonder why he never bought another acoustic. When I fixed the cracks I used a bit of groud turquoise dust in the glue, so rather than try to hide them I decided to make them stand out. He was never one to baby anything.
I just keep thinking about someone showing they have as much care I have for a personal object as I do, and to express that care with the skill you have clearly demonstrated. It would be so overwhelmingly honorable, I would be brought to tears. Thank you for letting me know this kind of care is really out there!
You appear to give the same level of care and attention to the "rebuild" as you do instruments you have crafted from scratch by your hand. That comes from the internal drive which doesn't compromise based on who made the instrument you're working on, and is derived from a core desire to restore and reinstate. Keep going. You're dialed in and an inspiration to many.
As someone who plays and restores Saxophones I always have lots of old reeds unfit for further playing. But I use them for cleaning into nooks and crevices of a Saxophones body/mechanism. They are ideal because they are harder than the gunk being removed, but not so hard as to damage the lacquer or plating. It's all about relative hardness. I thought you could do the same with a small piece of wood when cleaning between the frets rather than a steel blade. I merely mention it for what it's worth. Cheers!
Daisy, I recommend that you watch some of Jerry Rosa's RUclips repair videos. He shows exactly how to do the types of repairs that you did to your partners guitar. I've been repairing musical instruments for over forty years, and I still learn a lot from Jerry. I think that you are a lovely lady, and a beautiful person. Any man would be fortunate to have you as a friend or as a partner. Please do not use a heat gun around any guitar like that, use a small heating iron and apply heat directly to the bridge. Also, scrape any finish that is in the bridge footprint, it will make the bridge stick more securely.
I built my first nut at age 13 in 1969, went on to repairing seriously by the early eighties and built my first guitar from scratch in 2004. It was Mahogonay back and sides, spruce top, Martin plans, a volute andGotoh tuners. Took it to the lunch room at work where a well known guitarist played it and said it was great. High praise. I was just pleased it turned out flawless. It sounds better as years go by. So I know how "chuffed" you felt Daisy. ( Terry from Oz).
A little of linseed oil on the fretboard, softens up the gunk and is easier to remove, also you can always use 0000 steel wool on those frets. When you glue back the bridge, sometimes it can slip and you end up with a misaligned bridge, (happened to me once) to avoid that, use two wooden dowels on the 1st and 6th string holes on the bridge, once dry, drill them back. Always looking up to your videos. Keep up the good work.
To fix cracks. Get watered down superglue and force in to the crack with a suction cup. Also adding a cleat will help. Also when tightening the nut on the tuning pegs you should use a socket instead of an adjustable wrench. Too much of a chance of rounding over the nut or damaging the headstock if the wrench slips.
Oh.. And as I read on. Magnets are the way to go for cleats, just cover the ones on top with felt, so you can make adjustments under the surface without scratching the top.
Girl, I wish I had run across a woman like yourself who put their soul into every guitar they touched when I started playing 50 years ago... With the love and humility you put into your craft you Will Be Guitar Builder Extraordinaire one day...
Well done. That method of radius'ing the bridge works well for arch-tops, mandolins, also. The fretboard came out looking pristine! Thanks for sharing this with all of us.
This is so cool, I love working on guitars. The only thing that made me say "Oh" was the adjustable wrench on the tuners. Music Nomad make a tool called "The Octopus" that doesn't risk leaving marks in the metal.
Nice work, hope you didn’t actually lose your partner over it. Check out twoodford and his equipment for bridge reattachments, neck resets, with thorough explanations, occasional humour and an amazing array of different guitars. (That’s Ted Woodford in Canada.)
The reason the bridge lifted is probably because there is finish in the glue joint under the edge. It'll probably happen again if you didn't sand and remove it
How unbelievably lucky he is to have someone like you! I had a Washburn (W240 if I remember correctly) 12 string that the bridge lifted, and the top was warped underneath of it. It was my favorite guitar as it had belonged to my mother before me. Alas, my uncle believed he needed it more than I did, and it was never seen again. Your skill is amazing, coupled with the persona you carry and your intellect... just wow.
What you've done is awesome taking a part of yourself and giving to your love something he treasures I love my guitars and I bet he'll love what you have done
Kinda curious why you didn't just go with some steel wool to clean off the gunk on the fretboard? I've used it a few times on my fretboards and I don't have any issues with its use. So I'd like to know if I shouldn't have.
I use it all the time too but only on rosewood, pau ferro alike fretboards. The only thing you have to be careful is to cover any pickups (in case of an electric) cause the dust will all be attracted by the magnets. I keep a vacuum at hand and keep cleaning as I go along. You can also use a trick of having a magnet close to the cleaning area.
@@NelsonGago for some reason, steel wool isn't as fine where I get them. They're coarser than even loofahs. So there wasn't that worry of stray metal fibers getting into pickups but it is definitely best practice to tape em up for protection like you did.
Yeah, it can’t just be any old steel wool obviously; it has too be very fine. Also, yes very important to tape up electronics, as filings will cause problems.
To stop a crack in anything you need to take a small drill bit and drill at both ends of the crack. Mostly likely insert a dowel in the drilled holes. That'll prevent the crack from enlarging anymore.
I would say next time that you remove the lacquer from where the bridge was glued to the soundboard in the first place. Manufacturers don't seem to clean this up much anymore and as a consequence, the glue bond of the bridge is compromised (no wood to wood at the edges) which causes the lifting you saw in the first place. Ted Woodford has some really awesome repair videos too. (TWoodford)
i am classical guitarist and do a bit of luthier work. i think your cleats are way bigger than they need to be. if you reglue a crack, most of the time the crack is actually naturally stopped by a brace. however, if not, You can put a much smaller and thinner brace if the grain crosses the grain of the soundboard, maybe 1mm in thickness, 4 to 5 mm side of the diamond. Guitar luthiers tend to overdo it but if you see how they repair violon cracks they use much thinner cleats!
Fun to watch. Just saw your episode on Andertons. I second the heat gun shielding. I use my Clothes Iron for separating the fret board (upper frets) on the body and bridges. Irons are a good adjustable, flat and steamy source of heat. I use my espresso machine steamer nozzle and a basketball needle attached to surgical tubing through a pinhole on the 14th fret to separate (steam) neck joints.
Great job - awesome! If I came home from work one day and my wife had taken my favorite guitar, the one I was given as a gift from my dad on my 15th birthday, a Dixon sunburst acoustic (I've now had it 46 years) and did to it what you did on that one, I would be thrilled. Plus, I did not know until your video that a guitar maker is called a Luthier. Thank you.
I've had the good fortune to know half a dozen luthiers socially, apart from those who've worked on my guitars. And the thoughtfulness, the ability to communicate ideas about what makes an instrument sound bright or rich, how to look at the inevitable tradeoffs when making a new bridge and ensuring that it bonds not just mechanically to the top but also sonically, these are a delight to hear about. It's a whole world of meaning. It helps us to remember to slow down and pay attention.
I am enjoying your videos. The only things that made me nervous about your technique are using a heat gun unless it has a very low setting, because you could totally destroy the finish with a heat gun. I had to clean an even grungier fret board recently and I used a straight edge razor blade with one edge and it worked very well.the other thing that made me nervous was your using the spatula removing the bridge and not putting anything down to protect the surrounding surface. I hope you get in the habit of making lots of videos. Very enjoyable.
Agree with everything you said. There are some interesting techniques used by other guitar repair/restoration YT hosts. Rosa String Works for example does some challenging projects and may provide some useful insight (I'm not affiliated).
[because you could totally destroy the finish with a heat gun. ] Not just the finish, but something even more important: The tone and timbre. When you melt glues, you're at the temperature where the fibrous structure of the wood also changes.
Late to the party, but this was such a thoughtful and careful labor of love… didn’t change the fretboard without consent (I agree this was very respectful), but you cleaned it up and repaired it to be good as new, which anyone would appreciate being done to their favorite guitar. . Thanks for a great example of humanity and thoughtfulness… wish we could’ve seen his reaction, but of course, only you earned that. =)
Amazing video, I'm not a repair person nor a builder but I can recommend one of the most informative, certainly the most entertaining guitar repair channel on RUclips by Ted Woodford. I'm sure you are already familiar with his content but if not give it a look. From bridge removal and re-glue to nearly all you need to know about bridge and saddle height in a neck reset and so much more. As a side note, there is quite a lot of height left in those frets and anyone would be happy with them especially with the extra height gained as a result of the fretboard rejuvenation. Guitar repair videos just because of the shear volume of old instruments can be made more frequently which will help with the growth of the channel and I, for one, will be looking forward to more...
To clean up a dirty fret board I normally use a cotton facecloth, so it's soft enough not to do damage but has the roughness also to scrub.. I use that with murphy's oil soap.. does a great job.
Great video! Great work. Would like to know if he liked it. Negative points for clickbait title - unless he actually dumped you in which case he's an idiot.
Reminds me of the time my brother had a total engine failure in his car. (connecting rods through the side of the block). I secretly got hold of another engine, stripped it down and rebuilt it, so it was good as new. Then while my brother was away for the weekend, I replaced the engine. Took it for a quick test run and it was running terrific. Parked it up in exactly the same spot so he wouldn't suspect anything. Then on the day of his birthday I gave him a phone call. I asked him to go out to his car and... That's where he interrupted me to say "I haven't got it any more. I scrapped it. It was towed away yesterday"
I’m so glad you started this channel! I’ve only ever done work on electric guitars and I have an acoustic that was left to me by my grandfather when he passed that has a similar bridge issue. This video gave me the confidence to give it a go and see if I can get it back to where it needs to be! Thanks!
Just one little comment, don't use an adjustable wrench to tighten bolts, it could slip and round the edges of the bolt. Use a box end wrench. I should have started out by saying I enjoy your videos. There is always something to learn.
Hey Daisy, nice video well done👌...I think that every good Luthier/ Guitarbuilder/ Maker has to be a good repairman/ women to. I've graduated in 1997 in Germany as a Luthier ( In German: Zupfinstrumentenmacher. We have a separation between Instruments you pick or Instruments you play with a Bow)....And in these Days it was permitted, after 3 Years of education, to build New Instruments. It was allowed to make Repairs, Parts, and assemble Instruments. You have to practice another 3 Years as a Repair Man/Women to get the Master and after that period of time you can make your Own builds. I've made more than 10k repairs. And every repair Job expanded my knowledge and shows me new ways of getting things " Back on the Track". It´s very satisfying to keep Instruments alive, and if you manage a tricky repair.... 👌Amazing Feeling.. Keep on going with your Videos there are really nice...Make your own experience and do your Thing. Best Regards to England. Nik
@@sacredband9812 Yes you are totally right. As a matter of fact a lot of German Luthiers and Instrument builder have spread there knowledge and craftsmanship over the whole World. Good Example Martin Guitar, Steinway Pianos, Roger Rossmeisel, Arthur Lang, just to name a few of them...Allmost all of them were educated at the Luthier Schools Mittenwald or Marktneukirchen. Best Regards Nik
Good idea to cover the top when applying heat to get the bridge off. Jewellers soldering plate works well with a cut out to fit around the bridge. Or you could use 2 together. They are not expensive to buy. Put tape under the plate to stop it scratching
Im just a guy that does all my own guitar maintenance, but i think you did really good! Just got it clean and back into working order and stable. Maybe you two can come up with an idea to fill in the crack that honors its history.
Your boyfriend is very lucky to have you! Smart, talented , charming and thoughtful! Mr Boyfirnd, this ones a keeper! Oh and you definitely have a new subscriber Daisy!
I'm unfamiliar with what you used on the frets, but I am a big big fan of lightly polishing frets with 0000 steel wool, it gets the string marks out without screwing up the height.
Yip, really fine steel wool does the best for me too, highly recommend. Though I would wear a mask to make sure I don't inhale the fine bits that come off when polishing.
Emery cloth is far superior. No metal particles left behind. Especially important with electric guitars, where it will infiltrate pickups and electronic components.
You should make a video of the result… What he thought of it… Personally I think he’s the luckiest man in the world to have a girlfriend that’s a guitar luthier… That’s incredible.
As amazing as guitars are, they’re “things.” A girl/woman like you who’s not only interested in guitars but could build a replacement one - whoa! That’s awesome, you’re a keeper!!
That's awesome. I love how you sanded the bridge using the sandpaper on the soundboard. I'd suggest doing it both ways (up-&-down like in the video, then toward-&-away from the sound hole) to get it as close as possible to the shape of the soundboard. The chalk on the bottom is a good idea, too so you limit any changes in bridge height; there are similar techniques used in metalworking for very-closely mating parts, and for 'flattening' or curving an optical part. Cheers.
I know what you mean when you say you're not a guitar repairer, you're a builder. I'm the same. I build my own and I'm not interested in fixing things on guitars someone else has made, simply because (as you say) you don't know exactly how they've been constructed. But in reality, there is not that much difference in building and repairing. It's mainly the reticence we builders feel towards repairing. I thought you did a top job on that Washburn. What else could have been done better? You did everything in a logical, methodical, reasoned manner with all the correct tools, understanding the issues to fix and how you're going to use the tools to fix them. Spot on! You did things slightly different to how I would have done them, but everyone is different and will do things different ways. I personally would have been tempted to flat off the frets, re-crown and polish them again (you're absolutely right, a re-fret wasn't necessary) given the wear in some of the positions in the frets, But that's another job and another allocation of your time. I think it's in a much better state than it was before (eugh!). I think your partner will be stoked with your work.
Well done there. Good job....... but please don't use an adjustable spanner to tighten the tuning pegs. Get a few sockets. It'll save tears further down the line.
Great video! Can totally relate about being a maker not a repairer, but nonetheless you did an awesome job. Would have loved to have seen his reaction when first gazing upon it! 🙂
It is common practice for Music Instrument Shops to outsource specific work to a Luthier i.e. adding a PickUp System (such as a Fishman Blend) to an Acoustic as this will require cutting a hole in the Guitars outer body to accommodate it. As one of Hamburg Germany premier Instrument shops were to discover their chosen luthier can botch this up but fear not they are insured for this as is the Luthier. The example I give here was the addition of a Fishman Presys Blend to a brand new Sigma limited to 60 Worldwide special edition SIGMA SDR41 and where this went wrong, albeit minimal but visible, was one small blemish as a result of the multi-layered lacquer breaking. Sadly for the Luthier, even after consultation with Sigma on the composition of the Lacquer the blemish could not be removed and as a result I was not charged for the Pickup system being added and we agreed on a €300 depreciation to the value of the guitar, this was instead of the other offer by the Luthier to purchase the Guitar from me for what I had recently paid and as he said, he was happy to make that offer as this was one of the best ever sounding and playable Acoustics he had ever had the pleasure of working on, he went further by saying it was even better than his Martin D36.
Daisy, please pay attention to your audio levels. The voice-over parts (the stuff that matters) are barely audible and the "fly-over" audio (the music while you're sanding, filing, luthiering) is deafening.
Woah! I just did a belly-bulge steam repair on my old Washburn D10 yesterday and gave it a nice setup etc, and just picked it up to test it out and enjoy a random Daisy Tempest video, and it wasn't until the last few shots I noticed the headstock on this one! Almost the exact same guitar! Haha. Likely from the same era as well since the bridge shape is also the same. Mine is all black though. Hope he liked the repair job!
Interested to know more about this. I have a 12 string WD10S that had a fair bulge when I bought it used. I keep it tuned to D standard now. Is this preferable or is E standard ok?
@@gerrykavanagh I won't vaunt myself into the role of "expert" on Daisy's channel, and likely you were asking her and not me anyway, but I would offer that no matter what you do, the bulge is going to affect the relationship between the bridge and the neck. Things like tuning down to a lower key, using lighter gauge strings, making the neck as straight as possible, shaving the saddle within a 64th-inch of its life (someone even came into the shop yesterday with a bulging 12-string and their solution was to only install six of the strings AND tune it down, haha) will all help the situation feel more tolerable, but if you really want to make it right, I would check with a local repair shop to see if they can fix it with steam. Worse case, it may be something more serious like the top coming unglued from a brace or even a broken brace, but I feel like that's less likely. And the person diagnosing it would probably have to be holding the instrument. That being said: if dropping it down a whole step makes it more enjoyable to play and you like it, go with that! Another recommendation if you really want to tune it up to E is to maybe try a set of the same gauge string you're used to but in a silk & steel version. You can still get a good amount of sound out them but much easier on the hands, especially on a 12-string!
His favorite guitar----- It's his favorite for a reason. It's one thing to bring a damaged guitar across the "repaired" finish line, but modifying or making "secret changes" could be a nightmare because he might not like that you did that and then not be able to tell you for fear of an argument. My guitars are my "girlfriend's" and you had better consult me before anything gets changed. I stand up for my women!
Well I don't know anything about guitar repair bust since you seem to be open to criticism, here are a few things that would have made the video better. 1. Audio balancing. Your voice was quiet enough that I had to turn my sound up, but as soon as the music started playing I had to turn it back down. 2. Close up shots of the guitar when it was finished. When you're watching these before/after type of vids, you generally want to see the after lol. We really only got a quick snippet as you were closing the case. Something more direct/deliberate would have been better. 3. The more optional, but nice to have thing would have been to see his reaction...Unless of course he doesn't want to be in a vid, then that's fine. Either way, best of luck!
I love the vintage tone of a Badger-gap mis-aligned acoustic bridge. Sure it hurts playability, but that's more than made up for by the artistic enhancement of the friction taping to improve the structural integrity.
I'm glad he didn't actually dump you. it shows his good sense! It didn't look to me that it needed a refret unless there was play wear on the tops of the frets that I couldn't see. I think you did just fine as a repair person! It takes real guts to tackle a fretboard as nasty as that one!
Have you closed/filled the cracks now? One thing to learn from violin luthiers, keep the cleat short and/or have the grain at 45 degrees to better match it's expansion with humidity to the soundboard crossgrain.
Don’t know if anyone pointed this out below but I wanted to point out one thing about the bridge. When you took the bridge off their was guitar finish under it. The glue will not stick properly to that finished surface and it is probably why it lifted in the first place, as the finish is in the same spot. I would highly recommend that you tape around the bridge and then remove it so you can sand the finish off without affecting the surrounding area before glueing it back on. You really need that wood to wood contact in order for the bridge to glue down properly. This is a pretty common issue.
I'm pretty sure the area under the bridge was the only unfinished part of the guitar's top? Much more likely that what was there was residual glue from the original build. Besides, Daisy builds her own stunning guitars and has studied this for years- I'm more than sure she knows what she's doing.
If i may recommend a guitar repair/build channel it would be a Rosa Stringworks Workshop. I learned almost all i know from it and the author is such a nice guy. Definitely go check it out. Update - cleats are way to go, but I’d suggest glueing the cracks as well. I.e. pump the wood glue in the crack, clamp the body so the crack closes, then stick the cleats
You asked for feedback. Just IMO I would not have risked using a sharp blade to scrape the layer of dirt on the fretboard. Some fretboard oil and steel wool would get it done just fine and also make those frets nice and shinny.
You're so right in thinking everything through, logically. The only thing I would do differently is, when scraping the fingerboard, I use a full razor blade rather than an X-acto knife because you get a longer, straight edge against the surface. It's a more consistent flat edge so you won't gouge the wood accidently.
This is a very minor critique. One thing I noticed during the video was that the sound changed so much. Up and then down in volume. I enjoyed the video and I have had to do much the same type of repair years ago. I had a guitar that I got really cheap. It was in the case, in the rear window of my car, during the summer in Florida. The bridge came off of the sound board and was in a pile on top of the neck. Being a young guy with no knowledge of repair, I put it back on with Elmers Carpenters Glue. It worked fine. I had already scraped off the polyurethane finish someone else had put on it. I finished it with linseed oil. It has a wonderful low tone and I still have it maybe 35 years later. I will subscribe to your channel and learn more about making guitars. Thank you for being willing to share your knowledge. John Beres
Magnificent video Daisy! The love and commitment you have to your craft just oozes out of every word spoken. I once restored an old Eko ranger which had similar cracks. I used cyanoacrylate to fill the splits, carefully buffed it & achieved a really nice finish. Please keep the vids coming. x
I have had to used the spatulas and heat gun on a build I was doing. 😮 I have done more repairs than builds and do find truth in your statement - builds are different than repairs! I enjoy the challenge and rewards of each. Both have a lot of problem solving and learning how to recover from my mistakes. 😂 I enjoy your videos!
Learned an important lesson about side-loading scalpel blades this past weekend while using the reverse of a #11 to smooth out a pickguard templateーthe blade snapped, went flying, and stuck me 3/4" deep into the middle knuckle of my right index finger, just missing the FDS tendon. Great tools, but best for cutting. Unfortunately, worked so well at what I was doing that I'll probably end up snapping one again, I'll just be wearing gloves next time. 😅
@@HeliBenj Always do. 👍 One close call from a hidden staple bouncing off my spectacles while prying the side off a toy piano, and I've been doubling up goggles + polycarbonate lens eyeglasses ever since.
You’re the second female luthier I have come across in the last week, the other being Rosie (featured on Ben Crowe’s channel). Love your methodical approach to repairs.
You dont need scraper use rubbing compound and clean cotton to for the fingerboard. For fret wire use steel wool number 0000 grade make sure between fret wire put a tape adhesive.
I have a question! I have a beautiful old Washburn acoustic. The bridge is cracked. I took a look on the inside with my telescoping camera and saw that the inner piece of wood is also cracked. What is this piece called? Can it be removed? Can it be replaced? Thanks for this video, you gave me confidence to attempt this repair myself!
I'm sending this along to my repair guy, who has reluctantly taken on an acoustic guitar with a serious intonation problem. He's done a great job on every repair I've ever given him, but I don't know that he's performed this kind of surgery before. Hoping your video can help him out.
maybe tape up the fretboard when buffing the frets. Autosol works great on frets but it's an abrasive paste and you don't want that residue on the fretboard. plus, it kind of stinks and if it gets in the wood, it'll stink for a long time :)
Fun to watch....reminds me of my brother who never wipes off his guitars after he plays and they all have years of grunge on them....yucch! ( hint I have polishing cloths put in every case and still I often forget to wipe mine down as well! ) I go through mine at least twice a year and clean them up...usually do a thorough cleaning whenever I change the strings. Only remark I have is I wouldn't have used cleats to repair the cracks, superglue and my own shellac is what I usually use and have had good results with. I think a thin strip of hardwood veneer is good for cracks on the back and sides, and probably a thin veneer of Adirondack spruce running with the grain would be better for a soundboard if you don't trust glue and/or shellac. Looks pretty nice tho I hope the owner appreciated the repair and effort! Also I find 0000 grade steel wool cleans up frets and fingerboards quite well. Notice you mentioned autosol which cleans up metal really well too. Lemon oil and Danish oil works well on satin finishes and a carfinish product called Meguiars works really well to remove surface scratches and will polish up most any guitar finish quite well!
Most of my experience with musical instruments has been repairing them. the main damage has been from leaving them in cars on hot days as this tends to make the glue fail.
I didn't see any index pins (I use chopsticks) to line up the bridge pins holes with the top holes when gluing the bridge. Apply Johnston's Paste Wax to the index pins so they don't get glued in.
hey Daisy girl.. I saw a video of urs a while back. I love watching the process of guitar makers. I never realised so much went into making guitars. I think u did well for ur man. He should be happy .. LOL I know how it feels to let somebody near my tools. Nobody is allowed into my workshop, NOBODY!!! haha! I don't trust ppl around any of my tools. They cost me a lot to assemble over the past few years and I don't want anybody touching or ruining them on me.. Keep up the great work and content. I enjoyed ur video on the French Cleat wall for ur tools. I need to make one for my shop soon. I have plenty of sheet material to work with so I think I'm going to do that this week. My shop is a joke atm. I cannot keep it clean. It's really only a one car garage at 16X10' but I['ve seen many videos on here where ppl are working out of much smaller areas so it's all good. My issue has always been organisation of the shop since I started. What made u take up building guiters? I I'm going to shut it down now bcos I'm waffling to much. I do this all the time when talking about my shop or woodworking in general.. LMAO Take care and keep doing ur thing.. Salute to u from Dublin..
Very nicely done, Daisy. For gunk removal you might consider trying the edge of a credit or gift card for scraping prior to using a scapel. Your methods had great results so in the end, it's whatever works best for you. Keep up the great and caring work! Cheers!
Of course, the bridge wouldn't actually go flying off. The strings aren't actually anchored to the bridge, but rather pinned through the soundboard, so the force is taken by the soundboard and the bridge plate underneath the soundboard. I think the bridge could probably become completely detatched the it still wouldn't go flying. I do have concerns for a few acoustic guitars I've seen where the strings just feed through holes on the end of the bridge and don't actually go through the soundboard at all. In those ones the glue holding the bridge down is completely holding all the string tension of the guitar and it would go flying if it lifted.
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He’s not your partner, you are not a man’s equal.
Lol
and you're not a man
She's clearly better than you at just about everything, so what does that make you?
no maidens?
Never been laid huh? Damn.
This unsolicited repair work reminds me of the time we stole my old lead singer's guitar. It was the only thing his dad ever gave him and some idiot smashed it during an argument. It had been broken for years and he kept it in the back of a cupboard. We had a get together, snuck into his room and swiped it and took it to the guitarist's luthier. Once we explained the situation to him he dove into the project and rebuilt the entire thing. We gave it back to him on his birthday a few weeks later (he never realised it was missing), he cried for ages and hasn't put it down in the 15 years since.
Everyone should be so lucky to have friends as good hearted as yourselves.
Bless each one of you.
Wow that's amazing. Gotta be a Guinness world record if he's been holding it nonstop for 15 years!
🤘😜
@@mr.yellowstrat3352 Agreed, and if he's been playing the whole time he should be an amazing freaking player by now! LOL
Not quite as good friends as you think they clearly did the super glue trick. 🤣🤣🤣
Wonderful story
Thanks everyone for such lovely comments, I am so appreciative considering I’m not a repair person and I’ve learned a lot from all of you! He actually really loved it in the end - I mean, it was disgusting... 😂❤️🎸
Hmu if you and your mate ever split up 😉 there’s no girls in America quite like you lol
Is your boyfriend willing to play it? I'd like to hear it!
wish there was a boyfriend reaction in the end with the guitar reveal
Yeah its awsome that you can do that stuff I've played guyar for like 8 years and can barely change the strings.
Dont get my wrong I'm decent enough at the actual instrument but absolutely hopeless at the maintenance stuff.
Daisy,
You did a fantastic job!👌
This is actually the first video of yours that I've seen. Looks like I will be checking out your list of other videos to see what I can see.😉
I have played many instruments over the past 50+ years and always appreciate the younger generations getting involved with instrument building.
Thank you.🙂
If you build them you most certainly know how to fix them, even if you are not entirely familiar with particular materials. As you have demonstrated, the process is still the same.🤙
I’ve been woodworking, making and repairing guitars for 53 years, and it’s plain to see you have a natural talent! Keep up the great work. Bill from frozen Mn.
mn ?
2 things. I would glue up the cracks when I cleated them, reestablishing the top as 1 piece. Also, when establishing a radius for the bridge, short strokes towards and away from the sound hole over where the bridge will be replaced. That is where you are gluing, so that is the shape you need. Going side to side just removes material without shaping to the desired contour. Nice job.
Glue cracks, get crack wet, use finger to massage glue in crack. The glue will follow the water in the crack.
I am exactly the opposite. I “can” repair but can’t built 😅. The main recommendation I would give is to not use the heat gun without covering the rest of the guitar, except the bridge itself because heat will damage the finish. A quick way to isolate is to use cardboard leaving only the bridge cutout open. Cardboard is extremely resistant and doesn’t allow the heat to melt the finish. Some finishes might start creating bubbles almost immediately. Another good tip is to use steel wool on the fretboard to remove the “finger grease”. ;)
I’d agree with your suggestions
Is it ok to rub steel wool against the grain to be more aggresive with the cleaning? I worry that I will damage the fretboard if I use stool wool against ths grain, but going with the grain doesn't seem to take the crud off.
@@brushstroke3733 yes thin steel wool is absolutely fine for rosewood alike fretboards. Don’t forget to clean it well after. A magnet can pick up all the fine dust. Also lemon oil to hydrate every 6 months.
@@NelsonGago Thank you for the assurance and also the tip to use a magnet to pick up any wool shavings I miss when wiping down the guitar and area after. For anyone reading this, you must cover your pickups with tape completely before using steel wool anywhere near an electric guitar, as the shavings from the wool could damage the pickups if they get inside the windings.
@@brushstroke3733 yes cover all the pickup area. If it’s an electric bolt on neck I normally remove the neck and put the body away
Hi Daisy.
With a gloss finish on the soundboard it has become quite common now to flood cracks with low viscosity cyanoacrylate glue (very thin superglue) and let it set in its own time.
The excess can then be scraped and buffed to approximately match the original finish. Cracks on a soundboard even after this kind of repair will always be slightly visible but the idea, similar to your cleats, is to reinforce to prevent them from growing. The idea with the glue is that it saturates into the fibre of the wood creating a matrix similar to any resin and fibre bond. Its also good to remember that as most glues cure they pull the surfaces together as the solvent cures off.
Cool video. I enjoyed this.
Hope the owner was pleased :)
I wondered if the mass of the cleats attached to the soundboard might affect the tone or projection. I'm more used to hearing about superglue for this kind of repair.
Wonderful to know that there are young people keeping these old crafts alive. Particularly wonderful to see young women doing this. I'm almost 60 and have been playing guitar for 40 years, but unable to do anything other than re-stringing my acoustic. Fantastic video. Your boyfriend's a lucky guy.
The state of that fingerboard. Good lawd. Surprised you didn’t hand your partner their waking papers. 😂
And she's really CUTE, too!
Great video!
After my dad passed away in 2018, I still had his guitars. An 08 LP Supreme in nice condition, and his pride and joy $90 Yamaha 1983 FG335ii acoustic that had no less than 5 cracks in the neck, a nice 6" cave-in on the back and frets that looked pretty much like a line of silver paint they were so worn down.
After repairing all the cracks and other stuff, I realized that with guitars like that it's either All or nothing. If you replace a few bits here and there but leave others it will have problems. When it's used, over time it wears evenly and still sounds good. So I left the frets, bridge and nut since they all worked well together.
Anyway, it plays beautifully now, and it's no wonder why he never bought another acoustic. When I fixed the cracks I used a bit of groud turquoise dust in the glue, so rather than try to hide them I decided to make them stand out. He was never one to baby anything.
Wabi sabi: the beauty of well used, well loved and noticeably repaired things 😀
@@jensbomholt4529 hey, thanks for that! I couldn't remember the term for it. It's a beautiful way of looking at things.
I just keep thinking about someone showing they have as much care I have for a personal object as I do, and to express that care with the skill you have clearly demonstrated. It would be so overwhelmingly honorable, I would be brought to tears. Thank you for letting me know this kind of care is really out there!
You appear to give the same level of care and attention to the "rebuild" as you do instruments you have crafted from scratch by your hand. That comes from the internal drive which doesn't compromise based on who made the instrument you're working on, and is derived from a core desire to restore and reinstate. Keep going. You're dialed in and an inspiration to many.
As someone who plays and restores Saxophones I always have lots of old reeds unfit for further playing.
But I use them for cleaning into nooks and crevices of a Saxophones body/mechanism. They are ideal because they are harder than the gunk being removed, but not so hard as to damage the lacquer or plating. It's all about relative hardness.
I thought you could do the same with a small piece of wood when cleaning between the frets rather than a steel blade.
I merely mention it for what it's worth.
Cheers!
Daisy, I recommend that you watch some of Jerry Rosa's RUclips repair videos. He shows exactly how to do the types of repairs that you did to your partners guitar. I've been repairing musical instruments for over forty years, and I still learn a lot from Jerry. I think that you are a lovely lady, and a beautiful person. Any man would be fortunate to have you as a friend or as a partner. Please do not use a heat gun around any guitar like that, use a small heating iron and apply heat directly to the bridge. Also, scrape any finish that is in the bridge footprint, it will make the bridge stick more securely.
I built my first nut at age 13 in 1969, went on to repairing seriously by the early eighties and built my first guitar from scratch in 2004. It was Mahogonay back and sides, spruce top, Martin plans, a volute andGotoh tuners. Took it to the lunch room at work where a well known guitarist played it and said it was great. High praise. I was just pleased it turned out flawless. It sounds better as years go by. So I know how "chuffed" you felt Daisy. ( Terry from Oz).
Thanks for sharing this Terry! Wonderful.
A little of linseed oil on the fretboard, softens up the gunk and is easier to remove, also you can always use 0000 steel wool on those frets. When you glue back the bridge, sometimes it can slip and you end up with a misaligned bridge, (happened to me once) to avoid that, use two wooden dowels on the 1st and 6th string holes on the bridge, once dry, drill them back. Always looking up to your videos. Keep up the good work.
Better yet, use the 0000 steel wool on the fretboard, then use the oil to condition the wood. Works perfectly.
@@xdoctorblindx Don'y you think the Steel wool is useless in a very dirty fretboard?
Your caution care and consideration is admirable
To fix cracks. Get watered down superglue and force in to the crack with a suction cup. Also adding a cleat will help. Also when tightening the nut on the tuning pegs you should use a socket instead of an adjustable wrench. Too much of a chance of rounding over the nut or damaging the headstock if the wrench slips.
Never thought about repairing requiring different skills/knowledge than building. Good stuff!
Oh.. And as I read on. Magnets are the way to go for cleats, just cover the ones on top with felt, so you can make adjustments under the surface without scratching the top.
He's a blessed man to have such a caring lady
Any REAL man would be blessed to have you.
Nah @@ourtexasfamilyvideos62
Girl, I wish I had run across a woman like yourself who put their soul into every guitar they touched when I started playing 50 years ago... With the love and humility you put into your craft you Will Be Guitar Builder Extraordinaire one day...
I dare say she already is. only thing now is time to become famous.
@@theeoddname I was to say the same... she already is
Well done. That method of radius'ing the bridge works well for arch-tops, mandolins, also. The fretboard came out looking pristine!
Thanks for sharing this with all of us.
This is so cool, I love working on guitars.
The only thing that made me say "Oh" was the adjustable wrench on the tuners. Music Nomad make a tool called "The Octopus" that doesn't risk leaving marks in the metal.
I hate adjustable wrenches on anything!!
Nice work, hope you didn’t actually lose your partner over it.
Check out twoodford and his equipment for bridge reattachments, neck resets, with thorough explanations, occasional humour and an amazing array of different guitars. (That’s Ted Woodford in Canada.)
Ted's videos, skills and humour are absolutely brilliant.
Yes, I recommend that anyone watch a few of his videos. His work is fantastic.
I love Ted, and his work is incredible, but he surely is not as fair as Daisy. I'd wager he'd agree.
I’m addicted to Ted lol
Plus one for Ted! Knowledgeable and skillful; its like dentistry and surgery, even keyhole surgery.
Very educational.. keep up the great work!
The reason the bridge lifted is probably because there is finish in the glue joint under the edge. It'll probably happen again if you didn't sand and remove it
That is exactly right.
How unbelievably lucky he is to have someone like you! I had a Washburn (W240 if I remember correctly) 12 string that the bridge lifted, and the top was warped underneath of it. It was my favorite guitar as it had belonged to my mother before me. Alas, my uncle believed he needed it more than I did, and it was never seen again. Your skill is amazing, coupled with the persona you carry and your intellect... just wow.
I saw someone do a really cool thing for those by-feel-alone cleat glue ups: magnets! One on the top, the other on the cleat.
Great work, I'm really impressed with your work and your videos, calm, straight forward and educational, so glad to see your business is growing.
What you've done is awesome taking a part of yourself and giving to your love something he treasures I love my guitars and I bet he'll love what you have done
Every time he picks it up and makes it sing, he'll think of her.
Wow, You are so kind to do this for him , Hope he knows how lucky he is ( Beauty, talent and skill all in one ).
Kinda curious why you didn't just go with some steel wool to clean off the gunk on the fretboard? I've used it a few times on my fretboards and I don't have any issues with its use. So I'd like to know if I shouldn't have.
I use it all the time too but only on rosewood, pau ferro alike fretboards. The only thing you have to be careful is to cover any pickups (in case of an electric) cause the dust will all be attracted by the magnets. I keep a vacuum at hand and keep cleaning as I go along. You can also use a trick of having a magnet close to the cleaning area.
@@NelsonGago for some reason, steel wool isn't as fine where I get them. They're coarser than even loofahs. So there wasn't that worry of stray metal fibers getting into pickups but it is definitely best practice to tape em up for protection like you did.
Yeah, it can’t just be any old steel wool obviously; it has too be very fine. Also, yes very important to tape up electronics, as filings will cause problems.
as a luthier everything you did was spot on, glass slides work well with cleaning grunge from the fretboard and are not aggressive if used lightly
I hope we get to see the follow up video to this one. Did he love it? I use to have a Washburn acoustic and it was pretty nice but I sold it.
To stop a crack in anything you need to take a small drill bit and drill at both ends of the crack. Mostly likely insert a dowel in the drilled holes. That'll prevent the crack from enlarging anymore.
I would say next time that you remove the lacquer from where the bridge was glued to the soundboard in the first place. Manufacturers don't seem to clean this up much anymore and as a consequence, the glue bond of the bridge is compromised (no wood to wood at the edges) which causes the lifting you saw in the first place.
Ted Woodford has some really awesome repair videos too. (TWoodford)
TWoodford is a master!
@@mrclean111111 I learn so much from his videos.
As is Rosa Stringworks.
i am classical guitarist and do a bit of luthier work. i think your cleats are way bigger than they need to be. if you reglue a crack, most of the time the crack is actually naturally stopped by a brace. however, if not, You can put a much smaller and thinner brace if the grain crosses the grain of the soundboard, maybe 1mm in thickness, 4 to 5 mm side of the diamond. Guitar luthiers tend to overdo it but if you see how they repair violon cracks they use much thinner cleats!
Your partner is truly lucky to have someone as talented as yourself!
Why
@@14moldyhamsandwichWhy?
Fun to watch. Just saw your episode on Andertons. I second the heat gun shielding. I use my Clothes Iron for separating the fret board (upper frets) on the body and bridges. Irons are a good adjustable, flat and steamy source of heat. I use my espresso machine steamer nozzle and a basketball needle attached to surgical tubing through a pinhole on the 14th fret to separate (steam) neck joints.
That bit about a family of badgers being able to live under the raised bridge got me in stitches. :D
Great job - awesome! If I came home from work one day and my wife had taken my favorite guitar, the one I was given as a gift from my dad on my 15th birthday, a Dixon sunburst acoustic (I've now had it 46 years) and did to it what you did on that one, I would be thrilled. Plus, I did not know until your video that a guitar maker is called a Luthier. Thank you.
I've had the good fortune to know half a dozen luthiers socially, apart from those who've worked on my guitars. And the thoughtfulness, the ability to communicate ideas about what makes an instrument sound bright or rich, how to look at the inevitable tradeoffs when making a new bridge and ensuring that it bonds not just mechanically to the top but also sonically, these are a delight to hear about.
It's a whole world of meaning. It helps us to remember to slow down and pay attention.
I am enjoying your videos. The only things that made me nervous about your technique are using a heat gun unless it has a very low setting, because you could totally destroy the finish with a heat gun. I had to clean an even grungier fret board recently and I used a straight edge razor blade with one edge and it worked very well.the other thing that made me nervous was your using the spatula removing the bridge and not putting anything down to protect the surrounding surface. I hope you get in the habit of making lots of videos. Very enjoyable.
Agree with everything you said.
There are some interesting techniques used by other guitar repair/restoration YT hosts. Rosa String Works for example does some challenging projects and may provide some useful insight (I'm not affiliated).
[because you could totally destroy the finish with a heat gun. ]
Not just the finish, but something even more important: The tone and timbre. When you melt glues, you're at the temperature where the fibrous structure of the wood also changes.
Agreed, always heat the knife, not the guitar. Yikes.
Late to the party, but this was such a thoughtful and careful labor of love… didn’t change the fretboard without consent (I agree this was very respectful), but you cleaned it up and repaired it to be good as new, which anyone would appreciate being done to their favorite guitar.
.
Thanks for a great example of humanity and thoughtfulness… wish we could’ve seen his reaction, but of course, only you earned that. =)
Amazing video, I'm not a repair person nor a builder but I can recommend one of the most informative, certainly the most entertaining guitar repair channel on RUclips by Ted Woodford. I'm sure you are already familiar with his content but if not give it a look. From bridge removal and re-glue to nearly all you need to know about bridge and saddle height in a neck reset and so much more. As a side note, there is quite a lot of height left in those frets and anyone would be happy with them especially with the extra height gained as a result of the fretboard rejuvenation.
Guitar repair videos just because of the shear volume of old instruments can be made more frequently which will help with the growth of the channel and I, for one, will be looking forward to more...
+1 for Ted Woodford, he’s brilliant! 👍
Ditto, that dude is amazing and informative and funny.
To clean up a dirty fret board I normally use a cotton facecloth, so it's soft enough not to do damage but has the roughness also to scrub.. I use that with murphy's oil soap.. does a great job.
Great video!
Great work.
Would like to know if he liked it.
Negative points for clickbait title - unless he actually dumped you in which case he's an idiot.
@@barnett25
Bullshit, it's never a requirement
Reminds me of the time my brother had a total engine failure in his car. (connecting rods through the side of the block). I secretly got hold of another engine, stripped it down and rebuilt it, so it was good as new. Then while my brother was away for the weekend, I replaced the engine. Took it for a quick test run and it was running terrific. Parked it up in exactly the same spot so he wouldn't suspect anything. Then on the day of his birthday I gave him a phone call. I asked him to go out to his car and... That's where he interrupted me to say "I haven't got it any more. I scrapped it. It was towed away yesterday"
I’m so glad you started this channel! I’ve only ever done work on electric guitars and I have an acoustic that was left to me by my grandfather when he passed that has a similar bridge issue. This video gave me the confidence to give it a go and see if I can get it back to where it needs to be! Thanks!
Hope you got it fixed up, and you're making it sing.
Just one little comment, don't use an adjustable wrench to tighten bolts, it could slip and round the edges of the bolt. Use a box end wrench. I should have started out by saying I enjoy your videos. There is always something to learn.
Hey Daisy, nice video well done👌...I think that every good Luthier/ Guitarbuilder/ Maker has to be a good repairman/ women to. I've graduated in 1997 in Germany as a Luthier ( In German: Zupfinstrumentenmacher. We have a separation between Instruments you pick or Instruments you play with a Bow)....And in these Days it was permitted, after 3 Years of education, to build New Instruments. It was allowed to make Repairs, Parts, and assemble Instruments. You have to practice another 3 Years as a Repair Man/Women to get the Master and after that period of time you can make your Own builds. I've made more than 10k repairs. And every repair Job expanded my knowledge and shows me new ways of getting things " Back on the Track". It´s very satisfying to keep Instruments alive, and if you manage a tricky repair.... 👌Amazing Feeling.. Keep on going with your Videos there are really nice...Make your own experience and do your Thing. Best Regards to England. Nik
Martin Luthier was the first German to break away from the orthodox guitar builders in Rome in 1517. 🎸🎻⛪
@@sacredband9812 Yes you are totally right. As a matter of fact a lot of German Luthiers and Instrument builder have spread there knowledge and craftsmanship over the whole World. Good Example Martin Guitar, Steinway Pianos, Roger Rossmeisel, Arthur Lang, just to name a few of them...Allmost all of them were educated at the Luthier Schools Mittenwald or Marktneukirchen. Best Regards Nik
Good idea to cover the top when applying heat to get the bridge off. Jewellers soldering plate works well with a cut out to fit around the bridge. Or you could use 2 together. They are not expensive to buy. Put tape under the plate to stop it scratching
As had been already mentioned, I too recommend Ted Woodford. Nothing phases him. Nice job by the way
Im just a guy that does all my own guitar maintenance, but i think you did really good! Just got it clean and back into working order and stable. Maybe you two can come up with an idea to fill in the crack that honors its history.
Your boyfriend is very lucky to have you! Smart, talented , charming and thoughtful! Mr Boyfirnd, this ones a keeper! Oh and you definitely have a new subscriber Daisy!
Maybe comment on the actual content of the video and not just how "datable" she is?
I'm unfamiliar with what you used on the frets, but I am a big big fan of lightly polishing frets with 0000 steel wool, it gets the string marks out without screwing up the height.
Yip, really fine steel wool does the best for me too, highly recommend. Though I would wear a mask to make sure I don't inhale the fine bits that come off when polishing.
Emery cloth is far superior.
No metal particles left behind.
Especially important with electric guitars, where it will infiltrate pickups and electronic components.
You should make a video of the result… What he thought of it… Personally I think he’s the luckiest man in the world to have a girlfriend that’s a guitar luthier… That’s incredible.
I’d always use a box spanner rather than an adjustable. Back of the scalpel blade makes a better scraper than the sharp side. Nice job.
As amazing as guitars are, they’re “things.” A girl/woman like you who’s not only interested in guitars but could build a replacement one - whoa! That’s awesome, you’re a keeper!!
So her luthier skills are valuable only in the context of how worthy she is as a partner? Such a typical tonedeaf old white man comment.
That's awesome. I love how you sanded the bridge using the sandpaper on the soundboard. I'd suggest doing it both ways (up-&-down like in the video, then toward-&-away from the sound hole) to get it as close as possible to the shape of the soundboard. The chalk on the bottom is a good idea, too so you limit any changes in bridge height; there are similar techniques used in metalworking for very-closely mating parts, and for 'flattening' or curving an optical part. Cheers.
Just found you today. Really detailed work and super repair!! Like 400 and subbing today!
I know what you mean when you say you're not a guitar repairer, you're a builder. I'm the same. I build my own and I'm not interested in fixing things on guitars someone else has made, simply because (as you say) you don't know exactly how they've been constructed. But in reality, there is not that much difference in building and repairing. It's mainly the reticence we builders feel towards repairing. I thought you did a top job on that Washburn. What else could have been done better? You did everything in a logical, methodical, reasoned manner with all the correct tools, understanding the issues to fix and how you're going to use the tools to fix them. Spot on! You did things slightly different to how I would have done them, but everyone is different and will do things different ways. I personally would have been tempted to flat off the frets, re-crown and polish them again (you're absolutely right, a re-fret wasn't necessary) given the wear in some of the positions in the frets, But that's another job and another allocation of your time. I think it's in a much better state than it was before (eugh!). I think your partner will be stoked with your work.
I can recommend twoodfrd's youtube channel.. Excellent builder and repair guy from Canada...
Daisy needs to subscribe to his channel and watch every video he has ever produced. She'll learn so much more than she knows now.
I will third that, Ted is an awesome watch and such a free sharer; if in Canada go visit him for a repair apprenticeship
I was going to say the same, Ted's use of a suction pad to get glue into cracks is something that you could learn from
@@johnthursfield3056 Another great technique of Ted's is to locate and hold a glued cleat in place with strong magnets.
@@Arnd2it Ted is a class act - so classy, in fact, that he wouldn't appreciate the way you've disparaged Daisy's skillset here.
Well done there. Good job....... but please don't use an adjustable spanner to tighten the tuning pegs. Get a few sockets. It'll save tears further down the line.
Great video! Can totally relate about being a maker not a repairer, but nonetheless you did an awesome job. Would have loved to have seen his reaction when first gazing upon it! 🙂
It is common practice for Music Instrument Shops to outsource specific work to a Luthier i.e. adding a PickUp System (such as a Fishman Blend) to an Acoustic as this will require cutting a hole in the Guitars outer body to accommodate it. As one of Hamburg Germany premier Instrument shops were to discover their chosen luthier can botch this up but fear not they are insured for this as is the Luthier. The example I give here was the addition of a Fishman Presys Blend to a brand new Sigma limited to 60 Worldwide special edition SIGMA SDR41 and where this went wrong, albeit minimal but visible, was one small blemish as a result of the multi-layered lacquer breaking. Sadly for the Luthier, even after consultation with Sigma on the composition of the Lacquer the blemish could not be removed and as a result I was not charged for the Pickup system being added and we agreed on a €300 depreciation to the value of the guitar, this was instead of the other offer by the Luthier to purchase the Guitar from me for what I had recently paid and as he said, he was happy to make that offer as this was one of the best ever sounding and playable Acoustics he had ever had the pleasure of working on, he went further by saying it was even better than his Martin D36.
Daisy, please pay attention to your audio levels. The voice-over parts (the stuff that matters) are barely audible and the "fly-over" audio (the music while you're sanding, filing, luthiering) is deafening.
Woah! I just did a belly-bulge steam repair on my old Washburn D10 yesterday and gave it a nice setup etc, and just picked it up to test it out and enjoy a random Daisy Tempest video, and it wasn't until the last few shots I noticed the headstock on this one! Almost the exact same guitar! Haha. Likely from the same era as well since the bridge shape is also the same. Mine is all black though. Hope he liked the repair job!
Interested to know more about this. I have a 12 string WD10S that had a fair bulge when I bought it used. I keep it tuned to D standard now. Is this preferable or is E standard ok?
@@gerrykavanagh I won't vaunt myself into the role of "expert" on Daisy's channel, and likely you were asking her and not me anyway, but I would offer that no matter what you do, the bulge is going to affect the relationship between the bridge and the neck. Things like tuning down to a lower key, using lighter gauge strings, making the neck as straight as possible, shaving the saddle within a 64th-inch of its life (someone even came into the shop yesterday with a bulging 12-string and their solution was to only install six of the strings AND tune it down, haha) will all help the situation feel more tolerable, but if you really want to make it right, I would check with a local repair shop to see if they can fix it with steam. Worse case, it may be something more serious like the top coming unglued from a brace or even a broken brace, but I feel like that's less likely. And the person diagnosing it would probably have to be holding the instrument. That being said: if dropping it down a whole step makes it more enjoyable to play and you like it, go with that! Another recommendation if you really want to tune it up to E is to maybe try a set of the same gauge string you're used to but in a silk & steel version. You can still get a good amount of sound out them but much easier on the hands, especially on a 12-string!
His favorite guitar----- It's his favorite for a reason. It's one thing to bring a damaged guitar across the "repaired" finish line, but modifying or making "secret changes" could be a nightmare because he might not like that you did that and then not be able to tell you for fear of an argument. My guitars are my "girlfriend's" and you had better consult me before anything gets changed. I stand up for my women!
Even though you didn't build the guitar you showed it the same respect and love as you do your own builds, that's awesome. Great job!
Well I don't know anything about guitar repair bust since you seem to be open to criticism, here are a few things that would have made the video better.
1. Audio balancing. Your voice was quiet enough that I had to turn my sound up, but as soon as the music started playing I had to turn it back down.
2. Close up shots of the guitar when it was finished. When you're watching these before/after type of vids, you generally want to see the after lol. We really only got a quick snippet as you were closing the case. Something more direct/deliberate would have been better.
3. The more optional, but nice to have thing would have been to see his reaction...Unless of course he doesn't want to be in a vid, then that's fine.
Either way, best of luck!
I love the vintage tone of a Badger-gap mis-aligned acoustic bridge. Sure it hurts playability, but that's more than made up for by the artistic enhancement of the friction taping to improve the structural integrity.
I'm glad he didn't actually dump you. it shows his good sense! It didn't look to me that it needed a refret unless there was play wear on the tops of the frets that I couldn't see. I think you did just fine as a repair person! It takes real guts to tackle a fretboard as nasty as that one!
I am no repairman nor luthier, but i would have cleaned the area under the bridge too, so it is nice and even withou any bits of glue or laquer
Have you closed/filled the cracks now? One thing to learn from violin luthiers, keep the cleat short and/or have the grain at 45 degrees to better match it's expansion with humidity to the soundboard crossgrain.
Don’t know if anyone pointed this out below but I wanted to point out one thing about the bridge. When you took the bridge off their was guitar finish under it. The glue will not stick properly to that finished surface and it is probably why it lifted in the first place, as the finish is in the same spot. I would highly recommend that you tape around the bridge and then remove it so you can sand the finish off without affecting the surrounding area before glueing it back on. You really need that wood to wood contact in order for the bridge to glue down properly. This is a pretty common issue.
I'm pretty sure the area under the bridge was the only unfinished part of the guitar's top? Much more likely that what was there was residual glue from the original build. Besides, Daisy builds her own stunning guitars and has studied this for years- I'm more than sure she knows what she's doing.
If i may recommend a guitar repair/build channel it would be a Rosa Stringworks Workshop. I learned almost all i know from it and the author is such a nice guy. Definitely go check it out.
Update - cleats are way to go, but I’d suggest glueing the cracks as well. I.e. pump the wood glue in the crack, clamp the body so the crack closes, then stick the cleats
You asked for feedback. Just IMO I would not have risked using a sharp blade to scrape the layer of dirt on the fretboard. Some fretboard oil and steel wool would get it done just fine and also make those frets nice and shinny.
You're so right in thinking everything through, logically. The only thing I would do differently is, when scraping the fingerboard, I use a full razor blade rather than an X-acto knife because you get a longer, straight edge against the surface. It's a more consistent flat edge so you won't gouge the wood accidently.
This is a very minor critique. One thing I noticed during the video was that the sound changed so much. Up and then down in volume. I enjoyed the video and I have had to do much the same type of repair years ago. I had a guitar that I got really cheap. It was in the case, in the rear window of my car, during the summer in Florida. The bridge came off of the sound board and was in a pile on top of the neck. Being a young guy with no knowledge of repair, I put it back on with Elmers Carpenters Glue. It worked fine. I had already scraped off the polyurethane finish someone else had put on it. I finished it with linseed oil. It has a wonderful low tone and I still have it maybe 35 years later. I will subscribe to your channel and learn more about making guitars. Thank you for being willing to share your knowledge. John Beres
Magnificent video Daisy! The love and commitment you have to your craft just oozes out of every word spoken. I once restored an old Eko ranger which had similar cracks. I used cyanoacrylate to fill the splits, carefully buffed it & achieved a really nice finish. Please keep the vids coming. x
I have had to used the spatulas and heat gun on a build I was doing. 😮 I have done more repairs than builds and do find truth in your statement - builds are different than repairs! I enjoy the challenge and rewards of each. Both have a lot of problem solving and learning how to recover from my mistakes. 😂 I enjoy your videos!
Learned an important lesson about side-loading scalpel blades this past weekend while using the reverse of a #11 to smooth out a pickguard templateーthe blade snapped, went flying, and stuck me 3/4" deep into the middle knuckle of my right index finger, just missing the FDS tendon.
Great tools, but best for cutting. Unfortunately, worked so well at what I was doing that I'll probably end up snapping one again, I'll just be wearing gloves next time. 😅
Please wear glasses if you do that, you’re lucky it didn’t end up in your eye
@@HeliBenj Always do. 👍 One close call from a hidden staple bouncing off my spectacles while prying the side off a toy piano, and I've been doubling up goggles + polycarbonate lens eyeglasses ever since.
You’re the second female luthier I have come across in the last week, the other being Rosie (featured on Ben Crowe’s channel). Love your methodical approach to repairs.
You dont need scraper use rubbing compound and clean cotton to for the fingerboard. For fret wire use steel wool number 0000 grade make sure between fret wire put a tape adhesive.
I have a question! I have a beautiful old Washburn acoustic. The bridge is cracked. I took a look on the inside with my telescoping camera and saw that the inner piece of wood is also cracked. What is this piece called? Can it be removed? Can it be replaced? Thanks for this video, you gave me confidence to attempt this repair myself!
I have been watching a lot of luthier videos and this came up. Subscribed. A lovely thing to do that I hope he appreciated.
I'm sending this along to my repair guy, who has reluctantly taken on an acoustic guitar with a serious intonation problem. He's done a great job on every repair I've ever given him, but I don't know that he's performed this kind of surgery before. Hoping your video can help him out.
I’ve just discovered your channel. Very important point about the difference between building and repairing
maybe tape up the fretboard when buffing the frets. Autosol works great on frets but it's an abrasive paste and you don't want that residue on the fretboard. plus, it kind of stinks and if it gets in the wood, it'll stink for a long time :)
Fun to watch....reminds me of my brother who never wipes off his guitars after he plays and they all have years of grunge on them....yucch! ( hint I have polishing cloths put in every case and still I often forget to wipe mine down as well! ) I go through mine at least twice a year and clean them up...usually do a thorough cleaning whenever I change the strings. Only remark I have is I wouldn't have used cleats to repair the cracks, superglue and my own shellac is what I usually use and have had good results with. I think a thin strip of hardwood veneer is good for cracks on the back and sides, and probably a thin veneer of Adirondack spruce running with the grain would be better for a soundboard if you don't trust glue and/or shellac. Looks pretty nice tho I hope the owner appreciated the repair and effort! Also I find 0000 grade steel wool cleans up frets and fingerboards quite well. Notice you mentioned autosol which cleans up metal really well too. Lemon oil and Danish oil works well on satin finishes and a carfinish product called Meguiars works really well to remove surface scratches and will polish up most any guitar finish quite well!
See Rosa String Works for repairs of cracks. Clue: close them with superglue and amps before putting is patches.
Most of my experience with musical instruments has been repairing them. the main damage has been from leaving them in cars on hot days as this tends to make the glue fail.
Daisy scraping with confidence like Baumgartner Restoration does it
I didn't see any index pins (I use chopsticks) to line up the bridge pins holes with the top holes when gluing the bridge. Apply Johnston's Paste Wax to the index pins so they don't get glued in.
Nice work!
Just a thought, re. heat gun. You can pick up cheap soldering stations that have controllable heatguns, can focus the heat right down.
Silicone heat mat or a heating iron (not the sort for clothes)
hey Daisy girl.. I saw a video of urs a while back. I love watching the process of guitar makers. I never realised so much went into making guitars. I think u did well for ur man. He should be happy .. LOL I know how it feels to let somebody near my tools. Nobody is allowed into my workshop, NOBODY!!! haha! I don't trust ppl around any of my tools.
They cost me a lot to assemble over the past few years and I don't want anybody touching or ruining them on me.. Keep up the great work and content. I enjoyed ur video on the French Cleat wall for ur tools. I need to make one for my shop soon. I have plenty of sheet material to work with so I think I'm going to do that this week.
My shop is a joke atm. I cannot keep it clean. It's really only a one car garage at 16X10' but I['ve seen many videos on here where ppl are working out of much smaller areas so it's all good. My issue has always been organisation of the shop since I started.
What made u take up building guiters? I
I'm going to shut it down now bcos I'm waffling to much. I do this all the time when talking about my shop or woodworking in general.. LMAO
Take care and keep doing ur thing.. Salute to u from Dublin..
Very nicely done, Daisy. For gunk removal you might consider trying the edge of a credit or gift card for scraping prior to using a scapel. Your methods had great results so in the end, it's whatever works best for you. Keep up the great and caring work! Cheers!
this shit use to be so in and its normal she want to finish soon so I think a blade is a proper tool. I use an old and well sharped scraped for this
Of course, the bridge wouldn't actually go flying off. The strings aren't actually anchored to the bridge, but rather pinned through the soundboard, so the force is taken by the soundboard and the bridge plate underneath the soundboard. I think the bridge could probably become completely detatched the it still wouldn't go flying. I do have concerns for a few acoustic guitars I've seen where the strings just feed through holes on the end of the bridge and don't actually go through the soundboard at all. In those ones the glue holding the bridge down is completely holding all the string tension of the guitar and it would go flying if it lifted.
I would agree with every fix/clean you made and everything you chose not to alter. Great work!!