Hello from England Ted. Consistently, after a tough working week, your videos calm me and remind me that the world CAN be a stable, kind and intelligent place. Zen and the art of guitar maintenance. Thank you! 🫡
I don’t think anyone, including the people who built these, expected they’d still be around close to 100 years later. They fact that they are, and playable, makes them quite special.
That Harmony plays well. The bit of backstory is good. I imagine the great grandchildren looking at the funny black and white photos in an album and being told this is the same guitar as in the pictures.
Thanks for another great video. I wish I had a busted old valuable guitar to send you to work on...lol. You're a decent picker too!! Would love to hear how you got started as a luthier. I've seen all you videos. Maybe I missed one with that story?
OMG thanks. I have this exact same guitar. My mom bought it for me at a garage sale back in the 70s. No one has ever been able to identify the brand or date. It has the exact same screen printed fret markers and head stock. Always wondered what it was.
Using the heated metal beam when trying to straighten the neck, the beam is not really in contact with the neck anywhere (and only indirectly in contact via the shims at either end). So this seems to mean you are relying completely on radiant conduction to heat the neck. Three questions: 1) would a thermal paste between the beem and neck help? 2) would it help to have the whole assembly upside down (I'm thinking about heat rising towards the neck instead of away from the neck, so you get some convection heating as well as radiant heating). 3) would there be any point in using heat lamps (maybe even without heating the metal beam)?
Exactly my thoughts. 15 minutes and with the heat rising away from the neck I'm not surprised it didn't work for Ted. I do it with the heater on the bottom of the assembly, clamped flat against the frets for heat transfer inside the fretboard. Then when everything is warm enough I release the clamp to introduce back-bow with shims and quickly clamp again and heat it (now indirectly) some more and let cool slowly. Wrapping the whole contraption in foil and or towels seems like a good idea to avoid too much moisture loss and keep temps more even.
Wow, that Harmony ended up sounding great! I love that you take the time to make these old neglected instruments playable again. That's something I do in my spare time too, I find it quite rewarding.
Oh nostalgia... we all have something that isn't worth much in cash but has a lot of sentimental value. It is tough when you want that item to be perfect again but... it never will. You always find a great compromise.
I have a Harmony that needs extensive repair that looks exactly like this guitar. Since the fingerboard is off and destroyed I’ll definitely install a two-way truss rod. I’ll check the date and serial number to see how close it is to your customer’s guitar.
Funny that you mention your hate of the clamshell bridge! On my first "guitar" (an instrument I hodge-podged together as a kid) I had one of those and I actually loved it. Well, I guess, in comparison with the pen bridge, staple frets and tuners that changed the pitch half a tone when turned a millimeter, it was probably the best thing there... Later I used individual saddles made of a half pencil so I could actually play in tune above the 5th fret. Was more in tune, but the pen sounded better.
"Not the end of the world". Interesting you should say that. A few years ago I sat on my Alverez acoustic guitar (broke the top and braces) but the Gretsch Country "Gentleman" Classic in my hands was unhurt ! That was almost the end of the world, but somehow my wife took it in stride.
It looks to be a Sears, Roebuck "Supertone" Model 226 which sold for $8-65 and as you said- made by Harmony which was owned by Sears until bought by the management in late 1940. The blurb in the catalogue mentions steel reinforcement in the neck- with no adjuster. The stick on label dates the Kay to circa 1960- it is a student level model which had a non-adjustable bridge.
hard to believe an economy guitar from the 30's is in this good condition and playability ..harmony tried to put out a decent guitar , currently perfect for lap style for the lady. you made it right with your usual great work ..and a good ol' kay mando , hmmm , i thought you were always supposed to paint the strings ..
I had a Stella. It fell and the bouts got cracked on one side. I didn't know it could be fixed at the time. Wish I had it today. I'd easily pay a thousand dollars for that guitar today. It's not all about the money. I absolutely hate when you say it's not worth the money because it's a modest instrument. Let the customer worry about the money. Say it's gonna cost $600 to $800 to fix it and it's only worth $40 bucks. Yeah, $40 bucks and trying to locate one and decide if you're happy with it. Some people aren't made of cardboard.
Dear Ted.I'm an old maker so I don't visit for tech tips though once in a while there is an undiscovered gem. I come for the humour and philosphy. I'm sure you have a very nice nature.
My Harmony arch top date code S43 has a long arched brace under the sound board from the neck to the tail. The sound board has lots of contour, but the action is just about the same as the one in this video. If you still have the guitar Ted, can you show us the braces with your nifty snake camera?
Hi mate i was just watching the YT Channel called bald shredder and hes got a 40 plus years old harmony Parlour acoustic that he dont knw what to do with i was thinking you collaborate well thats all from me for l8ters
Thank you Thank you Thank you for what you said at 4:36 and 17:57. What are the chances that you say twice ‘it’s not the end of the world “ in the same video! And that I listened to you minutes after I ask the Lord that the world wouldn’t end!
Will you point me to your video on using a piece of guitar string to mark points to shape an acoustic bridge saddle to set intonation? I have been searching and and am having a hard time finding it. I want to try the same method on a classical bridge saddle I need to file into shape. Thanks for you help.
It's poplar (not very hard and used in a lot of budget guitar necks) and the ferrules were a friction fit (and probably not made to the most accurate tolerances). So, they're in the same place as ball point pen caps, single gloves/socks, and car tire valve caps. Also, it's a budget guitar and probably never considered worth the effort to source a replacement.
@@davidethridge5748 Yeah, I guessed you were being sarcastic (trying to do the same, every pen I grab seems to be missing the cap!!!). But no word of a lie, I found an old Kay in a pawn shop sporting 3 different styles of ferrules!!! BTW, I used to frequent The Guitar Clinic in Hamilton and George used to have little bins of tuner ferrules and tune-o-matic saddles in more styles and variations than you could imagine.
What do you recommend to clean & polish a 22-year Martin D35? It is not scratched up and it looks good. It has not been played very much at all. I loosened the strings and stored it in a bedroom. I kept it in the case and kept it lying on a sofa. Awesome video thumbs up.
Back in the early 1970s I was learning to play using an old Harmony archtop with a pickup. It was a torturous experience, to put it mildly. I persisted until it was obvious that the neck joint had failed and would not heal itself!! With nothing to lose, I decided to attempt a repair. Of course, I was immediately confronted with all the nasty surprises of haphazard repair attempts by others. My repair attempt morphed into an autopsy!! I found the neck heel cracked completely through and epoxy had been forced into the crack from the outside in a repair attempt also I found glue forced in under the fingerboard at the body. What shocked me the most was discovering how the guitar was constructed!!! The dovetail and mortice looked like they were cut with all the precision a novice framing carpenter could muster freehand with a framing saw!! Then the guitar neck and body would be clamped down while aligned in place as the mortice cavity would then simply be FILLED FULL with hot hide clue!! Clever, no actual wood fitting was done!! Molded hide clue holds the neck in place and together!! Is it any wonder you see necks pull up or come loose??!!
I've been watching your videos for a while now. And lately thanks to algorithms I've been getting videos recommended to watch of other people's videos fixing guitars and I want you to know that I know that you are one of the best out there. I'm no luthier but I do know alot about working with wood and using tools. And comparing what you do to others is ridiculous. Now I understand why you get so much business. Soon you'll probably have to open up a factory and hire people. Cause there's a lot of people out there that I truly believe really need to stick to just playing guitar. So thank you for your videos.
Quite impressed you are able to see a half of a 64th of an inch, or 1/128th of an inch, or .008 in, or .178 mm. In other words, between 7 and 8 64ths for a half of 1/64th. As a machinist quite used to using a scale, I know I can't do it, your eyes must be very good, good for you. Carry on.
Ted might have an aversion to becoming his own nightlight. On a related note, I remember reading that The Museo del Violino in Cremona was scanning a few Strads with an MRI machine.
He was referring to the catalogs from stores such as Sears and Montgomery Wards, who sold guitars with their own branding, but the guitars were made by companies like Harmony or Kay or Gibson. Those guitars are referred to as catalog guitars.
Fabulous video. At 80 years old now, this guitar is something I’d love to have, and she sounds really good and happy all fixed up. Thank you so much for bringing her back to life.
I have the reverse of that, a 50s Kay archtop, and a 30s Kaykraft mandolin. Luckily the mandolin plays well and both record well. I like that the old mandolin is somewhere half-way between an A and an F, good for celtic or bluegrass.
Re mandolin tailpiece, I had the same problem on a bowl back instrument. I found the best way for me was to bend a right angle into the string end (or loop) first and then pull the string through until the loop caught on the hook. If you try it with a straight loop (as in your video) it's a PITA.
Hey Ted, or anyone who has Luthier knowledge. I just finished setting up my 4th parlor guitar that I built from scratch. Iam having an issue with neck relief the neck is dead flat, I have a dual action truss rod installed which was tested & it worked however I cannot get any relief ?? The action is fine the only issue is the low E string I have it set a .090” the 12th fret & 13th fret sound the same I checked the fret heights they are the same nothing popped ect. Thanks to anyone who has input..👍🎸🎸👨🏻🦯
Hello from England Ted.
Consistently, after a tough working week, your videos calm me and remind me that the world CAN be a stable, kind and intelligent place.
Zen and the art of guitar maintenance. Thank you! 🫡
Not to mention Shakespeare!
"and at a certain point they just sort of have to be what they are"
a good reminder to us all, that in life, all we need to be is who we are.
I don’t think anyone, including the people who built these, expected they’d still be around close to 100 years later. They fact that they are, and playable, makes them quite special.
Wow, they both ended up sounding quite nice considering their condition.
I don't even play guitar, I'm just here for the classical quotations.
He is quite entertaining.
It's your lucky day.
To polish or not to polish. That is the question.
Even those of that play guitar or other instruments are actually here for the weekly therapy session, and the sense of humor.
I dont even watch Ted's Videos b-4 hittin the like button , I already know they're gonna be GOOD! THX TED !
I didn't know Hamlet was talking about a guitar! You learn something every day!
Thanks again, Ted, for sharing your skill and expertise
The large one sounded really good to me. Look forward to you films every week.
Thank you, Ted.
Perfect. Some excellent repair techniques and advice, a bit of Classical Lit and a little Philosophy to boot. Thanks Ted! 👍🏼
Did you really do the soliloquy from memory AND make a pun on 'action?' Distracted me from part of the vid!!
I can't wait to watch this. I have a Sonata Deluxe which is a "cheaper" Harmony H974. Harmony told me it was $11 new in 1941.
Harmony sounds real good, I wish all my old guitars could talk,....and in a way they do
Polishing polishing
... polishing.
Ahhhh, the perfect way to destress before the week 😊
That Harmony plays well. The bit of backstory is good. I imagine the great grandchildren looking at the funny black and white photos in an album and being told this is the same guitar as in the pictures.
Those instruments sounded much better than I anticipated, maybe the player is half way decent...))
I'm not sure if I've ever heard you talking about your own guitars, if you ever get the time that might be an interesting video.
That Harmony sounded nice
Thanks for another great video. I wish I had a busted old valuable guitar to send you to work on...lol. You're a decent picker too!! Would love to hear how you got started as a luthier. I've seen all you videos. Maybe I missed one with that story?
Thanks Ted
Thanks for polishing.
This HArmony sounds really nice !
Eventually, we're going to get full reading of Hamlet 😉
OMG thanks. I have this exact same guitar. My mom bought it for me at a garage sale back in the 70s. No one has ever been able to identify the brand or date. It has the exact same screen printed fret markers and head stock. Always wondered what it was.
Thanks, Ted. I needed this relaxing video!
nice change of taste, still coulda watched another 20 minutes
Thought you were going to yodeling at the end there : )
Using the heated metal beam when trying to straighten the neck, the beam is not really in contact with the neck anywhere (and only indirectly in contact via the shims at either end). So this seems to mean you are relying completely on radiant conduction to heat the neck. Three questions: 1) would a thermal paste between the beem and neck help? 2) would it help to have the whole assembly upside down (I'm thinking about heat rising towards the neck instead of away from the neck, so you get some convection heating as well as radiant heating). 3) would there be any point in using heat lamps (maybe even without heating the metal beam)?
Exactly my thoughts. 15 minutes and with the heat rising away from the neck I'm not surprised it didn't work for Ted. I do it with the heater on the bottom of the assembly, clamped flat against the frets for heat transfer inside the fretboard. Then when everything is warm enough I release the clamp to introduce back-bow with shims and quickly clamp again and heat it (now indirectly) some more and let cool slowly. Wrapping the whole contraption in foil and or towels seems like a good idea to avoid too much moisture loss and keep temps more even.
Great to see a mandolin on the bench! I would love to see more, though I suspect you don't get many in the shop. :)
When the end of the F hole are not attached to the rest (so like three holes instead of one big F) 99% of the time it’s made by harmony
Wow, that Harmony ended up sounding great! I love that you take the time to make these old neglected instruments playable again. That's something I do in my spare time too, I find it quite rewarding.
Oh nostalgia... we all have something that isn't worth much in cash but has a lot of sentimental value. It is tough when you want that item to be perfect again but... it never will. You always find a great compromise.
I'm surprised you have model railroad spikes laying around! I've been an N-scale modeler for about 40 years. No hand spiking of track in that gauge!
I don't know from where you cobble together those old thyme quotes, but they sound sage and full of rosemary.
I have a Harmony that needs extensive repair that looks exactly like this guitar. Since the fingerboard is off and destroyed I’ll definitely install a two-way truss rod. I’ll check the date and serial number to see how close it is to your customer’s guitar.
Funny that you mention your hate of the clamshell bridge! On my first "guitar" (an instrument I hodge-podged together as a kid) I had one of those and I actually loved it. Well, I guess, in comparison with the pen bridge, staple frets and tuners that changed the pitch half a tone when turned a millimeter, it was probably the best thing there...
Later I used individual saddles made of a half pencil so I could actually play in tune above the 5th fret. Was more in tune, but the pen sounded better.
"Non-coated this time..." Ha! That was hilarious.
The best Sunday night video (In Germany) 😂
I just come for the Hamlet quotes, so this one landed a very palpable hit.
I enjoy hearing/watching you play. For sure, both of those sounded really nice.
That Harmony sounded pretty good. Cheers.
"Not the end of the world". Interesting you should say that. A few years ago I sat on my Alverez acoustic guitar (broke the top and braces) but the Gretsch Country "Gentleman" Classic in my hands was unhurt ! That was almost the end of the world, but somehow my wife took it in stride.
What is good? My gang. Best gang ever. Hey there gang. Theodorus Woodfordus layin the knowledge on…
Am I the only one who really enjoys watching Ted’s videos while having Sunday dinner? Great timing Ted!
It looks to be a Sears, Roebuck "Supertone" Model 226 which sold for $8-65 and as you said- made by Harmony which was owned by Sears until bought by the management in late 1940. The blurb in the catalogue mentions steel reinforcement in the neck- with no adjuster. The stick on label dates the Kay to circa 1960- it is a student level model which had a non-adjustable bridge.
Enjoy your videos. On the Harmony, the string spacing at the bridge appeared inconsistent. Was that intentional?
I'm pretty sure I have the same model archtop. With water damage. That's wild. Confirmed harmony🎉
great work!
if you think that clamp shell bridge is "everyone favorit", you probably never working with Bandura))
Hey, Ted! Have you tried out that GOLD FRETWIRE from StewMac?
hard to believe an economy guitar from the 30's is in this good condition and playability ..harmony tried to put out a decent guitar , currently perfect for lap style for the lady. you made it right with your usual great work ..and a good ol' kay mando , hmmm , i thought you were always supposed to paint the strings ..
Thank you
I had a Stella. It fell and the bouts got cracked on one side. I didn't know it could be fixed at the time. Wish I had it today. I'd easily pay a thousand dollars for that guitar today. It's not all about the money. I absolutely hate when you say it's not worth the money because it's a modest instrument. Let the customer worry about the money. Say it's gonna cost $600 to $800 to fix it and it's only worth $40 bucks. Yeah, $40 bucks and trying to locate one and decide if you're happy with it. Some people aren't made of cardboard.
Them old archtop parlor guitars are always my favorite
Wood temp must be 160F before plasticizing.
Dear Ted.I'm an old maker so I don't visit for tech tips though once in a while there is an undiscovered gem.
I come for the humour and philosphy.
I'm sure you have a very nice nature.
Thanks Ted! Was having a pretty lousy day until I got home and had a notification of a new video!!
wow installing fret dot markers on a 1930's archtop:
you have no shame, hack.
Surprise! That archtop actually sounded pretty good when you started strumming it! Nice!
My Harmony arch top date code S43 has a long arched brace under the sound board from the neck to the tail. The sound board has lots of contour, but the action is just about the same as the one in this video. If you still have the guitar Ted, can you show us the braces with your nifty snake camera?
Hi mate i was just watching the YT Channel called bald shredder and hes got a 40 plus years old harmony Parlour acoustic that he dont knw what to do with i was thinking you collaborate well thats all from me for l8ters
Thank you Thank you Thank you for what you said at 4:36 and 17:57. What are the chances that you say twice ‘it’s not the end of the world “ in the same video! And that I listened to you minutes after I ask the Lord that the world wouldn’t end!
Will you point me to your video on using a piece of guitar string to mark points to shape an acoustic bridge saddle to set intonation? I have been searching and and am having a hard time finding it. I want to try the same method on a classical bridge saddle I need to file into shape. Thanks for you help.
I wondered who sent me that free pizza. It was cold by the time it got to West Texas, but I was grateful nonetheless 😅
A Hamlet man! YES!
I like to pre-bend the loop ends for those tail pieces, to give myself a chance not to use sailor words at volume .
Grandma’s pickup truck of stringers
Loved the sound of the Archtop! 😲
Very nice work Ted.
I really like the tone of that archtop. The Kay isn't bad, either.
I just dig my '61 Harmony Master
👍
Painted strings.? I didn’t know that was even a thing.
Why are they always missing the ferrules?!
It's poplar (not very hard and used in a lot of budget guitar necks) and the ferrules were a friction fit (and probably not made to the most accurate tolerances). So, they're in the same place as ball point pen caps, single gloves/socks, and car tire valve caps.
Also, it's a budget guitar and probably never considered worth the effort to source a replacement.
@@tiacho2893 sorry I was being sarcastic, but yes cheap is cheap as cheap is cheap
@@davidethridge5748 Yeah, I guessed you were being sarcastic (trying to do the same, every pen I grab seems to be missing the cap!!!). But no word of a lie, I found an old Kay in a pawn shop sporting 3 different styles of ferrules!!!
BTW, I used to frequent The Guitar Clinic in Hamilton and George used to have little bins of tuner ferrules and tune-o-matic saddles in more styles and variations than you could imagine.
Hey Ted, can a post be put under or near the bridge to stop it from sinking into the mire?
I have the same mandolin with a broken top.
Got the mids sorted on the mke...good stuff.
Woohooo! :o)
Thanks for another great video
What do you recommend to clean & polish a 22-year Martin D35? It is not scratched up and it looks good. It has not been played very much at all. I loosened the strings and stored it in a bedroom. I kept it in the case and kept it lying on a sofa. Awesome video thumbs up.
Honey mustard
Lol, structural strap buttons…
Back in the early 1970s I was learning to play using an old Harmony archtop with a pickup. It was a torturous experience, to put it mildly. I persisted until it was obvious that the neck joint had failed and would not heal itself!! With nothing to lose, I decided to attempt a repair. Of course, I was immediately confronted with all the nasty surprises of haphazard repair attempts by others. My repair attempt morphed into an autopsy!! I found the neck heel cracked completely through and epoxy had been forced into the crack from the outside in a repair attempt also I found glue forced in under the fingerboard at the body. What shocked me the most was discovering how the guitar was constructed!!! The dovetail and mortice looked like they were cut with all the precision a novice framing carpenter could muster freehand with a framing saw!! Then the guitar neck and body would be clamped down while aligned in place as the mortice cavity would then simply be FILLED FULL with hot hide clue!! Clever, no actual wood fitting was done!! Molded hide clue holds the neck in place and together!! Is it any wonder you see necks pull up or come loose??!!
I've been watching your videos for a while now. And lately thanks to algorithms I've been getting videos recommended to watch of other people's videos fixing guitars and I want you to know that I know that you are one of the best out there. I'm no luthier but I do know alot about working with wood and using tools. And comparing what you do to others is ridiculous. Now I understand why you get so much business. Soon you'll probably have to open up a factory and hire people. Cause there's a lot of people out there that I truly believe really need to stick to just playing guitar. So thank you for your videos.
Quite impressed you are able to see a half of a 64th of an inch, or 1/128th of an inch, or .008 in, or .178 mm. In other words, between 7 and 8 64ths for a half of 1/64th. As a machinist quite used to using a scale, I know I can't do it, your eyes must be very good, good for you. Carry on.
Ted rocks, that is all
You should have an x-ray machine for your shop.
It would help with these neck joints.
Totally worth the investment..
Ted might have an aversion to becoming his own nightlight.
On a related note, I remember reading that The Museo del Violino in Cremona was scanning a few Strads with an MRI machine.
@@tiacho2893 Bah. X-rays is good rays! How else are you going to sell shoes?
@@amandahugankiss4110 My lead lined cod piece might still be in storage.
@@tiacho2893 Well who's cock is it helping there??
What do you mean when referring to "catalog guitar"?
He was referring to the catalogs from stores such as Sears and Montgomery Wards, who sold guitars with their own branding, but the guitars were made by companies like Harmony or Kay or Gibson. Those guitars are referred to as catalog guitars.
Fabulous video. At 80 years old now, this guitar is something I’d love to have, and she sounds really good and happy all fixed up.
Thank you so much for bringing her back to life.
I have the reverse of that, a 50s Kay archtop, and a 30s Kaykraft mandolin. Luckily the mandolin plays well and both record well. I like that the old mandolin is somewhere half-way between an A and an F, good for celtic or bluegrass.
I agree, I particularly like the sound of the guitar. It’s sort of sweet funky sounding.
Re mandolin tailpiece, I had the same problem on a bowl back instrument. I found the best way for me was to bend a right angle into the string end (or loop) first and then pull the string through until the loop caught on the hook. If you try it with a straight loop (as in your video) it's a PITA.
Hey Ted, or anyone who has Luthier knowledge. I just finished setting up my 4th parlor guitar that I built from scratch. Iam having an issue with neck relief the neck is dead flat, I have a dual action truss rod installed which was tested & it worked however I cannot get any relief ?? The action is fine the only issue is the low E string I have it set a .090” the 12th fret & 13th fret sound the same I checked the fret heights they are the same nothing popped ect. Thanks to anyone who has input..👍🎸🎸👨🏻🦯
Mandolins..either being tuned or being played out of tune...
I enjoyed the Hamlet remix. And the rest of the video, as always.
Yes thunbs Dows sin
Exacly ten years older than mine! It's a good guitar.
Love your videos! Informative, well thought out and humorous at times. Kudos!
Wonderful work, love the honesty, Thank you Ted