My older brother (closest in age to me but still 18 years older) used to come home for holidays with his family in the 90s when I was a kid. And he always brought his black Takamine with him. Watching him sing and play guitar was one of the main reasons I picked up guitar. I have very fond memories of him teaching me how to work out songs by ear etc with that guitar. Anyways I'm 34 now and he is about 52 and he still not only owns that Takamine but regularly plays it. I have a home movie on VHS (if it still plays) of my brother in the mid 90s playing "Patience" by Guns and Roses on that Takamine while the whole family sat around and watched. Anyways I couldn't help but share after seeing that guitar lol. I could go on forever if I don't stop myself.
I have a 1973 Takamine F 360 that developed a belly bulge so I purchased the Bridge Dr. which once I took a good look at it thought the wood used was mediocre. So I made my own version out of better wood however I added a y shape to the part that gets pushed up against the underside of the bridge which happens to be where the saddle is. I had a “aha” moment where I made the “Y” wide enough with a groove in it to set a piezo pickup which is firmly pressed up against the bridge underneath. My version fixed the problem with the bulge and now I have a Takamine with a underbridge pickup system.😊
You should contact the Chinese factory that makes the crappy version of the original Bridge Doctor - offer them your improved design for a fee or percentage?
@@benleydon They wouldn’t do that, they would just copy my version which is superior to the what I had purchased. The wood they used seemed to be a basswood variety. My first one was Wenge wood and for the Y shape piece I used a piece of Peruvian Rosewood. The nylon components, screw insert were found at my local Home Depot store and Hobby Lobby. I guess I could make my own version and provide plans on You Tube, but most of my inventions or “ improvements” mostly are just a side distraction or a personal need. I invented the “tool bucket” or at least my version of it with drawings etc. where there are pockets for tools that go inside the bucket and outside. I never acted on it and 6 months later there it was being sold at various locations. Oh well. Simultaneous invention which actually occurs through history. The bottom line is in a short period of time something you invent or make gets knocked off from across the ocean. When I lived in Sacramento we had Mythbusters contact us about a show where they wanted to recreate a femoral leg wound with blood spewing out. They needed a pump small enough to go inside a fabricated leg. I worked with my nephew and a young guy they sent out from the Bay Area. What we settled on were two types of pumps , a small well testing pump and a small double diaphagm pump. They settled on the well pump due to only needing a 12 volt source and one tube. The other pump was my choice due to it actually simulating the human heart pulse once you got it set down to 3 psi. It was a fun side distraction but alas Mythbusters never actually made that episode. Jamie called us almost a year later and said it was still on the schedule but they never got around to making it. Probably too gory I think.
Thank you Dr. W. Due, in part, to your seminars, I have resuscitated a 1971 Epiphone F150. This was a gift of love from my young wife and it was crap. It resided in the case for 20+ years and upon opening the coffin she sprang up and broke a bunch of stuff. She has endured many repairs and is now my every day go-to. Makes me so pleased while playing for my wife of 53 years.
No video next week? No problem I love watching your back catalog anyhow. Keep it up Ted, this is my favorite guitar related channel and I’m just a player with no intent to repair my own instruments. I can’t explain it but your videos scratch the itch I didn’t even know I had.
Timing is everything, Last night I came very close to ordering the Fake Junk Copy . It was Late at Night so I relented. I have put in a lot of the JLD version and I love them , but they have went up about 10 bucks so the Fake was tempting . I was getting ready to decide and then I got the notification of this Video. So The Taylor that I’m working on gets the real Deal Thanks . I have put them in several of my Personal Guitars mainly to prevent the Belly from happening. Have a Blessed Evening.🎸
If there's no video next week, I'll miss it. Always look forward to see you fix guitars. And learn. Sorry to hear about your basement. Your statement about the vacation is very true (and funny!). See you soon.
My EN-10C was my favourite acoustic guitar that was stolen from a gig in 1998! Was absolutely devastated and my insurance woudnt pay out! Was also a great recording guitar... that night a strat and a fender p bass was stolen from the stage as we were in the dressing room! And nobody seen a thing! The glory days of playing in really rough north east England pubs! Still haven't got over that night
There are, unfortunately, criminals everywhere. Their only consideration is their own personal gain and have no regard for the fact that their actions could ruin others lives and prospects of further income.
@laurencehastings7473 they were probably sold for the next fix unfortunately and after this I never used my expensive guitars for live gigs. I used to bring my 73 telecaster and my 78 les paul custom so I bought a cheap tele and a Epiphone SG ( can't remember the make of the tele but I think it was a Legend ) I know quite a few gigging musicians who have had gear stolen from cars when packing up!
Sorry to hear about the flooding in your neck of the woods. We had a similar thing down here in Texas. The main difference is that in our neck of the woods, basements are kind of unusual due to the frequency of flooding. Take care -- I never miss your programs.
If I were a Canadian musician I would hope to have access to a luthier like ted. His work and care is top notch. And this person that's owns this takaminie definitely appreciates their guitar with pro active maintenance
I had a hot water PEX tube pop apart inside of a wall, so my home and shop got very nicely flooded, and two weeks later struck by lightning. Thankfully the lightning strike was an back feed up-strike. Yes, that ground rod, or ground plate, or UFER or ground ring can actually work in reverse. If lightning can shoot 470 miles across the sky, it's going to go where ever it darn well pleases, and if that is back up out of the ground, so be it. It still beats a flaming hole in your roof. The lightning was an easier fix than the flooding.
Excellent work. My Takamine steel string acoustic dates back to about 1984/85. Still use it today - the bridge piezo pick up still works fine. The need for a 9V battery is a little annoying these days
I make these. I try to make it so that there's only wood and two drywall screws that don't interact with the guitar directly, but indirectly through making the bridge doctor-like-device into a sound post with a tee intersection. I've only made about three of them. They're sometimes the right fix.
Aaaand you've just described why the bridge doctor didn't get the result I was hoping for in my old 12 string. Looks like it's in for a neck reset after all!
I've got a Takamine from the late 90s that's still chugging along. I love it. The bridge is starting to lift, but only the wings of it. It's a great guitar. Cheap. But great. Records well, sounds good plugged in, and overall just... cheap and great!
The problem with the bridge doctor , when the bridge starts to roll forward, raising behind the bridge and lowering in front of the bridge , the whole face of the guitar is giving way and bulging out from the string tension. When you install the bridge dr. You flatten the bridge and get rid of the roll forward but it does nothing to get rid of the arching that the front of the guitar is doing. It does not flatten the top of the guitar. It does not take the arch out of the top which is what's required to lower the action. It has very little positive effect. Not worth the money. They need to figure out how to flatten the top. If you looked across the face of the damaged guitar perpendicular to the strings, you would see the highest point is the saddle as the top of the guitar arches away from the back you need to take the arch out and bring the bridge closer to the back of the guitar. The bridge dr doesnothing for that.
@williambrady7718 I wonder if the old fashioned neck reset by "slipping" the back still has merit, in order to fix the collapsing effect of string tension.
It was nice that you used mm measurement when talking about the copy Bridge Doctor, but it would be helpful, too, to give mm measurements for the string height - I have go off and do a Google search for the conversion every time (I know, first world problems 😊). I’ve been watching your excellent videos for about four years now. Your skills and talent just amaze me. Thank you.
I have a Dreadnought acoustic from a company called "Lark", it has a Rosewood top and it was a noticeably darker sounding instrument. It needed a bridge doctor and I was not prepared to spend such a high price for a block of wood and a dowel rod. I machined mine out of a block of aluminum and pleasantly it made the guitar sound brighter.
I own a Breedlove bought in 2010. It came home brand new from Guitar Center a J-250 a jumbo spruce top hi grand nice, sides and back maple, like nice patterns of movement in the wood. They (at Breedlove) told me that it was laminate, but I can't tell, it's a loud guitar and the tone is wide. Lots of Abalone, green and pretty.
You know Ted I am a bit of a amateur luthier myself from watching people like you and a couple others , I even bought a mounted luthier table and I will never work on guitars in my basement because it's just too damp down there .
I have played many Takimine fiddles. They have this voice and as soon as you strummed it , it all came rushi g back. They have their own thing going on and it's a good one. Alvarez Yairi have a simar vibe. Now we all know about fake me out bridge Dr's and the do's and dont's. Thanks for that.
I'd played Ovations but really disliked their sound. The ultimate betrayal though was seeing Jim Croce and Maury Muelheisen trading in their Martin D-35s for Ovations. It was for the dixie-cup pickups - that's what everyone focused on - "At least it's built in - I don't have to carry extra mic stands, cables, spent time in sound-checks, balances, etc. And it gives me freedom of motion." sigh... I still cough when I see an Ovation in use.
I remember trying out an Ovation when they were all the rage. The damn thing kept sliding off my lap. So I bought a Takamine instead, the Martin copy model they made.
@@nevarmaor Yes, that blasted bowl-back. I once had a decorative gourd-belly mandolin. I learned chords and strumming, but a flat-back was needed to hold the thing steady for note picking - and really, for finger-board 'runs'. Ovations reminded me of that. Do we know how many trees were saved by using fossil fuels and petrochemicals to make plastic backs instead of cutting down trees. Trees, after all, do not grow on trees. Er... well, that's what someone told me.
Hello Ted...I don't know if you would consider this for a future video but I'll ask just the same. I would very much enjoy a video of you walking around your shop and showing the various woodworking machinery that you find are "must haves" for a successful Luthier.
They’re insanely popular here in California at the moment. About half of all the 12 strings that come through my shop for repair are Takamines. Mostly the young kids own them.
Yeah, my little workshop looks like a bomb went off at a rummage sale. Clean up time as soon as the visitors are gone (family invasion). That bridge doctor? More like the “Bridge Naturopath”. The real mfr is probably breathing a sigh of relief after seeing this.
The singer for my dad’s old country band played a Tak for years before picking up a Gibson to replace it… but the Tak still gets played about 90% of the time
Thanks for the early post this weekend, Ted. ***Paused after you showed us the Bridge Dr knockoff, too add a quick comment **** Not trying to be a pessimist here. But with 39 years of professional civil engineering experience, including 6 years of timber design and 5 years as a field engineer for a structural anchoring and fastening manufacturer (Hilti), I’ve developed a very solid ability to accurately “sniff test.” A term used for bring able to look at a structural design and quickly get a feel for whether it will work or not. Assuming I recall the installation configuration correctly, those soft wood “threads” will ultimately be fighting to resist the tension of the strings B in order to prevent the bridge from twisting forward. Even if it all goes in correctly, and you augment the final configuration with a rigid adhesive, I feel like over time, there’s just not enough shear strength in that soft wood and they will eventually fail (“strip out.”) So while I get the interest in finding a more affordable solution, sometimes an “almost the same,” design doesn’t factor in fine details that can make a big difference in its ultimate performance. To create a stronger mechanical connection, can you drill a small pilot hole in the block and perpendicular to the dowel? Then you could partially install a small wood screw, and after the dowel is in position, advance that “set screw” into the side of the dowel. They would create a solid mechanical connection with the screw taking the majority of the stress applied down the length of the dowel. Just a thought. But hey, I could easily be over thinking things here. I’ll be interested to now watch the rest of your video to see how the install goes. Knowing your vast experience and master luthier skills, I’m sure it will at least go by in flawlessly.
I was thinking that the setscrew mechanism should be upgraded by installing one of those plug-like threaded inserts that has threads on both the outside and inside, and gluing it into the wood block, so that it provides metal threads for the setscrew...
@@goodun2974 that could work, too, but the piece of wood is very thin. He would need to find the perfect insert to fit and not split that piece of wood.
As I understand there’s a program being brought in for businesses to register for importing products themselves, avoiding the extortionate brokerage fees. Just tell the courier you’ll declare it yourself. At least that’s what I saw on an invoice from FedEx the other day.
You're right, but the flip side of this is that you may then need to pick up your parcel from the local port of entry into Canada in order to process the paperwork, which often enough is the airport. Not sure Ted is so keen on driving to Toronto each time he gets a courier shipment.
Thanks Ted. I understand your frustration with added expenses associated with importing goods. This only disadvantages the actual manufacturer and encourages people elsewhere to profit from someone else's ingenuity I therefore find it reasonable for people to make their own version of the product. I'm sure, having observed your ability to adapt and improvise, that you would be able to produce a product that even exceeds the original at a fraction of the cost. I also know that you're an advocate for fair play but unfortunately even you can't change government policies. Takamine sounds good to me.
I have a takamine made in 1982 but the electronics quit working it has low action and I love it but I would like it to work with a amp great videos 👍🏻🤘🏻
Thinking about Ovation guitars , have you ever had to plug a hole in one of those bodies....do you reach for the spackle, or boat asbestos spread or gorilla tape .... curious 🤔
My Ovation is very old and the only issue I've ever had was a crack in the top. The bowl bodies are very durable and resilient due to both their form and material. I love it acoustically but detest the onboard piezo. Having to destring a guitar to do a battery change isn't exactly brilliant either but as I said it's a very old guitar.
*Surely you can build something similar but superior to the Bridge Doctor in the first place.* I understand that it works well and looks the way it does because it's a universal fit, I still think it looks really sparse and would just build something equivalent in principle but superior in mass for $2 in wood, glue and screws. *Something better and tremendously cheaper wouldn't be hard to design and build.*
I installed a bridge dr copy that appeared as your example, no where near the quality of the original. Same issues you point out. Wood is too soft as well as the dowel rod which bowed due to the clearance issue with the sleeve and being too soft. The guitar being repaired could not be corrected with the “copy”. I ended up making a replacement from hardwoods to complete the project.
I fitted a BD once, and while it _may_ have helped to combat the string pull, the effect was slight, and I thought it affected the guitar's tone adversely. It would have been better to have had the neck reset.
This is the only TEDTalk that I catch. I learn about guitar repair, history and human behaviour from a calming intelligent gentleman.
My older brother (closest in age to me but still 18 years older) used to come home for holidays with his family in the 90s when I was a kid. And he always brought his black Takamine with him. Watching him sing and play guitar was one of the main reasons I picked up guitar. I have very fond memories of him teaching me how to work out songs by ear etc with that guitar. Anyways I'm 34 now and he is about 52 and he still not only owns that Takamine but regularly plays it. I have a home movie on VHS (if it still plays) of my brother in the mid 90s playing "Patience" by Guns and Roses on that Takamine while the whole family sat around and watched. Anyways I couldn't help but share after seeing that guitar lol. I could go on forever if I don't stop myself.
It would be nice to see a tour of the shop.
It’s about the size of a walk in closet.
@@joesantamaria5874 A very slow pan, then...
There is a video he does just that. Looking....
Big Sound! Nice work, Ted!! Brother, take as much time for yourself as you need. We will all be here waiting for the next vid to drop! Cheers!!
Anything that you can upload I will watch.
“Holy Sakashita” is now my new favorite replacement curse word. Thank you Ted.
I have a 1973 Takamine F 360 that developed a belly bulge so I purchased the Bridge Dr. which once I took a good look at it thought the wood used was mediocre. So I made my own version out of better wood however I added a y shape to the part that gets pushed up against the underside of the bridge which happens to be where the saddle is.
I had a “aha” moment where I made the “Y” wide enough with a groove in it to set a piezo pickup which is firmly pressed up against the bridge underneath. My version fixed the problem with the bulge and now I have a Takamine with a underbridge pickup system.😊
You should contact the Chinese factory that makes the crappy version of the original Bridge Doctor - offer them your improved design for a fee or percentage?
@@benleydon They wouldn’t do that, they would just copy my version which is superior to the what I had purchased. The wood they used seemed to be a basswood variety. My first one was Wenge wood and for the Y shape piece I used a piece of Peruvian Rosewood. The nylon components, screw insert were found at my local Home Depot store and Hobby Lobby. I guess I could make my own version and provide plans on You Tube, but most of my inventions or “ improvements” mostly are just a side distraction or a personal need. I invented the “tool bucket” or at least my version of it with drawings etc. where there are pockets for tools that go inside the bucket and outside. I never acted on it and 6 months later there it was being sold at various locations. Oh well. Simultaneous invention which actually occurs through history. The bottom line is in a short period of time something you invent or make gets knocked off from across the ocean.
When I lived in Sacramento we had Mythbusters contact us about a show where they wanted to recreate a femoral leg wound with blood spewing out. They needed a pump small enough to go inside a fabricated leg. I worked with my nephew and a young guy they sent out from the Bay Area. What we settled on were two types of pumps , a small well testing pump and a small double diaphagm pump. They settled on the well pump due to only needing a 12 volt source and one tube. The other pump was my choice due to it actually simulating the human heart pulse once you got it set down to 3 psi. It was a fun side distraction but alas Mythbusters never actually made that episode. Jamie called us almost a year later and said it was still on the schedule but they never got around to making it. Probably too gory I think.
Thank you Dr. W. Due, in part, to your seminars, I have resuscitated a 1971 Epiphone F150. This was a gift of love from my young wife and it was crap. It resided in the case for 20+ years and upon opening the coffin she sprang up and broke a bunch of stuff. She has endured many repairs and is now my every day go-to. Makes me so pleased while playing for my wife of 53 years.
Hi Ted, I've mentioned before that I made my own... For the thread, I used one of those screw in metal furniture inserts.
No video next week? No problem I love watching your back catalog anyhow. Keep it up Ted, this is my favorite guitar related channel and I’m just a player with no intent to repair my own instruments. I can’t explain it but your videos scratch the itch I didn’t even know I had.
I have learned how to repair and even create a couple of guitar's from watching your videos , so thank you for the great work you do .
Great video and as always great explanation of the why's and how's🙂
Best of luck regarding the flooding control and thanks for sharing your outstanding videos Ted.
Timing is everything, Last night I came very close to ordering the Fake Junk Copy . It was Late at Night so I relented. I have put in a lot of the JLD version and I love them , but they have went up about 10 bucks so the Fake was tempting . I was getting ready to decide and then I got the notification of this Video. So The Taylor that I’m working on gets the real Deal Thanks . I have put them in several of my Personal Guitars mainly to prevent the Belly from happening. Have a Blessed Evening.🎸
Your videos are always interesting, informative, and relaxing. I appreciate the care and time you give to all instruments.
Sounds gorgeous! Nice repair, good to know not all imitations are up to the task
If there's no video next week, I'll miss it. Always look forward to see you fix guitars. And learn. Sorry to hear about your basement.
Your statement about the vacation is very true (and funny!).
See you soon.
Always a pleasure, Ted! Take care of your homestead. Be here whenever you're available!
Gorgeous sounding acoustic ❤️
Every time I Watch your videos, I am impressed by your skills and teaching qualities if it is even a word. Thx for the weekly entertainment
My EN-10C was my favourite acoustic guitar that was stolen from a gig in 1998! Was absolutely devastated and my insurance woudnt pay out! Was also a great recording guitar... that night a strat and a fender p bass was stolen from the stage as we were in the dressing room! And nobody seen a thing! The glory days of playing in really rough north east England pubs! Still haven't got over that night
There are, unfortunately, criminals everywhere. Their only consideration is their own personal gain and have no regard for the fact that their actions could ruin others lives and prospects of further income.
🥲
@laurencehastings7473 they were probably sold for the next fix unfortunately and after this I never used my expensive guitars for live gigs. I used to bring my 73 telecaster and my 78 les paul custom so I bought a cheap tele and a Epiphone SG ( can't remember the make of the tele but I think it was a Legend ) I know quite a few gigging musicians who have had gear stolen from cars when packing up!
I had bought a Tak while stationed in Okinawa in '67- '68. Sold it to a buddy before I left in June '69. A fine guitar. Sounded great, easy to play.
A pleasant early surprise this week. ☺️ Interesting manufacturer history and great guidance as always 🙏
Sorry to hear about the flooding in your neck of the woods. We had a similar thing down here in Texas. The main difference is that in our neck of the woods, basements are kind of unusual due to the frequency of flooding. Take care -- I never miss your programs.
These videos are not only fun to watch but really informative. Great explanation on the structural design of an acoustic guitar!!
Great work as always, in NC it flooded, it was extremely dry earlier
If I were a Canadian musician I would hope to have access to a luthier like ted. His work and care is top notch. And this person that's owns this takaminie definitely appreciates their guitar with pro active maintenance
My guild needs a set up and I've been thinking about getting a bridge doctor. I live on the east coast of Canada.
Waiting on that "Ted goes to Tim Horton's and searches for Shop-Vac filters" video.
Another excellent video, thank you!
Just what the doctor ordered another episode of twoodfrd!
I had a hot water PEX tube pop apart inside of a wall, so my home and shop got very nicely flooded, and two weeks later struck by lightning. Thankfully the lightning strike was an back feed up-strike. Yes, that ground rod, or ground plate, or UFER or ground ring can actually work in reverse. If lightning can shoot 470 miles across the sky, it's going to go where ever it darn well pleases, and if that is back up out of the ground, so be it. It still beats a flaming hole in your roof. The lightning was an easier fix than the flooding.
Thank you for the awesome job, Ted! Plays so much better
Great video as always. Good luck with your clean-up and foundation repairs. Hopefully you won't find any nasty surprises. Take care.
Thanks for posting Ted. You do good work.
Excellent work.
My Takamine steel string acoustic dates back to about 1984/85. Still use it today - the bridge piezo pick up still works fine.
The need for a 9V battery is a little annoying these days
Love the Tak videos! Thank you sir! I thought it sounded great! Cheers 🇨🇦👍🏻
I make these. I try to make it so that there's only wood and two drywall screws that don't interact with the guitar directly, but indirectly through making the bridge doctor-like-device into a sound post with a tee intersection. I've only made about three of them. They're sometimes the right fix.
Aaaand you've just described why the bridge doctor didn't get the result I was hoping for in my old 12 string. Looks like it's in for a neck reset after all!
I've got a Takamine from the late 90s that's still chugging along. I love it. The bridge is starting to lift, but only the wings of it. It's a great guitar. Cheap. But great. Records well, sounds good plugged in, and overall just... cheap and great!
The problem with the bridge doctor , when the bridge starts to roll forward, raising behind the bridge and lowering in front of the bridge , the whole face of the guitar is giving way and bulging out from the string tension. When you install the bridge dr. You flatten the bridge and get rid of the roll forward but it does nothing to get rid of the arching that the front of the guitar is doing. It does not flatten the top of the guitar. It does not take the arch out of the top which is what's required to lower the action. It has very little positive effect. Not worth the money. They need to figure out how to flatten the top. If you looked across the face of the damaged guitar perpendicular to the strings, you would see the highest point is the saddle as the top of the guitar arches away from the back you need to take the arch out and bring the bridge closer to the back of the guitar. The bridge dr doesnothing for that.
@williambrady7718 I wonder if the old fashioned neck reset by "slipping" the back still has merit, in order to fix the collapsing effect of string tension.
That's been my experience, too. In fairness, the Bridge Doctor doesn't CLAIM to lower action...
It was nice that you used mm measurement when talking about the copy Bridge Doctor, but it would be helpful, too, to give mm measurements for the string height - I have go off and do a Google search for the conversion every time (I know, first world problems 😊). I’ve been watching your excellent videos for about four years now. Your skills and talent just amaze me. Thank you.
The “subtle stuff” is so good!😂
A shop cleanup video / shop tour 2024 would be a great vidya for us nerds. :D
I have a Dreadnought acoustic from a company called "Lark", it has a Rosewood top and it was a noticeably darker sounding instrument. It needed a bridge doctor and I was not prepared to spend such a high price for a block of wood and a dowel rod. I machined mine out of a block of aluminum and pleasantly it made the guitar sound brighter.
I still have and play a 90s Jasmine version! Great guitar.
My old Yamaha needs this.
I own a Breedlove bought in 2010. It came home brand new from Guitar Center a J-250 a jumbo spruce top hi grand nice, sides and back maple, like nice patterns of movement in the wood. They (at Breedlove) told me that it was laminate, but I can't tell, it's a loud guitar and the tone is wide. Lots of Abalone, green and pretty.
Hey Ted. I'm waiting for that highly elusive "Takamine neck reset" video 😂😂. Mine is now in need of it 😢
Ted: "I can help you with that hump."
Takamine: "What hump?"
My hump my hump. My lovely lady lump. Check it out!
Classic line!! 😂
@@Sammywhat Gotta love Marty Feldman
Sounded fantastic.
Thank you.
Shop video would be really nice 👍
You know Ted I am a bit of a amateur luthier myself from watching people like you and a couple others , I even bought a mounted luthier table and I will never work on guitars in my basement because it's just too damp down there .
great video as always, thank you!
I have played many Takimine fiddles. They have this voice and as soon as you strummed it , it all came rushi g back. They have their own thing going on and it's a good one. Alvarez Yairi have a simar vibe.
Now we all know about fake me out bridge Dr's and the do's and dont's. Thanks for that.
Those do sound nice. Not surprised they are a working guitarist's go to.
I'd played Ovations but really disliked their sound. The ultimate betrayal though was seeing Jim Croce and Maury Muelheisen trading in their Martin D-35s for Ovations. It was for the dixie-cup pickups - that's what everyone focused on - "At least it's built in - I don't have to carry extra mic stands, cables, spent time in sound-checks, balances, etc. And it gives me freedom of motion." sigh... I still cough when I see an Ovation in use.
I remember trying out an Ovation when they were all the rage. The damn thing kept sliding off my lap. So I bought a Takamine instead, the Martin copy model they made.
I never liked Ovations either, didn't feel right, didn't sound good.
The roller derby program said she was build like a fridgerator with a head, yup gonna go do that.
I love the neck though
@@nevarmaor Yes, that blasted bowl-back. I once had a decorative gourd-belly mandolin. I learned chords and strumming, but a flat-back was needed to hold the thing steady for note picking - and really, for finger-board 'runs'. Ovations reminded me of that. Do we know how many trees were saved by using fossil fuels and petrochemicals to make plastic backs instead of cutting down trees. Trees, after all, do not grow on trees. Er... well, that's what someone told me.
Wow. Sounds darn good.
Hello Ted...I don't know if you would consider this for a future video but I'll ask just the same. I would very much enjoy a video of you walking around your shop and showing the various woodworking machinery that you find are "must haves" for a successful Luthier.
The guitar sounds good with the adjustments.
They’re insanely popular here in California at the moment. About half of all the 12 strings that come through my shop for repair are Takamines. Mostly the young kids own them.
I can see why they went with Takamine instead of Sackashita.. 😁👍
i think my giannini craviola 12 string needs a bridge doctor, part of me hates the idea of it but I think that design more then anything needs it lol
The imbalance or gap between the wood and the Dow is important it allows for leverage.
Fantastic thank you
Thank you Ted 👍👍👍🎥🎬🎸❤🔥
6:47 *the familiar holes* 😻😻😻
what a beautiful sounding guitar
My condolences on the basement leakage. I still remember the inventive cursing when it happened in my childhood home many years ago.
I really enjoyed this video thank you Ted
Polishing,polishing
... polishing
It's missing, indeed x)
polishing
wow, you are just sooo amazing .. .
Yeah, my little workshop looks like a bomb went off at a rummage sale. Clean up time as soon as the visitors are gone (family invasion).
That bridge doctor? More like the “Bridge Naturopath”. The real mfr is probably breathing a sigh of relief after seeing this.
This Tak actually sounds great!
Hey JLD, step up and send Ted some product. Let's go.
Thanks Ted, See you in two.
Lots of quality here
I love epoxy.
The singer for my dad’s old country band played a Tak for years before picking up a Gibson to replace it… but the Tak still gets played about 90% of the time
Your pronunciation is correct on the large island in Japan .
Good luck with the home work, Ted.
Sounds like someone heard your pleas re: Canadian pricing. Stewmac sells the JLD ones with a 'Special for Canada' price.
Take care. That git sound dope Thank you-
Recent “greedflation”
Thanks for the early post this weekend, Ted.
***Paused after you showed us the Bridge Dr knockoff, too add a quick comment ****
Not trying to be a pessimist here. But with 39 years of professional civil engineering experience, including 6 years of timber design and 5 years as a field engineer for a structural anchoring and fastening manufacturer (Hilti), I’ve developed a very solid ability to accurately “sniff test.” A term used for bring able to look at a structural design and quickly get a feel for whether it will work or not. Assuming I recall the installation configuration correctly, those soft wood “threads” will ultimately be fighting to resist the tension of the strings B in order to prevent the bridge from twisting forward. Even if it all goes in correctly, and you augment the final configuration with a rigid adhesive, I feel like over time, there’s just not enough shear strength in that soft wood and they will eventually fail (“strip out.”)
So while I get the interest in finding a more affordable solution, sometimes an “almost the same,” design doesn’t factor in fine details that can make a big difference in its ultimate performance.
To create a stronger mechanical connection, can you drill a small pilot hole in the block and perpendicular to the dowel? Then you could partially install a small wood screw, and after the dowel is in position, advance that “set screw” into the side of the dowel. They would create a solid mechanical connection with the screw taking the majority of the stress applied down the length of the dowel. Just a thought.
But hey, I could easily be over thinking things here. I’ll be interested to now watch the rest of your video to see how the install goes. Knowing your vast experience and master luthier skills, I’m sure it will at least go by in flawlessly.
I was thinking that the setscrew mechanism should be upgraded by installing one of those plug-like threaded inserts that has threads on both the outside and inside, and gluing it into the wood block, so that it provides metal threads for the setscrew...
@@goodun2974 that could work, too, but the piece of wood is very thin. He would need to find the perfect insert to fit and not split that piece of wood.
Threaded insert for the screw maybe??
As I understand there’s a program being brought in for businesses to register for importing products themselves, avoiding the extortionate brokerage fees. Just tell the courier you’ll declare it yourself. At least that’s what I saw on an invoice from FedEx the other day.
You're right, but the flip side of this is that you may then need to pick up your parcel from the local port of entry into Canada in order to process the paperwork, which often enough is the airport. Not sure Ted is so keen on driving to Toronto each time he gets a courier shipment.
Thanks Ted. I understand your frustration with added expenses associated with importing goods. This only disadvantages the actual manufacturer and encourages people elsewhere to profit from someone else's ingenuity I therefore find it reasonable for people to make their own version of the product. I'm sure, having observed your ability to adapt and improvise, that you would be able to produce a product that even exceeds the original at a fraction of the cost. I also know that you're an advocate for fair play but unfortunately even you can't change government policies. Takamine sounds good to me.
Oh hey there, Ted!
Looks good.
I have a takamine made in 1982 but the electronics quit working it has low action and I love it but I would like it to work with a amp great videos 👍🏻🤘🏻
The last 30 seconds of the demo sounded very much like one of those Syd Barrett outtakes...
I make my own ❤
That's a nice sounding guitar.
Thinking about Ovation guitars , have you ever had to plug a hole in one of those bodies....do you reach for the spackle, or boat asbestos spread or gorilla tape .... curious 🤔
My Ovation is very old and the only issue I've ever had was a crack in the top. The bowl bodies are very durable and resilient due to both their form and material. I love it acoustically but detest the onboard piezo. Having to destring a guitar to do a battery change isn't exactly brilliant either but as I said it's a very old guitar.
*Surely you can build something similar but superior to the Bridge Doctor in the first place.*
I understand that it works well and looks the way it does because it's a universal fit, I still think it looks really sparse and would just build something equivalent in principle but superior in mass for $2 in wood, glue and screws.
*Something better and tremendously cheaper wouldn't be hard to design and build.*
I installed a bridge dr copy that appeared as your example, no where near the quality of the original. Same issues you point out. Wood is too soft as well as the dowel rod which bowed due to the clearance issue with the sleeve and being too soft. The guitar being repaired could not be corrected with the “copy”. I ended up making a replacement from hardwoods to complete the project.
Sakashita, you couldn’t make it up 😂
And here I was, thinking of watching a twoodfrd video
I fitted a BD once, and while it _may_ have helped to combat the string pull, the effect was slight, and I thought it affected the guitar's tone adversely. It would have been better to have had the neck reset.