sorry to be so offtopic but does any of you know a trick to get back into an instagram account..? I somehow forgot my password. I love any tricks you can give me.
@Joshua Damon i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff now. Seems to take quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
Good info. I’m a repair tech for Epiphone, and I’ve played guitar for 60 years. I can tell Dave knows his stuff. And yes, he needs his own UA-cam channel.
Here’s one I learned yesterday: Drier Sheets. While playing a Strat thru a vintage ‘65 Champ, I started noticing random scratching sounds. I assumed it was a patch cable or one of my pedals, so I fiddled with that stuff, but it didn’t do anything. I finally focused on my guitar and noticed it happened whenever I touched or rested my hand on the pickguard. Turns out it was static electricity that had built up in the plastic pick guard. I was happy to learn a couple strokes with a plain old anti-static drier sheet would cleans it up. And it did. Amazing.
for cleaning frets, and the bridge, use bamboo skewers. Super soft wood, will never scratch anything. When it dulls or gets gunky, shave it down with a blade, keep going.
@@patrickwayne9074 toothpicks are also always handy for stripped screws too. Get some glue, some toothpicks, and something to knock it in, and you'll be able to start again fresh
I was setting up to play a gig and when I went to plug the cord into my arch top, the jack got pushed inside the body. I immediately shook the guitar like I was trying to make a pick fall out of a acoustic guitar, and got the jack to come out thru the F hole. And that’s how I played the gig! 😂
I'm a 59 year old disabled vet just learning how to play guitar. I love all these videos on tips and learning, years of wisdom at easy reach. thank you.
MultiDoug, Yeah, we certainly are fortunate to live in these times of instant communication worldwide. Anyone learning (as you are) can find most all of their needs on the interweb, reducing the need for weekly guitar instruction. While pretty good at giving a shitload of information, the web shouldn't be relied upon to give all the instruction necessary. If you can afford it fortnightly lessons, especially in the early stages, can really cut down on the possibility of forming bad habits (correct plectrum/pick holding, left-hand technique and many other seemingly small, somewhat insignificant issues that can be poorly approached initially but are just as easily approached properly and will cut down on difficulties later and make things better and/or easier on the player. It's just a suggestion if you can afford it but of course, if you're happy with UA-cam videos you'll do alright and I wish you all the best in learning the guitar. My only point in writing all of this is that one on one lessons really do help the student to progress much quicker than they do alone. All the best with the guitar.
@@MultiDoug50 You're ahead of the pack then. A lot of youngsters think that Jimmy Page or some such didn't take lessons so they don't have to. If quite musically inclined they may get away with it but in any endeavour learning from someone who has been around the block cuts down on time and helps ensure that one's time isn't wasted practicing the wrong thing, the wrong way. At our age time spent "smart not hard" is the way to get ahead quicker, eh? Good luck with this beautiful yet, at times, most perplexing of instruments.
@@mbehringer4614 I'll have a look at getting a copy. Zeppelin were/are a huge influence on me and Page's guitar playing most of all. Thanks for the tip.
Great vid. Tons of great necessary stuff. Here's some ways to make some of this even easier and even a little cheaper 1) "gears" are your tuning machines, tighten the bushings, tighten the screws on the knob ends to give you a tighter feeling turns 2) you can make a functional "string lock" by just turning your first turn over the top of the string through the hole and then as it passes by the string again in subsequent turns, lift the loose end up and move the string under. That makes quick changes way easier than wrapping it and you won't break your string by pulling it too quickly at too tight of an angle. Also you can use more turns (3-4) to pull your string down and get a better break angle over your nut. That does not happen with 1-2 turns. 3) do not steel wool your frets back and forth without a shield, run it up and down the neck with the grain and put a cloth over your pickups so you do not get shavings inside your pickup cavity. 4) do not over-oil your fingerboard because it will loosen your frets 5) when your pots are scratchy you can literally just turn them back and forth post to post quickly to get rid of the scratch and then if it doesn't clean it you can use any PLASTICS AND PAPER SAFE cleaner. Deoxit is awesome but expensive, CRC makes one that's 4x the amount at half the cost available at any big box hardware store. Or support your youtuber here and buy the cleaner in the link if you have the cash. 6) to clean up the hard edge on your bridge plate just get a $1 pin file from harbor freight and file out the edge but just to round it on the top side of the plate. if you do it too much you'll make a knife edge. 7) the nut tips are super clutch and everyone should be doing those things. MOST people who think tuners are a problem with guitars "going out of tune" are experiencing a binding nut. you can open up the slots with an old would string that's a gauge up from the slot you're in and running it back and forth widening the slot a little bit 8) to pull knobs just put a piece of cloth underneath, touch the edges to make a pocket, wrap it upwards and pull. That tool isn't going to prevent a shaft coming out if its loose or defective, you're pulling on the shaft either way. Scrap t-shirt is free. Your polishing cloth can also do this.
I once cleaned my fretboard with 0000 steel wool going perpendicular (crossways) and it completely dulled it. To get it back then it original look, I used 0000 steel wool and went along the grain. Lesson learned. Surprised an experienced luthier would do that.
You can also file off the edges on the bridge to prevent string breakage.A small round file is more effective and easier to control than a dremel with less risk of damage.
Awesome.....I use alcohol pads to clean my strings. After playing for hours ill wipe each individual string from one to six. Amazing what comes off. They add longevity to a set.
Omg I didn’t even catch the part with the “just use a magnet to clean your pickups” any magnet as strong or stronger than your pickups magnets which aren’t that strong can very easily damage your pickups and with all the cheap rare earth magnets that are available today you could really degauss a pickup in a heartbeat!
I think it’s worth mentioning that some knobs have screws on the side. I have a bass like that and a knob puller would be a bad idea for that. Check the knobs and see if they have a screw in the side first!
i replace all my push-on knobs with set screws. it's just easier on the pots. for installation as well. not just pulling off. allows me to buy solid shaft pots too, which don't break as easy. But that being said i did notice that he was really used to working on classic rock guitars. all pickgaurds and plastic knobs in his thinking.
yeah... but you're a BASS player, it doesn't count HAHA i think the way you guys replace your knobs, is , you turn the amp up to volume 7 and keep hitting that Low E on the Bass and....... you just watch the knob vibrate off LOL or...... You can slap it off
Martin Kuliza for the record, my Duesenberg 6-string has screws on the knobs too... yeah I know you’re joking, but just wanted to mention that. Blow them knobs off ftw
I was on board for everything but not completely taping your pickups when using steel wool. The steel wool can eventually work its way into the windings and even cut through them in pickups that aren't extremely overpotted. Steel trumps copper in hardness. Normally its more of "when" than "if", if it makes it in there and the probability goes up the more you use this technique. Add even more if they are open coil. Micromesh pads do they same thing at the same or higher grits with no metal cast off. Dangerous tip.
Yes...that's an absolute must when using steel wool on frets. Also thought amount of lemon oil was excessive which could lead to fret lift in cheaper guitars. And and "magnet against a magnet" for steel wool dust is also a common no-no...could change magnetic dipole or weaken magnets. Quite a few "hope nothing goes wrong" tips...
Polishing rubbers are a good alternative. Combined with a fretguard, you get beautiful, polished frets without having the disadvantage of metal scrap going into the pickups
@@zebfernandez I'm not above using dollar-store items for maintenance & repairs. Those nail-buffing boards are great, and so is an ordinary ink eraser. For masking off anything, I just go to Walmart or Menards & get the yellow frog tape 'Delicate Surface' variety
Right!!?? I just use a dry green brillo pad and toothpick for fretboard cleaning...I would never dream of using steel wool... Ive found that the best routine is to use lemon oil after removing the strings during changing (every 1-2 weeks because I play alot and do setups for my buddy's band who gig every weekend) and then brillo pad after every 4-5 string changes...all the fretboards on mine and my buddys' guitars look and feel like new
Dave Onorato isn't just a great guitar tech; he's also a cool guy who knows how to speak well and present information well. Yes, I hope you start a channel, Dave if you haven't already! 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
As a guitar tech, I HATE that string “locking” technique. It’s a pain to remove the strings and doesn’t hold tune any better than wrapping the first wind over the string that is exiting the tuning peg before continuing the rest of the wraps winding down towards the headstock.
Yep. That's the way we do it: string thru the hole in the peg, make a right angle bend where it exits, then first wrap Over, subsequent wraps Under. This pinches the string tightly at the peg hole and it can't slip. It is as good as locking tuners. Make sure you have at least 3 or 4 complete turns around the peg for the plain (nonwrapped) strings.
I highly recommend grinding the end of the socket FLAT and then carefully deburring the edges. This allows nearly full engagement with the thin nut flat of the tuning key. Normally, sockets are rounded on the inside to more easily fit over a full height nut. But with thin nuts, the engagement of the socket with the nut flats is reduced, greatly increasing the chance of damaging the flats of the nut. Box end wrenches can also be ground flat and deburred for use with thin nuts.
Good tip. I keep a separate socket for my electronics and instruments to avoid getting car and constructions gunk on my stuff. Finishing the edges makes sense. I'm surprised StewMac hasn't started selling something like this. LOL.
M Behringer I’m sure they’re lurking, reading and putting way too much thought into how they’re gonna make it seem special so they can charge dummies way too much $ for it haha
Dave is a great guitar tech, and a good all around guy. I had him dress the frets on one of my Jeff Beck Stratocasters and it was like new when he finished. Whenever I need major guitar work done that I don't feel comfortable taking on myself, such as re-fretting, Dave is the man.
Very useful video indeed, and thanks for being straight talking and to the point and not trying to be gimmicky and overly comedic. Really really felt like I got something out of this.
While it might work fine, suggest folks use pre-mixed oils designed specifically for the fretboard like the Nomad stuff to be sure you don't do any damage or accidentally loosen your frets.
Careful with lemon oil on a bound neck, the fingerboard can swell and crack the binding at each fret. This happened to me with an ES 175 that had been hanging on a GC wall for three years before they sold it to me in 2000. They told me it was really dry send needed a lot of lemon oil for the rosewood. Rosewood is an oily wood by nature. That's why it's usually not covered in a finish. It doesn't need lots of oil. A little oil goes a long way.
Thanks Dave, good stuff. Lindy Fralin advises to just tape over the pickups when using steel wool - no magnet. It is too easy to demagnetize your $$$ pickup with a strong enough magnet. Doh! Keep up the great channel Rhett- I just missed you in Richmond, VA the other week, so next time around bro!
Some things I would like to know from a guitar tech like Dave: I have a nice acoustic with no pickups. I have heard various opinions. Is it worthwhile to put a pickup on it? If so, what is a good pickup and can I DIY? At what point is it worth upgrading a cheap guitar (
Absolutely, I had been wishing for Dave Onorato _ The Dojo Guitar You Tube Channel _ for about 1 1/2 year, since I started my subscription to R. Beato & Rhett’s Channel , love Keith Williams Channel - Big fan of the 5 Watts World.
Here's another related to storing or displaying guitars. This is for electrics, but I'm sure it applies to acoustic as well. Make sure your humidity levels are always around 40% and 55%, too much or too little moisture in the air will damage, untune, mess up necks/fretboards and cause finish cracks in the guitar over time. Get a humidifier, dehumidifier and silica packs to combat this issue during different seasons if you like in places like the northern east coast like me.
👏👏👏👏 to Rhett for first forcing Dave onto IG, I’ve loved watching and interacting with him. And then double 👏👏👏 👏👏👏👏 👏 for the future channel/merch for Dojo; this dude really is a wealth of knowledge, a wicked guitar player and from what I’ve seen, just an all around good dude. Can’t wait to see ya again and actually meet this dude. All Love, Aaron
I highly recommend when using non locking tuners using the opposite side in then wrap over the top method. You get the tuner hole perpendicular to the strings and put the string through from the opposite side it needs to be on and then pull it through until you have the amount of string left that you like then you wrap the string over the top of the tuner and hold it in place while you tune up to tension. That way you've started a kink and have the string secured with a little tension. But locking tuners are so so so much better than any traditional tuning machine and will amaze you how long they stay in tune with a good set up. Lastly DO ALL YOUR OWN WORK! It's part of being a guitar player. Realistically your guitar needs adjustments all the time to play it's best and when it's playing well you'll enjoy it more. You can't realistically go to a luthier every time you need a little adjustment. And I'm gonna tell you the truth, everyone's laughing at you if you take your guitar in for anything less than a MAJOR repair(except your luthier cause your paying his bills) if you've been playing a year or more stop giving away your chance to learn. And if you screw it up you learn how to fix it. Get a cheap $50 Amazon guitar and practice set ups, fret levels, pickup changes, different wiring schemes etc on it if your main guitar is too expensive to learn on. If you can do it yourself learn to do it yourself. That way your guitars are always on point.
You can more safely pull knobs with a microfiber cloth. YES I said cloth! 1) Slide cloth under the knob 2) Keep cloth tight as you wrap all the way around under the knob 3) Twist excess cloth into a 'ponytail' TIGHT 4) Pull knob off. Knob pullers can damage the finish on that $4000 Les Paul! C'mon guys!
I'm not big on really over soaking the board with any oil 😣 a real thin coat and wipe it off quick because of the possibility of frets lifting up coming loose whatevermaybe I'm a little paranoid or just overthinking it but I don't go real heavy even if it's dry a little bit goes a long way but you still Rock Dave and Rhettkeep up the nice camera work read it really shows a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that no one ever knows about, I kind of feel in my opinion that there is a plan b for some things 😉 thanks for all your help and support 😊👍
Absolutely agree. It's terrible for the guitar. I actually don't use anything.... unless it's SUPER necessary. It kills the tone too, letting the board absorb that much oil. Kills the high-end. I HATE it.... takes a couple weeks before the guitar Strat sounding right again, not to mention it's bad for the fret joints and makes the frets come loose. IF I use oil, I do it like you.
yes! tightening the screws on the tuning machine handles! I had a major problem with my tuning going flat - that's exactly what it was. thanks for sharing!!!
#10 Storing a guitar... a friend of mine had his Takamine in a dry unheated room for 20 years or longer (played aprox. 10 hours per year): 50 degree Celsius in summer, -20 C in winter. No cracks and the best sounding acoustic guitar i ever heard. just saying ;-)
Thank you! I don't even have a guitar and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's great to know guitar is mechanical and something to work and build a relation on.
Knob puller? I use a high-tech, sophisticated engineering marvel called a flat tip screwdriver with a piece of tape on the end to prevent scratching the finish. Or just my fingers really.
Don't know if this has already been mentioned, but I've used a cheap IC chip puller to pull knobs like that off for years. You do have to be careful when sliding it under the edges, but it works great. Actually, anything that will fit under directly opposed points that will allow you to apply balanced even upward force would do the trick, but that gizmo does appear to make it more foolproof.
Heat the tip of the applicator tube of the Deoxit, and bend it and let it cool. An angled tip makes it much easier to spray into the opening of the potentiometer. I also recommend adding absorbent packing material, such as a paper towel, around the pot to catch any overspray, instead of allowing it to penetrate into the wood and under the finish.
Yeah, I find trying to squirt a little De-Oxit is almost impossible - always blasts out way too much and gets over everything. Been using the paper towel or tissue trick for a while now.
Thanks so much. I thought I'd know a lot of these. Turns out I maybe knew one, about removing knobs, because I really f---ed up my pots switching knobs the stupid way. Thanks again. Saving this video for later.
Thanks for the tips. I like that 5WW t-shirt! Keith would love seeing this! The sting-lock thing I was shown decades ago and have used it without a slip for all that time. It's a tuning trick everyone without locking tuners should use.
Great hacks to share. I’ve played for 30+ years. Through them I have learned all of these the hard way. This will greatly help those less experienced. 👍🤘🏻🤘🏻
i used two teaspoons to remove the knobs on my sg. after you mask off the area, put the blade end of the two spoons under the rim of the knob opposite of each other and slowly wedge the knob up and off the shaft. works like a charm.
Another good tip would be to use small crimp connectors & heat shrink. Replacing any pots, pickups etc. would be a breeze & the connections are just as dependable as the stock configuration.
Thanks Rhett... Dave, DUDE! You NEED to have a "UA-cam" channel. Every-single time I see you on either this or "Rick Beato" channel, I so learn something new! Come on man, all of us out here need to have your input on UA-cam!!!! Do it brutha... Stay safe & healthy!
Although I understand the stability of wrapping a string like that, you sacrifice a lot of speed in string changes especially in a crunch when you break a string. If I had done this back in the day my on-stage tech would have punched me. A well wrapped string on the post, just like suggested of no more than two wraps and stretching the strings after installed will work just as well. Of course this is just my opinion.
I personally don't get steel wool anywhere near my guitars unless I'm working on an unattached neck or finishing a guitar body. High grit wer/dry paper works just as well with no mess.
Great hacks, lots of common sense. With that said, if the "sharp" corners in the saddle are causing string breakage (which seems to be a major problem), why wouldn't the manufacturers correct that issue before it gets to the customers? Your idea of slightly rounding those sharp edges in the saddle where the strings ride is a no brainer to me. But a slightly better saddle design from the manufacturer with less sharp corners would eliminate that potential.
because the man hours involved in rounding off punched saddles don't make financial sense. They did fix this by casting saddles or making graphite saddles.
Hey Dave, Well done. You speak to all the issues very well without making anyone feel bad, The string lock wrap I've never done and I've been playing like 50 years,. Gotta try that. Graphite on the nut I've done but it's hard to tell if it does anything. This was worth watching.
That's the best angle, lighting, close-up view of locking the strings when restringing. It totally makes sense. That alone would've made the video worth it.
This video honestly educated me so much. I bought a used Washburn Nuno Bettencourt signature and tried 50% of all this. No hassle, just staight up facts. Thanks
1:47 I've had one of these bushings break on my acoustic, and the play it induced in the gears made it so that they would bind as I tried to tune the string. If you have a 3D printer, all it takes is a few minutes and calipers, I've printed new ones and they work like a treat. Maybe not as durable as the OEM ones, but hey, if need be I can print a complete set of them in literally 5 minutes.
I don't want to get a reputation for being a groupie but the Beato extended gang seems like a really cool bunch of sweet guys. It is difficult to ignore how earnest, endearing and provocative all of you are. So fascinating to watch. It's like having a crush on your teacher at school. It's really weird. Maybe I'm too sensitive or something. lol.
Caught that too. When he did that I yelled at the screen. How many kids are going to fuck up their guitar doing that. Then bringing it to this guy to repair. Same with the wrenching down on the tuning keys to where they dent the face of the headstock.
Veins? More like Grain. 😬 He didn't wrench down on anything either.. He was careful and he explicitly said Not to wrench down on them, just make it snug. Ffs, guys.. 😐
@@R3TR0R4V3 "veins" is obviously a minor spelling or autocorrect error. 'cleaning' a fretboard with wirewool across the grain of the wood is an outright error, advising other ppl to do the same is a major error of judgement, so is endorsing it ffs, but you do you
The string self-locking technique I actually learned from Dan Erlwine’s Guitar Maintenance book. Have the book for more than 20 years now. I don’t know about you all, but I feel like I used hacks like these a lot more when I was young and broke lol
I’m always dumbfounded when I find out someone who’s a really good guitarist is clueless about the tech aspects of guitar. My older brother, who taught me to play, is the same way. He’s been playing since he was 13 and he’s never adjusted a truss rod, never taken the pick guard off by himself. His friends or teachers have always done that stuff for him. It boggles my mind.
While I'm definitely interested on how to do my guitar tech stuff myself, I kinda understand those people. I know how to drive my car but I have very little knowledge of how to do basic maintenance on a car, I just want my car to work. I guess some people are the same with their guitar.
@@cedricremond1612 That's a great analogy. I can change strings and do minor adjustments but I'd always take it to my guitar tech. Personally, I rather spend more time playing than fixing my guitar. But that's just me.
@@brettadkins7563 I was just like you until two years ago when I decided to take on the task of refurbishing my brother-in-law’s Fender Mustang. It was filthy and rusty and I asked him if I could take it home and clean it. He said no. I couldn’t stand seeing it in that condition, so l literally stole it out of their house when they were out of town. It was bad, the pots were scratchy and the switches didn’t even work. I took it completely apart and the whole project took months to complete. He was starting to mad about it toward the end but I promised it will be worth the wait, and it was. I learned so much from that project, and all of it was from UA-cam videos. I even did some soldering work on the switches and pots. It gave me the confidence to start working on my own guitars, and I just kept learning more and more. A lot of the motivation came just from my inability to pay someone to do something I know I can figure out, and do myself. I see it as something I should know how to do anyway. I know nothing about working on cars, and it annoys me, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to be that way about something I actually care about. I still suck at doing a good setup job on my guitars though. Fret buzz is still my archenemy. It’s pretty frustrating. ✌️
When installing wire rope on cranes that lift 100+ tons one of the first things you learn is that any wire rope or cable wrapped x3 has zero tension on the dead tail ie the first wrap. It only has a saddle clamp to enable it to be wound onto the drum each wrap cuts the tensions in half so after 2 there’s no tension. It’s the same for a guitar tuner peg three wraps is all you need. Also on any traditional trem even dive bombed your not going to take enough tension off the string to get it to move at the tuning peg. The nut set up and on a strat the string tree are going to be your number one cause of tuning issues. on Gibson’s it’s the string angle on the D and G it’s physics not voodoo
I heard that taking a magnet close to a pickup can cause some problems like disturbing the pickup's magnetic field and changing the pickup's performance. Personally I'd never do hack 3.5.
Thank you so much guys. Rhett's right - we're very blessed to have UA-cam and videos like these to teach information so we can all be better at whatever art forms we practice.
For 17:19 i disagree spending my money on those when i can use a cloth to remove my knobs, its efficient and easy plus you don't have to spen any money💸
I recommend cutting down the set screws in the saddles of Stratocasters. If you are anything like me, you will like that feel much more. Just unscrew them 1 at a time, use the hex key to help hold them while you grind off the other end.
Dave must be a good fella, 'cause he's wearing a Kieth Williams 5 watt world shirt. K.W. is the go to guy for gear history on tube. I knew the hacks, but then I'm not your target audience. Thanks buddy.
Big Bends Nut Sauce at the nut, bridge/saddle, under the string trees, or anywhere the string contacts metal or plastic has been a god send for me not breaking strings. I’m also a fan of a light amount of powdered graphite in the nut because a pencil doesn’t always fit so well on the high string nut slots. Great tips guys, going to pickup that knob puller for sure.
Really stupid advice. You should carefully scrape the gunk off it with a credit card. Then buff with a piece of clean cloth. And the oil should be just a couple of drops for the whole board once or twice a year. Or else the wood can get soggy.
Can't wait to see the champ in action,really looking forward to seeing Dave and Dojos you tube channel,Dave your a natural and will do just fine,thanks to Rhett for helping you decide to help us guitar geeks get the much needed confidence to DYI our own fixes,tricks and guitar information.
Ok, got to disagree with a few of those hacks: 1/. Never, EVER put another magnet over your pickup. You will change the gauss of the pickups magnet and alter its sound permanently. 2/. Put paper towel around the pot when you use De-Oxit to catch any drips or overspray. De-Oxit really blasts out, much more than needed and is hard to control. The risk is it can migrate along the pot thread and if the finish in the hole in the body doesn't seal the wood, the De-Oxit can seep under the finish on the top of the guitar and ruin it. 3/. Every luthier (and manufacturer) I have spoken to or read comments from, all agree that guitars should be stored with the strings under the tension that the guitar was setup for. Otherwise if you loosen the tension (especially on a slim neck like a 60's Gibson or a Pattern Thin) the neck may bow back slightly and if left like that for a long period of time, maybe difficult to get correct relief again. 4/. Knob pullers are a great idea for not scratching tops or pickguards but you can still pull the shaft of the pot clean out if the splines have a really good grip on the knob. Not a huge problem for a standard CTS type pot but if its a push/pull pot (which are exceedingly easy to break) they can be a lot more expensive and in the case of modern Gibsons, a nightmare to source a correct replacement and because Gibson use lead-free solder, very hard to unsolder and replace without possible damage to the PCB. Unless the pot is already damaged or you simply must have different knobs, be very careful pulling knobs off.
re #3: I've found that if you detune _slightly_ before extended storage, like half a step up or down, you aren't changing the strain on the neck significantly, and the guitar will sound better when it is brought back to correct pitch after storing. If the strings are kept at the same tension they lose their brilliance at that tension after a while. Detuning a bit, then retuning seems to help preserve the higher harmonics.
.if it did everything including the pickups beside the existing ones in your guitar would demag the other pickups......stop repeating idiocy like its gospel
@@utooberblooper it's not "idiocy", it's electromagnetic theory. Before attacking someone else, I would suggest you do a little research on magnetics - particularly "degaussing". The proximity of other pickups to each other on a guitar are not close enough to cause noticable issues, but basically rubbing a magnet directly on a pickup is a completely different case. By the way, I do know what I talking about as electronics and electromagnetics are what I'm trained in - what are your qualifications?
I absolutely agree with not using a magnet over your pickups to remove burrs. NEVER DO IT. I’ve tried it on one of my strats and the pickups never sounded right anymore.
Great video! One thing about storing guitars - I left a cord in the case with my black Gibson some years back and it melted to the finish. I sanded down the neck to remove the bumps but it still has marks on the back of the guitar. It is like a 330 only with a trapeze tail piece after the bridge. i have no intention of selling the guitar but it bummed me out nevertheless.
My first video course, The Tone Course, is now available. Check it out below!
flatfiv.co/collections/rhett-shull/products/the-tone-course
Dire straits
sorry to be so offtopic but does any of you know a trick to get back into an instagram account..?
I somehow forgot my password. I love any tricks you can give me.
@Yehuda James Instablaster ;)
@Joshua Damon i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff now.
Seems to take quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Joshua Damon It worked and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thank you so much, you really help me out !
Good info. I’m a repair tech for Epiphone, and I’ve played guitar for 60 years. I can tell Dave knows his stuff. And yes, he needs his own UA-cam channel.
I wish you lived near me so I had someone I trusted with my 90's Les Paul Standards
Thanks Dave I learned a lot today
Here’s one I learned yesterday: Drier Sheets.
While playing a Strat thru a vintage ‘65 Champ, I started noticing random scratching sounds. I assumed it was a patch cable or one of my pedals, so I fiddled with that stuff, but it didn’t do anything. I finally focused on my guitar and noticed it happened whenever I touched or rested my hand on the pickguard.
Turns out it was static electricity that had built up in the plastic pick guard. I was happy to learn a couple strokes with a plain old anti-static drier sheet would cleans it up. And it did. Amazing.
Thank you.
God bless you good sir. Was about to tear apart my gear till I read this, thank u so much!
for cleaning frets, and the bridge, use bamboo skewers. Super soft wood, will never scratch anything. When it dulls or gets gunky, shave it down with a blade, keep going.
good tip. makes sense. will try.
Yeah, and I do not suggest using steelwool for cleaning a fretboard even if it is unfinished, steel on wood, even if it is 0000.
I always clean my fretboard with an old credit card lol.. same logic.. use something softer than the material your cleaning and be gentle
I always used toothpicks and still would if I was still cleaning stuff
@@patrickwayne9074 toothpicks are also always handy for stripped screws too. Get some glue, some toothpicks, and something to knock it in, and you'll be able to start again fresh
So you're saying I should STOP throwing my guitars away when they get dirty or scratched?!?
Where do you live and where is your trash container ??
Wdym
not at all...juat send them to me and I'll dispose of them for you
👍👍
I throw them away when they go out of tune. But you would not want them then, they sound awful.
pressure washer for that really clean look
I was setting up to play a gig and when I went to plug the cord into my arch top, the jack got pushed inside the body.
I immediately shook the guitar like I was trying to make a pick fall out of a acoustic guitar, and got the jack to come out thru the F hole. And that’s how I played the gig! 😂
I'm a 59 year old disabled vet just learning how to play guitar. I love all these videos on tips and learning, years of wisdom at easy reach. thank you.
MultiDoug, Yeah, we certainly are fortunate to live in these times of instant communication worldwide. Anyone learning (as you are) can find most all of their needs on the interweb, reducing the need for weekly guitar instruction. While pretty good at giving a shitload of information, the web shouldn't be relied upon to give all the instruction necessary. If you can afford it fortnightly lessons, especially in the early stages, can really cut down on the possibility of forming bad habits (correct plectrum/pick holding, left-hand technique and many other seemingly small, somewhat insignificant issues that can be poorly approached initially but are just as easily approached properly and will cut down on difficulties later and make things better and/or easier on the player. It's just a suggestion if you can afford it but of course, if you're happy with UA-cam videos you'll do alright and I wish you all the best in learning the guitar. My only point in writing all of this is that one on one lessons really do help the student to progress much quicker than they do alone. All the best with the guitar.
@@skinnykarlos710 I take weekly lessons also
@@MultiDoug50 You're ahead of the pack then. A lot of youngsters think that Jimmy Page or some such didn't take lessons so they don't have to. If quite musically inclined they may get away with it but in any endeavour learning from someone who has been around the block cuts down on time and helps ensure that one's time isn't wasted practicing the wrong thing, the wrong way. At our age time spent "smart not hard" is the way to get ahead quicker, eh? Good luck with this beautiful yet, at times, most perplexing of instruments.
@@skinnykarlos710 I'm reading the Jimmy Page bio No Quarter. I recommend it. Jimmy really put his time in to be the great guitar player he became.
@@mbehringer4614 I'll have a look at getting a copy. Zeppelin were/are a huge influence on me and Page's guitar playing most of all. Thanks for the tip.
Great vid. Tons of great necessary stuff. Here's some ways to make some of this even easier and even a little cheaper 1) "gears" are your tuning machines, tighten the bushings, tighten the screws on the knob ends to give you a tighter feeling turns 2) you can make a functional "string lock" by just turning your first turn over the top of the string through the hole and then as it passes by the string again in subsequent turns, lift the loose end up and move the string under. That makes quick changes way easier than wrapping it and you won't break your string by pulling it too quickly at too tight of an angle. Also you can use more turns (3-4) to pull your string down and get a better break angle over your nut. That does not happen with 1-2 turns. 3) do not steel wool your frets back and forth without a shield, run it up and down the neck with the grain and put a cloth over your pickups so you do not get shavings inside your pickup cavity. 4) do not over-oil your fingerboard because it will loosen your frets 5) when your pots are scratchy you can literally just turn them back and forth post to post quickly to get rid of the scratch and then if it doesn't clean it you can use any PLASTICS AND PAPER SAFE cleaner. Deoxit is awesome but expensive, CRC makes one that's 4x the amount at half the cost available at any big box hardware store. Or support your youtuber here and buy the cleaner in the link if you have the cash. 6) to clean up the hard edge on your bridge plate just get a $1 pin file from harbor freight and file out the edge but just to round it on the top side of the plate. if you do it too much you'll make a knife edge. 7) the nut tips are super clutch and everyone should be doing those things. MOST people who think tuners are a problem with guitars "going out of tune" are experiencing a binding nut. you can open up the slots with an old would string that's a gauge up from the slot you're in and running it back and forth widening the slot a little bit 8) to pull knobs just put a piece of cloth underneath, touch the edges to make a pocket, wrap it upwards and pull. That tool isn't going to prevent a shaft coming out if its loose or defective, you're pulling on the shaft either way. Scrap t-shirt is free. Your polishing cloth can also do this.
Yeeesssssss 🙌
This is the polar opposite of your other "Guitar Tech" video, from winding the strings to the sanding the fretboard across the grain with steel wool
I once cleaned my fretboard with 0000 steel wool going perpendicular (crossways) and it completely dulled it. To get it back then it original look, I used 0000 steel wool and went along the grain. Lesson learned. Surprised an experienced luthier would do that.
0:35 hack 1
2:10 hack 2
4:18 hack 3
7:40 hack 4
9:35 hack 5
11:23 hack 6
13:31 hack 7
15:13 hack 8
17:15 hack 9
18:07 hack 10
You can also file off the edges on the bridge to prevent string breakage.A small round file is more effective and easier to control than a dremel with less risk of damage.
Exactly! However today for $9.00 use a FINE diamond flat file. Can also be purchased in a rat tail shape. 🙂
Awesome.....I use alcohol pads to clean my strings. After playing for hours ill wipe each individual string from one to six. Amazing what comes off. They add longevity to a set.
Omg I didn’t even catch the part with the “just use a magnet to clean your pickups” any magnet as strong or stronger than your pickups magnets which aren’t that strong can very easily damage your pickups and with all the cheap rare earth magnets that are available today you could really degauss a pickup in a heartbeat!
I think it’s worth mentioning that some knobs have screws on the side. I have a bass like that and a knob puller would be a bad idea for that. Check the knobs and see if they have a screw in the side first!
i replace all my push-on knobs with set screws. it's just easier on the pots. for installation as well. not just pulling off. allows me to buy solid shaft pots too, which don't break as easy.
But that being said i did notice that he was really used to working on classic rock guitars. all pickgaurds and plastic knobs in his thinking.
Yeah, I almost destroyed a synthesizer module just trying to put different knobs on it... there were screws holding all the knobs on.
Scrambles the Death Dealer yikes
yeah... but you're a BASS player, it doesn't count HAHA
i think the way you guys replace your knobs, is , you turn the amp up to volume 7 and keep hitting that Low E on the Bass and....... you just watch the knob vibrate off LOL
or...... You can slap it off
Martin Kuliza for the record, my Duesenberg 6-string has screws on the knobs too... yeah I know you’re joking, but just wanted to mention that.
Blow them knobs off ftw
hack: tilt your cup gently when drinking water to save spillages!
This method can be improved - try momentarily not breathing while taking in fluids through the mouth! PRO DRINKER TIP!! 👍
@@zetetick395 Except your lungs can hold more beer than your stomach, but only once.
38 is no v50 Dr k0T9XZvEA4XqrgT-6IX4Ag&q
don't forget to part ur lips for best results ............
this wins 2020
I was on board for everything but not completely taping your pickups when using steel wool. The steel wool can eventually work its way into the windings and even cut through them in pickups that aren't extremely overpotted. Steel trumps copper in hardness. Normally its more of "when" than "if", if it makes it in there and the probability goes up the more you use this technique. Add even more if they are open coil.
Micromesh pads do they same thing at the same or higher grits with no metal cast off.
Dangerous tip.
Yes...that's an absolute must when using steel wool on frets. Also thought amount of lemon oil was excessive which could lead to fret lift in cheaper guitars. And and "magnet against a magnet" for steel wool dust is also a common no-no...could change magnetic dipole or weaken magnets. Quite a few "hope nothing goes wrong" tips...
Yes yes yes. Simply just AVOID ANY STEEL WOOL.
$2 Nail buffing boards get frets up to an incredible mirror lustre.
Polishing rubbers are a good alternative. Combined with a fretguard, you get beautiful, polished frets without having the disadvantage of metal scrap going into the pickups
@@zebfernandez I'm not above using dollar-store items for maintenance & repairs. Those nail-buffing boards are great, and so is an ordinary ink eraser. For masking off anything, I just go to Walmart or Menards & get the yellow frog tape 'Delicate Surface' variety
Right!!?? I just use a dry green brillo pad and toothpick for fretboard cleaning...I would never dream of using steel wool...
Ive found that the best routine is to use lemon oil after removing the strings during changing (every 1-2 weeks because I play alot and do setups for my buddy's band who gig every weekend) and then brillo pad after every 4-5 string changes...all the fretboards on mine and my buddys' guitars look and feel like new
Dave Onorato isn't just a great guitar tech; he's also a cool guy who knows how to speak well and present information well. Yes, I hope you start a channel, Dave if you haven't already! 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
I would love to spend an afternoon with Onorato. So casual with his knowledge.
As a guitar tech, I HATE that string “locking” technique. It’s a pain to remove the strings and doesn’t hold tune any better than wrapping the first wind over the string that is exiting the tuning peg before continuing the rest of the wraps winding down towards the headstock.
Yep. That's the way we do it: string thru the hole in the peg, make a right angle bend where it exits, then first wrap Over, subsequent wraps Under. This pinches the string tightly at the peg hole and it can't slip. It is as good as locking tuners. Make sure you have at least 3 or 4 complete turns around the peg for the plain (nonwrapped) strings.
Ya me too. it seems like that's gonna be a weak point too.
+Stephen Wolnisty
But many wrapping (more than 2) --- don`t hold tune well, then you use your tremolo.
Agree 💯
I don't even do that and never have slippage. I have swapped to locking on 2 of 13 but that's not required. Who has this as a problem?
I highly recommend grinding the end of the socket FLAT and then carefully deburring the edges. This allows nearly full engagement with the thin nut flat of the tuning key. Normally, sockets are rounded on the inside to more easily fit over a full height nut. But with thin nuts, the engagement of the socket with the nut flats is reduced, greatly increasing the chance of damaging the flats of the nut. Box end wrenches can also be ground flat and deburred for use with thin nuts.
Wow, great suggestion!
Good tip. I keep a separate socket for my electronics and instruments to avoid getting car and constructions gunk on my stuff. Finishing the edges makes sense. I'm surprised StewMac hasn't started selling something like this. LOL.
M Behringer I’m sure they’re lurking, reading and putting way too much thought into how they’re gonna make it seem special so they can charge dummies way too much $ for it haha
Or use a spanner.
Guitar spanners work very well for the hardware tightening, and you don’t have to take the strings off.
Dave is a great guitar tech, and a good all around guy. I had him dress the frets on one of my Jeff Beck Stratocasters and it was like new when he finished. Whenever I need major guitar work done that I don't feel comfortable taking on myself, such as re-fretting, Dave is the man.
Very useful video indeed, and thanks for being straight talking and to the point and not trying to be gimmicky and overly comedic. Really really felt like I got something out of this.
I've known and used some of these hacks for years but always open to new ones and this video is very much appreciated!
The "lemon oil" referred to here is lemon scented mineral oil. Essential lemon oil would be very bad for your fretboard.
Jep, you can get medical grade white mineral oil in the pharmacy that'll last for the rest of your life.
While it might work fine, suggest folks use pre-mixed oils designed specifically for the fretboard like the Nomad stuff to be sure you don't do any damage or accidentally loosen your frets.
Blake Griffith yep, I went against the grain on one of my rosewood f/b’s and it’s scratched up even after piling
Blake Griffith “oiling”
Wood wind "bore oil" is my go to fingerboard treatment.
Careful with lemon oil on a bound neck, the fingerboard can swell and crack the binding at each fret. This happened to me with an ES 175 that had been hanging on a GC wall for three years before they sold it to me in 2000. They told me it was really dry send needed a lot of lemon oil for the rosewood. Rosewood is an oily wood by nature. That's why it's usually not covered in a finish. It doesn't need lots of oil. A little oil goes a long way.
@C De Stradivari didn't have fret slots to deal with. Fret slots wick up lots of oil causing finger board swelling and possibly fret lifting.
@C De I'm currently doing a french polish on my gypsy jazz guitar.
Thanks Dave, good stuff.
Lindy Fralin advises to just tape over the pickups when using steel wool - no magnet. It is too easy to demagnetize your $$$ pickup with a strong enough magnet. Doh!
Keep up the great channel Rhett- I just missed you in Richmond, VA the other week, so next time around bro!
Some things I would like to know from a guitar tech like Dave: I have a nice acoustic with no pickups. I have heard various opinions. Is it worthwhile to put a pickup on it? If so, what is a good pickup and can I DIY? At what point is it worth upgrading a cheap guitar (
Big thanks to Rhett for featuring Dave Onorato! This just proves we need The Dojo Guitar UA-cam channel. First subscriber right here.
Absolutely, I had been wishing for Dave Onorato _ The Dojo Guitar You Tube Channel _ for about 1 1/2 year, since I started my subscription to R. Beato & Rhett’s Channel , love Keith Williams Channel - Big fan of the 5 Watts World.
Ditto
Here's another related to storing or displaying guitars. This is for electrics, but I'm sure it applies to acoustic as well. Make sure your humidity levels are always around 40% and 55%, too much or too little moisture in the air will damage, untune, mess up necks/fretboards and cause finish cracks in the guitar over time. Get a humidifier, dehumidifier and silica packs to combat this issue during different seasons if you like in places like the northern east coast like me.
👏👏👏👏 to Rhett for first forcing Dave onto IG, I’ve loved watching and interacting with him. And then double 👏👏👏 👏👏👏👏 👏 for the future channel/merch for Dojo; this dude really is a wealth of knowledge, a wicked guitar player and from what I’ve seen, just an all around good dude. Can’t wait to see ya again and actually meet this dude.
All Love,
Aaron
Lemon oil & an old toothbrush has always worked for me on the fingerboard.
Good one, must try that. Thanks🎸
Don't, lemon oil fucks up your fingerboard
Axel Ibarra only maple
It does mess up the fingerboard if it's pure lemon oil but the Dunlop 65 is basically the only way
Hallo , linseed oil from grocery store here.
DO NOT use magnets to get shavings off of pickups. This can change damage the magnets in your pickup
And for god sakes don't ever use gorilla glue to put on your volume control knob
@RedKing I rhino line mine, AMAZING tone
I JB welded my guitar to make it more metal.
Silly putty works well for removing shavings. I always cover pickups with tape. But for those errant shavings try the Silly Putty.✌
I highly recommend when using non locking tuners using the opposite side in then wrap over the top method. You get the tuner hole perpendicular to the strings and put the string through from the opposite side it needs to be on and then pull it through until you have the amount of string left that you like then you wrap the string over the top of the tuner and hold it in place while you tune up to tension. That way you've started a kink and have the string secured with a little tension. But locking tuners are so so so much better than any traditional tuning machine and will amaze you how long they stay in tune with a good set up. Lastly DO ALL YOUR OWN WORK! It's part of being a guitar player. Realistically your guitar needs adjustments all the time to play it's best and when it's playing well you'll enjoy it more. You can't realistically go to a luthier every time you need a little adjustment. And I'm gonna tell you the truth, everyone's laughing at you if you take your guitar in for anything less than a MAJOR repair(except your luthier cause your paying his bills) if you've been playing a year or more stop giving away your chance to learn. And if you screw it up you learn how to fix it. Get a cheap $50 Amazon guitar and practice set ups, fret levels, pickup changes, different wiring schemes etc on it if your main guitar is too expensive to learn on. If you can do it yourself learn to do it yourself. That way your guitars are always on point.
You can more safely pull knobs with a microfiber cloth. YES I said cloth! 1) Slide cloth under the knob 2) Keep cloth tight as you wrap all the way around under the knob 3) Twist excess cloth into a 'ponytail' TIGHT 4) Pull knob off.
Knob pullers can damage the finish on that $4000 Les Paul! C'mon guys!
I use the handles of a plastic bag under the knobs and it works great.
Sweet! That guy not only polished the scratches off of your pickguard, but he polished the gold plating off of all the screws as well!
Noah Berryman no, I did that from years of playing the guitar.
@@RhettShull Rhett did he use just the #2 wax for the pickguard scratches or both 2 and 7?
I'm not big on really over soaking the board with any oil 😣 a real thin coat and wipe it off quick because of the possibility of frets lifting up coming loose whatevermaybe I'm a little paranoid or just overthinking it but I don't go real heavy even if it's dry a little bit goes a long way but you still Rock Dave and Rhettkeep up the nice camera work read it really shows a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that no one ever knows about, I kind of feel in my opinion that there is a plan b for some things 😉 thanks for all your help and support 😊👍
Absolutely agree. It's terrible for the guitar. I actually don't use anything.... unless it's SUPER necessary. It kills the tone too, letting the board absorb that much oil. Kills the high-end. I HATE it.... takes a couple weeks before the guitar Strat sounding right again, not to mention it's bad for the fret joints and makes the frets come loose. IF I use oil, I do it like you.
2:12 Hack #2: Locking the strings
I'll have to try this one for sure.
Thanks guys! Extremely helpful video.
yes! tightening the screws on the tuning machine handles! I had a major problem with my tuning going flat - that's exactly what it was. thanks for sharing!!!
same here. On the first guitar I got that had them, I though the dealer must have put cheap tuners on it until I tried turning the screws.
#10 Storing a guitar... a friend of mine had his Takamine in a dry unheated room for 20 years or longer (played aprox. 10 hours per year): 50 degree Celsius in summer, -20 C in winter. No cracks and the best sounding acoustic guitar i ever heard. just saying ;-)
Thank you! I don't even have a guitar and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's great to know guitar is mechanical and something to work and build a relation on.
Went into the local guitar shop, asked for a knob puller and they threw me out! 😲
Knob puller? I use a high-tech, sophisticated engineering marvel called a flat tip screwdriver with a piece of tape on the end to prevent scratching the finish. Or just my fingers really.
LOL :)) A shoelace wrapped around under the pot knob will also do the trick ;-)
Ya can't be scratchin' your nuts while asking a question like that.
Are you sure you didn't start playing Stairway?
Now that I think about it, asking for a "knob puller" might get you something you don't necessarily want.
Don't know if this has already been mentioned, but I've used a cheap IC chip puller to pull knobs like that off for years. You do have to be careful when sliding it under the edges, but it works great. Actually, anything that will fit under directly opposed points that will allow you to apply balanced even upward force would do the trick, but that gizmo does appear to make it more foolproof.
When Nashville winding/locking as shown 1/2 turn is enough. I've been doing this for decades
I have to disagree with locking the string like that due to the struggle to remove for next set.
Heat the tip of the applicator tube of the Deoxit, and bend it and let it cool. An angled tip makes it much easier to spray into the opening of the potentiometer. I also recommend adding absorbent packing material, such as a paper towel, around the pot to catch any overspray, instead of allowing it to penetrate into the wood and under the finish.
oooooh. Good Ideas!
Yeah, I find trying to squirt a little De-Oxit is almost impossible - always blasts out way too much and gets over everything. Been using the paper towel or tissue trick for a while now.
@@firemanmick Due to user complaints, Deoxit has brought back the old can with the adjustable valve and the plain non-folding tube.
@@PierceThirlen2 That's great, only problem is the stuff lasts so long, it'll take me a couple of years before I use up what I've got!
Nice job, very clear explanations. I appreciate guys like you who care about us and our equipment!
Thanks so much. I thought I'd know a lot of these. Turns out I maybe knew one, about removing knobs, because I really f---ed up my pots switching knobs the stupid way. Thanks again. Saving this video for later.
Thanks for the tips. I like that 5WW t-shirt! Keith would love seeing this! The sting-lock thing I was shown decades ago and have used it without a slip for all that time. It's a tuning trick everyone without locking tuners should use.
Tightening nuts is an innovative hack. I love this modern age.
Great hacks to share. I’ve played for 30+ years. Through them I have learned all of these the hard way. This will greatly help those less experienced. 👍🤘🏻🤘🏻
Dave definitely needs to have a UA-cam channel to show more of those hacks!
i used two teaspoons to remove the knobs on my sg. after you mask off the area, put the blade end of the two spoons under the rim of the knob opposite of each other and slowly wedge the knob up and off the shaft. works like a charm.
for metal shavings on my pickups, I just use tape to take it off because the stickiness is stronger than the magnet.
Yes that is the correct way to do it. Magnet on magnet is not the right thing to do. Great to see anyone can make a pickup these days
tape them first, then put some more tape over the steel wool shavings to trap them before pulling it all off
What happens with the shavings that get inside the covers, behind the tape in the copper wire?
Another good tip would be to use small crimp connectors & heat shrink. Replacing any pots, pickups etc. would be a breeze & the connections are just as dependable as the stock configuration.
Dave is just like a dentist with Rhett's guitars: "Oh, for shame, you need to floss better behind the last molars!"
.....
Yeh
When the dentist's office asks if I'd like to schedule a cleaning:
"Not really, I don't really want my gums bleeding for the next week."
Thanks Rhett... Dave, DUDE! You NEED to have a "UA-cam" channel.
Every-single time I see you on either this or "Rick Beato" channel, I so
learn something new! Come on man, all of us out here need to have
your input on UA-cam!!!! Do it brutha... Stay safe & healthy!
Although I understand the stability of wrapping a string like that, you sacrifice a lot of speed in string changes especially in a crunch when you break a string. If I had done this back in the day my on-stage tech would have punched me. A well wrapped string on the post, just like suggested of no more than two wraps and stretching the strings after installed will work just as well. Of course this is just my opinion.
I personally don't get steel wool anywhere near my guitars unless I'm working on an unattached neck or finishing a guitar body. High grit wer/dry paper works just as well with no mess.
Great hacks, lots of common sense. With that said, if the "sharp" corners in the saddle are causing string breakage (which seems to be a major problem), why wouldn't the manufacturers correct that issue before it gets to the customers? Your idea of slightly rounding those sharp edges in the saddle where the strings ride is a no brainer to me. But a slightly better saddle design from the manufacturer with less sharp corners would eliminate that potential.
because the man hours involved in rounding off punched saddles don't make financial sense. They did fix this by casting saddles or making graphite saddles.
IT'S A CONSPIRACY, MAN! ERNIE BALL IS BEHIND THE WHOLE THING! THEY'RE BLEEDING US DRY!!!
That's why I like kahlers. They have rollers in the saddles
My strings would break a lot like that but it was because I wasn’t stretching them
Hey Dave, Well done. You speak to all the issues very well without making anyone feel bad, The string lock wrap I've never done and I've been playing like 50 years,. Gotta try that. Graphite on the nut I've done but it's hard to tell if it does anything. This was worth watching.
When he said “i see lots of guys...and girls with guitars...” I went 🥺 yes it is nice to be included lmao
Technically, “guys” is a gender-neutral term, so don’t feel left out if someone says it! “Hey you guys!”
@@syberpunk yeah he should have said guys, girls, and non-binary otherkin. /s
@@Dragonette666 😐
Your not a bloos dad?
@@syberpunk Same here.
That's the best angle, lighting, close-up view of locking the strings when restringing. It totally makes sense. That alone would've made the video worth it.
Awesome video---some great tips except I find that if you wrap the strings like that, taking them off becomes a major PITA.
This video honestly educated me so much.
I bought a used Washburn Nuno Bettencourt signature and tried 50% of all this.
No hassle, just staight up facts.
Thanks
Hey Dave: Just do it. You have tons of knowledge to share. Thanks
1:47 I've had one of these bushings break on my acoustic, and the play it induced in the gears made it so that they would bind as I tried to tune the string.
If you have a 3D printer, all it takes is a few minutes and calipers, I've printed new ones and they work like a treat.
Maybe not as durable as the OEM ones, but hey, if need be I can print a complete set of them in literally 5 minutes.
1 hack that makes the most difference in how your guitar plays and sounds is to get good. If you know how to play your guitar will sound WAY better.
Dave's channel will be a must watch for me.
D5 is pure magic, the best I ever had in 40 years of playing.
What's D5? Can't find it online...
Order the knob puller as soon as I saw this video!!! Thanks for the great tips...
I don't want to get a reputation for being a groupie but the Beato extended gang seems like a really cool bunch of sweet guys. It is difficult to ignore how earnest, endearing and provocative all of you are. So fascinating to watch. It's like having a crush on your teacher at school. It's really weird. Maybe I'm too sensitive or something. lol.
Been playing 43 years and I didn't know 5 of these! Dave you need your own UA-cam channel!
He said "you don't wanna scratch your fingerboard" just after he firmly passed the steel-wool 90 degrees to the fingerboard veins.... OMG!!!
Caught that too. When he did that I yelled at the screen. How many kids are going to fuck up their guitar doing that. Then bringing it to this guy to repair. Same with the wrenching down on the tuning keys to where they dent the face of the headstock.
Veins? More like Grain. 😬 He didn't wrench down on anything either.. He was careful and he explicitly said Not to wrench down on them, just make it snug. Ffs, guys.. 😐
@@R3TR0R4V3
"veins" is obviously a minor spelling or autocorrect error. 'cleaning' a fretboard with wirewool across the grain of the wood is an outright error, advising other ppl to do the same is a major error of judgement, so is endorsing it ffs, but you do you
The string self-locking technique I actually learned from Dan Erlwine’s Guitar Maintenance book. Have the book for more than 20 years now.
I don’t know about you all, but I feel like I used hacks like these a lot more when I was young and broke lol
I’m always dumbfounded when I find out someone who’s a really good guitarist is clueless about the tech aspects of guitar. My older brother, who taught me to play, is the same way. He’s been playing since he was 13 and he’s never adjusted a truss rod, never taken the pick guard off by himself. His friends or teachers have always done that stuff for him. It boggles my mind.
While I'm definitely interested on how to do my guitar tech stuff myself, I kinda understand those people.
I know how to drive my car but I have very little knowledge of how to do basic maintenance on a car, I just want my car to work. I guess some people are the same with their guitar.
@@cedricremond1612 Good point. 👍✌️
@@cedricremond1612 That's a great analogy. I can change strings and do minor adjustments but I'd always take it to my guitar tech. Personally, I rather spend more time playing than fixing my guitar. But that's just me.
I’ve been playing around twenty years and am just now becoming more acquainted with the tech side of things. Embarrassing actually.
@@brettadkins7563 I was just like you until two years ago when I decided to take on the task of refurbishing my brother-in-law’s Fender Mustang. It was filthy and rusty and I asked him if I could take it home and clean it. He said no. I couldn’t stand seeing it in that condition, so l literally stole it out of their house when they were out of town. It was bad, the pots were scratchy and the switches didn’t even work. I took it completely apart and the whole project took months to complete. He was starting to mad about it toward the end but I promised it will be worth the wait, and it was. I learned so much from that project, and all of it was from UA-cam videos. I even did some soldering work on the switches and pots. It gave me the confidence to start working on my own guitars, and I just kept learning more and more. A lot of the motivation came just from my inability to pay someone to do something I know I can figure out, and do myself. I see it as something I should know how to do anyway. I know nothing about working on cars, and it annoys me, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to be that way about something I actually care about. I still suck at doing a good setup job on my guitars though. Fret buzz is still my archenemy. It’s pretty frustrating. ✌️
When installing wire rope on cranes that lift 100+ tons one of the first things you learn is that any wire rope or cable wrapped x3 has zero tension on the dead tail ie the first wrap. It only has a saddle clamp to enable it to be wound onto the drum each wrap cuts the tensions in half so after 2 there’s no tension. It’s the same for a guitar tuner peg three wraps is all you need. Also on any traditional trem even dive bombed your not going to take enough tension off the string to get it to move at the tuning peg. The nut set up and on a strat the string tree are going to be your number one cause of tuning issues. on Gibson’s it’s the string angle on the D and G it’s physics not voodoo
I heard that taking a magnet close to a pickup can cause some problems like disturbing the pickup's magnetic field and changing the pickup's performance. Personally I'd never do hack 3.5.
Thank you so much guys. Rhett's right - we're very blessed to have UA-cam and videos like these to teach information so we can all be better at whatever art forms we practice.
The Honorable Onorato.
The DEOXIT hack for pots and switches just saved 2 of my guitars. I know this video is 4 years old. Thanks Rhett!
He literally gave that guitar a MANicure🔥🎸
😂😂😂😂
Great hacks I've been playing for over 50 years love the tips makes it easier to maintain my Guitars.Thanks
Buy Dave’s t-shirts to encourage the channel. Have to make it worth the master’s time.
Dave is a blessing to this channel
For 17:19 i disagree spending my money on those when i can use a cloth to remove my knobs, its efficient and easy plus you don't have to spen any money💸
Agree. Or just grab the first plastic bag at hand.
Spoons.. A couple spoons work great.
I have an old Japanese guitar that has machined brass knobs with Allen set screws. That seemed to be a favourite thing of theirs.
I recommend cutting down the set screws in the saddles of Stratocasters. If you are anything like me, you will like that feel much more. Just unscrew them 1 at a time, use the hex key to help hold them while you grind off the other end.
Dave must be a good fella, 'cause he's wearing a Kieth Williams 5 watt world shirt. K.W. is the go to guy for gear history on tube. I knew the hacks, but then I'm not your target audience. Thanks buddy.
Ian Bunyan Thanks Ian!
Big Bends Nut Sauce at the nut, bridge/saddle, under the string trees, or anywhere the string contacts metal or plastic has been a god send for me not breaking strings. I’m also a fan of a light amount of powdered graphite in the nut because a pencil doesn’t always fit so well on the high string nut slots. Great tips guys, going to pickup that knob puller for sure.
When are the
"There is no Plan B" shirts coming out?
Very good video! I purchased three items already to take care of my guitars. Thanks!
Watching this guy scrub against the grain of the wood on the neck!4:28 Ouch. With steel wool! Holy shit, don't do this to your guitar!
I know I about had a heart attack
Holy crap thank you I thought I was going insane and was taught wrong
I use steel wool to clean fretboards and to polish frets but NEVER against the grain.
Totally agree. Was cringing when I saw that.
just the steel wool alone is cringeworthy! use fret erasers or micromesh sanding cloths
To get into those tight edges like around the frets, just get a tooth brush with some Isopropyl... That gets them super clean.
Oh I misunderstood. I thought I was gonna be featured.
All in good time...maybe Rhett will do a "The Guitars Of The Green Room" video and feature all of us...
Wait wait...... I got nice nuts. LOL
This comment just made my day 🤣
You win.
Great stuff. Best 'how to change a string' instruction I've seen (starting at approximately 2:20).
Dave Onorato needs to have his own channel where he talks about ways to repair & take care of guitars
That's how i've been stringing my guitars with non-locking tuners for some years now, it works great.
not sure going across the grain like that with steel wool can be good for the fretboard. Doesn't that leave some scratches?
David Garrett It does and I cringed a bit watching that.
Really stupid advice. You should carefully scrape the gunk off it with a credit card. Then buff with a piece of clean cloth. And the oil should be just a couple of drops for the whole board once or twice a year. Or else the wood can get soggy.
Also, not the best way to wrap a string. Have fun unwrapping that garbage.
And what a great way to ruin pickups. Phenomenal job there.
Can't wait to see the champ in action,really looking forward to seeing Dave and Dojos you tube channel,Dave your a natural and will do just fine,thanks to Rhett for helping you decide to help us guitar geeks get the much needed confidence to DYI our own fixes,tricks and guitar information.
Ok, got to disagree with a few of those hacks:
1/. Never, EVER put another magnet over your pickup. You will change the gauss of the pickups magnet and alter its sound permanently.
2/. Put paper towel around the pot when you use De-Oxit to catch any drips or overspray. De-Oxit really blasts out, much more than needed and is hard to control. The risk is it can migrate along the pot thread and if the finish in the hole in the body doesn't seal the wood, the De-Oxit can seep under the finish on the top of the guitar and ruin it.
3/. Every luthier (and manufacturer) I have spoken to or read comments from, all agree that guitars should be stored with the strings under the tension that the guitar was setup for. Otherwise if you loosen the tension (especially on a slim neck like a 60's Gibson or a Pattern Thin) the neck may bow back slightly and if left like that for a long period of time, maybe difficult to get correct relief again.
4/. Knob pullers are a great idea for not scratching tops or pickguards but you can still pull the shaft of the pot clean out if the splines have a really good grip on the knob. Not a huge problem for a standard CTS type pot but if its a push/pull pot (which are exceedingly easy to break) they can be a lot more expensive and in the case of modern Gibsons, a nightmare to source a correct replacement and because Gibson use lead-free solder, very hard to unsolder and replace without possible damage to the PCB. Unless the pot is already damaged or you simply must have different knobs, be very careful pulling knobs off.
re #3: I've found that if you detune _slightly_ before extended storage, like half a step up or down, you aren't changing the strain on the neck significantly, and the guitar will sound better when it is brought back to correct pitch after storing. If the strings are kept at the same tension they lose their brilliance at that tension after a while. Detuning a bit, then retuning seems to help preserve the higher harmonics.
.if it did everything including the pickups beside the existing ones in your guitar would demag the other pickups......stop repeating idiocy like its gospel
@@utooberblooper it's not "idiocy", it's electromagnetic theory. Before attacking someone else, I would suggest you do a little research on magnetics - particularly "degaussing". The proximity of other pickups to each other on a guitar are not close enough to cause noticable issues, but basically rubbing a magnet directly on a pickup is a completely different case. By the way, I do know what I talking about as electronics and electromagnetics are what I'm trained in - what are your qualifications?
I absolutely agree with not using a magnet over your pickups to remove burrs. NEVER DO IT. I’ve tried it on one of my strats and the pickups never sounded right anymore.
Great video! One thing about storing guitars - I left a cord in the case with my black Gibson some years back and it melted to the finish. I sanded down the neck to remove the bumps but it still has marks on the back of the guitar. It is like a 330 only with a trapeze tail piece after the bridge. i have no intention of selling the guitar but it bummed me out nevertheless.