Restoring this Vintage Gibson Guitar (Can it be done?)
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- While Gibson is destroying guitars, I'm repairing them.
In this video, I repair a Gibson Classical Guitar that was destined for the trash. It was a Rich Pick Signature Model Classical Guitar. When I received the guitar it was in complete shambles. Someone had tried to convert it to a steel string guitar and had destroyed it in the process. Watch as I put it back together and bring this beautiful instrument back to life.
A HUGE thank you to Jerry from Rosa String Works, for his support and encouragement. Jerry is a great guy and a very knowledgable luthier. Please be sure to check out his channel here: / @rosastringworks
If anyone is looking for a fretboard, I highly recommend the seller I purchased from: www.alexistring...
Royalty Free Music Used With Permission of www.bensound.com/
Please don't forget to subscribe so you see my next guitar video.
Thanks so much everyone!
Thanks so much for watching!
What would you guys like to see next? Leave a comment below.
I get the feeling your fixing to get a lot of business coming your way Jerry just recommended you to all the people waiting for him to get unbusy and that wont be for a long time.
Brian, this was inspiring to watch. What a story. Thanks!
Stephan Gardner thanks so much! I’m really glad you enjoyed it!
Brian. Where did you buy the premade sound board from? I'm rebuilding a Martin where the sound board is destroyed and need to replace it.
Rusty Nails take a look on eBay. They sometimes have rejected soundboards from the Martin company. They reject tops for all kinds of reasons, but some are completely usable. It’s not always easy to find them but keep your eye out. You could also try StewMac.
The YT recommendations algorithm comes up with some weird stuff but occasionally it gets it just right. You did an excellent job and have a new subscriber.
Thank you. The algorithm is a complete mystery. I uploaded this video a long time ago now, and out of the blue it SUDDENLY starts picking up steam! So crazy.
exactly the same!
Yeah yesterday it suggested a girl tattoing her butt hole. I'm not even kidding
Yeah me too, just now. I have to say this is awesome.
I was looking to get into repairing and messing around with my old guitars, I'll be watching a lot more of these. :D
This is a very odd thing indeed, because right now I am trying (actually, almost finished) to repair an old classical guitar of mine. However, I am doing it purely on my own, no searches for cues on the internet, no bying of spare parts... I am using things that I already have at home.
So the only cue for AI might have come from searches for strings in the music stores, and the fact that I recently purchased two guitars (none was a classical one) and a number of small items for guitars, like hangers, picks etc.
A very nice video BTW and a great job, at least to my uneducated eyes.
The finish on the back looks gorgeous
William Jakobsen thanks man! I don’t pretend to be an expert in finishing but I do have to say she’s a looker!
There is a soul-healing effect in watching someone making a little piece of the world whole... thank you, thank you.
Would love to hear how your neighbor reacted to the restoration!
YES
Same
same here!!
Huh? Three neigbours? And they just say yes? Where is the neighbour's comment?
@@voornaam3191 Sorry i have some Asperger don't like to talk so much, some time use a fake youtube id so so sorry. Brian did an excellent work with this guitar, i sent him from Argentina, my father is from there, now i moved some month ago to Brian neighborhood and he did it for me. cheers.
The sound that precious guitar produced broke my heart. What a beautiful resurrection!
Thank you so much!
As this video states: DO NOT USE STEEL STRINGS ON CLASSICAL OR FLAMENCO GUITARS. It kills me whenever I see someone try this. They aren't dreadnought acoustics.
aragorn767 tell that to Trigger ;)
Bluecera Trigger uses nylon strings not steel.
most classical guitars don't have a truss rod, as they aren't designed to withstand the tension of steel strings
@@tabormorin4526 I believe the bracing is weaker too.
I have seen some flamenca guitar with reinforced bracings and a truss-rod that could allow you to put Extra-Light strings but they were much much expensive. Anyway one of my neighboors has a very crappy old guitar (a chinese model frome the late 60s) on which he always put Manouche steel strings that are lighter than regular steel strings and the guitar hasn't suffered any damage from it.
Great video. I have a banjo that was my grandfathers made back 20"s or 30"s and is in terrible condition and also a turtle back mandolin that is all cracked and broken. Your video has shown me that no instrument is beyond repair. I will keep these two and hope someday they find their way into hands that can do them justice as this Gibson has done. thank you for your video and the wonderful job you did to bring this instrument back to life.
Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed the video! I put a lot of time into making it and it’s wonderful to see that people are being inspired to do their own projects.
It must be a really special moment when you get it all tuned up and get to hear it sing again and it's just you and a guitar that hasn't spoken in like 50 years.
I have worked on my own guitars for 50 years, so I have an idea of what it takes to do something like this. Not that I could or would take on a project like this. Bravo sir. My hat's off to you. I saw that you had 272 thumbs downs on it. Wonder why. Outstanding job!
Great job. Sounds awesome too
The smell of the bone when you cut it , is like the smell when the dentist is drilling a tooth.
Yes! Actually I said that the original voiceover and I ended up cutting that part for time! Great minds think alike.
Even when you have to cut and straighten ox horn grips on the fire to make the handle of a tool you can smell a really sickening smell, but the result is exciting! Anyway, beautiful realization, my compliments.
Paolo Buffa thank you! Yeah bone is not the most pleasant thing to work with, but it’s great for some applications.
@@BrianGossard As soon as I saw the bone being sawed, I thought "Wow, that's gotta be pleasant," - about 1 second before you mentioned it. :-) I used to make knives from old leaf springs, and my favorite handle material was deer horn - no 2 are alike, but WOW, that smell. Unique and unmistakable. (But also handy for running Da Wife out of the shop so that I can get stuff done.)
Boss-Class rebuild! I'm envious of your skillset. Needless to say, but new subscriber here. Thanks for sharing!
It smells like Victory!!!
I just ran across this video & loved every minute. Thanks for posting it.
I love how you’re able to explain what you’re doing as if you’re explaining to someone who doesn’t know anything abt guitars. Excellent commentary
Nice nice job man, and beautiful playing too, thank you for this awesome video fam
I'm not a guitarist but I definitely like to see old things made new. A lot of people seem to be nit picking about the top. Well dudes, it didn't have one, now it does, and the glue the guy used allows it to be replaced again if he ever decides to. What was junk is now an artist's tool again, and if he decides to restore it again closer to "factory" then he can surely handle the task.
Fan from now on! I have the same problem, im allways working in something. Excelent Job.
Wow! When you started to apply the finish, the beauty of the wood was revealed! Such beautiful wood on that guitar! You were right, it was well worth saving it!😁
You’re right about that. Brazilian Rosewood. They don’t make them like that anymore - literally.
This is a Crime of Passion and a Labor of Love! Thank you for sharing this with us!!!
It's hard to believe the finished product is that mess you started with, great job dude!
Hats off for first having the good sense to know what you were dealing with and then to nail the final product quality. Fine job.
Thanks so much!
as soon as you spraypaint ANYTHING outdoors the bugs allways come to the party :D I know that problem so well :D
Excellent work brother!!!👍👍👍
A great addition to your collection!!💯🤘🤘
Anyone else get a "how its made" vibe from this video. His narration, and background music is like really similar and i mess with it!!
My favourite show XD
I’ve been binging these type of videos for like 3 hours....
Worth it!
For the intonation of a straight saddle, you should check out Motolla's compensation calculator. This way you can determine the correct scale length of each string and compensate the intonation by slightly sanding the saddle to move the contact point of the string backward or forward over the saddle.
www.liutaiomottola.com/formulae/compensation.htm#mozTocId8319
Lovely job! Brought her back to life.
I built a kit Tele ... but ... the patience that you showed was remarkable . A true resurrection !
Every bug in the neighborhood- that’s was good
It’s the truth though, isn’t it?
Because it's true.
That is why you never paint outside, it's very difficult to make sure that no dust or bugs get into the paint.
This is incredibly cool. What an amazing restoration! I’m glad what was left of the original is now part of an incredible new guitar!
Great video, and loved hearing the commentary and history. In today's "wear and tear" culture" it's inspiring to see someone invest their time and energy to restore historical objects, and the result is beautiful.
Thank you. I’ve always had a deep interest in history. I’ve always loved museums and antique shops. I don’t know why I just really enjoy connecting with the past through physical artifacts.
@@BrianGossard Jumping off point for the imagination
One of the best 15 mins I experienced in a while! Thank you for this!
Beautiful Brazilian Rosewood!
It's beautiful in many ways.
It's just a wondrous thing to see such a beautiful, well played instrument like that brought into 2019/20.
You're a human time machine.
Imagine you string up this priceless classical guitar that used to be owned by a famous musician and as soon as you finish tightening the strings the whole thing just rips itself to pieces
OooOOOoFf
I like that you showed what you "tried but didn't work so well" - that's always helpful and encouraging in my own struggles
Considering the instrument is american made, was originally made by Gibson as an uncommon model, was restored by a very specialized luthier, made for an almost viral video and has woods such as rosewood, ebony and spruce, this guitar might vary worthing a couple thousand US dollars to several thousand...
There are a couple of Rick Pick Gibson Classical Guitars for sale online for sale for about $1,600. This is not a revered classical guitar. Some historic models of Gibson steel stringed are worth a lot more.
@@reynaldo121 Still i nailed the around 2K markn guess, hehe. Naturally some steel strings are more revered. Greetings
Your photography work is OUTSTANDING!
I am not a musician or anything other than a classic rock listener....
BUT .... I thoroughly enjoyed your fine woodworking skills.
👍🏻
Hearing that sound when you played that guitar make the time I spend watching your video worthwhile.Great job.
Thank you so much! So nice to hear that.
Thank you. I learned something and have a greater appreciation for the building of such a fine instrument.
You did a splendid job!
Fantastic job and an awesome video, instant subscribe!
Hi, I was directed to your channel by Jerry at RSW. Great job on the Gibson. Always good to see instruments saved.
One of my pet hates is when I see people smashing up guitars . I know they are not high end instruments but I still find it disrespectful. So thumbs up and a new subscriber.
Thanks Max! I appreciate you coming over and checking out my channel. There’s not a ton of guitar videos up yet but I am doing more soon so keep your eye out.
I know exactly what you mean about thing to see instruments destroyed. I feel so honored to have had the opportunity to work on this one. I never dreamed I would have my hands on a 58 Gibson. What a wonderful opportunity and I’m grateful I was able to make it shine again.
RSW is a great channel and I have just found this one and subscribed too. Jerry is always complaining about not finding a decent wood grain filler, have you suggested the stuff you use to him?
I would love to see more videos like this, but finding busted instruments, the time to repair, document, edit and produce V/O would probably be multiple full-time jobs. You crushed it man! This was amazing.
Dude you’ve come way since when we worked at Best Buy together.
Hey man! Remind me - Were you the guy who was putting together his own strat?
Brian Gossard I worked in MI I was building a relic Strat yes
Very nice work! For the guitar and on the video! thx!
An optimist with tools. Beautiful job.
Your way of doing things is totally different from mine. I kept thinking, "this is going to fail big time." I was wrong. Seemed to work OK, and it's a pleasure to see a mistreated instrument given some love.
You know that you're a luthier when you catch yourself blowing on the screen....you put the nitrocellulose on your waving the bug away and I'm blowing on the screen
Very cool. Nothing more beautiful than Brazilian rosewood. And it smells amazing too when sanding it.
You can say that again. I can co firm btw it is Brazillian Rosewood. Absolutely beautiful in appearance but also it’s sound!
Great job, you're really good! It's nice to see such a historical instrument getting brought back to life.
That was incredibly satisfying to watch.
I’ve passed on buying vintage guitars that needed a trip to a luthier to be playable. Most repair shops won’t undertake a wide range of repairs.
Lol for good reason. See my most recent upload.
Mazel tov! What you have done with this instrument is nothing short of a miracle. Im just awestruck
That is the nicest sounding nylon string guitar I have ever heard
It’s that 60 plus year old rosewood!
Cully Richard check this one ua-cam.com/video/6ajTcwJBbw4/v-deo.html and other guitars on that channel
That was awesome to watch. So glad your neighbor gave you the old instrument and so glad you had the skills to restore it so beautifully.
Congrats for the outstanding job.
Really enjoyed it. Beautiful result. Thank you.
Bravo Maestro!!!! I'd be your shop gopher just to learn and work for free.
My name is Manual Labor. Lol. Seriously thank you. Wow putting steel strings on a classical, and a Gibson!!!
Nice! I’d love to have you.
@Gene Howard tee hee
Oh so nice. I love watching people that know what their doing working on guitars.
I had an old guitar where the bridge pulled away from the face of the instrument. I took the guitar to a repair place. The repair only lasted six months.
I bought a new guitar and a friend asked for my old guitar to try to fix that troublesome bridge. He learned that the repair place only put three dots of glue under the bridge. I hated that, because that old Washburn had the sweetest rich sound. If that old guitar was repaired right the first time I would still have that guitar.
That old guitar was where I learned I am capable to coveting. Lol
I'm a fan, thank you,
Patrick
Thank Patrick. I love that you have characterized me as someone who knows what they’re doing. I certainly try but I am by no means the expert. Funny you should mention bridge pulling away issues. Did you see my most recent guitar video? The one that says “Don’t Do This” in the thumbnail? Bridges can be tricky!
Hello Brian the guitar is a beautiful restoration but....why did you fit spruce top.... classical guitars traditionally have a cedar top and the sound hole is smaller, this gives better bass
also the fan bracing under the bridge position had one end not tapered this can cause point loading and failure of the braces... I'm not trying to tell you your job as I'm sure you have
good reasons for what you do ....I repair guitars myself so i am always interested in the various techniques used by others ...But you have done this beautiful old instrument proud
the sound it produces is well worth all the work carried out ...stay safe Kind Regards from the UK
Hey thank you for the constructive criticism. Sometimes people write bizarre critiques in the comment section and don’t really explain what they mean. You totally raise some valid points and I appreciate that you were so respectful in how you worded it. To answer your questions: I agree a cedar top probably would have been preferable and the original sound hole would have been smaller. You have to understand the context here. This is the first acoustic I had ever worked on and I didn’t know a LOT of things. My neighbor gave me the guitar and at first I was afraid to even touch it but then I just slowly tried to do the best I could. A spruce top, with a larger hole is what I was able to find so that’s what I used. The bracing is probably far from perfect too. As I just said this was my first build so I was learning as I was going. You totally raise fair points here. I think the important thing though is that I got off my butt, took the risk and did something with what was otherwise an unusable piece. Is it perfect, no... but it’s very good and the compromises I made along the way we’re part of the learning process. Best to you and please leave a reply if you read this. I’d love to hear back.
It's very common with spruce tops on classical guitars and just as traditional. If I'm not mistaken, cedar tops were not used until the 20th century and Torres only used spruce
@@BrianGossard Spruce is actually more common in Flamenco guitars. It has that snappier sound. Guess we can say this is a beautiful experiment hybrid. A combination not seen anywhere else, ending up in something unique. Right? Accidentally? Probably. Gorgeous accident though.
Thanks everyone for your input. I would just say that whether spruce is traditional or not, I can verify the guitar sounds fantastic in person! It's my favorite guitar by far!
@@BrianGossard wow, this was your first acoustic build?? You went at it like a boss. Very impressive. I suppose when a guitar, gibson or not, is in that bad of shape... not even bad shape... like the top wasn't there!... so it's like, what have you got to lose. Most people probably would have tossed it, or hung it on the wall in a shop or something. Great job.
That's awesome 🤘😎 well done! 👌
There are few things more satisfying that reviving something that was so badly damaged and returning it to its former glory. Very nicely done.
Thanks! I know sometimes I get comments on here about how I could have done this or that differently. I didn’t necessarily do everything perfectly or the way someone else might have done it, it exactly as you said - I’m so happy to have taken it from where it was to where it is!
Is there a name to what he’s playing at the end of the video?
Very inspiring and well presented video too. Thank you.
Watching this hurt my heart, that tape really pulled off a good amount of the top fibers. I recommend William Cumpianos guitar building book you will learn a lot, it’s one of my favorite along with Irvine Sloanes Classical Guitar building book.
Yeah good point. I figured that out the hard way.
Thank you! Saved a historic guitar! I thought I'd done something when I had a Luthier Recondition a 70's Gibson. He apparently loved the instrument, loved working on it, and we both love how it sounds.
That’s nothing to sneeze at either my friend. Actually these days I would say we should all try to avoid sneezing, and also coughing... and of course breathing. But seriously, thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
Now you just have to play it for 1000 hours to break it in lol
wow , this was a joy to watch
Great Work, May I recommend D'Addario Pro Arte Strings, you will like the clear sound of them.
Especially the carbon ones. Amazing strings.
It came out amazing. The wood grain in the body is gorgeous!
Good job! Why throwing away good old stuff when you can give it new life...
I agree!
Not too many people would have bothered to even look at what appeared to be trash. And most of us don't have the skill, tools, garage, time, money, and patience to do this.
Thank you for giving it new life. The beauty of its old mature sound, adding the resonance of the new woods. An old man telling his story. An old chap got his second wind.
Thank you! Nice to hear people are enjoying the video.
Somebody needs to build a device that will shock people when they try to attach steel strings to a classical guitar. I work at a thrift store, and at least two thirds of classical guitars that come my way have steel strings on them. People tend to think that the bridge popping off is the most common mode of failure, but in my experience it's usually the neck joint. If the neck joint doesn't fail, I typically see the top board pulled up at the bridge. Not sure why this is the case, maybe wood glue is more resistant to shear force than a tensile force.
That’s a good question. If it’s a good joint, the wood glue will create a bond stronger than the wood itself. That could be why the bridge often remains while another part fails. Bottom line: DONT PUT STEEL STRINGS ON A CLASSICAL GUITAR! Just stop it! Thanks for your comment. I enjoyed it.
very nice ... I'm glad you saved it
Didn’t know messi was into guitars 🎸
That was incredible. You are quite the craftsman.
It looks an awful lot like a Martin headstock, even though it's a Gibson.
Yeah it’s kind of an unusual model. I don’t think a ton were made.
Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Great work! Thanks!
There is many time your work was sloppy.I am luthier for 13 year,and I am know what I am talking about. But eventually, you will get better.
Great job on the guitar, and the video. Very cool how you showed all of the steps.
I'm so sorry to say this Brian, everything you did to restore the guitar made it worse than it was before you did anything to it. And this is obvious at the end when you play it, it sounds dull and lifeless. Please research and read up on how a classical top should be thinned, voiced, fan braced and French polished, the fretboard is way to thick as well! Roy Courtnall's Making Master Guitars is a fantastic start. It was a great find which deserves to be redone and will I'm sure one day sound better than it did in 58. Regards, Mike
With all due respect, Mike - I’m happy with the guitar and I think it came out great. There are certainly things I could and perhaps would do differently but we all have to make our own choices and forge our own path. God bless.
I think it's great !
William Cumpiano once told me make as many guitars as you can, you will learn from every one. Don't listing to people like Mike Mullen who probably never made a guitar in his life. I think you did a great job.
I thought I was the only one. Sounds super dead and no sustain.
Inspiring and beautiful! Great work Brian! Thanks for sharing the process.
Jerry Rosa sent me to your channel, what a great piece of work. I have been a woodworker for over 55 years and love watching others ply their trade. I always seem to learn something from watching others and I will be looking at more of your videos.
Thanks Dan! Appreciate the kind words. I’ve actually only been doing woodworking for about 5 years, but I’ve learned a great deal. I’m thankful for all the people online who are always willing to share what they know. My neighbor who gave me the Gibson to repair is actually an incredible woodworker. He’s built two harpsichords and a sailboat among other things. He’s in his 80 now and he’s taken me under his wing.
Same here Dan.
that back and side grain looks amazing
Thanks!
beautiful result. the rosewood is nearly extinct now. we need more people like you to preserve these 'old' guitars and give them a new life.
The love you rebuilt id literally brought tears of joy to my eyes
Great video. I didn't struggle to finish watching it till the very last.
You make it look so easy! I bought an old classical Romanian guitar dated circa 1980 from a thrift shop for $25 with extensive water damage to use in my first attempt at restoring a "vintage" guitar. It wasn't as badly damaged as the guitar you restored in this video for I am not qualified to take on such level of restoration nor do I have the appropriate tools for the job. The lacquer on the entire piece was checkered and peeling, which I liked and decided to leave alone as it gave the instrument that irresistible vintage vibe. Half the bridge was broken and I was successful in rebuilding using mahogany scrap wood around my workshop (my bedroom really). Tuning pegs were missing so I bought a set of brand new ones and re-drilled the screw holes to fit. The rosette around the sound hole was half missing so I filled the gaps with CA glue and sanded down to a smooth finish. The neck seemed straight enough and the frets in a good enough shape, all I needed to do was to clean and polish. Finally, I noticed a small gap between the neck heel and the body about 2mm wide starting at the bottom of the heel and gradually getting smaller towards the top of the guitar. Without the necessary equipment and know-how needed to separate the neck from the body and reset, I decided to fill the gap with CA glue and hope for the best. Finally i made a bone saddle and nut for the guitar and installed some fresh strings on it. ARGGGGHHHH...! The strings turned out way too high from the neck towards the middle even after shaving the saddle down almost flush with the bridge and lowering the nut as much as feasible for a classical guitar. Obviously the neck had tilted upward due to water damage made apparent by the separation of the neck heel from the body. And now the guitar hangs on my wall as nothing more than a wall ornament and a memento of a miserably failed 1st attempt at lutherie. I think I'll just stick to playing the instrument instead and leave the restoration part to talented guys like you!
Great job btw! The sound of your rebuilt Gibson towards the end of the video is HEAVENLY! You can hear the old wood resonate with such warmth and depth it pierces the heart!
Thank you Terry! Don’t be too hard on yourself though! I think it’s great that you made an effort with yours. If you want to get into doing some guitars, I would suggest you start with an electric. You could also build a StewMac kit. Their ukulele kit looks like a fun little starter project. As for playing the guitar - good thing there’s people like you out there that play (probably way better than me). Don’t be a stranger! Hope you subscribe and stick around.
Brian Gossard Thank you for a wonderful demonstration of patience, craftsmanship and art. Cheers, Dave.
Thanks Dave! Very nice of you to say.
Great video! I didn't know the depth of expertise that went into guitar making.
Great video, Mr. Gossard! Glad to see you're still doing music stuff. I was in your music class in 2014.
I have no words except beautiful.
Thank you for uploading this, Paul. Another fan you’ve made for this gentleman.
Wow, that guitar has a lot stronger low end than I was expecting.
Excellent rescue job!
You do nice work, beautiful guitar
Awesome restoration! Hands up
I cried at the end. It's such a beautiful looking instrument and it sounds gorgeous. Great job!
What an awesome video, thanks so much for posting. I am sure many builders would love to salvage that amazing Brazilian Rosewood. Fascinating to watch you work on it.
Very grateful it was given to me.
Sensational project! Great work!