Just want to say thanks, Ted. A lot of the reason why I'm brave enough to attempt my own repairs and upgrades is because of your channel combined with previous skills I've acquired in the automotive repair & refinishing industry. Buying my 1st guitar in Dec 2019 was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I love everything about it. Playing them. Fixing them. Even doing regular maintenence is OK right now lol. Thanks again, Ted! 🙏❤️🎸
If your automotive masking tape goes south on you, throw it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds and it'll be good as new... I know it sounds like a joke, but I do it all the time... Learned it from an old body man. I think he bought tape by the case.
You can do the same thing with epoxy glue that has started to gel and thicken inside it's plastic bottles or dual-syringe. Might only take 10 or 15 seconds in the microwave, so be cautious; and don't try this with metal tubes of glue! Alternately, put the tube(s) of glue in hot water for a minute or two. If you really need absolutely full-strength adhesion and strength, a fresh batch of glue may be best.....
Saying it had no WOW FACTOR is certainly not true. Anyone who knows what you did would certainly be wowed. But in the end, much of this kind of work shouldn't be noticed at all, right? It's a tricky paradox.
Omg, that is a job that even the most respected repairguy I know, would not take on without some serious negotiating. Awesome work, as always. Yeah, it was a lot of effort, but you made that custom have a new purpose man.. love your content!
@@RideAcrossTheRiver most will ask if you want to keep them and then charge extra for not filing them off. Like with a refret, it's *significantly* more expensive to leave the nibs on. I would rather re-bind the whole fingerboard and file out nibs than I would cut frets that are radiused perfectly and cut to the perfect length to fit inside the binding.
@@kotymccallister5150 I meant techs who make major changes without consultation to the customer. I'd be furious if that happened without asking me. Already I had one tech who ignored most of what I asked him to do. Took my money though ...
The very first Les Paul guitar I'd ever noticed when I was 8 years old (in my big sister's teenie mags) had looked exactly like this one, and it's still my favourite colour scheme on an LP today, 44 years later 😀 And I commend you on all your great work! My Mother had suggested to me when I was in my early teens I should become a luthier, too; I definitely would've not had the patience like you! 😆 All the best from NZ! 😀👍
amazing work as usual! How much extra is added to the cost to redo the binding with nubs verses without? The cost difference is what would decide for me had it been my guitar. IF the extra cost is like say $200 then goodbye fret nubs!😁
its the sane thing to do? well if I ask for a job to be done and it annoys you, then so be it, ill look for somebody else. Otherwise charge extra for it and stop whining!!!! DO YOUR JOB MR perfectionist!
You should try “frog tape” masking tape for painted edges you need crisp. It’s a product that has hygroscopic material embedded in the outside edges of the tape that wick up paint that leaks or seeps under normal painters tape. It’s pricey but does an exceptional job. Just be sure to store it in its sealed plastic container to ensure it does not get ruined by absorbing atmospheric moisture. Available at most hardware stores here in Canada. I never comment on UA-cam, but I want to say thanks, I really enjoy your content, very informative and entertaining.
Yup,...you also need a customer who appretiertes the time and work that it takes, just to have the plastic ends on the frets...sometimes I have customers who insist on it and get "irritated" when I tell them, how much it costs. They assume that I try to rip them off, when it's actually the other way around, considering the nerve it costs me to do this job...
I have always thought that fret nibs are clearly the work of the devil. Who in their right mind would think this is a good idea or looks even remotely cool? Ugh. That said, this was great work, even though it shouldn't have been necessary.
Don't play strings, don't build or repair them. Still enjoy every video for their craftsmanship and the serene hands-on / matter of fact tone. Zen Craft.
Wow. That LP needs some help. They brought it to the right man, that's for sure. I'm glad my gold Indio 66 DLX Plus doesn't have fret nibs. It looks just fine without them, IMO. I also noticed they sprayed color over the edge of the binding like shown on this Gibson. I wondered about that but hearing that Gibby does it makes me feel a lot better about mine. It's actually a pretty phenomenal guitar for what I paid for it. I definitely got more than I paid for and I couldn't be happier.
Even the guys that actually play their Bursts go with full width frets. Could you imagine having this happen to a $150k+ guitar?? When it’s time for frets on my R9, it will get full width frets. The one thing Gibson got right on the 2015 models was ditching the fret nibs.
Another great video Ted - Question - at 14:01 you have a can of something that you are using an eye dropper to draw. Can you tell me exactly what that can is and brand? I assume you bought it at local box store somewhere in around the Hammer?
I've been repairing since 1980 and building this century but your work, Ted, always teaches me something. If I get to Canada I'll look you up. ( Terry from Oz).
curious if dressing the lacquer with retarder before scoring with the razor blade to remove the original binding would cause less chip out and easier time getting in the joint? or, would it just lead to more mess?
Dang what a real PIA, you are not only technically proficient but a true artist as well! I can't believe a company like Gibson would design a guitar in such a way to make it so difficult to do a refret job. What does Gibson think, that frets never wear out? But then again they built their guitars with set necks so they didn't give a damn about neck replacement either. Les Paul's may look & sound really cool but what a royal PIA they are to work on which makes me appreciate my Fender Strat that much more!!! BTW: I'd really like to know how many hours you put in to do this job & what you charged. In my opinion, whatever it was that you charged, it wasn't enough. ;)
You my friend,.... are a very,....veeeeery brave man. Extremely skilled. But brave. Aaaaand that's why he commands the BIG BUCKS folks.😉👍 Unbelievable job Twooford.
Oh, fellow canadian 😃 YEAH THOSE SUPPLY COMPANIES that refuse to ship glue, cellulose binding, etc!!! Btw LMII announced they are closing down for good earlier this month 😫😢😭 Greetings from Montréal!! 🤟😃🤘
I say just forget the nubs, and fret it the easy way. A 1990 Les Paul Custom is never going to fetch original '58-'60 Burst prices....(Well, to be fair, a 1990 Les Paul Custom will most likely fetch Burst prices 500 years from now if it's in reasonable condition....After all, it will be 510 years old 500 years from now, so...)
Dude kudos. Thats a crazy amount of tedious work. Im one that absolutely hates feeling fret ends and i love the nibs on my Sg. If i ever did a retfret tho i would most likely just do away with them 😢
i like the binding on my '73 SG... none at all don't own any solid bodies with binding, don't plan to. it's just pointless, and tacky. (esp. white/cream) ...and then the nubs... uggghhhh... nvm... imho, of course, enjoy
Seems to me Gibson would benefit from meeting with you awesome techs to learn better ways to make their guitars. I've heard some automotive manufacturers periodically check junk yards to see what's failing to go with vin numbers repairs. Maybe stick with Fenders, their built like tanks.
Who should stick with Fenders? Ted? If you're referring to Ted, he's a luthier. Not a Fender repair tech. He can fix anything. If Fenders are "built like tanks" why would he stick with Fenders when his livelihood is based on repairing guitars? Being built like tanks implies they rarely need repair or maintenance. That's not how you stay in business as a luthier. Repairs are your main work. Who in their right mind would minimize the brunt of their business and expect to stay in business? Especially in 2021? I totally don't get what you're trying to say here. If you mean players should stick with Fender, then no. There's a reason we have choices. Do you even play guitar? Just curious.
I think that was a great job looking and thinking about it for a few days before deciding how to attack the job. As always, another great job and decision making.
I appreciate the artistry, but not the attitude. This work is more like restoration than repair. Perhaps you just don't like this type of work and that's OK. There are plenty of people who do appreciate and find joy in the challenge of a difficult restoration and feel a great deal of accomplishment and satisfaction in a job well done. You have much to be proud of, but you sound miserable like you hate your job. You can always pass on this type of repair if it makes you so unhappy to work on.
Nice job! I acquired a 2011 LP Traditional with these fret nubs (and still has the original frets) and have wondered how the heck a fret job could be done, retaining the nubs. And now seeing how retaining/recreating these nubs creates alot of grief while doing a simple refret, I have to wonder what exactly was in the minds of those folks at Gibson in committing to the original Mfg. process. (edit: the amount of time/work to do this would push me to use stainless steel frets in this work, just so I'd never have to put another luthier through this agonizing task.) I could see where this could end up being a job with a $1000 price tag.
I’m wowed by such new nibs! My LPC is 20 years old and you have to adjust your plying style slightly so you don’t get a high E caught on the edge of a fret with or without a nib.
The slightly ironic thing about the 'luxury' of Gibson binding is that... it's there... but then they do it so badly. I have an '84 Les Paul and a 2008 SG. Now the '84 has better work on the binding than the '08. But both of them have irregular nibs (really irregular on the '08) and masses of obvious scraping marks between them. So the entire 'luxury' effect is lost by poor execution. I have a Tokai LP which is overall better made but has no nibs from the factory. Looking at close up pictures of the binding on the few high-end guitars they make that do have nibs, it's clear to see that they're much more regular and smoothed out than on Gibsons. There's really no point in putting on a 'fancy' feature that's a complete mess. P.s. I've seen this poor binding work on all the post-1980 Gibsons I've seen. It's not just my guitars. The nibs on '40s-mid-'70s Gibsons I've seen in close up pics looks much better.
You made that look easy, fantastic job. I had my custom re-fretted and went for removal of the nibs, it plays much better as I had the E string stuck in the gap problem you mentioned!
It's too much, Ted is the best but if you, as a player, are forced into this sort of nonsense because Gibson couldn't get to together in the first place,
I have a 1992 Les Paul Custom with very yellowed and cracked neck binding, and very yellowed finishing covering the headstock logo. I'm hoping to get this job done on it. Do you know a ballpark of what it should cost to have done?
I am looking at buying a Les Paul. I always hear about Gibson guitars having poor quality. Should I be looking at used LP's from a certain Era. Or is the quality complaint overblown?
Not a whole lot off wow factor? You gotta be kidding me! That binding job was fantastic! I've had four or five Les Pauls from the 90's era, and they all suffer from binding cracks, little lines fight off the edge of the frets. Boy, you sure know how to "Luth"!
Enjoy watching you work and have reviewed most of your videos - problem is I can watch vids “faster” than you can produce them - can you please hire folks to help you get more videos up quicker😂 Just kidding. Please just keep up the good work. Thanks again.
Dang. Great work. Owner should have shelled out for another refret (sacrilege, but in stainless) and new nut before having you go to the trouble of making repro binding. The guitar looked just great when you were finished.
As an aspiring builder, this just enforces my "fuck binding" stance. No one looks at the AAA top on my Studio, or picks it up and plays it, and says "this would be so much better bound in cream plastic." Tbh it's something PRS got right. If you need a visual breakup, get the masking tape out and leave the router alone. Probably makes vastly more sense on acoustic guitars where the corner edge is 2 pieces of thin wood getting joined.
At the end of the video you mentioned the lack of “wow factor”. I have to disagree. The annoyance of trying to play with badly chipped out binding would be huge, and your skillful work at re-binding and restoring the integrity, look and feel of the binding and surrounding surfaces is very much a “wow”! Nicely done.
Respect sir. A lot of wow factor actually. Those nibs look nice but that is it. I would just refret it without if it would be mine. This would be a steep bill I suppose. I’ve done fretwork but don’t think I would take on something like this.
I have to say, I have never understood Gibson’s decision to use fret nibs. To what purpose? That being said, this work was masterfully done. Great work Ted!
About scraping the black laquer from fretboard binding. My instructor used a long wooden block over the fretboard. Attach or hold it on surface. Practically, you can ignore bumps of the frets. Then you can scrape the borderline just like you do to the body bindings.
I'd just like to share that nail polish is nitro. I've been able to find every guitar touch up paint I've ever needed. There's 8,638 different shades of black alone.
Those stupid "nibs" are the dumbest and most useless "feature" in any guitar design ever. A whole bunch of inconvenients, extra work, and eventual problems for absolutely no benefit other than "value for the sake of value"
Great job Ted. Not my money, nor my guitar. If it was, I would want something done different. Either a refret or new finger board with no binding. Don't care much about that binding up the end of those frets. Not trolling you, I just see that binding cracking again. Great work and video.
When repairing my own stuff, I've come to the conclusion that you need to have a similar mentality to like building scale models. Small details, small tools, small steps... etc...
Whatever you were paid it's probably not enough. It's just amazing to watch you - your skill and thought process is, to use an overused phrase, next level. Wow.
This is not a repair, that' s Art!👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Fret work is an art for sure
Hmm…nice repair!!
Not for the faint of heart 😩
Just want to say thanks, Ted. A lot of the reason why I'm brave enough to attempt my own repairs and upgrades is because of your channel combined with previous skills I've acquired in the automotive repair & refinishing industry. Buying my 1st guitar in Dec 2019 was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I love everything about it. Playing them. Fixing them. Even doing regular maintenence is OK right now lol.
Thanks again, Ted! 🙏❤️🎸
I absolutely second that sentiment. Thanks
I third it lol
4th, I built my first string instrument with his advice in mind
I have found through Ted that I enjoy soldering and fixing up guitars as much as i enjoy playing music
Mad skills.
This guy thinks of everything. Unbelievable knowledge.
Unbelievable experience!!
I’ve developed some sort of weird Woodford reflex. Every time Ted mentions a Gibson headstock break, I immediately put my Les Paul back in its case.
It makes for a unique drinking game experience as well. 😉
If your automotive masking tape goes south on you, throw it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds and it'll be good as new... I know it sounds like a joke, but I do it all the time... Learned it from an old body man. I think he bought tape by the case.
i thought i was the only one that has done that LOL
Nice one! thanks for the tip.
same for gummed up magnetic tape! 104 degrees for a few minutes (depending on size of reels) makes it playable again!
You can do the same thing with epoxy glue that has started to gel and thicken inside it's plastic bottles or dual-syringe. Might only take 10 or 15 seconds in the microwave, so be cautious; and don't try this with metal tubes of glue! Alternately, put the tube(s) of glue in hot water for a minute or two. If you really need absolutely full-strength adhesion and strength, a fresh batch of glue may be best.....
Guys, this is great advice! Thank you!
Saying it had no WOW FACTOR is certainly not true. Anyone who knows what you did would certainly be wowed. But in the end, much of this kind of work shouldn't be noticed at all, right? It's a tricky paradox.
Not a paradox. A good job looks like little to nothing ever happened. That will make any craftsman proud and happy.
@@docdoc but no wow factor for the uninitiated.
As a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe owner this job had a lot of WOW factor. Scary job.
Nice! Does it still have it's mini-humbuckers?
@@FloodExterminator I got it with P90's switched it back to Mini's as I have a Special with P90's.
@@Goomer Oof. Are they the original Minis that were originally shipped with it?
@@FloodExterminator Period correct.
Ted is a true musician and refuses to interrupt the distortion at the end before its time.
My guitar repair guy just fed me the world's worst Almond Joy; damn thing was stuffed full of binding scrapings instead of coconut!
So, you are one of the ten people in the world. Great job Ted 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Omg, that is a job that even the most respected repairguy I know, would not take on without some serious negotiating. Awesome work, as always. Yeah, it was a lot of effort, but you made that custom have a new purpose man.. love your content!
It sure looks like it would be easy to accidently break some of those new nubs while trimming and sanding. I imagine that would be frustrating.
Ted in case I haven't mentioned it yet...you never fail to impress me:)
Man, saying that that binding installation is labor intensive is a HUGE understatement. This has definitely taken at least half a day to do each side.
I've re-bound fingerboard with nibs and it takes HOURS not even counting the time for the glue to dry
@@kotymccallister5150 I wonder if there have been repair techs who neglected to inform the customer that nibs will be filed off.
@@RideAcrossTheRiver most will ask if you want to keep them and then charge extra for not filing them off. Like with a refret, it's *significantly* more expensive to leave the nibs on. I would rather re-bind the whole fingerboard and file out nibs than I would cut frets that are radiused perfectly and cut to the perfect length to fit inside the binding.
@@kotymccallister5150 I meant techs who make major changes without consultation to the customer. I'd be furious if that happened without asking me. Already I had one tech who ignored most of what I asked him to do. Took my money though ...
"It's all an illusion, man." 🤣
That's a beautiful les paul
I'm stunned. Superb job; man you are blessed with this craftmanship.
Stay healtjy & happy. 👍❤️🍀
.
Greetz from 🇳🇱
The very first Les Paul guitar I'd ever noticed when I was 8 years old (in my big sister's teenie mags) had looked exactly like this one, and it's still my favourite colour scheme on an LP today, 44 years later 😀 And I commend you on all your great work! My Mother had suggested to me when I was in my early teens I should become a luthier, too; I definitely would've not had the patience like you! 😆 All the best from NZ! 😀👍
I hope that owner watches this video and doubles what you’ve charged him.
I honestly don't care for fret nibs. I prefer the look of frets extending on top of the binding.
Same! It somehow looks cheap...
One has to admire your patience. Outstanding job, as allways!
amazing work as usual! How much extra is added to the cost to redo the binding with nubs verses without?
The cost difference is what would decide for me had it been my guitar. IF the extra cost is like say $200
then goodbye fret nubs!😁
"Why this is BOUND to be messy" Little involuntary pun there :P
I chuckled.
he was BOUND and determined to get this right ha ha
its the sane thing to do? well if I ask for a job to be done and it annoys you, then so be it, ill look for somebody else. Otherwise charge extra for it and stop whining!!!! DO YOUR JOB MR perfectionist!
You should try “frog tape” masking tape for painted edges you need crisp. It’s a product that has hygroscopic material embedded in the outside edges of the tape that wick up paint that leaks or seeps under normal painters tape. It’s pricey but does an exceptional job. Just be sure to store it in its sealed plastic container to ensure it does not get ruined by absorbing atmospheric moisture. Available at most hardware stores here in Canada. I never comment on UA-cam, but I want to say thanks, I really enjoy your content, very informative and entertaining.
That's what he used when he glued the binding to keep it in place.
I find Frog is a little too adhesive to use on guitar nitro, anyway. YMMV
Why would anyone bind a guitar like this
"Why would anyone _____" is a a question that comes up alot around Gibson's tbh
Ted: "There's only 5 people in the world who can do this kinda job... (of course, I'm one of them)"
Just a side note folks. If he so much as chips off just ONE of those nibs??? It's back to the beginning. The coconuts on this guy. Just a savage.
Yup,...you also need a customer who appretiertes the time and work that it takes, just to have the plastic ends on the frets...sometimes I have customers who insist on it and get "irritated" when I tell them, how much it costs. They assume that I try to rip them off, when it's actually the other way around, considering the nerve it costs me to do this job...
I have always thought that fret nibs are clearly the work of the devil. Who in their right mind would think this is a good idea or looks even remotely cool? Ugh. That said, this was great work, even though it shouldn't have been necessary.
I literally said "Wow" when you showed the final result
so mark me down for "Wow Factor Reactor."
Every time I watch one of these vidyas, I find myself blowing at the screen to remove yr scraping or sanding dust before you do. 😹
Beautiful as usual the devil is in the details
Don't play strings, don't build or repair them. Still enjoy every video for their craftsmanship and the serene hands-on / matter of fact tone.
Zen Craft.
What an incredible job! It mighty not have much "wow factor" but your client will LOVE the result!
Wow. That LP needs some help. They brought it to the right man, that's for sure.
I'm glad my gold Indio 66 DLX Plus doesn't have fret nibs. It looks just fine without them, IMO. I also noticed they sprayed color over the edge of the binding like shown on this Gibson. I wondered about that but hearing that Gibby does it makes me feel a lot better about mine. It's actually a pretty phenomenal guitar for what I paid for it. I definitely got more than I paid for and I couldn't be happier.
Even the guys that actually play their Bursts go with full width frets. Could you imagine having this happen to a $150k+ guitar??
When it’s time for frets on my R9, it will get full width frets.
The one thing Gibson got right on the 2015 models was ditching the fret nibs.
The wow factor is that it looks like it did pre-damage and this plays without discomfort. Excellent work!
WOW.. you're SUPER Sir .. thank you for your video
I dunno man, you wowed me.
That is a nightmare job for a luthier
what exactly is the name of this les paul custom model? greetings from italy
The one chance to have a Les Paul Custom without side dots - tragically missed.
Just joking. Great job man.
Another great video Ted - Question - at 14:01 you have a can of something that you are using an eye dropper to draw. Can you tell me exactly what that can is and brand? I assume you bought it at local box store somewhere in around the Hammer?
Looks like a Watco product, probably Danish Oil. Should be quite easy to source.
This happened to my les Paul customs neck binding 😢 I wish there was a repair person like you closer to do this (but I think I’d go without nibs).
17:30 yooooo is that some Dinosaur Jr? Immaculate taste.
I've been repairing since 1980 and building this century but your work, Ted, always teaches me something. If I get to Canada I'll look you up. ( Terry from Oz).
I mean this as a compliment, that's some forgery grade work there. I think most people wouldn't even know that it had been repaired. Great Job
Fantastic video, Ted! Top drawer work here.
Just beautiful work, brother. The craftsmanship is so appreciated. Many thanks.
curious if dressing the lacquer with retarder before scoring with the razor blade to remove the original binding would cause less chip out and easier time getting in the joint? or, would it just lead to more mess?
That's a good idea that might be worth a try. I'm not sure it would penetrate deep enough.
Seeing that being done was kind of a wish list thing for me for some years now. You knocked it outta the park, even if it was annoying.
There are very few people these days who achieve this level of detail in a repair. Great video I love watching a real craftsmen at work. Thank you.
Strange thing is how TW's work is always logic, reason, and shortest-distance.
It does look like a lot of extra work. I imagine it to be very costly.
Wow, glad I'm watching you do that job instead of me trying to do it. Enjoyable as always!
Man, you really are the best. So inspirational. Thank you for sharing your knowledge so generously. I wish you all the best.
Dang what a real PIA, you are not only technically proficient but a true artist as well! I can't believe a company like Gibson would design a guitar in such a way to make it so difficult to do a refret job. What does Gibson think, that frets never wear out? But then again they built their guitars with set necks so they didn't give a damn about neck replacement either. Les Paul's may look & sound really cool but what a royal PIA they are to work on which makes me appreciate my Fender Strat that much more!!!
BTW: I'd really like to know how many hours you put in to do this job & what you charged. In my opinion, whatever it was that you charged, it wasn't enough. ;)
Does anyone know what is the average cost of this type of repair in the US? I am about to do one and not sure how much to charge…
@@alexjohnne5I asked that same question but got no reply. You may what to try & Google it.
I really like that Les Paul custom. The Creme , Black and Gold really go well together.
You my friend,.... are a very,....veeeeery brave man. Extremely skilled. But brave. Aaaaand that's why he commands the BIG BUCKS folks.😉👍 Unbelievable job Twooford.
Oh, fellow canadian 😃 YEAH THOSE SUPPLY COMPANIES that refuse to ship glue, cellulose binding, etc!!! Btw LMII announced they are closing down for good earlier this month 😫😢😭
Greetings from Montréal!! 🤟😃🤘
You are making me think that guitars have a life expectancy of 20 - 30 years.
Stellar repair. "Not a lot of wow factor". I beg to differ good sir.
I say just forget the nubs, and fret it the easy way. A 1990 Les Paul Custom is never going to fetch original '58-'60 Burst prices....(Well, to be fair, a 1990 Les Paul Custom will most likely fetch Burst prices 500 years from now if it's in reasonable condition....After all, it will be 510 years old 500 years from now, so...)
wow, you are amazing! What a job! I didn't expect this amazing result!! Your client must have been amazed and super happy!
Dude kudos. Thats a crazy amount of tedious work. Im one that absolutely hates feeling fret ends and i love the nibs on my Sg. If i ever did a retfret tho i would most likely just do away with them 😢
i like the binding on my '73 SG...
none at all
don't own any solid bodies with binding,
don't plan to.
it's just pointless, and tacky.
(esp. white/cream)
...and then the nubs...
uggghhhh... nvm...
imho, of course, enjoy
It’s the twoo tang club
A tale of twoo tangs? It was the best of tangs, it was the worst of tangs....😁🤔
Seems to me Gibson would benefit from meeting with you awesome techs to learn better ways to make their guitars. I've heard some automotive manufacturers periodically check junk yards to see what's failing to go with vin numbers repairs. Maybe stick with Fenders, their built like tanks.
Who should stick with Fenders? Ted? If you're referring to Ted, he's a luthier. Not a Fender repair tech. He can fix anything. If Fenders are "built like tanks" why would he stick with Fenders when his livelihood is based on repairing guitars? Being built like tanks implies they rarely need repair or maintenance. That's not how you stay in business as a luthier. Repairs are your main work. Who in their right mind would minimize the brunt of their business and expect to stay in business? Especially in 2021?
I totally don't get what you're trying to say here. If you mean players should stick with Fender, then no. There's a reason we have choices. Do you even play guitar? Just curious.
"If it's good enough for the Smithsonian I feel pretty good about using it"
-Ted Woodford
Chuckle
I think that was a great job looking and thinking about it for a few days before deciding how to attack the job. As always, another great job and decision making.
I always enjoy watching your videos , you make the work look easy although I know how much time and effort you put in to the work you do .
Hate it when my nub blows through it's binding.
“Not a whole of wow factor”?! Are kidding me? Looks great…nice work!
I appreciate the artistry, but not the attitude. This work is more like restoration than repair. Perhaps you just don't like this type of work and that's OK. There are plenty of people who do appreciate and find joy in the challenge of a difficult restoration and feel a great deal of accomplishment and satisfaction in a job well done. You have much to be proud of, but you sound miserable like you hate your job. You can always pass on this type of repair if it makes you so unhappy to work on.
Awesome job. Now I understand why my es345 damaged bindings were never repaired. 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🍻
Nice job! I acquired a 2011 LP Traditional with these fret nubs (and still has the original frets) and have wondered how the heck a fret job could be done, retaining the nubs. And now seeing how retaining/recreating these nubs creates alot of grief while doing a simple refret, I have to wonder what exactly was in the minds of those folks at Gibson in committing to the original Mfg. process. (edit: the amount of time/work to do this would push me to use stainless steel frets in this work, just so I'd never have to put another luthier through this agonizing task.) I could see where this could end up being a job with a $1000 price tag.
I've learned so much from this channel...thank you sincerely. This guy is a true wizard.
I’m wowed by such new nibs! My LPC is 20 years old and you have to adjust your plying style slightly so you don’t get a high E caught on the edge of a fret with or without a nib.
Yep. I get it caught on my Goldtop without nibs every so often. Somehow, it's always when I'm not actually playing or practicing, thankfully.
The slightly ironic thing about the 'luxury' of Gibson binding is that... it's there... but then they do it so badly. I have an '84 Les Paul and a 2008 SG. Now the '84 has better work on the binding than the '08. But both of them have irregular nibs (really irregular on the '08) and masses of obvious scraping marks between them. So the entire 'luxury' effect is lost by poor execution. I have a Tokai LP which is overall better made but has no nibs from the factory. Looking at close up pictures of the binding on the few high-end guitars they make that do have nibs, it's clear to see that they're much more regular and smoothed out than on Gibsons.
There's really no point in putting on a 'fancy' feature that's a complete mess.
P.s. I've seen this poor binding work on all the post-1980 Gibsons I've seen. It's not just my guitars. The nibs on '40s-mid-'70s Gibsons I've seen in close up pics looks much better.
"Not a lot of wow factor" Geez Ted, be nice to yourself! It's a Gibson, there's only so much you can do!
You made that look easy, fantastic job.
I had my custom re-fretted and went for removal of the nibs, it plays much better as I had the E string stuck in the gap problem you mentioned!
How many weeks did this take?! That's some tedious work there.
It's too much, Ted is the best but if you, as a player, are forced into this sort of nonsense because Gibson couldn't get to together in the first place,
I have a 1992 Les Paul Custom with very yellowed and cracked neck binding, and very yellowed finishing covering the headstock logo. I'm hoping to get this job done on it. Do you know a ballpark of what it should cost to have done?
I am looking at buying a Les Paul. I always hear about Gibson guitars having poor quality. Should I be looking at used LP's from a certain Era. Or is the quality complaint overblown?
Not a whole lot off wow factor? You gotta be kidding me! That binding job was fantastic! I've had four or five Les Pauls from the 90's era, and they all suffer from
binding cracks, little lines fight off the edge of the frets. Boy, you sure know how to "Luth"!
Enjoy watching you work and have reviewed most of your videos - problem is I can watch vids “faster” than you can produce them - can you please hire folks to help you get more videos up quicker😂 Just kidding. Please just keep up the good work. Thanks again.
Dang. Great work. Owner should have shelled out for another refret (sacrilege, but in stainless) and new nut before having you go to the trouble of making repro binding. The guitar looked just great when you were finished.
As an aspiring builder, this just enforces my "fuck binding" stance.
No one looks at the AAA top on my Studio, or picks it up and plays it, and says "this would be so much better bound in cream plastic."
Tbh it's something PRS got right. If you need a visual breakup, get the masking tape out and leave the router alone.
Probably makes vastly more sense on acoustic guitars where the corner edge is 2 pieces of thin wood getting joined.
At the end of the video you mentioned the lack of “wow factor”. I have to disagree. The annoyance of trying to play with badly chipped out binding would be huge, and your skillful work at re-binding and restoring the integrity, look and feel of the binding and surrounding surfaces is very much a “wow”! Nicely done.
Absolutely amazing. I wish I had a millionth of your ability. When I watch the videos, I am just razor focused.
incredible WOW.
Thats real pro.
How long this job may have lasted?
Much thanks for the Know-How!
one job that I've never tackled , thanx for walkin' us through it , Always wanted to see how...very kool , great work as usual
RJ
Respect sir. A lot of wow factor actually. Those nibs look nice but that is it. I would just refret it without if it would be mine.
This would be a steep bill I suppose.
I’ve done fretwork but don’t think I would take on something like this.
I have to say, I have never understood Gibson’s decision to use fret nibs. To what purpose? That being said, this work was masterfully done. Great work Ted!
About scraping the black laquer from fretboard binding.
My instructor used a long wooden block over the fretboard. Attach or hold it on surface. Practically, you can ignore bumps of the frets.
Then you can scrape the borderline just like you do to the body bindings.
I'd just like to share that nail polish is nitro. I've been able to find every guitar touch up paint I've ever needed. There's 8,638 different shades of black alone.
Those stupid "nibs" are the dumbest and most useless "feature" in any guitar design ever. A whole bunch of inconvenients, extra work, and eventual problems for absolutely no benefit other than "value for the sake of value"
Great job Ted. Not my money, nor my guitar. If it was, I would want something done different. Either a refret or new finger board with no binding. Don't care much about that binding up the end of those frets. Not trolling you, I just see that binding cracking again. Great work and video.
When repairing my own stuff, I've come to the conclusion that you need to have a similar mentality to like building scale models. Small details, small tools, small steps... etc...
Slight hesitation....idiosyncrisy...
That's a nice word for it.
Great vid!
Whatever you were paid it's probably not enough. It's just amazing to watch you - your skill and thought process is, to use an overused phrase, next level. Wow.