I know this is an old vid - but much respect anyway. You are an excellent craftsman. Your channel is happening better now than in ‘17 but you still deserve 10x the views. Most of the guitar-related braun on YT is aimed squarely at 12 yr olds deciding between a Squier XYZ and an Epiphone 123. Let’s bolt on a new string tree - YIPPEE! 😂
Great stuff. I love Recording King Guitars; own a Dirty 30s parlor size in that same tobacco burst color. They are great instruments at a very low price. Mine had an MSRP of $200 and I bought it “new open box” on eBay for somewhere around $150. When I received mine it had a couple of high frets (12th and 13th), which I quickly lowered using my fret file. I also had do to some minor truss rod adjusting, but now the action is great, 0.08 on 6th string and 0.07 on 1st string. I’m a big Martin fan, my current player is a D-18E Retro. Fantastic guitar and yes, much nicer than my Recording King. But the RC has a solid spruce top, forward x scalloped bracing, like a Martin. I’ve owned 2 other parlor sized guitars and neither of them had the tone and playability of the RC. I would put it on par with my Little Martin travel guitar. On a side note, the recently departed Justin Townes Earle (Steve Earle’s sin) played Recording King Guitars. He’s said in interviews that he didn’t feel comfortable playing guitars that cost thousands of dollars, and not something his average fan could afford. Just before his death, he was working with RK on a signature model that will hopefully be released soon. RIP JTE.
lf i may suggest a little late but is my first view. pass strings thru front of tail bar and out rear.then bring string under bar going forward and then over bridge thus increasing break angle .been watching for a year or so and always catching up on older vtds. ur one of the vert best.
I encourage you to try that the next time you encounter this kind of tailpiece and you can discover for yourself exactly why that doesn't work on something with a hinge.
Nice job, but my only complain is why comment om your own comments? Dude, it's perfectly normal to say those things, and i guess it's because you're a perfectionist. Very informative and narrative is top notch. You work like a pro, talk like a pro, but dont be judging yourself too hard, leave that to the interweb trolls. 😊 👌 Cheers mate
- Ted is examining a Recording King guitar, specifically a Dirty 30s model from the 1920s or 30s, which features a floating bridge and tailpiece with unique fret marker inlays. - The issue being addressed is that the guitar's action is too low, causing string buzzing against the frets during certain playing techniques. - To solve this, Ted plans to make a new bridge that is slightly taller and increase the string spacing to provide more room for the right hand. - Ted also intends to swap out the tailpiece to increase the break angle, which will naturally happen with the new taller bridge. - Ted describes the process of crafting the new bridge using Ebony and maple materials, ensuring proper string spacing and compensation lines for optimal performance.
Another awesome video. I'm a little late watching it though...lol .. You should see Recording King's all solid wood (Adirondack Spruce top and East Indian Rosewood back and sides, all solid wood) guitars. I have the RD-328 and it's a cannon.
redesigning the floating tailpiece. ading 2 more bars from the tail to the bottom of the "stringholder" piece BUT adjustable with a nut. tighten it and the tailpiece gets force down. thx for the video it gave me a idea for a new tailpiece :D on to my machines, lets see what the old lathe and bridgeport can do.
I know this video is 3 years old but I’ll comment anyway. Wouldn’t it help with the break angle if you had built a tail piece with the same curve as the fretboard and the bridge, instead of a straight one? That would make the break angle even out across all strings instead of being smaller on the edges.
I love the look of what you did with bridge & saddle (maple & ebony). Questions regarding that style of bridge, with two feet rather than continuous support: 1) Wouldn't a traditional bridge with continuous support provide better transfer of string vibration to the top? 2) What are your thoughts on the structural impact of the point loads on feet, rather than distributed loads with a traditional bridge.
Billder Inbaja this guitar used a fairly strong x-brace rather than the horizontal ladder braces most of the original guitars of this style employed. By extending the feet of the bridge to extend over the arms of the X, and given that it has a plywood top, I don't think it's in danger of collapse. I'd be concerned if it had a solid top and no brace support. As for the separate feet vs. continuous contact - I just reproduced the style it came with. Could we squeeze a little more volume out by making continuous contact? Maybe, but this was a loud little guitar. The additional mass would probably change the character of the sound, too. If I was designing and building a guitar of this design (I wouldn't), I'd probably try out several different options. As it was, I just tried to get this done in under two hours so I could make some money. :)
Thanks very much for your response. I am interested because I have decided to dive in on guitar repairs, and eventually build at least one guitar. I have been "lurking" all the listings on old Harmony / Stella / Silvertone etc. as good candidates to learn surface repairs, refinish, new bridge/saddle, new nut, fret jobs, etc... so much to learn, can't wait to get started.
I have a question: Notice the way the strings are oriented with the balls ends outside the tailpiece rather than underneath/behind it. Why was it strung inside-out? And, is it normal for Recording King to be selling brand new guitars with strings oriented through that direction? (Especially all of their Dirty 30s biscuit resonators.)
Would it improve the break angle on the high and low E strings if you put the tailpiece block in a press and bent it to match the curve of the bridge more closely? With that trapeze-style anchor assembly, it wouldn't be hard, although you'd probably get better results by bending it before drilling the holes.
Taking the action up...no, I don't think I'd ever do that. Except if it was, like, really buzzy, but there are other ways to mend that. But yeah, the neck angle should've been more acute.
Great vid! Please forgive what might be a stupid question: To increase the break-angle between the bridge and tailpiece, could you flip that part of the bridge that you machined, so that the strings wrap under it before coming back over? Sort of like a Gibson Wraparound bridge, but with the strings threaded under first?
You'd think so wouldn't you? The annoying thing is, with a hinged system the string always finds the same angle -a straight line between the top of the bridge and the zero point of the hinge. If you wrap it under, the tailpiece rises up that same amount and the string ends up in the same plane. Frustrating!
@@twoodfrd : Ahhh. That's exactly what I wondered. Stupid physics, give a guy a break! Or at least a break-angle. Thanks for the response. Keep up the great work / vids.
so you need a higher action than three and half sixty fourth? That would be ...four sixty fourth? Three and half seventy fourth? Three sixty third? No?
True, unless you fit the neck at a small angle, 1.5 or 2 degrees, which would allow a taller bridge. The problem then is that the fretboard can’t just sit on the soundboard, You need to lift it somehow
Very Interesting video. Your work looks like that same set up that was used on this Recording King guitar. Did you set this one up also? ua-cam.com/video/4SVZqlM_Jwk/v-deo.html
I know this is an old vid - but much respect anyway. You are an excellent craftsman. Your channel is happening better now than in ‘17 but you still deserve 10x the views. Most of the guitar-related braun on YT is aimed squarely at 12 yr olds deciding between a Squier XYZ and an Epiphone 123. Let’s bolt on a new string tree - YIPPEE! 😂
I get it Ted. You and the guitar angels; ergo, “we”.
Love the written commentary throughout the video 😂. Always interesting content!
I love your tailpiece. Could you someday make a little bit more in-depth video on making it?
Great stuff. I love Recording King Guitars; own a Dirty 30s parlor size in that same tobacco burst color. They are great instruments at a very low price. Mine had an MSRP of $200 and I bought it “new open box” on eBay for somewhere around $150. When I received mine it had a couple of high frets (12th and 13th), which I quickly lowered using my fret file. I also had do to some minor truss rod adjusting, but now the action is great, 0.08 on 6th string and 0.07 on 1st string.
I’m a big Martin fan, my current player is a D-18E Retro. Fantastic guitar and yes, much nicer than my Recording King. But the RC has a solid spruce top, forward x scalloped bracing, like a Martin. I’ve owned 2 other parlor sized guitars and neither of them had the tone and playability of the RC. I would put it on par with my Little Martin travel guitar.
On a side note, the recently departed Justin Townes Earle (Steve Earle’s sin) played Recording King Guitars. He’s said in interviews that he didn’t feel comfortable playing guitars that cost thousands of dollars, and not something his average fan could afford. Just before his death, he was working with RK on a signature model that will hopefully be released soon. RIP JTE.
My dirty 30s wooden resonator is probably my most fun guitar to play in my whole collection. And it cost me £139 new!?! It sounds really good too.
lf i may suggest a little late but is my first view. pass strings thru front of tail bar and out rear.then bring string under bar going forward and then over bridge thus increasing break angle .been watching for a year or so and always catching up on older vtds. ur one of the vert best.
I encourage you to try that the next time you encounter this kind of tailpiece and you can discover for yourself exactly why that doesn't work on something with a hinge.
@@twoodfrd good info, got it, thanks.
Nice job, but my only complain is why comment om your own comments? Dude, it's perfectly normal to say those things, and i guess it's because you're a perfectionist. Very informative and narrative is top notch. You work like a pro, talk like a pro, but dont be judging yourself too hard, leave that to the interweb trolls. 😊 👌 Cheers mate
- Ted is examining a Recording King guitar, specifically a Dirty 30s model from the 1920s or 30s, which features a floating bridge and tailpiece with unique fret marker inlays.
- The issue being addressed is that the guitar's action is too low, causing string buzzing against the frets during certain playing techniques.
- To solve this, Ted plans to make a new bridge that is slightly taller and increase the string spacing to provide more room for the right hand.
- Ted also intends to swap out the tailpiece to increase the break angle, which will naturally happen with the new taller bridge.
- Ted describes the process of crafting the new bridge using Ebony and maple materials, ensuring proper string spacing and compensation lines for optimal performance.
Another awesome video. I'm a little late watching it though...lol .. You should see Recording King's all solid wood (Adirondack Spruce top and East Indian Rosewood back and sides, all solid wood) guitars. I have the RD-328 and it's a cannon.
redesigning the floating tailpiece. ading 2 more bars from the tail to the bottom of the "stringholder" piece BUT adjustable with a nut. tighten it and the tailpiece gets force down. thx for the video it gave me a idea for a new tailpiece :D on to my machines, lets see what the old lathe and bridgeport can do.
Turn the trapeze arms upside down leaving the stop bar as is
I know this video is 3 years old but I’ll comment anyway. Wouldn’t it help with the break angle if you had built a tail piece with the same curve as the fretboard and the bridge, instead of a straight one? That would make the break angle even out across all strings instead of being smaller on the edges.
A modern day Stella!
This video hurt my head in a good way.
Second person is 'you'. 'We' is first person plural.
You should have used the old tailpiece and reinforced i a little to get more down pressure and a better string angle
I laughed out loud at the edit for the “we” comment. You should be a WAY bigger channel.
Perhaps you adopted the "royal we" as you were working on a "King" guitar.
Can I ask why you're not just raising the saddle height? Interesting observation about the trapeze tailpiece. Hadn't thought about that.
I love the look of what you did with bridge & saddle (maple & ebony). Questions regarding that style of bridge, with two feet rather than continuous support: 1) Wouldn't a traditional bridge with continuous support provide better transfer of string vibration to the top? 2) What are your thoughts on the structural impact of the point loads on feet, rather than distributed loads with a traditional bridge.
Billder Inbaja this guitar used a fairly strong x-brace rather than the horizontal ladder braces most of the original guitars of this style employed. By extending the feet of the bridge to extend over the arms of the X, and given that it has a plywood top, I don't think it's in danger of collapse. I'd be concerned if it had a solid top and no brace support.
As for the separate feet vs. continuous contact - I just reproduced the style it came with. Could we squeeze a little more volume out by making continuous contact? Maybe, but this was a loud little guitar. The additional mass would probably change the character of the sound, too. If I was designing and building a guitar of this design (I wouldn't), I'd probably try out several different options. As it was, I just tried to get this done in under two hours so I could make some money. :)
Thanks very much for your response. I am interested because I have decided to dive in on guitar repairs, and eventually build at least one guitar. I have been "lurking" all the listings on old Harmony / Stella / Silvertone etc. as good candidates to learn surface repairs, refinish, new bridge/saddle, new nut, fret jobs, etc... so much to learn, can't wait to get started.
I have a question: Notice the way the strings are oriented with the balls ends outside the tailpiece rather than underneath/behind it. Why was it strung inside-out? And, is it normal for Recording King to be selling brand new guitars with strings oriented through that direction? (Especially all of their Dirty 30s biscuit resonators.)
Would it improve the break angle on the high and low E strings if you put the tailpiece block in a press and bent it to match the curve of the bridge more closely? With that trapeze-style anchor assembly, it wouldn't be hard, although you'd probably get better results by bending it before drilling the holes.
Taking the action up...no, I don't think I'd ever do that. Except if it was, like, really buzzy, but there are other ways to mend that.
But yeah, the neck angle should've been more acute.
Move bridge forward 7 or 8 cenameterd thin put two pin under the bridge with adjustment
The bridge location is located to intonate with the 12th fret.
Lots of magic and voodoo involved in location…
You were using the "Royal We" not the "Collective We"....LOL
when was floating bridge guitar style stopped
Great vid! Please forgive what might be a stupid question: To increase the break-angle between the bridge and tailpiece, could you flip that part of the bridge that you machined, so that the strings wrap under it before coming back over? Sort of like a Gibson Wraparound bridge, but with the strings threaded under first?
You'd think so wouldn't you? The annoying thing is, with a hinged system the string always finds the same angle -a straight line between the top of the bridge and the zero point of the hinge. If you wrap it under, the tailpiece rises up that same amount and the string ends up in the same plane. Frustrating!
@@twoodfrd : Ahhh. That's exactly what I wondered. Stupid physics, give a guy a break! Or at least a break-angle. Thanks for the response. Keep up the great work / vids.
Enjoyed this video. I have an unrelated question for You. What are Your thoughts on Tusq?
It's fine. It does seem to degrade over time and get a bit soft.
@@twoodfrd Thank You, for Your reply. I am a huge fan of Your Work. I use Tusq in most cases, because it saves Me time.
Treble strings sound a little muted.
Would shorter arms increase the break angle ?
i wished you played some blues with it...
Seems like the neck should have been at a different angle to get more height at the bridge.
so you need a higher action than three and half sixty fourth? That would be ...four sixty fourth? Three and half seventy fourth? Three sixty third? No?
Needs a clamp like they have on a Banjo. You could have jammed the top out and soaked it in CA underneath. Lol
I just realized that you have a bandaid on a finger in most videos. Hazard of the job, I guess?
It's almost impossible to get a good break angle on a Flatop guitar with a Tailpiece. They work much better with Archtops.
True, unless you fit the neck at a small angle, 1.5 or 2 degrees, which would allow a taller bridge. The problem then is that the fretboard can’t just sit on the soundboard, You need to lift it somehow
I personally think that mapple just absorbes about 30% of actual sound. Am I right? ;)
why figured maple isnt that a waste of its beauty?
Very Interesting video. Your work looks like that same set up that was used on this Recording King guitar. Did you set this one up also? ua-cam.com/video/4SVZqlM_Jwk/v-deo.html
Maple "feet" on a Bridge?!?! Looser!