Oftentimes, what is considered a "good sounding guitar " ... is simply a guitar that is calibrated / intonated, and plays perfectly in tune. This is a $50 guitar that plays more accurately than many guitars that sell for 20X this price ;^ ) ... !
I have a Yamaha Fg360 that I bought in 1973 that still sounds great. It was made in Japan and shipped to the states for sale. They made a great guitar back then.
Thanks for all the good info you provide here it´s much appreciated. I´ve been thinking lately if a guitars action can be fixed without taking it in to pieces shouldn`t you rather do that than for example pull the neck and refit it even if it´s an expensive guitar. I picked up a few used old Swedish Levin acoustic guitars and the old ones where a bit fragile to be honest but that in fact as i see it makes them kind of to what they are and how they sound with everything on the guitar resonating together in one whole combined unit glue lacquer and all. They where cheap copies of old martin acoustics I believe. Mr Levin went over to the states and worked as an apprentice in guitar building as I understand and then came back home and started up Levin guitars. Today people rebuild them with x bracing and stuff to make them "better" and charge lots of money for them and I don´t think they sound as good, full and rich as my Levin guitars I kept like they where build all those years ago. Maybe 30 - 100 years from now when they have matured again they will though, who knows. I found one really beautiful old parlour Levin for free on the scrapyard and it sounds just supergood in open G after I lowered the action as much as possible without rebuilding it. I just also bought another used Levin for 100 usd on an online marketplace and after fixing the action on it I just love it too. I tune them to open G just to make sure they stay together. The latest purchased guitar had been sitting in a closet since they bought it I believe so it was really beautiful too.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story ! I have worked on many Levin guitars over the years ... he definitely knew enough not to overbuild, after working with Martin. It is very true that the string gauge and tuning will often yield surprising results and be enough to "coax" the best sound out of a guitar. You are not afraid to clock in the time, and experiment ..... which will negate the need for more invasive measures. Bravo ! Merry Christmas ! MMcC
Had an FG150 I bought new in Hong Kong, in 1976, so I'd say the guitar is at least 40+ yrs old. Mine while not the greatest guitar, sounded pretty good, especially since it cost me $50 USD or HK$200. Alas I loaned it to my brother in 1983, & he reported it "stolen". (I should've checked my hometown pawnshops. LoL) I bought a Fender F15 back 1984 that could've been the model Yamaha was copying. That Fender though not their top of the line acoustic, had great tone, stayed in tune, etc. I'm always glad to see any guitar "up & running" regardless of price point (As they say now).
Thanks for sharing ... interesting story. Those smaller bodied guitars can really stand the test of time. Their are still tons of those F-15 still kicking around. Stick around ... the upcoming video on a small acoustic will blow your mind. Cheers ! MMcC
Question…when cutting string slots on the bridge, shouldn’t there be a slight groove for the string to set in after compensation to keep it from sliding across the bridge itself, and to keep open strings from buzzing from lack of solid contact with the saddle? I ask because I have gotten work back from big companies, and luthiers, and my first two strings High E, and B buzz and sound dead playing them open…they don’t sound like they are making solid contact with the saddle when played open. I realize this a moot point once you fret the string, but I play open voicings, etc. And I need to find someone who can make my expensive guitars play in tune like that video.Any comments or help is much appreciated. Thanks..
The "break angle" from the bridge pin hole, to the focal point on the bridge saddle needs to be tight enough to hold the strings firmly against the tip of the saddle.
@StringTech ok...but what do you mean tight? You mean I increase the angle of the string coming out of the bridge, or decrease it? And if it needs to decrease, how do I do that?
That Yamaha sounds great, I'm sure even better than when it was new. Thanks for this video, my wife has one that was built in the mid 70's that is a beautiful guitar that needs attention, we call it the "egg slicer". It seems you have to tighten the strings so tight to tune it. It does tune, holds a tune and sounds great, but the action is high and strings so tight it's uncomfortable to play. With the help of this video, I may get her right. I have to add that these guitars, even though they aren't high end, are made from good woods and well built. I've heard an old luthier say that building an instrument and setting them up is two different things.
The point I was making in this video : #1 In most cases it IS possible to regulate a guitar to this level of accuracy. #2 Although this guitar doesn't have a big robust voice ... it IS perfectly in tune and silky smooth to play. #3 Because there are so many variations on string ( gauge ) choice / scale length / action preferences / left hand fretting pressure / right hand attack etc ... etc ... there is no quick one step solution to attain this level of accuracy. #4 Manufacturers can't possibly adjust every guitar for every possible case scenario. This can only been done by a good Tech / Luthier in close conjunction with the customer and his/ her preferences stated clearly before the work begins. Thanks for watching / listening. MMcC
Love your videos man! I built one guitar. Trying to resurrect the fret board at the moment lol. I had it playing not too bad. Got the action down but the fret board was a little too narrow so it caused a snowball effect when I tried to widen it.. Anyways that's an encyclopedia worth . I have a question. When you mark the fret board to cut and it comes down to mms. Like 35.325mm for example, how important is it to get as close to that measurement? If you were at 35.5 mm or 35mm would that be close enough? for intonation
@StringTech Workstations yea I'm going to look into that next. I have two pieces of metal what is supposed to be for 24.75 and 25.5 scale guitar but they don't even reach the end of the fret board on my bought guitars and they are 25.5
Ok so I started with the last fret on two of my bought guitars and the marks line up for both guitars.one is 25.5 and the other is 24.75 scale. But the first fret distance you have to mark and cut yourself. Do jigs usually work this way? Like why wouldn't they include the first fret measurement into the jig?
The full scale .. starting at the nut position ... to the last fret. There are indexing slots in the Plexiglass templates that I picked up from LMI 40 years ago.
Incredibly in-tune and melodic, as you say I struggle to compensate on my guitars but there is so much to think about without trying to pitch correct. The fingers drag or squeeze the strings off key if I get sloppy. What tuner do you use to setup the intonation so perfectly or do you have perfect pitch (a good piano tuner's ear)?
Rob : You are absolutely right ! The final factor is the "Zen" factor. I do mention this in my instructional videos ... you have to be careful not to " death grip " with the fretting hand. or " jack hammer" with the right hand attack. I use this " Cleartune App " ... you can download for 6 bucks. Cheers MMcC
Yes I have. Good classical guitars ( nylon strings ) generally have very precise intonation .... and are not plagued with the "pitch displacement" ( sharpness issues ) that the steel string guitars face.
How do you calculate the right compensation on the bridge ? I've seen may videos where the bridge seems to be misplaced or where the slot is really way off ! As usual beautiful work ! Not sure that my Martin is playing so well in tune compare to this nice Yamaha after your dedicated work
Hey JP. I literally took 2 1/2 classes ( 3hr Classes ) in my Level 2 courses at the College, to cover all of the variations and extrapolations on the regulation of the guitars with compensated nuts. I do cover this in more detail for my Tier 3 Patreon Subscribers.
@@StringTechWorkstations I can imagine that is not an easy fix. Unfortunately I'm in France but I will contact my luthier and see if he can do this modification as I notice since longtime that big E string is never to pitch all along the neck. Thanks for your kind answer
Many of these Asia guitars from the 80s/90s are well constructed with good materials and are great value for those who don't have the spare money to buy a Martin/Gibson. Often though the action will not be what it once was and paying for a reset is not cost effective. A DIY reset is frustrated because the neck joint is likely to be dowel jointed/epoxy making steam removal, adjustment and regluing problematic. As shown here, if possible, shaving the bridge offers a straightforward solution. There is a luthier in Australia who steams the neck block area and applies force to the guitar to get it back to its original shape. ua-cam.com/video/UTVzGM1Znv8/v-deo.html
What a lovely sound when a guitar is really well in-tune…👍🏼
Crazy Nut, sounds good
Oftentimes, what is considered a "good sounding guitar " ... is simply a guitar that is calibrated / intonated, and plays perfectly in tune. This is a $50 guitar that plays more accurately than many guitars that sell for 20X this price ;^ ) ... !
I have a Yamaha Fg360 that I bought in 1973 that still sounds great. It was made in Japan and shipped to the states for sale. They made a great guitar back then.
I like those old Yamahas
Genius
Hey Eric ... hope all is well ... here is another video for your entertainment ;^ ) ua-cam.com/video/8RAVQ5RG2cE/v-deo.html
This video I saved to my "Most Important" videos! Thanks so much.
ua-cam.com/video/8RAVQ5RG2cE/v-deo.html
Absolutley "genius" great work!👍
ua-cam.com/video/8RAVQ5RG2cE/v-deo.html
Thanks for all the good info you provide here it´s much appreciated.
I´ve been thinking lately if a guitars action can be fixed without taking it in to pieces shouldn`t you rather do that than for example pull the neck and refit it even if it´s an expensive guitar.
I picked up a few used old Swedish Levin acoustic guitars and the old ones where a bit fragile to be honest but that in fact as i see it makes them kind of to what they are and how they sound with everything on the guitar resonating together in one whole combined unit glue lacquer and all.
They where cheap copies of old martin acoustics I believe. Mr Levin went over to the states and worked as an apprentice in guitar building as I understand and then came back home and started up Levin guitars.
Today people rebuild them with x bracing and stuff to make them "better" and charge lots of money for them and I don´t think they sound as good, full and rich as my Levin guitars I kept like they where build all those years ago. Maybe 30 - 100 years from now when they have matured again they will though, who knows.
I found one really beautiful old parlour Levin for free on the scrapyard and it sounds just supergood in open G after I lowered the action as much as possible without rebuilding it. I just also bought another used Levin for 100 usd on an online marketplace and after fixing the action on it I just love it too. I tune them to open G just to make sure they stay together. The latest purchased guitar had been sitting in a closet since they bought it I believe so it was really beautiful too.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story ! I have worked on many Levin guitars over the years ... he definitely knew enough not to overbuild, after working with Martin. It is very true that the string gauge and tuning will often yield surprising results and be enough to "coax" the best sound out of a guitar. You are not afraid to clock in the time, and experiment ..... which will negate the need for more invasive measures. Bravo ! Merry Christmas ! MMcC
@@StringTechWorkstations Thanks and Merry Christmas back at you
Had an FG150 I bought new in Hong Kong, in 1976, so I'd say the guitar is at least 40+ yrs old. Mine while not the greatest guitar, sounded pretty good, especially since it cost me $50 USD or HK$200. Alas I loaned it to my brother in 1983, & he reported it "stolen". (I should've checked my hometown pawnshops. LoL) I bought a Fender F15 back 1984 that could've been the model Yamaha was copying. That Fender though not their top of the line acoustic, had great tone, stayed in tune, etc. I'm always glad to see any guitar "up & running" regardless of price point (As they say now).
Thanks for sharing ... interesting story. Those smaller bodied guitars can really stand the test of time. Their are still tons of those F-15 still kicking around. Stick around ... the upcoming video on a small acoustic will blow your mind. Cheers ! MMcC
An absolute master!
Question…when cutting string slots on the bridge, shouldn’t there be a slight groove for the string to set in after compensation to keep it from sliding across the bridge itself, and to keep open strings from buzzing from lack of solid contact with the saddle? I ask because I have gotten work back from big companies, and luthiers, and my first two strings High E, and B buzz and sound dead playing them open…they don’t sound like they are making solid contact with the saddle when played open. I realize this a moot point once you fret the string, but I play open voicings, etc. And I need to find someone who can make my expensive guitars play in tune like that video.Any comments or help is much appreciated. Thanks..
The "break angle" from the bridge pin hole, to the focal point on the bridge saddle needs to be tight enough to hold the strings firmly against the tip of the saddle.
@StringTech ok...but what do you mean tight? You mean I increase the angle of the string coming out of the bridge, or decrease it? And if it needs to decrease, how do I do that?
Hey James; sometimes a relief cut, just ahead of the bridge pin hole will tighten up the string at the focal point.
do u make the compensated saddles & nuts from ivory (legal of course), or other materials? very nice playing.
bone / water buffalo horn / corian / brass / Cheers ! MMcC
Another beautiful transformation, great workmanship as always. Thanks for the fun, I really enjoy your videos.
Thank you very much! MMcC
That Yamaha sounds great, I'm sure even better than when it was new. Thanks for this video, my wife has one that was built in the mid 70's that is a beautiful guitar that needs attention, we call it the "egg slicer". It seems you have to tighten the strings so tight to tune it. It does tune, holds a tune and sounds great, but the action is high and strings so tight it's uncomfortable to play. With the help of this video, I may get her right. I have to add that these guitars, even though they aren't high end, are made from good woods and well built. I've heard an old luthier say that building an instrument and setting them up is two different things.
The point I was making in this video : #1 In most cases it IS possible to regulate a guitar to this level of accuracy. #2 Although this guitar doesn't have a big robust voice ... it IS perfectly in tune and silky smooth to play. #3 Because there are so many variations on string ( gauge ) choice / scale length / action preferences / left hand fretting pressure / right hand attack etc ... etc ... there is no quick one step solution to attain this level of accuracy. #4 Manufacturers can't possibly adjust every guitar for every possible case scenario. This can only been done by a good Tech / Luthier in close conjunction with the customer and his/ her preferences stated clearly before the work begins. Thanks for watching / listening. MMcC
Where can I purchase the T shaped material for the saddle? Is it of your own making?
I make it up as I go.
Man I love to watch you work. And then, there's the marvellous result.
It's gotten so I tap the LIKE button when I open the site. 'cuz I know it's gonna be good!
How much does a full setup like this cost if i might ask
mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com
Love your videos man! I built one guitar. Trying to resurrect the fret board at the moment lol. I had it playing not too bad. Got the action down but the fret board was a little too narrow so it caused a snowball effect when I tried to widen it.. Anyways that's an encyclopedia worth . I have a question. When you mark the fret board to cut and it comes down to mms. Like 35.325mm for example, how important is it to get as close to that measurement? If you were at 35.5 mm or 35mm would that be close enough? for intonation
Honestly; I've always used template for cutting fret slots.
@StringTech Workstations yea I'm going to look into that next. I have two pieces of metal what is supposed to be for 24.75 and 25.5 scale guitar but they don't even reach the end of the fret board on my bought guitars and they are 25.5
Ok so I started with the last fret on two of my bought guitars and the marks line up for both guitars.one is 25.5 and the other is 24.75 scale. But the first fret distance you have to mark and cut yourself. Do jigs usually work this way? Like why wouldn't they include the first fret measurement into the jig?
The full scale .. starting at the nut position ... to the last fret. There are indexing slots in the Plexiglass templates that I picked up from LMI 40 years ago.
@@StringTechWorkstations that's what I get for buying from China I guess lol
It looks very easy to play and sounds so beautiful. Nice work sir!
Thanks for listening ! MMcC
This is the lord’s work you’re doing.
ua-cam.com/video/8RAVQ5RG2cE/v-deo.html
Maybe the devil is involved too
Didn't Jerry Rosa put that bridge on there? That work looks real familiar.
Lol ! Unless he snuck into my shop in the middle of the night ?!?
Incredibly in-tune and melodic, as you say I struggle to compensate on my guitars but there is so much to think about without trying to pitch correct. The fingers drag or squeeze the strings off key if I get sloppy. What tuner do you use to setup the intonation so perfectly or do you have perfect pitch (a good piano tuner's ear)?
Rob : You are absolutely right ! The final factor is the "Zen" factor. I do mention this in my instructional videos ... you have to be careful not to " death grip " with the fretting hand. or " jack hammer" with the right hand attack. I use this " Cleartune App " ... you can download for 6 bucks. Cheers MMcC
Are there any luthiers in Minnesota that follow your teachings??
I will leave this comment up .... and hopefully someone with answer the call. Take Care / Stay safe + Healthy. MMcC
Another great video. Have you ever seen an acoustic that is perfectly in tune without a comp nut?
Yes I have. Good classical guitars ( nylon strings ) generally have very precise intonation .... and are not plagued with the "pitch displacement" ( sharpness issues ) that the steel string guitars face.
How do you calculate the right compensation on the bridge ? I've seen may videos where the bridge seems to be misplaced or where the slot is really way off ! As usual beautiful work ! Not sure that my Martin is playing so well in tune compare to this nice Yamaha after your dedicated work
Hey JP. I literally took 2 1/2 classes ( 3hr Classes ) in my Level 2 courses at the College, to cover all of the variations and extrapolations on the regulation of the guitars with compensated nuts. I do cover this in more detail for my Tier 3 Patreon Subscribers.
@@StringTechWorkstations I can imagine that is not an easy fix. Unfortunately I'm in France but I will contact my luthier and see if he can do this modification as I notice since longtime that big E string is never to pitch all along the neck. Thanks for your kind answer
thumbs up and go to sub button waw
Many of these Asia guitars from the 80s/90s are well constructed with good materials and are great value for those who don't have the spare money to buy a Martin/Gibson. Often though the action will not be what it once was and paying for a reset is not cost effective. A DIY reset is frustrated because the neck joint is likely to be dowel jointed/epoxy making steam removal, adjustment and regluing problematic. As shown here, if possible, shaving the bridge offers a straightforward solution. There is a luthier in Australia who steams the neck block area and applies force to the guitar to get it back to its original shape. ua-cam.com/video/UTVzGM1Znv8/v-deo.html
True. Thanks for weighing in ..... MMcC