Couldn't find a Bridge Doctor down here in Aus, so I designed my own and installed it in a friends Maton. It worked brilliantly. Before, the bridge was leaning so far forward all the cars fell off.....
Paste wax in the screw head. Always thinking about the next guy to work on it. Awesome consideration. I'm sure you wish those before you had the same courtesy. You do inspire.
Thank you Ted!! After a long ass day of “celebrating” my son in law’s birthday and my son’s birthday and oddly enough my own birthday. All in the same day. Where I have to entertain and cook for 15 people. Happy birthday to me right! I have the relaxation of watching you just simply fix a guitar. Thanks man! Thanks for sharing again!
I like how technical Ted is about his work. It’s very thorough and well thought out. He’s already planned out his next move while working on the first move. I dig it. I do the same thing with carpentry at work.
I'm 72 and when I wake up, in the morning (I wear a sleep mask), I know what time it is, within 10 minutes. But I still have no idea what day it is. 😁✌🖖
I jump on your demonstrations ( from viewers POV ) and you educate this 78 year old sometime luthier, sometime repair, I do, however owe you this; you also amaze me with your playing of so many styles. You select a bit of play/music fit for darn near every style of play. Thank you for all of it. As you have hinted; it is not easy to concentrate on precise work and preserve and deliver a fine visual education.
One of the best shows ever at Dream Cafe in Penticton, BC, was Michael Dunn and the rest of the Hot Club of Mars band. Real treat to see and hear his guitars up close.
My dad was a huge Django Rheinhart fan, so I grew up listening to “Quintet of the Hot Club of France” records on 78rpm. They only used microphones for singers in those days, so the instruments had to be very loud, hence the Macaferri design. Also, Django refused to have a drummer in the band, so the percussive beat came from an extra two rhythm guitarists, plus an upright bass player.
There is nothing more satisfying to me than the reinstatement of a good instrument to it's intended, or indeed improved, state of play. Thanks, Ted - another successful revival.
Nice use of the bridge doctor! I had issues with my Martin D-18, so bought a bridge doctor and brought everything to my repair folks at Brooklyn Lutherie. They fixed the problem and didn't need the bridge doctor at all. Further proof that, no matter how many of these videos I watch, I'm not a repair person!! Haha! I'll stick to set ups and polishing, polishing, polishing.
The Bridge Doctor is a good thing, for those who can't afford a "real" fix, or have an instrument not worth it. But, if you cab afford it, the "real" fix is certainly the way to go. 😁✌🖖
It does kinda remind me of Django’s guitar. When I worked for Saga was when Swing Kids came out. We sold the replica of Django’s guitar. I remember being 21 years old and just digging that guitar so much I almost bought one
@@GizzyDillespee shoot I cannot remember the name those guitars went under. We sold mainly Blueridge guitars there but also sold a couple different jazz type acoustics but they weren’t Blueridge.
Add me to the list of people who genuinely enjoy and look forward to these videos. I'm loving my new sticker and T-shirt and hoodie too! Wear it proudly.
Fascinating. First of all the history behind this style of guitar and secondly your approach to identiying the source of the problem and rectifying it. The repair is of course up to your excellent standards.
Re: the saddle, A '64 D-18 had a bsd neck reset and the saddle needed to be extra high. The tension broke the bridge, but in this one there's plenty of meat to eliminate that.
I was just looking at the JLD bridge doctors which is a very clever tool for a common problem *and inspired me to finish building my 2nd neck bending iron today which is a doozy.* After the first version I built I learned that clamping to something perfectly flat isn't enough, and I will add some very small shims at the 1st and around the 24th frets. I built an oven out of some fence slats and used a heat gun but realize now even a cardboard box and space heater will work lol.
A little late commenting here but I have had my Donner almost 3 years and honestly it has been awesome! I play it more than my expensive guitars and I did the setup myself!
I thought Stewmac sold one but theirs is a neck relief gauge and the feet are not adjustable, to fit the body width. So, you have to make your own. 😁✌🖖
I love your videos. They are so full of great background information and techniques in guitar making and repair. It's very fascinating to watch them. I do have one legitimate question. Would ever consider, just for the fun of it, work on a Hello Kitty guitar. Acoustic or electric, but I do know that the Hello Kitty electric is pretty much a Fender Squire. I think it would be something a little bit different to see what you could do with an acoustic Hello Kitty guitar.
I had the same issue with the hole for the bridge doctor's screw... had to file it to size and can't make the hole bigger because the cap provided with the kit will be too loose. I believe they are all like that. But it works wonders to fix that kind of sound board issue. Best fix for my Norman 12 strings!
Summary: Michael Dunn's Background: Born in Quebec, moved to Vancouver, switched from popular guitar to classical music, and learned guitar making in Spain. Early Career: Introduced to George Bowden, began fixing classical guitars that had shipping issues, and later trained in Spain to improve quality control. Influence and Collaboration: Worked with Ry Cooder on historical lute building techniques and was influenced by Django Reinhardt's music, leading to his focus on Selmer-style guitars. Teaching: Taught guitar building at a community college in British Columbia in the late 60s and early 70s, training notable luthiers like Shelley Park. Selmer-Style Guitars: Designed by Mario Maccaferri, these guitars are associated with Django Reinhardt and feature a large body, cutaway, long scale, D-shaped sound hole, floating bridge, and tailpiece. Selmer Company History: Maccaferri approached Selmer to build these guitars in the early 1930s. Despite initial success, Maccaferri's involvement faded, and Selmer discontinued guitar production by 1952. Michael Dunn’s Design: Dunn’s Selmer-style guitars have evolved to be more accurate to original designs but also include unique hybrids like pin bridges, unusual for Selmer guitars. Specific Guitar Details: The featured guitar, built in 1969 and rebuilt in 1970, is a hybrid with a pin bridge and unconventional bracing patterns similar to flamenco guitars. Structural Issues and Repairs: The guitar had high action and a too-tall saddle, requiring repairs including a bridge doctor installation to address structural deformations. Inspection and Measurements: Dunn uses specialized tools to measure soundboard flexibility and deformation under string tension, ensuring precise repair work. Bracing and Soundboard: The guitar has a thin, lightly built soundboard with an X-brace and fan struts, contributing to its distinctive sharp attack and quick decay. Repair Process: Included adding a bridge pad overlay, careful drilling to avoid cracks, and adjusting the bridge doctor for optimal leverage, resulting in improved action and sound quality.
Nice! I have a Selmer classical guitar which I rarely use. I only use this one for a tonal characteristics different to the acoustic steel string and electric guitars. I don't like classical guitars, so I paid $150 (with a case) and I added an Artec pre-amp and I was greatly impressed with that add on.
One of my friends bought a Selmer and the strings were 9s. Too thin for me. Still it sounded good fingepicking. That's how I play. Interetsing guitars. I would like to know how Django played one ( the original Selmer Macafierris). Unusual inside bracing, neither Cross nor Classical. Thanks Ted for educating me again.
UA-cam compression aside, it seems to have a nice ring (toppy) to it. I'm listening on my laptop with a B&O sound system and speakers, obviously can't hear what you're hearing, in the room, but what I'm hearing sounds good, quite sharp. I can hear how it would sound good in a mix with maybe one or two more rounded guitars playing chords/ rhythm, while this one sits on top playing the melody. (Maybe I'm overthinking this... that happens sometimes, when I hear something I like).
You’re lucky that this wasn’t a traditional “petite bouche” - you’d never get your hand in there! If this were mine, I’d revert it to a floating bridge and tailpiece.
All of the Selmers that I have seen were all viol type instruments instead of lute type instruments as they have a tail piece for very high tension strings.
They have tailpieces but very low tension strings, way less then standard acoustic guitars. If you string them up with normal strings they will not fair well.
I've been staring at the physics of the bridge doctor for a while, and it seems the main action is from the screw element in the bridge pulling down on the top as you tighten the set screw against the dowl. The foot maybe helps a little but it might actually still work anyway in backwards since the screw can still pull down even with the foot not helping (it doesn't push the wrong way but rather does nothing by my analysis). Or he corrected the error off camera and didn't mention it.
I wonder if one of those inexpensive scope cameras with the movable head would be helpful in your work, they work really well for getting into tight spots...
Was it just me or did Ted put the Bridge Dr in backwards? The wooden support nub is supposed to push against the front of the saddle, not the back. Kinda hard to explain...
Here in Maine, most of us say Quebec with a "k"- like you did. I follow a YT channel out of BC, and even they say "qua"- like most of the US. I wonder why.
You Ted, are either becoming or have become one of the big names in Luthierie, whether or not you want such acknowledgement. It seems it should be thrust upon you. Your work continues to showcase your skills and excellent judgement.
I’ve seen another tool called a “belly reducer” that uses heat and metal cauls to flatten the top. It’s a much bigger operation though. Any thoughts if the extra effort is worth it?
You must be extremely careful, with that. When you sand down the fretboard, you must then deepen the fret slots. If you sand too much, you will cut the slots completely through the fretboard. That's not good. 😁✌🖖
Very interesting guitar with a beautiful voice. There are a number of Bridge Doctor videos online, but I recall Ted doing one some time ago that gave me a enough confidence to install one. I found an old Madeira A-30M (guild Japanese import line from maybe late 70's) which is all laminate but has flame maple back and sides. The bridge was leaning forward and the action was very high. The Bridge Doctor installed rather straightforwardly and got rid of most of the problem. The guitar needs more than that, but at least it's playable as well as looking nice on the wall. Of course, you have to hang it backward to see all that flamed maple...so I do.
Well well well, thats my kinda style. (I build selmer style guitars for a living) have only just started but i know theres going to be some interesting info here
Love your videos. I couldn't help notice the freckle on your forearm @ 18:33. As someone of fair complexion who has had a few melanoma's removed I have to say your freckle looks very familiar. Irregular border and multi-colored. I know it's never wise to take stock in an internet diagnosis, but I would definitely have a doctor or dermatologist take a look. Might be nothing, but I thought it would be wrong for me to not say anything.
Couldn't find a Bridge Doctor down here in Aus, so I designed my own and installed it in a friends Maton.
It worked brilliantly. Before, the bridge was leaning so far forward all the cars fell off.....
Watching, watching, watching... After watching Uncle Ted's video today, I can confidently say," I know that I know nothing."
His knowledge of how to measure different troublesome areas is remarkable
Fretty uncle Teddy
Paste wax in the screw head. Always thinking about the next guy to work on it. Awesome consideration. I'm sure you wish those before you had the same courtesy. You do inspire.
Thank you Ted!! After a long ass day of “celebrating” my son in law’s birthday and my son’s birthday and oddly enough my own birthday. All in the same day. Where I have to entertain and cook for 15 people. Happy birthday to me right! I have the relaxation of watching you just simply fix a guitar. Thanks man! Thanks for sharing again!
Happy birthday!
@@notabagel thank you!
I like how technical Ted is about his work. It’s very thorough and well thought out. He’s already planned out his next move while working on the first move. I dig it. I do the same thing with carpentry at work.
My Saturday early evenings are always spent watching your videos. Watching a master is very fulfilling.
Did I miss something or is today Saturday?
@@laurencehastings7473 LMAO, I meant Saturday! 68 years old and losing it daily!
@@NKBobcat Don't worry mate , Im 68 too and I had to check my phone to check.
I'm 72 and when I wake up, in the morning (I wear a sleep mask),
I know what time it is, within 10 minutes. But I still have no idea
what day it is. 😁✌🖖
Yay! A Ted video! Now I can relax and enjoy the show!
I jump on your demonstrations ( from viewers POV ) and you educate this 78 year old sometime luthier, sometime repair, I do, however owe you this; you also amaze me with your playing of so many styles. You select a bit of play/music fit for darn near every style of play. Thank you for all of it. As you have hinted; it is not easy to concentrate on precise work and preserve and deliver a fine visual education.
One of the best shows ever at Dream Cafe in Penticton, BC, was Michael Dunn and the rest of the Hot Club of Mars band. Real treat to see and hear his guitars up close.
My dad was a huge Django Rheinhart fan, so I grew up listening to “Quintet of the Hot Club of France” records on 78rpm. They only used microphones for singers in those days, so the instruments had to be very loud, hence the Macaferri design. Also, Django refused to have a drummer in the band, so the percussive beat came from an extra two rhythm guitarists, plus an upright bass player.
Really does sound mid-way between a Selmer and a flat-top. Glad you were able to rescue this interesting guitar!
There is nothing more satisfying to me than the reinstatement of a good instrument to it's intended, or indeed improved, state of play. Thanks, Ted - another successful revival.
Nice use of the bridge doctor! I had issues with my Martin D-18, so bought a bridge doctor and brought everything to my repair folks at Brooklyn Lutherie. They fixed the problem and didn't need the bridge doctor at all. Further proof that, no matter how many of these videos I watch, I'm not a repair person!! Haha! I'll stick to set ups and polishing, polishing, polishing.
The Bridge Doctor is a good thing, for those who can't
afford a "real" fix, or have an instrument not worth it.
But, if you cab afford it, the "real" fix is certainly the way to go. 😁✌🖖
Your skill is amazing to me.
I am sucked into every repair.
TY
Matt
Taylor 814 CE Builders Edition
Hudson Valley NY
Good to see you back after a long long wait Ted
A long long week..🙂
Might as well face it. You're addicted to Ted.
@@that_thing_I_do 😂😂
Fantastic Fantastic Fantastic....as always
It does kinda remind me of Django’s guitar. When I worked for Saga was when Swing Kids came out. We sold the replica of Django’s guitar. I remember being 21 years old and just digging that guitar so much I almost bought one
A used Saga (they made Gitane, no?) is one of the better values I've seen for Selmer style guitars, if someone's on a very tight budget.
@@GizzyDillespee shoot I cannot remember the name those guitars went under. We sold mainly Blueridge guitars there but also sold a couple different jazz type acoustics but they weren’t Blueridge.
Background noise sounds like it's pissing down :). Awesome educational video as always, thanks Ted.
Beautiful sound, in person would be awesome.
Add me to the list of people who genuinely enjoy and look forward to these videos. I'm loving my new sticker and T-shirt and hoodie too! Wear it proudly.
Outstanding!! Jango would be happy to play it!
I have the same problem with some of those plug cutters. I found that putting it in the freezer for a bit did the trick.
Cheers.
Sure nice to hang with uncle Ted on a Saturday. Thanks Unc.
Always amazing!
Slingsbot the pin into your eyeball 😂
Fascinating. First of all the history behind this style of guitar and secondly your approach to identiying the source of the problem and rectifying it. The repair is of course up to your excellent standards.
Michael is a wonderful fellow, creative as they come. Also a novelist, travele, model builder, and general fount of knowledge.
Effective fix, and very nice tone.
Thank you !
Nice efficient and cost-effective way to tackle an inherent design problem, Ted. 😎👍
Very nice work as always Ted, thanks for sharing.
My favorite 50s band is Ted and the Hey Theres
Re: the saddle, A '64 D-18 had a bsd neck reset and the saddle needed to be extra high. The tension broke the bridge, but in this one there's plenty of meat to eliminate that.
Hey there, nice surprise and guitar!
I press like before I watch. I don’t have to see it to know it’s good, I know it’s good.
I was just looking at the JLD bridge doctors which is a very clever tool for a common problem *and inspired me to finish building my 2nd neck bending iron today which is a doozy.* After the first version I built I learned that clamping to something perfectly flat isn't enough, and I will add some very small shims at the 1st and around the 24th frets.
I built an oven out of some fence slats and used a heat gun but realize now even a cardboard box and space heater will work lol.
Cool looking guitar. I like how it sounds!
A little late commenting here but I have had my Donner almost 3 years and honestly it has been awesome! I play it more than my expensive guitars and I did the setup myself!
Ooh a novel tool. The sound board measurement device is awesome.
I thought Stewmac sold one but theirs is a neck
relief gauge and the feet are not adjustable, to fit
the body width. So, you have to make your own. 😁✌🖖
I love your videos. They are so full of great background information and techniques in guitar making and repair. It's very fascinating to watch them. I do have one legitimate question. Would ever consider, just for the fun of it, work on a Hello Kitty guitar. Acoustic or electric, but I do know that the Hello Kitty electric is pretty much a Fender Squire. I think it would be something a little bit different to see what you could do with an acoustic Hello Kitty guitar.
I had the same issue with the hole for the bridge doctor's screw... had to file it to size and can't make the hole bigger because the cap provided with the kit will be too loose. I believe they are all like that. But it works wonders to fix that kind of sound board issue. Best fix for my Norman 12 strings!
Thank you, Ted.
This is an instant like!!!
Thank you Ted 👍👍👍🎸❤🔥
Great job
Superb.
Summary:
Michael Dunn's Background: Born in Quebec, moved to Vancouver, switched from popular guitar to classical music, and learned guitar making in Spain.
Early Career: Introduced to George Bowden, began fixing classical guitars that had shipping issues, and later trained in Spain to improve quality control.
Influence and Collaboration: Worked with Ry Cooder on historical lute building techniques and was influenced by Django Reinhardt's music, leading to his focus on Selmer-style guitars.
Teaching: Taught guitar building at a community college in British Columbia in the late 60s and early 70s, training notable luthiers like Shelley Park.
Selmer-Style Guitars: Designed by Mario Maccaferri, these guitars are associated with Django Reinhardt and feature a large body, cutaway, long scale, D-shaped sound hole, floating bridge, and tailpiece.
Selmer Company History: Maccaferri approached Selmer to build these guitars in the early 1930s. Despite initial success, Maccaferri's involvement faded, and Selmer discontinued guitar production by 1952.
Michael Dunn’s Design: Dunn’s Selmer-style guitars have evolved to be more accurate to original designs but also include unique hybrids like pin bridges, unusual for Selmer guitars.
Specific Guitar Details: The featured guitar, built in 1969 and rebuilt in 1970, is a hybrid with a pin bridge and unconventional bracing patterns similar to flamenco guitars.
Structural Issues and Repairs: The guitar had high action and a too-tall saddle, requiring repairs including a bridge doctor installation to address structural deformations.
Inspection and Measurements: Dunn uses specialized tools to measure soundboard flexibility and deformation under string tension, ensuring precise repair work.
Bracing and Soundboard: The guitar has a thin, lightly built soundboard with an X-brace and fan struts, contributing to its distinctive sharp attack and quick decay.
Repair Process: Included adding a bridge pad overlay, careful drilling to avoid cracks, and adjusting the bridge doctor for optimal leverage, resulting in improved action and sound quality.
Thanks! ✌️🎻🙂😎
Nice! I have a Selmer classical guitar which I rarely use. I only use this one for a tonal characteristics different to the acoustic steel string and electric guitars. I don't like classical guitars, so I paid $150 (with a case) and I added an Artec pre-amp and I was greatly impressed with that add on.
Hey Ted. I realize you don’t read the comments but I still wanted to say I enjoy your videos immensely.
Thanks Ted! 👍🏼👍🏼
Great work. Terrific sustain on that guitar!
good one .. .
One of my friends bought a Selmer and the strings were 9s. Too thin for me. Still it sounded good fingepicking. That's how I play.
Interetsing guitars. I would like to know how Django played one ( the original Selmer Macafierris). Unusual inside bracing, neither Cross nor Classical. Thanks Ted for educating me again.
Wonderful stuff! And your playing has really improved over the last few years… I’d love to hear John Jorgensen work out on this thing!
16:40, doesn't the wooden 'foot' on the bridge doctor face the neck? This looks like it was inserted backwards.
The bridge doctor will change the sound.
UA-cam compression aside, it seems to have a nice ring (toppy) to it.
I'm listening on my laptop with a B&O sound system and speakers, obviously can't hear what you're hearing, in the room, but what I'm hearing sounds good, quite sharp. I can hear how it would sound good in a mix with maybe one or two more rounded guitars playing chords/ rhythm, while this one sits on top playing the melody.
(Maybe I'm overthinking this... that happens sometimes, when I hear something I like).
You’re lucky that this wasn’t a traditional “petite bouche” - you’d never get your hand in there! If this were mine, I’d revert it to a floating bridge and tailpiece.
I thought you were going to break out into “Dueling Banjos “ there for a moment.
Scrumptious
All of the Selmers that I have seen were all viol type instruments instead of lute type instruments as they have a tail piece for very high tension strings.
They have tailpieces but very low tension strings, way less then standard acoustic guitars. If you string them up with normal strings they will not fair well.
Did anyone else notice he put the bridge doctor in backwards? Or is that just me 😆 16:36
Yes, I immediately saw that, too. He must have
corrected that, or it wouldn't have worked for him.
I've been staring at the physics of the bridge doctor for a while, and it seems the main action is from the screw element in the bridge pulling down on the top as you tighten the set screw against the dowl. The foot maybe helps a little but it might actually still work anyway in backwards since the screw can still pull down even with the foot not helping (it doesn't push the wrong way but rather does nothing by my analysis). Or he corrected the error off camera and didn't mention it.
@@fenderbass0: I've installed them. If you put it in backward it can't do it's job.
@@zapa1pnt interesting!
I wonder if one of those inexpensive scope cameras with the movable head would be helpful in your work, they work really well for getting into tight spots...
Was it just me or did Ted put the Bridge Dr in backwards? The wooden support nub is supposed to push against the front of the saddle, not the back. Kinda hard to explain...
Yep, saw that. I expect he corrected that, or it would not have worked.
Here in Maine, most of us say Quebec with a "k"- like you did. I follow a YT channel out of BC, and even they say "qua"- like most of the US. I wonder why.
There’s an accent over the “e” it’s pronounced more like Kay-bec but most of the Anglo speaking Canadians pronounce it wrong
É eh!
You Ted, are either becoming or have become one of the big names in Luthierie, whether or not you want such acknowledgement. It seems it should be thrust upon you. Your work continues to showcase your skills and excellent judgement.
Beautiful work ❤
That is one sweet sounding guitar ❤️❤️❤️ Fantastic work as always! 🏆🏆🏆
What a cool and great sounding guitar!
Gotta get me a Selmer like this.
I’ve seen another tool called a “belly reducer” that uses heat and metal cauls to flatten the top. It’s a much bigger operation though. Any thoughts if the extra effort is worth it?
Thanks Ted
Nice one, Ted. Great to see you use a method available to us mere mortals. I've used one and it felt like a cheat of sorts. Now I feel better :)
u god
Hopefully, you meant good.
Amazing
That straight rectangular bridge just doesn’t look right on that thing. Selmers had some crazy looking bridges.
Whoa! Nice one there Ted! She has a bit of sustain, I wonder how she would sound as a finger pick style guitar?
Is it cedar?
It looks like cedar.
Welcome back Ted!
I have the Gitane DG500 and the John Jorgensen Modele
Nice
Thank you for mentioning Django Reinhardt
bridge dr,
.in backward
Thank you, for leaving the "s" off. 👍😁✌🖖
Oh!! Ted-san still awesome!!
I am not a luthier, but can you sand the fret board thinner if that is what you think the guitar needs.
You must be extremely careful, with that. When you
sand down the fretboard, you must then deepen the
fret slots. If you sand too much, you will cut the slots
completely through the fretboard. That's not good. 😁✌🖖
Kind of perfect???
Very interesting guitar with a beautiful voice. There are a number of Bridge Doctor videos online, but I recall Ted doing one some time ago that gave me a enough confidence to install one. I found an old Madeira A-30M (guild Japanese import line from maybe late 70's) which is all laminate but has flame maple back and sides. The bridge was leaning forward and the action was very high. The Bridge Doctor installed rather straightforwardly and got rid of most of the problem. The guitar needs more than that, but at least it's playable as well as looking nice on the wall. Of course, you have to hang it backward to see all that flamed maple...so I do.
❤❤❤❤❤
Your a lovely man
Well well well, thats my kinda style. (I build selmer style guitars for a living) have only just started but i know theres going to be some interesting info here
A Dr. Loveless guitar!!
Love your videos. I couldn't help notice the freckle on your forearm @ 18:33. As someone of fair complexion who has had a few melanoma's removed I have to say your freckle looks very familiar. Irregular border and multi-colored. I know it's never wise to take stock in an internet diagnosis, but I would definitely have a doctor or dermatologist take a look. Might be nothing, but I thought it would be wrong for me to not say anything.
What? What day is this? -The Dude
Hey there gang. Best gang ever. Hope everyone is well.
What a weird guitar
He's Dunn Jim.
👍
I know where you got that dial indicator!! ;)
The label needs an update now.