It’s a great day when Ted posts a video, I love listening to you (Ted) and I’ve learned so much about guitars, their history, build information, so much more. I don’t do repairs, I just like the information. My wife says it’s my “Ted Talk” :)
I paused the video to look up the obituary for David Baxter, the previous owner of the goldtop. A real standup guy. That guitar deserved respect, and you gave it that.
I knew Bax and played and toured with him for a couple years. He was a fantastic guitarist and a beautiful person. I never saw him play this guitar, he was a tele guy when we played together, but I’m glad to see his axe brought back to great condition by such a thoughtful and respectful technician. Well done.
I used to have a '79 Goldtop Deluxe that looked remarkably like that one. I toured with it through the 1990s, and never had a headstock break, despite whacking the headstock into lighting gantries on small barroom stages on more than one occasion! Sounded great, but, like that one, it weighed a ton. These days I play a humbucker-equipped 7lb Strat. Much better on the shoulder.
@@macster1878 Thanks for the info! Is the mini in the bridge position? I'm not what you'd call a hardcore Neil Young fan, nor do I have a great ear for tonal subtlety, but I do love his rockers, and that tone is really distinctive. I'll never own a Les Paul (I'm a bassist, and I've got my sweet Rickenbacker. 🙂), but I'm curious how much of that tone is down to the pickup. I've got an Epi reissue Casino, which I really like, and I wonder what a pickup like that would sound like instead of the cheapo P90 in the bridge. (The P90's not great.)
There is something beautiful about a well worn and used tool. Every nick, scratch and ding is the result of hard work by a player that loved this instrument. To have been repaired that many times tells a story.
With that pick guard that was cracked , I have a suggestion . Try using an old one that you don't want and get some denture cleaner like Polident . Put it in a container with water drop the guard in , and add the Polident and give it some time ( maybe a few hours to a day ) . I watch videos from 2 or 3 people who repair watches and they swear by Polident for cleaning old enameled watch dials . It generally takes a lot of the schmutz off the face and the little cracks that appear in almost every old enameled watch face pretty much disappear . What you see , like you said , is the stuff that collects in the crack . That's the black line and the cleaner gently takes it out . Not sure how it will work with the materials used for pick guards but for those watch faces the difference is amazing .
I was always the purist about materials, but when my Strat needed an improved nut, I took a chance on Graph Tech's pre-slotted Tusq over the factory bone. Man, what a difference in playability and sound. Everything is consistent in tuning and even in volume.
Graph Tech makes quality stuff, but they sound a bit glassy for my personal taste. I think they work well on duller sounding guitars (like mahogany acoustics) but are too bright on other guitars. To each their own though!
I was an aircraft structure mechanic for 15 years. All I did was sheet metal fabrication ( making parts) In aviation you never leave a sharp edge on anything. Every corner is rounded. Now I’m a guitar tech/ luthier. I use all the same rules when fabbing parts on guitars. To make the resin smoother use peel ply. I also can make a valley for the fiber to sit in and then sand it smooth. Just like fiberglass
Man you did such a good job on that 335, I bet it's a lot of fun. You also have a great way of explaining technical aspects that most people wouldn't think about and it's such good brain enrichment. You're a good Dude and this is a good channel.
I had a 2001 Standard premium in sunburst. What a fabulous guitar. I sold it a dear friend who I knew would, a): play it the way it was meant to be played, and b): cherish it the way I did. I apologized for the two dings in it but, I defied him to find them. No broken neck yet.
Oh man, this was a surprise that made me a bit misty to be honest. I knew Bax, and was lucky to have heard him play many times, great player and lovely human being. If that Gibson is going where I think it is, I know M.J. will treasure it. Wonderful to see you do the work on it. Thanks.
Watching a Ted video on a Sunday is now as traditional as roast beef and yorkie puddings for me. 🤣 With broken a plastics, a good alternative to tow is nappy wipes, believe it or not. Really strong material, flexible, takes epoxy and comes in handy sheets at a reasonable price.
Had an Orville Les Paul through my shop the other day. What a beautiful instrument. Reassuringly heavy and just felt like quality throughout. (Ted just mentioned the weight as I typed! 🙂)
It's a dream of mine to move to a country that values music culture and to set up a guitar shop. I know it doesn't make you rich, but i wish i could at least make a living from it, which seems impossible in my country. Your vids keep me going while i muster the courage to leave my 9-5 and commit to that dream. So thank you, Ted.
I once owned a Gibson ES-335 an all black walnut 1978 I sold it. It didn't sound good and gigs with polarity issues I get the volume shock blues! 30 years later I learned Fender never tested Altec Lancing's speakers on the Fender's Twin Reverb. So I learned enough to nice modern, modest setup to play with as long as I can. I think this is educational. I've done my part to keeping our acoustical guitars have worked in music. I'm building a table saw sled #2. This will be better and texture ruff on top with a baby smooth bottom.
I bought a Les Paul in the late '70s, and have played it ever since. I've reworked the nut once and made the slots very much the same as you did here. I'm careful about how I string it and have never noticed any tuning problems. BTW I also polished the saddle slots the same as the nut slots.
As far as I know, the Japanese-made Gibsons were called "Orville" as the Gibson name had already been taken in Japan. They came in two series - "Orville" and "Orville by Gibson"; the latter having higher appointments such as US-made Gibson pickups. I've come across both an Orville and an Orville by Gibson Les Pauls. Both were great guitars.
That was a fantastic video - loved both guitars ! I'm glad to see you playing em clean and then playing with distortion or channel overload to break it up a bit for a distorted sound.
Two things to say: 1) I love your videos and always look forward to them. Best Luthier I know of hands down. 2) Look at that guitar!!! Authentic relicing beats artificial relicing every single time.
I have 2 1981 Tokai ES335 copies. One is their highest end and the other is their 2nd highest. The ES-150 is the highest end one and it has a Cashew Nut Lacquer finish. A finish reserved for only the highest end guitars. The ES-100 is a Japanese brand of lacquer finish that is not like Gibsons. You very rarely see Tokais Lacquer check. I wish it did check but the guitar is so nice I am not too hurt by it. The golden years of Tokai Gibson copies are highly regarded by Collectors. They command pretty high prices compared to most Japanese copies.
Your attention to nuances of construction are quite admirable. Sincerely hope your customers appreciate the lengths you go to for the sake of the instrument as well as playable. Keep on! We'll be here.
Good episode Ted… weird coincidence at one point I owned a ‘75 tobacco burst 335 AND a ‘74 gold top… except my tech at the time re-routed the GT for full-sized Humbuckers and threw in cpl DiMarzios. Then he regretted doing that but not me - I hated Minis b/c that’s what the country-western guys played. So they were totally uncool but Super-distortions…cool. I paid $800 for the 335 brand new in ‘75 and $350 for the gold top used in ‘78 - both in original Gibson HS cases. I was in HS in ‘75 and worked my ass off for that 335 at $2/hr. weekends nights and all summer.
Aria made in Japan was usually made by Matsumoku! Their Matsumoto factory burned to the ground in around 1985, and Singer had very recently cancelled an extremely lucrative contract with Matsomuko to make sewing machine cabinets. I have a Matsumoku made Vantage AR550 ES335 copy that had a major flaw in the center block that made the neck really rubbery. I had to carve a piece of mahogany into a shape like a corner piece of sectional furniture with spruce on the bottom, glue that in and then glue some spruce on top. Then I had to glue in two maple wedges, wind some wire up squeezing the two together like a long jack to make them hike half of the neck tenon up and onto something solid It's a great ES335 copy with a thin 1960s Gibson slimline neck profile.
That's Interesting bit of information about them. I have a 1992 Orville by Gibson Les Paul that was built in the Fujigen factory. It seems that studying the history of these Japanese guitars can lead to a deep rabbit hole. Once you think you understand how things were done, you'll find exceptions.
About roller bridges: You don't need one unless you have a whammy, as there is little chance there will be any string movement from it to the tail piece; Always stretch your strings when putting new ones on to take out any slack, and if you do get a Bigsby or similar which are not good for stable tuning (lots of string behind the bridge) then don't get one where the "Rollers" are on threads, because that's not a roller but a nut, and they don't always turn smoothly, and it will throw off your string spacing. Get true rollers where the roller rolls on a plain rod and sits in a space it can't go sideways but a hair. If the roller and rod are one piece, those too don't roll as smoothly. A tiny bit of oil is not at all a bad idea to use if you do have issues. Way back when, Hagstrom used true ball bearings at both the bridge, and the nut! They were wicked good, but people didn't like the high price, so only few were sold; Ball bearings (good bearings in general) are not cheep. Also, I agree, a worn out finish is a sign of a real player's loved instrument, and one with an immaculate finish, and a thick layer of polishes and waxes tells me it's a wall hanger, or status symbol! Don't worry too much about a scratch or dent, do what Frank Zappa suggested: "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar"!😜
That gold top is a true honky tonk war horse. You can almost smell the beer, stale smoke, and sawdust on the floor. that's true genuine honest play wear. i have a Dakota Red January '65 Fender Mustang that has this level of play wear. It was gigged from Jacksonville FL all the way around the Gulf coast and down into Mexico, back and forth, for decades, and it looks like the guy might have had to clobber somebody with it at least once or twice. It looks like it has been through world war 3, but it plays like butter and sounds like God shouting from the mountain top. I like the Relics, if they're not over done, and they look convincing, but I bet everybody likes these way better. you have done a beautiful job on this one. Hats off CHEERS!
Awesome work!!! Funny thing. I have a Gibson Flying V and an Epiphone Les Paul and both have taken scary dives, the V twice, off their stands and the V even hit the tip of the back of the headstock on a oakwood floor and managed to survive with just a dent. The Les Paul fell and left two ugly gashes right where a break would typically happen and it's still alive. So.... I put them in their case every time I stop playing them. I don't think I'm gonna risk another one. ;)
My less than virgin King 2B trombone got run over in the case by a vehicle bigger than a motor cycle at an outdoor gig. If it can be repaired to optimum playing condition it will remain as the go to instrument in the aresenal. I am sticking with Epiphones rather than. Gibson L-5s for stringed gigs. Advice well taken. Thanks for the good videos with correct nomenclature for tools.
Just played a jazz sesh with an old timer who had a 1965 es355 and he had it modded with tiny toggle switches to split the coils and such right after he bought it new. He said back then people didn't fetishize these things like they do now and he kind of regrets it.
I can understand how he feels but if he still plays it and uses the switches they become part of the guitar’s history and is cool to me. Sort of like a classic sports car that was modded for racing back in the day and is still being raced today by the original owner.
My grandpa had Gibson's 1964 catalogue(in a binder roughly one inch thick). In it they still had Les Paul bursts that I assume are from 58,59&60. I don't think they were very popular until clapton played one with the bluesbreakers album in 66.
Awesome job dealing with that nasty headstock crack on the gold top Ted! I wouldn’t have thought of sanding while the glue was still wet to help blend it as well as possible. I doubt much more could have been done short or repainting the area but leaving the evidence of the break(s) really adds to the character of the instrument in my opinion. Thanks for another great video experience!!
I've done this, too. The thing that really gets me is trying to accurately saw my pencil in half. Yeah, belt sander, right? I need to get one. I've got a ton of destroyed pencils around here...
I think I have figured out why I like watching your repair work. The calm demeanor you have reminds the painter Bob Ross, this requires probably more skill than your excellent skills and craftsmanship. Stay Blessed.
That was interesting, I don't think I've heard of 'Orville by Gibson' before but being British we got different stuff from you guys in North America (and Canadia). When I was young back around 1978 I got hold of a used black and gold Les Paul Custom which was branded 'Antoria' that was incredible to play and sounded great ! I only sold it after a serious accident which lead to restricted use of my hand and I couldn't play for many years but I was very sorry to see it go ! I'm told the Antoria brand was unique to Britain for some reason and the guitars were sold under the Ibanez name elsewhere. The guitar had a thick black lacquer finish which had crazed slightly and heavily gold plated pickups and hardware, it was very heavy and solidly built and came in a hard case ! I bought it for peanuts from a kid who got it for christmas but couldn't play it and I thought it was superb !
In terms of Japanese LP knockoffs, look for the Tokai Les Paul Reborn and Les Paul Old models from about 78-83ish. Back when I was on the MyLesPaul forum those were pretty much the consensus best of the bunch. Super hard to find, but supposedly superior in every way to the LPs of that time.
Cool old goldtop and nice rehabbing the headstock breaks! That break angle over the bridge is pretty intense. I think I'd have shimmed up the Bigsby front screws with one or two little washers. Doing that makes a tension-bar Bigsby a little less stiff and puts less pressure on the bridge so it'll last a little longer before the middle starts to sag.
The audio of the guitars is so relatable to the mix that I hear when I’m practicing that I can REALLY imagine what those guitars would sound like in my hands. Really pleasant, compelling, comforting. Make a video of it and share those methodologies too. Cheers. :-)
My favorite LP ever played was a 1974 Deluxe just like this with the Bigsby, except the owner put full-sized humbuckers in it. As a player, it was the only LP I ever really liked. I had an '82 white Custom 3 pickup that I thought was garbage by comparison and most others that I've played since where ho hum nothing special. Would love to find that '74 again.
Every time I see a Les Paul with a broken or repaired headstock, I can't believe my luck. About a year after I got my very heavy Les Paul Standard, the strap came free of the front strap button when I was messing around with a vocal mic and not holding the guitar. It dropped and landed right on the headstock. It created a scratch on the back of the headstock and broke one of the tuners, but otherwise the guitar was undamaged. I had to buy six Kluson tuners to replace the one that broke since that's the only way they sold them at the time. I had no idea how lucky I was at the time and thank the gods that I learned my lesson the easy way. I've used strap locks on that guitar ever since.
Hey Ted, I know this isn't really a restoration but a conservation, I thought I'd share with you a little trick I watched on a watch repair channel recently. He had a watch face dial with cracks in the enamel and used bubbling denture cleaner to get rid of the dirt in the cracks. Cleaned them right up and you couldn't see them any more. Just a thought for you. Love your content and enjoy all the videos.
Those fret ends are killing my OCD. I couldn't stand to have them raised off the edge of the fretboard like that. I had to hammer mine down flush so they don't catch anything. I spent multiple hours getting all of my bound guitars just right 🤣
Great history lesson. I also loved the 25 thou - I would prefer 21/22! The irritating thing is it really does make a difference. Like FB width at the nut. Never mind 11/16th v 3/4th. I have a couple of Martin which are nominally 11/16 but there's about a 32nd difference and you can easily feel it. Makes you proud to be human (more or less).
Good thing you weren't around in the 1920s and 40s when "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" and other slogans were used. 🙄🤦That one was even printed on the headstock of every guitar Gibson made in the Banner line.
@@Matthew-tr6io Google Mark Agnesi play authentic. It was a promotional video Gibson put out and got slammed world wide for. They deleted the video but it's on UA-cam at The Music Lab.
When I was a teenager I sold 68 and on Gibsons at a Gibson dealer- till I quit to go to Grad school in mid 76. It wasn't "cool" to like the mini humbuckers but damn they sound great and almost Strat like -- seem to have more 'honk' than full size humbuckers.
Good you are advising players if they want to gig with a LP to expect a broken headstock. Probably should also remind them what range the repair bill will be and how no matter what it cuts the value in half after the repair from before the break. ... And then those Epiphone start to seem like a brilliant compromise.
It's a good day when Ted posts AND it's over half an hour long!
@davidethridge5748 Precisely what I thought as I started watching today...
Therapy, ahhh
Yup!
It’s a great day when Ted posts a video, I love listening to you (Ted) and I’ve learned so much about guitars, their history, build information, so much more. I don’t do repairs, I just like the information. My wife says it’s my “Ted Talk” :)
"This is the way the should look, people." Amen, brother. The goldtop is just beautiful.
I paused the video to look up the obituary for David Baxter, the previous owner of the goldtop. A real standup guy. That guitar deserved respect, and you gave it that.
I knew Bax and played and toured with him for a couple years. He was a fantastic guitarist and a beautiful person. I never saw him play this guitar, he was a tele guy when we played together, but I’m glad to see his axe brought back to great condition by such a thoughtful and respectful technician. Well done.
Wonderful comment by you stopped me to pause. "This is the way they should look people." Amen Ted!
Watching these videos has become part of my Sunday routine. A nice relaxing watch to end the weekend before work. That gold top is stunning!
Nice repair on the pick guard. I always remove them. Amazing how much they damage the finish.
I used to have a '79 Goldtop Deluxe that looked remarkably like that one. I toured with it through the 1990s, and never had a headstock break, despite whacking the headstock into lighting gantries on small barroom stages on more than one occasion! Sounded great, but, like that one, it weighed a ton. These days I play a humbucker-equipped 7lb Strat. Much better on the shoulder.
Bravo for the grungie Neil Young riff at the end! Alabam!
I heard that Neil tone, but I couldn't place the song. I wonder if he used those mini humbuckers in any of his Les Pauls?
Came here to say the same thing!
@@beenaplumber8379 he uses a firebird mini humbucker and a P90
Back in the day a les Paul with bigsby was on stage alot.
@@macster1878 Thanks for the info! Is the mini in the bridge position? I'm not what you'd call a hardcore Neil Young fan, nor do I have a great ear for tonal subtlety, but I do love his rockers, and that tone is really distinctive. I'll never own a Les Paul (I'm a bassist, and I've got my sweet Rickenbacker. 🙂), but I'm curious how much of that tone is down to the pickup. I've got an Epi reissue Casino, which I really like, and I wonder what a pickup like that would sound like instead of the cheapo P90 in the bridge. (The P90's not great.)
My ‘72 LPD is dead stable. Always has been. It also has a volute. Beauty LPD gold top, w/minis! Love the details of those PUPs.
My Sunday is now complete - thanks Ted!!
There is something beautiful about a well worn and used tool. Every nick, scratch and ding is the result of hard work by a player that loved this instrument. To have been repaired that many times tells a story.
My favorite part of every sunday, thanks for all you do Ted!!
With that pick guard that was cracked , I have a suggestion . Try using an old one that you don't want and get some denture cleaner like Polident . Put it in a container with water drop the guard in , and add the Polident and give it some time ( maybe a few hours to a day ) . I watch videos from 2 or 3 people who repair watches and they swear by Polident for cleaning old enameled watch dials . It generally takes a lot of the schmutz off the face and the little cracks that appear in almost every old enameled watch face pretty much disappear . What you see , like you said , is the stuff that collects in the crack . That's the black line and the cleaner gently takes it out . Not sure how it will work with the materials used for pick guards but for those watch faces the difference is amazing .
I use it to clean harmonicas.
Would a few minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner work?
@@chriswilliams1096 I'd be afraid that the ultrasonic would finish the crack honestly..
Was just gonna suggest that! Another youtuber, @Wristwatch Revival, recently used that to clean an enamel watch dial!
@@HighMansx He is one of them , I also watch C.S.Spinner watch restorations and he uses it often as he does more pocket watches .
I currently have 5 Gibson's with one being a 335. All stay in tune and are perfectly intonated. Not because of any of my skills, good Luthiers.
I was always the purist about materials, but when my Strat needed an improved nut, I took a chance on Graph Tech's pre-slotted Tusq over the factory bone. Man, what a difference in playability and sound. Everything is consistent in tuning and even in volume.
Graph Tech makes quality stuff, but they sound a bit glassy for my personal taste. I think they work well on duller sounding guitars (like mahogany acoustics) but are too bright on other guitars. To each their own though!
Love these little history lessons from your videos 😊
Always a therapeutic (and educational) watch - Cheers👍
RCA dog..that's what I look like watching this artful mastery
I was an aircraft structure mechanic for 15 years. All I did was sheet metal fabrication ( making parts) In aviation you never leave a sharp edge on anything. Every corner is rounded. Now I’m a guitar tech/ luthier. I use all the same rules when fabbing parts on guitars. To make the resin smoother use peel ply. I also can make a valley for the fiber to sit in and then sand it smooth. Just like fiberglass
thumbs up for the baumgartner homage. You're appreciated!
Man you did such a good job on that 335, I bet it's a lot of fun. You also have a great way of explaining technical aspects that most people wouldn't think about and it's such good brain enrichment. You're a good Dude and this is a good channel.
That gold top looks gorgeous. Man, I love that.
I had a 2001 Standard premium in sunburst. What a fabulous guitar. I sold it a dear friend who I knew would, a): play it the way it was meant to be played, and b): cherish it the way I did. I apologized for the two dings in it but, I defied him to find them. No broken neck yet.
Oh man, this was a surprise that made me a bit misty to be honest. I knew Bax, and was lucky to have heard him play many times, great player and lovely human being. If that Gibson is going where I think it is, I know M.J. will treasure it. Wonderful to see you do the work on it. Thanks.
It’s great to hear you’re from Hamilton, and one of the finest luthier’s in North America in my humble opinion
Watching a Ted video on a Sunday is now as traditional as roast beef and yorkie puddings for me. 🤣
With broken a plastics, a good alternative to tow is nappy wipes, believe it or not. Really strong material, flexible, takes epoxy and comes in handy sheets at a reasonable price.
I wonder if used dryer sheets would work, Bounce or similar, once there's no more antistatic compounds or perfume in them.
Had an Orville Les Paul through my shop the other day. What a beautiful instrument. Reassuringly heavy and just felt like quality throughout. (Ted just mentioned the weight as I typed! 🙂)
Wow that Goldtop may be one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. That joint crack is very cool. I've always liked a 3 piece top. Why? Who knows.
It's a dream of mine to move to a country that values music culture and to set up a guitar shop. I know it doesn't make you rich, but i wish i could at least make a living from it, which seems impossible in my country. Your vids keep me going while i muster the courage to leave my 9-5 and commit to that dream. So thank you, Ted.
I just watched a Lee Valley video explaining what Japanese saws are about. Very informative.
I once owned a Gibson ES-335 an all black walnut 1978 I sold it. It didn't sound good and gigs with polarity issues I get the volume shock blues! 30 years later I learned Fender never tested Altec Lancing's speakers on the Fender's Twin Reverb. So I learned enough to nice modern, modest setup to play with as long as I can. I think this is educational. I've done my part to keeping our acoustical guitars have worked in music. I'm building a table saw sled #2. This will be better and texture ruff on top with a baby smooth bottom.
Oh!! Ted-san thank you very much to repair Japanese products!!
I always enjoy to watch your great job in Japan. keep awesome Ted-san♪
Always love watching a master practice his craft.....
I bought a Les Paul in the late '70s, and have played it ever since. I've reworked the nut once and made the slots very much the same as you did here. I'm careful about how I string it and have never noticed any tuning problems. BTW I also polished the saddle slots the same as the nut slots.
Excellent lesson on making a new nut. Every home-based repair hack should watch this :o)
Hey, my Gibson stays in tune now! Thx Ted...
As far as I know, the Japanese-made Gibsons were called "Orville" as the Gibson name had already been taken in Japan. They came in two series - "Orville" and "Orville by Gibson"; the latter having higher appointments such as US-made Gibson pickups. I've come across both an Orville and an Orville by Gibson Les Pauls. Both were great guitars.
That was a fantastic video - loved both guitars ! I'm glad to see you playing em clean and then playing with distortion or channel overload to break it up a bit for a distorted sound.
Yeah, he always finds something appropriate to play on whatever he's worked on, as opposed to a bunch of stock widdly-widdly licks
Excellent work, excellent video. Thanks!
Two things to say: 1) I love your videos and always look forward to them. Best Luthier I know of hands down. 2) Look at that guitar!!! Authentic relicing beats artificial relicing every single time.
I loved my 68, 73, 75, 76, and 81 les paul deluxes, but I don't miss the fragility. Now I'm telecaster full time.
I have 2 1981 Tokai ES335 copies. One is their highest end and the other is their 2nd highest. The ES-150 is the highest end one and it has a Cashew Nut Lacquer finish. A finish reserved for only the highest end guitars. The ES-100 is a Japanese brand of lacquer finish that is not like Gibsons. You very rarely see Tokais Lacquer check. I wish it did check but the guitar is so nice I am not too hurt by it. The golden years of Tokai Gibson copies are highly regarded by Collectors. They command pretty high prices compared to most Japanese copies.
Your attention to nuances of construction are quite admirable. Sincerely hope your customers appreciate the lengths you go to for the sake of the instrument as well as playable. Keep on! We'll be here.
Nicely said!
Good episode Ted… weird coincidence at one point I owned a ‘75 tobacco burst 335 AND a ‘74 gold top… except my tech at the time re-routed the GT for full-sized Humbuckers and threw in cpl DiMarzios. Then he regretted doing that but not me - I hated Minis b/c that’s what the country-western guys played. So they were totally uncool but Super-distortions…cool. I paid $800 for the 335 brand new in ‘75 and $350 for the gold top used in ‘78 - both in original Gibson HS cases. I was in HS in ‘75 and worked my ass off for that 335 at $2/hr. weekends nights and all summer.
YES, FABULOUS WORK AS ALWAYS! HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK!
Aria made in Japan was usually made by Matsumoku! Their Matsumoto factory burned to the ground in around 1985, and Singer had very recently cancelled an extremely lucrative contract with Matsomuko to make sewing machine cabinets. I have a Matsumoku made Vantage AR550 ES335 copy that had a major flaw in the center block that made the neck really rubbery. I had to carve a piece of mahogany into a shape like a corner piece of sectional furniture with spruce on the bottom, glue that in and then glue some spruce on top. Then I had to glue in two maple wedges, wind some wire up squeezing the two together like a long jack to make them hike half of the neck tenon up and onto something solid It's a great ES335 copy with a thin 1960s Gibson slimline neck profile.
That's Interesting bit of information about them.
I have a 1992 Orville by Gibson Les Paul that was built in the Fujigen factory. It seems that studying the history of these Japanese guitars can lead to a deep rabbit hole. Once you think you understand how things were done, you'll find exceptions.
Ted, you had me hanging out. I’m in NZ, the first to see the light of a new day.
About roller bridges: You don't need one unless you have a whammy, as there is little chance there will be any string movement from it to the tail piece; Always stretch your strings when putting new ones on to take out any slack, and if you do get a Bigsby or similar which are not good for stable tuning (lots of string behind the bridge) then don't get one where the "Rollers" are on threads, because that's not a roller but a nut, and they don't always turn smoothly, and it will throw off your string spacing. Get true rollers where the roller rolls on a plain rod and sits in a space it can't go sideways but a hair. If the roller and rod are one piece, those too don't roll as smoothly. A tiny bit of oil is not at all a bad idea to use if you do have issues. Way back when, Hagstrom used true ball bearings at both the bridge, and the nut! They were wicked good, but people didn't like the high price, so only few were sold; Ball bearings (good bearings in general) are not cheep.
Also, I agree, a worn out finish is a sign of a real player's loved instrument, and one with an immaculate finish, and a thick layer of polishes and waxes tells me it's a wall hanger, or status symbol! Don't worry too much about a scratch or dent, do what Frank Zappa suggested: "Shut Up and Play Your Guitar"!😜
I always appreciate the history you give. I consider myself somewhat knowledgable about guitar. I had no idea about the Orville. Pretty cool.
That gold top is a true honky tonk war horse. You can almost smell the beer, stale smoke, and sawdust on the floor.
that's true genuine honest play wear.
i have a Dakota Red January '65 Fender Mustang that has this level of play wear. It was gigged from Jacksonville FL all the way around the Gulf coast and down into Mexico, back and forth, for decades, and it looks like the guy might have had to clobber somebody with it at least once or twice. It looks like it has been through world war 3, but it plays like butter and sounds like God shouting from the mountain top.
I like the Relics, if they're not over done, and they look convincing, but I bet everybody likes these way better.
you have done a beautiful job on this one.
Hats off
CHEERS!
That LP is very nice ,Love the sound of it shame the owner passed away and can tell it was played and well loved
How awesome to watch a true master at work. Ted never fails to deliver a quality job on anything that I have ever seen him work on.
Awesome work!!!
Funny thing. I have a Gibson Flying V and an Epiphone Les Paul and both have taken scary dives, the V twice, off their stands and the V even hit the tip of the back of the headstock on a oakwood floor and managed to survive with just a dent. The Les Paul fell and left two ugly gashes right where a break would typically happen and it's still alive. So.... I put them in their case every time I stop playing them. I don't think I'm gonna risk another one. ;)
My less than virgin King 2B trombone got run over in the case by a vehicle bigger than a motor cycle at an outdoor gig. If it can be repaired to optimum playing condition it will remain as the go to instrument in the aresenal. I am sticking with Epiphones rather than. Gibson L-5s for stringed gigs. Advice well taken. Thanks for the good videos with correct nomenclature for tools.
Just played a jazz sesh with an old timer who had a 1965 es355 and he had it modded with tiny toggle switches to split the coils and such right after he bought it new. He said back then people didn't fetishize these things like they do now and he kind of regrets it.
I can understand how he feels but if he still plays it and uses the switches they become part of the guitar’s history and is cool to me. Sort of like a classic sports car that was modded for racing back in the day and is still being raced today by the original owner.
I'd pay more for that 'cause it's a mod I won't have to make myself. 😀
Collectors are truly awful for making the original owners of these instruments feel like they did something wrong for using them properly.
@@starchores No kidding. I see where they're coming from but mostly think "collectors" like that need to be slapped around a little
If you've been the single owner of a guitar for that long it's clearly been worth the journey it's been on
You tech newbies. Study and practice what you see with this guy's hand technique, goals and fitments. He is a master.
I love your subtle humor, Ted! Scalpel blade into the thumb, which slows down the workflow. Classic!
Just when I thought this day couldn't get any better.. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Ted, I hope you know how happy this makes me :)
My grandpa had Gibson's 1964 catalogue(in a binder roughly one inch thick). In it they still had Les Paul bursts that I assume are from 58,59&60.
I don't think they were very popular until clapton played one with the bluesbreakers album in 66.
Awesome job dealing with that nasty headstock crack on the gold top Ted! I wouldn’t have thought of sanding while the glue was still wet to help blend it as well as possible. I doubt much more could have been done short or repainting the area but leaving the evidence of the break(s) really adds to the character of the instrument in my opinion. Thanks for another great video experience!!
I've done this, too. The thing that really gets me is trying to accurately saw my pencil in half. Yeah, belt sander, right? I need to get one. I've got a ton of destroyed pencils around here...
I think I have figured out why I like watching your repair work. The calm demeanor you have reminds the painter Bob Ross, this requires probably more skill than your excellent skills and craftsmanship. Stay Blessed.
Lovely work sir. Nice bit of Neil Young at the end too.
That was interesting, I don't think I've heard of 'Orville by Gibson' before but being British we got different stuff from you guys in North America (and Canadia).
When I was young back around 1978 I got hold of a used black and gold Les Paul Custom which was branded 'Antoria' that was incredible to play and sounded great ! I only sold it after a serious accident which lead to restricted use of my hand and I couldn't play for many years but I was very sorry to see it go !
I'm told the Antoria brand was unique to Britain for some reason and the guitars were sold under the Ibanez name elsewhere. The guitar had a thick black lacquer finish which had crazed slightly and heavily gold plated pickups and hardware, it was very heavy and solidly built and came in a hard case ! I bought it for peanuts from a kid who got it for christmas but couldn't play it and I thought it was superb !
In terms of Japanese LP knockoffs, look for the Tokai Les Paul Reborn and Les Paul Old models from about 78-83ish. Back when I was on the MyLesPaul forum those were pretty much the consensus best of the bunch. Super hard to find, but supposedly superior in every way to the LPs of that time.
Awesome tutorial on the workings of a nut on a guitar and how one should be installed
Cool old goldtop and nice rehabbing the headstock breaks! That break angle over the bridge is pretty intense. I think I'd have shimmed up the Bigsby front screws with one or two little washers. Doing that makes a tension-bar Bigsby a little less stiff and puts less pressure on the bridge so it'll last a little longer before the middle starts to sag.
Many congratulations on your close up video techniques so detailed and constructive,invaluable. Thank you.
Nicely done all around. Made me happy to see the good work and then hear the great tones!
About to replace the plastic nut on a Goya 12 string. This has been really helpful!
The audio of the guitars is so relatable to the mix that I hear when I’m practicing that I can REALLY imagine what those guitars would sound like in my hands. Really pleasant, compelling, comforting. Make a video of it and share those methodologies too. Cheers. :-)
Fantastic episode. Thanks for making these great videos. 🏅
Julian B would love that pickguard repair with the carbon fibre
Hearing linen with out Belgian felt kinda weird
Wait until the next video when Ted repairs a Gibson Flying V with Japanese mulberry paper.
12:04 I laughed far too much at this, and I'm sober! lol
Beavis & Butthead Luthiery
I missed that the first time and had to rewatch twice, thanks 😂
Your cuticles look really good Ted! I'm glad you're digging the flax seed!
Just to clarify, 1377408 is a CTS pot made in the 8th WEEK of 1974, not the 8th month.
Nice finish with that Neil Young tune.
Man the canted string slots on the nut looks good. Looks cooler than I thought it would
good stuff, that oldy goldy has some tone ,,,nice work :)
My favorite LP ever played was a 1974 Deluxe just like this with the Bigsby, except the owner put full-sized humbuckers in it. As a player, it was the only LP I ever really liked. I had an '82 white Custom 3 pickup that I thought was garbage by comparison and most others that I've played since where ho hum nothing special. Would love to find that '74 again.
That gold Paul is a guitar I'd want to play often , that tone ! Thanks Ted, for another great one!
Every time I see a Les Paul with a broken or repaired headstock, I can't believe my luck. About a year after I got my very heavy Les Paul Standard, the strap came free of the front strap button when I was messing around with a vocal mic and not holding the guitar. It dropped and landed right on the headstock. It created a scratch on the back of the headstock and broke one of the tuners, but otherwise the guitar was undamaged.
I had to buy six Kluson tuners to replace the one that broke since that's the only way they sold them at the time. I had no idea how lucky I was at the time and thank the gods that I learned my lesson the easy way. I've used strap locks on that guitar ever since.
I was astonished at how nicely that crack fill-in process worked. The guitar sounds good, too. Nicely done.
Hey Ted, I know this isn't really a restoration but a conservation, I thought I'd share with you a little trick I watched on a watch repair channel recently. He had a watch face dial with cracks in the enamel and used bubbling denture cleaner to get rid of the dirt in the cracks. Cleaned them right up and you couldn't see them any more. Just a thought for you. Love your content and enjoy all the videos.
"Well and truly held in place." Brilliant!
that goldtop has received lots of love thats for sure, also i love what you did with the pickguard, good job
Those fret ends are killing my OCD. I couldn't stand to have them raised off the edge of the fretboard like that. I had to hammer mine down flush so they don't catch anything. I spent multiple hours getting all of my bound guitars just right 🤣
Great history lesson. I also loved the 25 thou - I would prefer 21/22! The irritating thing is it really does make a difference. Like FB width at the nut. Never mind 11/16th v 3/4th. I have a couple of Martin which are nominally 11/16 but there's about a 32nd difference and you can easily feel it. Makes you proud to be human (more or less).
Thanks for another great video, explaining not only what you're doing but why you're doing it.
"NHAAHAA!"
I nearly choked on my coffee, Ted. 😆
i particularly liked "and it also blunts the scalpel blade".. buhahaha
Ted I really enjoy your show and ALFIE SMITH HE PLAYS GUITAR AND WRITES THE BEST BLUES SONG I HAVE HEARD IN YEARS!
What a fantastic video have a wonderful day ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊
And guaranteed that these Gibsonian adventures are authentic.
I'll never let them live that down.
Good thing you weren't around in the 1920s and 40s when "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" and other slogans were used. 🙄🤦That one was even printed on the headstock of every guitar Gibson made in the Banner line.
@@J.C... I was born the same year as the Les Paul, so I'm pretty creaky.
Mind explaining for the confused? ( Me lol)
@@Matthew-tr6io Google Mark Agnesi play authentic. It was a promotional video Gibson put out and got slammed world wide for. They deleted the video but it's on UA-cam at The Music Lab.
I have a 1966 Aria hollowbody, it's pretty impressive!
When I was a teenager I sold 68 and on Gibsons at a Gibson dealer- till I quit to go to Grad school in mid 76. It wasn't "cool" to like the mini humbuckers but damn they sound great and almost Strat like -- seem to have more 'honk' than full size humbuckers.
Good you are advising players if they want to gig with a LP to expect a broken headstock. Probably should also remind them what range the repair bill will be and how no matter what it cuts the value in half after the repair from before the break. ... And then those Epiphone start to seem like a brilliant compromise.
You are a true master.
👏👏 awesome work
Bridging is definitely Baumgartner approved 😆👍🏻
I love Orville's. Found your channel with this video. Subbed
Neil would be proud!❤