100% agree that everything should be repairable. Particularly electronics and furniture. People need to learn to preserve and repair and value that over shiny and new but ultimately trash. That said, you did a nice job on this and showed how even “disposable” things can be salvaged.
Maybe if companies like Apple didn’t make us jump through a million legal hoops just to get sourced parts to fix their products we wouldn’t have to constantly throw them out and buy new every-time something breaks.
I bought a Martin D-35 new back in '77 and still have it. I love it but would never take it to the beach or on a 4WD trip. So I picked up one of these laminate wonders years ago and I love it for what it is. I'm not afraid to take it anywhere, it's pretty much indestructible, (unless you actually smash it, like the one in the video) and with everyone singing off-key around the campfire, you can't tell what it sounds like anyway.
I love mine. I’m holding it while watching this video. I work on a tugboat. You won’t find a better $500 travel acoustic. Obviously not indestructible, but damn near.
Nicely repaired. I really appreciate your comment about value of the guitar compared to the cost of the instrument repair. Shows that you care about the customer. Thanks
Great repair. I've been playing guitar since 1974, but was apprehensive about doing repairs. A friend had a Danelectro convertible from the early 60's that someone had crushed the Masonite top in. I could not find a suitable piece, so I used a piece of 1/8 " birch. Traced the top, cut it out with a band saw, glued it on, and refinished it red. Still have it. Weighs next to nothing.
I had an economics professor in college (and mind you that was a long time ago) whose wife was Brazilian. As a consequence he spent a good deal of time in Brazil. His message back then was much the same as yours. As an example, he said that in Brazil there are people who repair umbrellas. In the "developed" world, such an idea would be ludicrous. We'd just throw away the broken umbrella and buy a new one. But they were too valuable there to just toss away so they fixed them.
My washer, drier, and fridge are all rescue appliances. Never owned a new one, been going on since 1978. Helps to have a wife that gets it too. Thanks for your efforts, you have a good message.
Great logic. I have a 1953 McNamara "plastic" guitar that I treasure because it was made the year I was born. The machines are terrible but it plays alright on camping trips. Thanks for sharing your skill and character of keeping the landfill less bloated.
Probably no one will read this after 3 years, however: This video made my day. Sometimes it's comforting to know there are people out there that also now what matters. Now more than ever.
I really appreciate your philosophy on sustainability, and the ethics that should be considered when building new and or repairing old guitars. Your videos have been super helpful as I begin rebuilding and doing some refurbishments on old guitars I have. Keep up the great work!
@@garymitchell5899 If you can prevent something from going to the dump and reduce the need to harvest new materials, you are acting in a sustainable way. Yeah, the manufacturing of guitars might not be a major contributor to our environmental woes, but it's still playing a small part in and being impacted by deforestation and high demand/low supply of materials. There's a Premiere Guitar article from 2007 titled "Going Green: The Guitar Industry Plans for the Future" that does go into the concerns of sustainability amongst many major guitar brands. I have also read something by the BBC on a similar topic. The point is to try and make do with what exists before deciding to dump what's already at our disposal for something new.
100% agree with what you said about reusing and repairing things. Recently found you channel, but have watched a lot of your videos. I’m a professional guitarist who likes woodworking, so your work is very interesting to me. Thanks
I agree on the throw-away mentality, so thanks for finding a way to fix this "countertop" guitar. One thing I've done for years is avoid extra plastic packaging at the supermarket; the best package for a squash is the squash. I recently received a shipment of end pins, felt washers, and rubber strap locks, all in a plastic package. Paper would have worked just as well. The mandolin strap I bought a week ago was attached to a paperboard card that proudly declared itself to be not plastic, but the button holding the strap to the card--plastic. I'm no green fanatic, but sometimes plastic just doesn't make sense.
Thankfully just stumbled upon your channel whilst checking into the Martin LX1. You earned my subscription immediately with your expertise and comments on so many levels. Happy to now be an interested follower!
From a purely economic standpoint, the cost of the repair should not exceed the value of the broken item. But from a sentimental perspective, monetary value is not important. For the owner of this particular guitar, to pay for expert repair care, it must have been very dear to his/her heart. You are the saint of broken guitars. Thanks for the videos.
We are throwing far too much stuff away. If people call a guitar a piece of junk that'll go in the bin, they get a thumbs down. You get a thumbs up. There's always a kid with poor parents who might just start crying tears of joy if they got a cheap guitar. There's still enough places in this world where people play guitars with 2 strings.
How good to hear this! I had exactly the same discussion yesterday, how we were able to fix everything back in the day and that there is NO reason why this can’t be the case today. Reuse REPAIR and the recycle. Done with dispose!
Nice save! For about $3 worth of black HPL you could replace the whole top and make it like new, or better yet up grade it with a cheap "A" grade spruce top. It would be more work but could make it like new or better. Keeping some scrap laminate on hand (courtesy of your local cabinet shop) would allow you to renew parts instead of fitting the pieces together. If you do reglue pieces, Kampel seamfil is a liquid plastic you can use to color match and fill in the small missing bits. But nice save! I always enjoy watching your videos because you do good work, and the fact that you don't always trash a guitar because it's "not economically fixable" as so many do.
I just wanna tell you that I love your videos. I’m not a luthier but I am a guitar player and I am amazed at what you can do with seemingly irreparable instruments. Not trying to give you a big head, but you are a master.
Totally agree about fixability. I regardless garden tools, but few seem to bother these days. The replacement handle often costs as much as a new tool. The sum of the parts is worth more than the whole.
Love your videos, and especially this one. The points you make about trying to veer away from the “disposable culture” we’re beginning to create are excellent.
Bravo Ted! You proved, once again, that there are few things that are truly impossible. In all honesty, if that was my guitar, I would have thrown it away.
Heavens above. Ted Woodford, not only supremo guitar mender but also philosopher. 'I think, therefore I can'. Well done, indeed. Enjoyed that one, as ever.
I like the way you think. It is going to a situation that is not going to go away. Money is tight, guitars are luxury. It is something you have to make allowances for. Your heart is in the right place. Keep up the good work.
I am learning so much from these videos, and enjoy the calm, decent, knowledgable manner in which they are presented. Thank you for this. I have some really old, broken and smashed up guitars lying around that I want to practice on and attempt to fix, and will be using your videos as a guide.
Great thinking we should definetely stop buying all the time but rather fix old equipments and guitars should follow the same philosophy You're absolutely right ! Great fixing BTW
It depends on the product. It makes no sense to make a cell phone or a computer that will 'last forever'. Cars made in the 50's are heavy polluters, heavy and fuel inefficient, less safe, and uncomfortable. In fact, it is likely that all internal-combustion vehicles will be worthless in a few decades. There's a 'magic' engineering formula needed to determine how much energy should be expended versus how long something should last, and it would benefit from being able to look into the future to see if something will come along that 'appropriately' obsoletes the old thing. There's also the cost-of-entry issue - without Silvertone guitars in the 50s/60s, guitars may never have achieved the popularity they have today.
@@scottr939 The rich who run our country have a plan. To stay on top you have to be the one earning the money! That's what banks are all about. I never thought I would want an electric car. Sure wish I could afford one! Money calls the shots. 1970 Martin just said NO when it came to putting their name on a student guitar. And Sigma Martin guitars was born. Everything changes.
not true for the first half of the 20th century though. it is the post-war boomer attitude that brought planned obsolescence and many of the other ails of our current society.
Environment, sustainability, repairability, 100% agreed, but there is also a virtue in seeing just what can be done - pushing the limits. This seemed like a bit of a personal challenge - the owner is only paying for x hours of work, and I'm gonna do something impressive for them in that time. Climb that mountain because it's there!
I have a Martin dx1ce and I love it, it has a sitka Spruce solid top but everything else about it is identical to this guitar here in your video. the only thing I've ever had to upgrade on it are the bridge pins, I put Brass ones on it just because I felt like it and it sounds just fine to me. it's honestly the best acoustic I've ever been able to afford
Awesome video...if you ever encounter one of these guitars with a lifting bridge...JB plastic weld (a two part system) works really well...thanks for your excellent videos!
Thank you for fixing it. They sound good and they are durable. Hpl is made for resin or epoxy. The laminate filler is color match bondo or the other recommended fix is sawdust and fast set glues with colors.
I'm a little over 66 and I remember that in the 60s people were bringing up much of what I think your questions/opinions were saying. Worries about becoming a disposable throwaway society. So I agree with you and what's more, I resent the common phrases and ommissions in guitar advertising such as that used by Martin describing their laminate back and sides made to look like wood in many models. Unlike Taylor or Seagull/Simon & Patrick who use real wood laminate bodies, Martin is using a product that is a liquid/mold process. The material is a chemical compound commonly used to make countertops made to look like marble or other stones. YUCK!! Even when they do use wood laminate they hype the "Solid" top but conveniently say nothing about composition when listing the back and sides or just refer to them as mahogany or rosewood. Failing to mention they are plywood. For people who have been around guitars long enough, one can read between the lines. There is nothing wrong with laminate if the price is an issue and I find them great for campfires or any outdoor activity because they are less vulnerable to warping, cracking or drying out. They should market them that way instead of implying that they are equal to an all solid wood guitar. Just look at the quality of Seagull guitars who have always used solid tops. At least Ovation didn't try to hide their composite bodies. I really don't like the dishonesty in marketing that I see on the world acoustic guitar stage. What they're made of and where they are made is often hidden or not even mentioned. As a Canadian, I'm proud of Godin and his line of made in Canada using Canadian woods.
Great guitars of all levels coming out of Canada - I got a handmade Northwood (John McQuarrie - BC) for about the same price as one of my factory made Martins (which I also love), but the low-end Canadian products are likewise of excellent quality and value. In fairness to Martin, almost every company describes their laminate bodies by the name of the outside skin wood, without specifying that they are laminate, and Martin do describe their HPL bodies as such (at least in the UK). Plywood is a different matter. The tendency to describe wood laminate bodies by the name of the external wood is extremely irritating and so ubiquitous as to be unremarkable. To add insult to injury, it is often extremely difficult to find out when solid woods are not being used. I'm not in the market for a guitar at the moment, but when I have been, I've often gone as far as repeated emails to shops and factories before finding out 'no, it's laminate'. Incidentally, I thought Seagull were all solid? My brother in law's certainly is, but that is going back a few years.
I have a Martin LX1 but mine has a spruce top. I wanted a "camping" guitar that I could take to the trailer. I once took my 1948 Martin 0018 up there. With the humidity and temperature changes, the bridge came loose. After that learning experience, the best option was the Little Martin. I just didn't like the performance of the Travel Martin, but the LX1 sounds much more like a full-sized guitar. I did take me a while to get used to the very short scale length, but it was worth it. May not be the most environmentally correct decision, but it is a compromise that I'm prepared to make.
I agree with fixing rather than disposing of. Yet fixing is not always cost effective, so the bigger solution to this is NOT MANUFACTURING disposable stuff. Most of us (regular folk) people can only help so far, but the ones designing/making these guitars are the ones who SHOULD do their part, which has a lot larger impact. p.d. Sad that a couple of musicians is not as cool as death, to some people.
I'm doubtful that you were old enough to be in business in the late 1980s when I first needed guitar repair. No worries---Now I've discovered you. Great videos, great approach to your craft. I'm hoping I won't need the service you showed in this video but should I need any repairs, I'll be in touch. All the best.
Love your videos, perfect mix of "tell" and "show". Another consideration is, will this fix save the production of another item. By repairing that, you have saved the world from another plastic guitar. As a cabinet maker, I can tell you that heavy, countertop grade laminate is about $60 for a 4'x8' sheet. If that came to me, I would consider a new top.
Agreed,. we need to stop throwing things away and start fixing them again. Just the day to day trash (packaging) that one person disposes of is mind blowing. I can't agree that the plastic will be here that long. It's hydrocarbon based and that comes from the earth. Some plastics do better than others but I see plastic and rubber in vintage AM radios from the 40's that has deteriorated to the point of having to be replaced.
My Martin 12 string was made in Mexico, but has a spruce top with laminated sides and back. Sounds great for the price and no plastic. However the neck is flimsy. Did not know Martin made a plastic top guitar. Thanks for the video.
The Martin "X" series 12 string is "plastic laminate" back and sides. It is countertop material, with a spruce top. Ovation is a plastic back and sides with a spruce, or cedar top.
Uhg. The GC salesman told me it was recycled paper laminated. I never checked into it cause it sounded so good. Thanks for the depressing info. Ha!. I'll not plan on doing that again.
Really enjoy and deeply appreciate your videos. I live in a very humid climate with a lot of tubbed out acoustic guitars. I would appreciate it if at some point you could make a video or offer up some advice on how to deal with “wet” guitars.
Not only great (actually astounding...in several ways) repair work, but this time around some deep questions of aesthetics/principles. I also respond by saying, "I ain't sure". I remember well the day I met my first luthier, in NYC...I was a mere lad...21, in fact. Monsieur Papazian was talking about wood...sensing (correctly) that I was a 21 y/o, who thought he knew everything...and actually knew all too little. He said to me, "You think this wood is dead, don't you?" I didn't know how to answer. "This wood is still alive...it's not growing anymore, but it's very much alive." Blew my, knew-purtnear-nothin', 21 y/o brain. Guitars, Lutes, Violins, etc. should be wood...so human hands can fondle, caress, and sometimes even forcibly coerce the meaningful sine waves out of them thar, still alive, wood grains. Plastics? Well, not so much. Sorry for the diatribe. Great post...as always.
Why repair it? Because we dump too much crap in the landfills as it is. Well done. Your monologue was definitely worth it. If we're going to use high density plastics for guitars we need to recycle it.
I have the DLX with a Cedar top. The very same issue happened to me and 3 other guys that had them. The top pulling off from the body at the end of the guitar. I played this 7 days a week for about 8 years. No warning, just opened the case one day and the damage was there. No knocks or bangs caused it. It is a known problem with these low end Martins.
I've had my dx1 with the spruce top for 20 years. You can see the effects of humidity and dents and scratches only on Spruce top still plays great all these years later. I play it everyday still. Maybe the difference is I keep mine in a case and treat it like an expensive guitar. $500. Lmao.
I'm old. Grew up in a world where real men built and fixed things and only fools threw out that which could be repaired or used to repair another. I remember my Teisco guitar from the late 60s having a laminate neck like that.
@@ijosefbest sounding Martin guitars ever made in my opinion but I don't like the ones with the hpl top sounds very muffled and comparison. I was going to try and buy an expensive Martin that would compare what have to be Rosewood with a spruce top but even then the HPL has that boomy base that can't be produced with real wood.
Laminates typically have a very thin, "photograph" layer to simulate wood. Perhaps if the use of HPL continues, this veneer/film could be made available as an iron-on or self-adhesive for repairs.
_"We have to start thinking in different terms. And I'm not knocking Martin for building a guitar like this.I mean this was part of their bottom line. _*_They had to make inroads into the low-end of the market to remain a viable company, and this seemed to be a good idea to them at the time._*_ Aaaand, is this going to remain a good idea over the long haul? I don't know. Maybe that's not for me to say, but it's something we should be thinking about. "_ This is pure gold! The genius of this entire video left me almost speechless. That extended shot with all the spool clamps, f-clamps and soundhole clamps had me on the floor. "Martin LX in a world of hurt." Indeed.... Thank you!
I think hdp is fine for instruments, or anything you can use it for for that matter . I’m no musician so I can’t comment on the sound. Reusable resources are great as long as they end up in the correct bin when disposing them. Good job saving that guitar man we all need to do our part as a society and reduce waste.
I have a Martin 12-String with a solid Spruce top and HPL (countertop material) back and sides. Not the prettiest guitar but it certainly has that unmistakable Martin thunder! It has developed a “belly bulge” at the bridge which I had corrected and now use it tuned down a full step with extra-light strings. I wonder if an HPL top would have issues with the “bulge” as does a solid spruce top?
I agree, too many disposable items on the market today. If they really want to solve the pollution problem one thing that I think would take a big bite out of it would be making less disposable products. Anyone who lived through the depression would roll over in their graves.
Great video! I'm assuming that is is a child's guitar. Given that the family might not be able to afford another guitar, this repair might be what keeps that child playing. If I'm wrong, don't tell me. This narrative made me feel better. Cheers.
Love the vids man as a fellow repairer I love to see how your brain works. I lot of times before I watch the vid I’ll guess how you are going to repair a guitar and a lot of the time I’m right. I think I would have glued the cracked piece first. I think it would have been easier to clamp. Then glued it all up, either way awesome repair keep up the great work.
A couple of comments, I would have repaired the top first while I had easy access to both sides and I would have tinted the epoxy black that was used for the top repair. Enjoy watching you do your repairs, better than Rosa Stringworks... the guy is good but he knows he's colorblind and he STILL keeps trying and botching finish repairs.
redesign, reduce, re-use, repair, re-purpose, and then, after all other avenues are exhausted, recycle. recycling is by far the most inefficient way to make use of old things. here they take your glass bottles away, burning diesel while doing so, then smash the bottles up with a big machine which uses a lot of power, then they are melted down which uses even more power, and turned right back into bottles again! it is ridiculous.
I had a friend who had a nylon-strung guitar with this same problem and I played it using the top as a whammy bar. It was bonkers fun. I wish I knew how to play Van Halen then... ...or now, for anyways.
"We're entering an age where we can no longer afford to toss stuff into a landfill" annnnnnd you just earned my sub. Great videos!
I completely agree and subbed as well!
Yup!
Your anti-disposable monologue alone earned my thumbs-up! (The rest of the video was pretty awesome, too!)
Ditto
Same here! We throw far too much stuff away. I like to try to repair stuff first if possible - if it works, then I've learned something.
Mine as well.
That's a weird trem system
100% agree that everything should be repairable. Particularly electronics and furniture. People need to learn to preserve and repair and value that over shiny and new but ultimately trash.
That said, you did a nice job on this and showed how even “disposable” things can be salvaged.
Maybe if companies like Apple didn’t make us jump through a million legal hoops just to get sourced parts to fix their products we wouldn’t have to constantly throw them out and buy new every-time something breaks.
I bought a Martin D-35 new back in '77 and still have it. I love it but would never take it to the beach or on a 4WD trip. So I picked up one of these laminate wonders years ago and I love it for what it is. I'm not afraid to take it anywhere, it's pretty much indestructible, (unless you actually smash it, like the one in the video) and with everyone singing off-key around the campfire, you can't tell what it sounds like anyway.
yup, stability in the face of rapid heat & humidity changes is where it shines.
I love mine. I’m holding it while watching this video. I work on a tugboat. You won’t find a better $500 travel acoustic. Obviously not indestructible, but damn near.
Stable is an understatement. This thing was in tune when it arrived from Sweetwater FedEx Air
I've taken mine down the Colorado River twice. You could practically use the damn thing as a paddle.
The “Hollywood Beach” skull sticker slapped on top of June and Johnny Cash is such a brilliant metaphor for this entire video hahaha
Its also a great metiphor for the american failings.
The fact that is it upside down just makes it better.
Nicely repaired. I really appreciate your comment about value of the guitar compared to the cost of the instrument repair. Shows that you care about the customer. Thanks
"everything should be fixable" amen to that
Just prior to you calling the repaired crack a “battle wound” I was thinking to myself “battle scar”. Nicely done considering the laminate material.
Great repair. I've been playing guitar since 1974, but was apprehensive about doing repairs. A friend had a Danelectro convertible from the early 60's that someone had crushed the Masonite top in. I could not find a suitable piece, so I used a piece of 1/8 " birch. Traced the top, cut it out with a band saw, glued it on, and refinished it red. Still have it. Weighs next to nothing.
the guitar owner is pretty lucky to find somebody like you to take on the assignment in the first place
I had an economics professor in college (and mind you that was a long time ago) whose wife was Brazilian. As a consequence he spent a good deal of time in Brazil. His message back then was much the same as yours. As an example, he said that in Brazil there are people who repair umbrellas. In the "developed" world, such an idea would be ludicrous. We'd just throw away the broken umbrella and buy a new one. But they were too valuable there to just toss away so they fixed them.
Great stuff. I'm with you on this. You should fix it and steer away from this easily disposable lifestyle.
My washer, drier, and fridge are all rescue appliances. Never owned a new one, been going on since 1978. Helps to have a wife that gets it too. Thanks for your efforts, you have a good message.
That kind of wife is the most important part.
Great logic. I have a 1953 McNamara "plastic" guitar that I treasure because it was made the year I was born. The machines are terrible but it plays alright on camping trips. Thanks for sharing your skill and character of keeping the landfill less bloated.
Probably no one will read this after 3 years, however: This video made my day. Sometimes it's comforting to know there are people out there that also now what matters. Now more than ever.
I really appreciate your philosophy on sustainability, and the ethics that should be considered when building new and or repairing old guitars. Your videos have been super helpful as I begin rebuilding and doing some refurbishments on old guitars I have. Keep up the great work!
@@garymitchell5899 If you can prevent something from going to the dump and reduce the need to harvest new materials, you are acting in a sustainable way. Yeah, the manufacturing of guitars might not be a major contributor to our environmental woes, but it's still playing a small part in and being impacted by deforestation and high demand/low supply of materials. There's a Premiere Guitar article from 2007 titled "Going Green: The Guitar Industry Plans for the Future" that does go into the concerns of sustainability amongst many major guitar brands. I have also read something by the BBC on a similar topic. The point is to try and make do with what exists before deciding to dump what's already at our disposal for something new.
Throw away thinking, plastics production and consumerism are major issues today. Glad to hear others are thinking that way!
100% agree with what you said about reusing and repairing things. Recently found you channel, but have watched a lot of your videos. I’m a professional guitarist who likes woodworking, so your work is very interesting to me. Thanks
I agree on the throw-away mentality, so thanks for finding a way to fix this "countertop" guitar. One thing I've done for years is avoid extra plastic packaging at the supermarket; the best package for a squash is the squash. I recently received a shipment of end pins, felt washers, and rubber strap locks, all in a plastic package. Paper would have worked just as well. The mandolin strap I bought a week ago was attached to a paperboard card that proudly declared itself to be not plastic, but the button holding the strap to the card--plastic. I'm no green fanatic, but sometimes plastic just doesn't make sense.
Thankfully just stumbled upon your channel whilst checking into the Martin LX1. You earned my subscription immediately with your expertise and comments on so many levels. Happy to now be an interested follower!
From a purely economic standpoint, the cost of the repair should not exceed the value of the broken item. But from a sentimental perspective, monetary value is not important. For the owner of this particular guitar, to pay for expert repair care, it must have been very dear to his/her heart. You are the saint of broken guitars. Thanks for the videos.
We are throwing far too much stuff away. If people call a guitar a piece of junk that'll go in the bin, they get a thumbs down. You get a thumbs up. There's always a kid with poor parents who might just start crying tears of joy if they got a cheap guitar. There's still enough places in this world where people play guitars with 2 strings.
How good to hear this! I had exactly the same discussion yesterday, how we were able to fix everything back in the day and that there is NO reason why this can’t be the case today. Reuse REPAIR and the recycle. Done with dispose!
Nice save! For about $3 worth of black HPL you could replace the whole top and make it like new, or better yet up grade it with a cheap "A" grade spruce top. It would be more work but could make it like new or better. Keeping some scrap laminate on hand (courtesy of your local cabinet shop) would allow you to renew parts instead of fitting the pieces together. If you do reglue pieces, Kampel seamfil is a liquid plastic you can use to color match and fill in the small missing bits. But nice save! I always enjoy watching your videos because you do good work, and the fact that you don't always trash a guitar because it's "not economically fixable" as so many do.
I just wanna tell you that I love your videos. I’m not a luthier but I am a guitar player and I am amazed at what you can do with seemingly irreparable instruments. Not trying to give you a big head, but you are a master.
Totally agree about fixability. I regardless garden tools, but few seem to bother these days. The replacement handle often costs as much as a new tool. The sum of the parts is worth more than the whole.
Love your videos, and especially this one. The points you make about trying to veer away from the “disposable culture” we’re beginning to create are excellent.
Bravo Ted! You proved, once again, that there are few things that are truly impossible. In all honesty, if that was my guitar, I would have thrown it away.
Heavens above. Ted Woodford, not only supremo guitar mender but also philosopher. 'I think, therefore I can'. Well done, indeed. Enjoyed that one, as ever.
I like the way you think. It is going to a situation that is not going to go away. Money is tight, guitars are luxury. It is something you have to make allowances for. Your heart is in the right place. Keep up the good work.
Nice words about things being disposable. For that you and your repair skill you earned my subscription 😊
I am learning so much from these videos, and enjoy the calm, decent, knowledgable manner in which they are presented. Thank you for this. I have some really old, broken and smashed up guitars lying around that I want to practice on and attempt to fix, and will be using your videos as a guide.
Having built many countertops I found that using a laminate filler worked well and color match is easy. Great videos!
I was hoping for a little tune... Curious to hear what it sounds like. Good fix!
Awesome! So glad to see more people talking about right to repair in all industries :D fantastic content as always
Great thinking we should definetely stop buying all the time but rather fix old equipments and guitars should follow the same philosophy You're absolutely right ! Great fixing BTW
Great points about sustainability. Bravo!
Planned obsolescence is the curse left over from the 20th century.
It depends on the product. It makes no sense to make a cell phone or a computer that will 'last forever'. Cars made in the 50's are heavy polluters, heavy and fuel inefficient, less safe, and uncomfortable. In fact, it is likely that all internal-combustion vehicles will be worthless in a few decades. There's a 'magic' engineering formula needed to determine how much energy should be expended versus how long something should last, and it would benefit from being able to look into the future to see if something will come along that 'appropriately' obsoletes the old thing. There's also the cost-of-entry issue - without Silvertone guitars in the 50s/60s, guitars may never have achieved the popularity they have today.
@@scottr939 The rich who run our country have a plan. To stay on top you have to be the one earning the money! That's what banks are all about. I never thought I would want an electric car. Sure wish I could afford one! Money calls the shots. 1970 Martin just said NO when it came to putting their name on a student guitar. And Sigma Martin guitars was born. Everything changes.
So very true
not true for the first half of the 20th century though. it is the post-war boomer attitude that brought planned obsolescence and many of the other ails of our current society.
Ted, this was a great job . I love your attitude about it too.
I love the sentiment of this video!
Thankyou. Very interesting to see how you went about such a tricky and potentially unfulfilling repair.
Environment, sustainability, repairability, 100% agreed, but there is also a virtue in seeing just what can be done - pushing the limits. This seemed like a bit of a personal challenge - the owner is only paying for x hours of work, and I'm gonna do something impressive for them in that time. Climb that mountain because it's there!
I couldn´t agree more with you Ted. Congrats for saving these things from being dumped!
I love your mindset against our culture of disposal. I couldn't agree more with you.
I'm impressed not only how well you fixed it, but how quickly. Thumbs up to crush a troll.
I have a Martin dx1ce and I love it, it has a sitka Spruce solid top but everything else about it is identical to this guitar here in your video. the only thing I've ever had to upgrade on it are the bridge pins, I put Brass ones on it just because I felt like it and it sounds just fine to me. it's honestly the best acoustic I've ever been able to afford
Awesome video...if you ever encounter one of these guitars with a lifting bridge...JB plastic weld (a two part system) works really well...thanks for your excellent videos!
I love your videos bud. You’re an awesome teacher, and you have a very pleasing voice lol.
Thank you for fixing it. They sound good and they are durable. Hpl is made for resin or epoxy. The laminate filler is color match bondo or the other recommended fix is sawdust and fast set glues with colors.
I'm a little over 66 and I remember that in the 60s people were bringing up much of what I think your questions/opinions were saying. Worries about becoming a disposable throwaway society. So I agree with you and what's more, I resent the common phrases and ommissions in guitar advertising such as that used by Martin describing their laminate back and sides made to look like wood in many models. Unlike Taylor or Seagull/Simon & Patrick who use real wood laminate bodies, Martin is using a product that is a liquid/mold process. The material is a chemical compound commonly used to make countertops made to look like marble or other stones. YUCK!! Even when they do use wood laminate they hype the "Solid" top but conveniently say nothing about composition when listing the back and sides or just refer to them as mahogany or rosewood. Failing to mention they are plywood. For people who have been around guitars long enough, one can read between the lines. There is nothing wrong with laminate if the price is an issue and I find them great for campfires or any outdoor activity because they are less vulnerable to warping, cracking or drying out. They should market them that way instead of implying that they are equal to an all solid wood guitar. Just look at the quality of Seagull guitars who have always used solid tops. At least Ovation didn't try to hide their composite bodies. I really don't like the dishonesty in marketing that I see on the world acoustic guitar stage. What they're made of and where they are made is often hidden or not even mentioned. As a Canadian, I'm proud of Godin and his line of made in Canada using Canadian woods.
Great guitars of all levels coming out of Canada - I got a handmade Northwood (John McQuarrie - BC) for about the same price as one of my factory made Martins (which I also love), but the low-end Canadian products are likewise of excellent quality and value. In fairness to Martin, almost every company describes their laminate bodies by the name of the outside skin wood, without specifying that they are laminate, and Martin do describe their HPL bodies as such (at least in the UK). Plywood is a different matter. The tendency to describe wood laminate bodies by the name of the external wood is extremely irritating and so ubiquitous as to be unremarkable. To add insult to injury, it is often extremely difficult to find out when solid woods are not being used. I'm not in the market for a guitar at the moment, but when I have been, I've often gone as far as repeated emails to shops and factories before finding out 'no, it's laminate'. Incidentally, I thought Seagull were all solid? My brother in law's certainly is, but that is going back a few years.
As always, an excellent video. I learn a lot from them. Thanks!
HPL is not plastic, It is cellulose and epoxy mixture pressed together. Cellulose is by product of wood.
It is, however, still largely non-recyclable because of the epoxy.
More bass and louder than rosewood though lol.
Probably your most wholesome video and you’re fixing a low end plastic guitar!
I have a Martin LX1 but mine has a spruce top. I wanted a "camping" guitar that I could take to the trailer. I once took my 1948 Martin 0018 up there. With the humidity and temperature changes, the bridge came loose. After that learning experience, the best option was the Little Martin. I just didn't like the performance of the Travel Martin, but the LX1 sounds much more like a full-sized guitar. I did take me a while to get used to the very short scale length, but it was worth it. May not be the most environmentally correct decision, but it is a compromise that I'm prepared to make.
I agree with fixing rather than disposing of. Yet fixing is not always cost effective, so the bigger solution to this is NOT MANUFACTURING disposable stuff. Most of us (regular folk) people can only help so far, but the ones designing/making these guitars are the ones who SHOULD do their part, which has a lot larger impact.
p.d. Sad that a couple of musicians is not as cool as death, to some people.
Fixing stuff is the best way to keep yourself in good repair.
I'm doubtful that you were old enough to be in business in the late 1980s when I first needed guitar repair. No worries---Now I've discovered you. Great videos, great approach to your craft. I'm hoping I won't need the service you showed in this video but should I need any repairs, I'll be in touch. All the best.
Love your videos, perfect mix of "tell" and "show". Another consideration is, will this fix save the production of another item. By repairing that, you have saved the world from another plastic guitar. As a cabinet maker, I can tell you that heavy, countertop grade laminate is about $60 for a 4'x8' sheet. If that came to me, I would consider a new top.
Great comment! My only addition is: will it really save us from another plastic guitar??
I like the way you think about fixing things
I appreciate the wisdom. Thank you.
Agreed,. we need to stop throwing things away and start fixing them again. Just the day to day trash (packaging) that one person disposes of is mind blowing. I can't agree that the plastic will be here that long. It's hydrocarbon based and that comes from the earth. Some plastics do better than others but I see plastic and rubber in vintage AM radios from the 40's that has deteriorated to the point of having to be replaced.
Once again beautiful job! the man is a master
I love everything about this channel
My Martin 12 string was made in Mexico, but has a spruce top with laminated sides and back. Sounds great for the price and no plastic. However the neck is flimsy. Did not know Martin made a plastic top guitar. Thanks for the video.
The Martin "X" series 12 string is "plastic laminate" back and sides. It is countertop material, with a spruce top. Ovation is a plastic back and sides with a spruce, or cedar top.
Uhg. The GC salesman told me it was recycled paper laminated. I never checked into it cause it sounded so good. Thanks for the depressing info. Ha!. I'll not plan on doing that again.
@@mcgrawreek I have one too. (Lol). That's how I know. My next will come from Canada.
Michael Glaesemann HPL is high pressure laminate. It is cellulose impregnated with epoxy. Not plastic!
@@ldean-du5im Interesting
Green Luthery. I love your style dude!
Johnny and June played music for our family all of my childhood and I love the people who made that old fashioned folk hillbilly style music
Really enjoy and deeply appreciate your videos. I live in a very humid climate with a lot of tubbed out acoustic guitars. I would appreciate it if at some point you could make a video or offer up some advice on how to deal with “wet” guitars.
Awesome job n I gel the exact sand way about the materials we use for "disposable" items. It's just not right.
Not only great (actually astounding...in several ways) repair work, but this time around some deep questions of aesthetics/principles. I also respond by saying, "I ain't sure". I remember well the day I met my first luthier, in NYC...I was a mere lad...21, in fact. Monsieur Papazian was talking about wood...sensing (correctly) that I was a 21 y/o, who thought he knew everything...and actually knew all too little. He said to me, "You think this wood is dead, don't you?" I didn't know how to answer. "This wood is still alive...it's not growing anymore, but it's very much alive." Blew my, knew-purtnear-nothin', 21 y/o brain. Guitars, Lutes, Violins, etc. should be wood...so human hands can fondle, caress, and sometimes even forcibly coerce the meaningful sine waves out of them thar, still alive, wood grains. Plastics? Well, not so much. Sorry for the diatribe. Great post...as always.
Why repair it? Because we dump too much crap in the landfills as it is. Well done. Your monologue was definitely worth it. If we're going to use high density plastics for guitars we need to recycle it.
Everything should be fixable - 100% agreed. Greetings from 2022!
Absolutely bespoke is the way to go. Build things that can be repaired
Great job, thanks for posting and best wishes.
My Father has passed his ethos on to me...nothing should be thrown away until you have attempted to repair it at least twice...
Good guitar for bed room cover players which is 90% of guitarists and your philosophy on it is perfect.
43 seconds... good man! We need to all make this shift in thinking.
I have the DLX with a Cedar top. The very same issue happened to me and 3 other guys that had them. The top pulling off from the body at the end of the guitar. I played this 7 days a week for about 8 years. No warning, just opened the case one day and the damage was there. No knocks or bangs caused it. It is a known problem with these low end Martins.
I've had my dx1 with the spruce top for 20 years. You can see the effects of humidity and dents and scratches only on Spruce top still plays great all these years later. I play it everyday still. Maybe the difference is I keep mine in a case and treat it like an expensive guitar. $500. Lmao.
I'm old. Grew up in a world where real men built and fixed things and only fools threw out that which could be repaired or used to repair another. I remember my Teisco guitar from the late 60s having a laminate neck like that.
Worth saving. These X series guitars sound pretty darn good, for HPL (Laminate).
I agree. I always really liked the X-Series with the solid spruce tops. I thought they were voiced very nicely.
@@ijosefbest sounding Martin guitars ever made in my opinion but I don't like the ones with the hpl top sounds very muffled and comparison. I was going to try and buy an expensive Martin that would compare what have to be Rosewood with a spruce top but even then the HPL has that boomy base that can't be produced with real wood.
I know it wasn't in the budget for the client, but I would have loved to see that thing get a new spruce soundboard.
I have a Martin LX you can have them with a Spruce top , Great little guitar with remarkable tone
I have one too with the spruce top and the fishman pickup. Great zero maintenance guitar with very good tone and intonation.
In my opinion sounds better than a spruce top with Rosewood cuz I want that booming bass without a muffled top of all hpl.
I'm also in a world of pain. Outside my window...
Laminates typically have a very thin, "photograph" layer to simulate wood. Perhaps if the use of HPL continues, this veneer/film could be made available as an iron-on or self-adhesive for repairs.
Think they've been using it for 20 or 30 years. I bought my dx1 in 2003 I believe. Still plays great.
I will also sand down the saddle at the bridge to lower the action of the guitar.
_"We have to start thinking in different terms. And I'm not knocking Martin for building a guitar like this.I mean this was part of their bottom line. _*_They had to make inroads into the low-end of the market to remain a viable company, and this seemed to be a good idea to them at the time._*_ Aaaand, is this going to remain a good idea over the long haul? I don't know. Maybe that's not for me to say, but it's something we should be thinking about.
"_
This is pure gold! The genius of this entire video left me almost speechless. That extended shot with all the spool clamps, f-clamps and soundhole clamps had me on the floor.
"Martin LX in a world of hurt." Indeed.... Thank you!
Our throwaway immediate gratification society is a huge part of our problems today
Wise words, as ever.
I think hdp is fine for instruments, or anything you can use it for for that matter . I’m no musician so I can’t comment on the sound. Reusable resources are great as long as they end up in the correct bin when disposing them. Good job saving that guitar man we all need to do our part as a society and reduce waste.
Everything should be repairable! Good for you, Ted.
Excellent video! Pretty cool to be able to purchase an entry level guitar that's a Martin.
I have a Martin 12-String with a solid Spruce top and HPL (countertop material) back and sides. Not the prettiest guitar but it certainly has that unmistakable Martin thunder!
It has developed a “belly bulge” at the bridge which I had corrected and now use it tuned down a full step with extra-light strings. I wonder if an HPL top would have issues with the “bulge” as does a solid spruce top?
you are a wonderful person.
I agree, too many disposable items on the market today. If they really want to solve the pollution problem one thing that I think would take a big bite out of it would be making less disposable products. Anyone who lived through the depression would roll over in their graves.
Exactly... We need to change this mindset
Great video! I'm assuming that is is a child's guitar. Given that the family might not be able to afford another guitar, this repair might be what keeps that child playing. If I'm wrong, don't tell me. This narrative made me feel better. Cheers.
Love the vids man as a fellow repairer I love to see how your brain works. I lot of times before I watch the vid I’ll guess how you are going to repair a guitar and a lot of the time I’m right. I think I would have glued the cracked piece first. I think it would have been easier to clamp. Then glued it all up, either way awesome repair keep up the great work.
A couple of comments, I would have repaired the top first while I had easy access to both sides and I would have tinted the epoxy black that was used for the top repair. Enjoy watching you do your repairs, better than Rosa Stringworks... the guy is good but he knows he's colorblind and he STILL keeps trying and botching finish repairs.
Reduce, reuse, recycle. ♻️
redesign, reduce, re-use, repair, re-purpose, and then, after all other avenues are exhausted, recycle.
recycling is by far the most inefficient way to make use of old things. here they take your glass bottles away, burning diesel while doing so, then smash the bottles up with a big machine which uses a lot of power, then they are melted down which uses even more power, and turned right back into bottles again! it is ridiculous.
I had a friend who had a nylon-strung guitar with this same problem and I played it using the top as a whammy bar. It was bonkers fun. I wish I knew how to play Van Halen then... ...or now, for anyways.