I'm sorry for all the paint fumes wafting across the neighborhood... I'm through the first dozen cans, so I promise it will just be a few more before this slab of Paulownia is mostly covered!
Regarding the missing bridge ground wire, I once had a bridge ground problem because the guitar was assembled while the paint was still soft, and the ground wire had sunk so deep into the paint that it didn't quite touch the bridgeplate!
I have a cheap Squier hardtail Stratocaster thats made out of paulownia and it is the most resonant and honestly one of my most comfortable and light guitars I own. I’ve played guitars 10x its value and some don’t come close to it and it sounds great stock with not a single modification.
For sure! I have an old Paulownia Strat copy that I've had for years - and I'll never get rid of it as it's just so light and easy to pick up and play. It sounds great too - I think the explanation is that because Pawlonia has such low density, it's less able to 'diffuse' your strings vibrations and you get more resonance going into the pickups. Not sure if that's true, but that's what I've been told.
Thanks so much for the sub! Glad you liked it - I try to create something which is entertaining... I don't always succeed but happy when people like it!
Nice yeah, Sawtooth has taken their guitars to another level now, which is great to see. I think they phased out this cheap old line of Paulownia bodies and went with better materials.
You made a mistake - Pawlownia is not a Balsa and is not a Sycamore. They are all different origins: 1.) specie Paulownia tomentosa is from famaily - Paulowniaceae. Originally from China. Density is about 280 kg/m3. 2.) specie Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale) is from faimly - Malvaceae. Originally from South America. density is about 140 kg/m3 (the lightest wood ever). 3.) specie Sycomore ( Fícus sycómorus) is from family - Moraceae. As i know high top brand James Tyler uses Pawlownia with his own name "mamywo" wood. )) Yes, that cheap but great tonewood.
Good point! I should have been more clear in the video. I said 'Balsa wood-like' just to mean it was a somewhat soft wood like Balsa, but separate. I should also have clarified that many of the companies using the term 'sycamore' are actually just producing Paulownia guitars, as those are separate woods. This one was listed as a Sycamore body - but I did have a sycamore body guitar at once point and it weighed a clip more than this. This was tremendously soft body and weighed less than 3 pounds, so I believe it is a case of a company slapping 'sycamore' on the label, when they're really just using Paulownia. This one definitely has all the characteristics of Paulownia, including a pretty vibrant tone, so I believe this is a case of that. I've seen companies list their guitar bodies as being made of sycamore, pine, even maple - and then you look at the reviews and realize a bunch of customers are surprised they got a guitar that weighs less than an average loaded pickguard. I did also buy a tele body listed as 'sycamore' a few years ago and it was definitely Paulownia - luckliy the manufacturer changed the wood type to just 'wood' shortly after, likely due to numerous complaints. '😂
Ha, ha, just doing the same mod. No such issues with string width as you. But 9s are too flimsy for my acoustic player hands, so will be upping the gauge and maybe re shaping the neck slightly, just for an extra bit of fun.
Nice yeah! Let me know how the mod turns out. I used to use 11's but now go with 9-46s just cause my old hands have become stiff and arthritic over the years...
I bought a cheap sawtooth tele and i was rather disappointed in it too. I used it as a modding platform and now has hotrail humbuckers with coil splits and plays great.
Nice! Yeah Sawtooth seems to have (at least in the past) spit out some guitars of unacceptable quality - a common refrain I heard was decent necks with medium jumbo frets but just a quick CNC spit out of everything else, then low quality control with hardware that sometimes didn't even fit the guitar. Good to know that you were able to salvage yours and get a decent guitar!
They make a new tool called a chisel. You can use it for cleaning/shaping holes in wood. Super expensive though. I’m sure the Dremel is cheaper and faster. Guitar sounds nice. Probably from all the extra wood left in that pickup rout.
Yeah I would have normally used a router, if I'd been dealing with a guitar that I wanted to make a clean rout for. As this hole was under the pickguard, and it was just such a cheap guitar, I just went with the dremel which did the job in less than 10 minutes, just to make a hole that will 'do the job'.
Chi-sel you say? I might try one and see if works better than pounding things with a rock, which is how they made the pickup routs on my Chinese Strat, apparrently....
Dude, I think I want to see the unboxing video. 🤘 Also, you missed joke here I believe - that neck pocket really is why they call this a "sawtooth" guitar. Geez. QC is zero here. I've had better Fireflys than this, but hey, it might be as good as a Glarry... maybe. Michael Angelo Batio eat your heart out! Good mod, man. This was like taking lemons and making... lemon juice?
Lol totally! I think someone used a sawzall to do those finishing cuts and then did the rest with a belt sander... I made a body out of plywood a while back that was better than this. As for the unboxing video, let's consider that 'lost media' due to its objectionable language and content. 😂
Thank you! Glad you liked it! Good point - the best example was the Suhr classic S line from a few years ago - www.suhr.com/instruments/classic-s-paulownia/ Paulownia can be a great wood, and it's superb for those who want a really light stage guitar, but it definitely needs a veneer covered in an extremely thick clear coat to stay durable. I bought one mid priced paulownia guitar a few years ago and the 3 piece body started to separate within a year, so they just require some additional care and careful storage.
If you’re looking for a great guitar on a budget tighter than a duck’s arse, pull the trigger on a used Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Tele. Pine body (very cool, pretty grain and some of historical significance), great sounding pups and really decent hardware. I got one “used” on Reverb for about $325 and still had to pull the plastic off the pick guard and neck pick up. It stays in tune, easily intonated and plays great. The only way I could like it more is if it was a 7.25” radius board rather than a 9.5”.
Awesome yeah! Those are really good guitars. Even if the classic vibe series was in the 800 dollar price range, I'd still consider them worth it. 325 is a great price too - and guaranteed that beaut will last a long time. Checking out your vid now!
I've bought 3 guitars from Xaviere (gfs) all 3 were good. 2 teles and a Floyd rose lp. A little setup and they were good to go. The pickups seriously overachieve the coil split or tap actually sounds good on the lp. No paulowina either!!
Unfortunately not - I believe this has to do with all pickups being centrally grounded, thus the volume essentially cuts everything off (live and ground) before the output jack. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong with that explanation! :) 😀
@michaelmaas6460 Great point! I'll try that. As opposed to running the ground centrally to a pot and then from the pot to output, let's see if a direct ground to jack does it!
I got a Donner from Amazon. I had those rock bottom standards. It was beautifully finished. But the shipping had split the neck. 😢still waiting on the replacement.😅
Agh sorry to hear that! Those Donners are great value for the money, but not properly packing a guitar to ensure against shipping damage is sadly too common even with higher end guitar makers. Hope you get a replacement and I know you'll love it as I haven't gone wrong yet with a Donner!
Thanks! With a bit of fretwork and the mod, it plays and sounds a whole lot better than when I first got it. I actually like the look now too, more so than with the original cream pickguard.
It's a stock music track that comes with the video suite I use... I think it was just called 'Reunite'. Part of a package you can get if you get the video suite (though I can't honestly recommend the video suite, and won't name it here, because I've been really disappointed in it due to unreliability).
That was fun. I have a Squier that would benefit from this mod, I will find a Nashville pickguard and have at it... like your style dude, so .... I subscribed. What is that tuning?
Thanks for your subscription!! It's a simple mod to do, and once you carve out that hole there are only a few simple solder connections to make. Just standard tuning, but my sometimes lousy guitar skills can throw it off a bit!
Farewell my friend, I appreciate that you were a subscriber. My longer vids aren't for everyone (hence the link in the description to skip the intro and go straight to the mods and demo). Best of luck and godspeed.
@ALTDOK667 Thanks man! Appreciate the sub! I tend to drawl on for too long sometimes, and I get how people don't have a lot of time to watch a long vid, so I don't blame anyone if it's not their thing. Appreciate the support!
@@nilesthrompton come on 3 min. To find out that you had to watch at least up until then say you make 40 an hour you lost out on 2 bucks hehe you made a new subscriber. What does pauwolnia sp? Sound like is it light?
Lol yeah I meant to create a schematic as I went too fast on the latter part... It's a simple mod but in looking at it after I realized that I over simplified it. I'll create a short scheme and make a link!
@deadboybeats6683 lol no worries! I actually did go too fast though on that last part, and didn't really explain it all that well - schematic link now in the comments!
Lol it might happen... Though I did mention in the vid that they're making substantially better guitars now, and one of them is the Michael Angelo Batio model which I've been told is a really nice axe. There's no way to sugarcoat it when you look at that neck pocket though - this guitar's finishing was one of the worst I've ever seen.
The most amusing mod project ever seen. Thank you for brightening my evening.
Glad you liked it! I had lots of fun making it and look to provide other similar silly guitar videos in the future!
I am that old accountant, screaming about the hollow earth, and I support this message!
I'm sorry for all the paint fumes wafting across the neighborhood... I'm through the first dozen cans, so I promise it will just be a few more before this slab of Paulownia is mostly covered!
Our channel just bought 3 Squier Mustangs--which might be the best guitar at the sub $200 price point. Thanks for the great content!
Thanks so much for the great content that you guys do as well! You have a great channel and I look forward to seeing your mustang video!
Regarding the missing bridge ground wire, I once had a bridge ground problem because the guitar was assembled while the paint was still soft, and the ground wire had sunk so deep into the paint that it didn't quite touch the bridgeplate!
I thought that might have been the case here too - sadly, this one was just a huge corner-cutter!!
this is awesome!! i hope you succeed in your youtube journey!!
Thanks man! Always appreciate the kind words and I hope to continue to make vids which people will like!
The neck pocket was the inspiration for the Sawtooth name.
Indeed... It may look like a ragged neck pocket, but on stage it'll be a dangerous weapon, like a serrated bayonet!
I have a cheap Squier hardtail Stratocaster thats made out of paulownia and it is the most resonant and honestly one of my most comfortable and light guitars I own. I’ve played guitars 10x its value and some don’t come close to it and it sounds great stock with not a single modification.
For sure! I have an old Paulownia Strat copy that I've had for years - and I'll never get rid of it as it's just so light and easy to pick up and play. It sounds great too - I think the explanation is that because Pawlonia has such low density, it's less able to 'diffuse' your strings vibrations and you get more resonance going into the pickups. Not sure if that's true, but that's what I've been told.
Got yourself a new sub, buddy. The deadpan delivery/sense of humor got me.😂
Thanks so much for the sub! Glad you liked it - I try to create something which is entertaining... I don't always succeed but happy when people like it!
Great content! Looking forward to more.
Thanks so much!! Working on the next iteration as we speak and hopefully you'll like it!
my sawtooth had a Basswood body like EVH uses and a Floyd rose 1000 the sandalwood fretboard was very good.
Nice yeah, Sawtooth has taken their guitars to another level now, which is great to see. I think they phased out this cheap old line of Paulownia bodies and went with better materials.
You made a mistake - Pawlownia is not a Balsa and is not a Sycamore. They are all different origins:
1.) specie Paulownia tomentosa is from famaily - Paulowniaceae. Originally from China. Density is about 280 kg/m3.
2.) specie Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale) is from faimly - Malvaceae. Originally from South America. density is about 140 kg/m3 (the lightest wood ever).
3.) specie Sycomore ( Fícus sycómorus) is from family - Moraceae.
As i know high top brand James Tyler uses Pawlownia with his own name "mamywo" wood. )) Yes, that cheap but great tonewood.
Good point! I should have been more clear in the video. I said 'Balsa wood-like' just to mean it was a somewhat soft wood like Balsa, but separate. I should also have clarified that many of the companies using the term 'sycamore' are actually just producing Paulownia guitars, as those are separate woods. This one was listed as a Sycamore body - but I did have a sycamore body guitar at once point and it weighed a clip more than this. This was tremendously soft body and weighed less than 3 pounds, so I believe it is a case of a company slapping 'sycamore' on the label, when they're really just using Paulownia. This one definitely has all the characteristics of Paulownia, including a pretty vibrant tone, so I believe this is a case of that. I've seen companies list their guitar bodies as being made of sycamore, pine, even maple - and then you look at the reviews and realize a bunch of customers are surprised they got a guitar that weighs less than an average loaded pickguard. I did also buy a tele body listed as 'sycamore' a few years ago and it was definitely Paulownia - luckliy the manufacturer changed the wood type to just 'wood' shortly after, likely due to numerous complaints.
'😂
Ha, ha, just doing the same mod. No such issues with string width as you. But 9s are too flimsy for my acoustic player hands, so will be upping the gauge and maybe re shaping the neck slightly, just for an extra bit of fun.
Nice yeah! Let me know how the mod turns out. I used to use 11's but now go with 9-46s just cause my old hands have become stiff and arthritic over the years...
cool mic
It works... Though admittedly it looks better than it works!
enchanting wit
Thank you sir! I try to make people laugh as much as possible... Sometimes with limited results.
This mod works well with a volume instead of the on off switch id bet
I bought a cheap sawtooth tele and i was rather disappointed in it too. I used it as a modding platform and now has hotrail humbuckers with coil splits and plays great.
Nice! Yeah Sawtooth seems to have (at least in the past) spit out some guitars of unacceptable quality - a common refrain I heard was decent necks with medium jumbo frets but just a quick CNC spit out of everything else, then low quality control with hardware that sometimes didn't even fit the guitar. Good to know that you were able to salvage yours and get a decent guitar!
They make a new tool called a chisel. You can use it for cleaning/shaping holes in wood. Super expensive though. I’m sure the Dremel is cheaper and faster. Guitar sounds nice. Probably from all the extra wood left in that pickup rout.
Yeah I would have normally used a router, if I'd been dealing with a guitar that I wanted to make a clean rout for. As this hole was under the pickguard, and it was just such a cheap guitar, I just went with the dremel which did the job in less than 10 minutes, just to make a hole that will 'do the job'.
Chi-sel you say? I might try one and see if works better than pounding things with a rock, which is how they made the pickup routs on my Chinese Strat, apparrently....
Dude, I think I want to see the unboxing video. 🤘 Also, you missed joke here I believe - that neck pocket really is why they call this a "sawtooth" guitar. Geez. QC is zero here. I've had better Fireflys than this, but hey, it might be as good as a Glarry... maybe. Michael Angelo Batio eat your heart out! Good mod, man. This was like taking lemons and making... lemon juice?
Lol totally! I think someone used a sawzall to do those finishing cuts and then did the rest with a belt sander... I made a body out of plywood a while back that was better than this. As for the unboxing video, let's consider that 'lost media' due to its objectionable language and content. 😂
@@nilesthrompton Subbed. You're funny man! Keep on rockin', moddin', and postin'!🤘
Thanks for this man. Just want to add that some high-end manufacturers and boutique companies use Paulownia for their bodies.
Thank you! Glad you liked it! Good point - the best example was the Suhr classic S line from a few years ago - www.suhr.com/instruments/classic-s-paulownia/ Paulownia can be a great wood, and it's superb for those who want a really light stage guitar, but it definitely needs a veneer covered in an extremely thick clear coat to stay durable. I bought one mid priced paulownia guitar a few years ago and the 3 piece body started to separate within a year, so they just require some additional care and careful storage.
@nilesthrompton Yep, roger that. 🙂
If you’re looking for a great guitar on a budget tighter than a duck’s arse, pull the trigger on a used Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Tele. Pine body (very cool, pretty grain and some of historical significance), great sounding pups and really decent hardware. I got one “used” on Reverb for about $325 and still had to pull the plastic off the pick guard and neck pick up. It stays in tune, easily intonated and plays great. The only way I could like it more is if it was a 7.25” radius board rather than a 9.5”.
Awesome yeah! Those are really good guitars. Even if the classic vibe series was in the 800 dollar price range, I'd still consider them worth it. 325 is a great price too - and guaranteed that beaut will last a long time. Checking out your vid now!
I've bought 3 guitars from Xaviere (gfs) all 3 were good. 2 teles and a Floyd rose lp. A little setup and they were good to go. The pickups seriously overachieve the coil split or tap actually sounds good on the lp. No paulowina either!!
Can you get just the middle pickup by turning the volume all the way down?
Unfortunately not - I believe this has to do with all pickups being centrally grounded, thus the volume essentially cuts everything off (live and ground) before the output jack. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong with that explanation! :) 😀
I believe it would work if you grounded to the output jack instead of to a pot.
@michaelmaas6460 Great point! I'll try that. As opposed to running the ground centrally to a pot and then from the pot to output, let's see if a direct ground to jack does it!
I got a Donner from Amazon. I had those rock bottom standards. It was beautifully finished. But the shipping had split the neck. 😢still waiting on the replacement.😅
Agh sorry to hear that! Those Donners are great value for the money, but not properly packing a guitar to ensure against shipping damage is sadly too common even with higher end guitar makers. Hope you get a replacement and I know you'll love it as I haven't gone wrong yet with a Donner!
Looks and sounds good.
Thanks! With a bit of fretwork and the mod, it plays and sounds a whole lot better than when I first got it. I actually like the look now too, more so than with the original cream pickguard.
What music is playing at 1:18?
It's a stock music track that comes with the video suite I use... I think it was just called 'Reunite'. Part of a package you can get if you get the video suite (though I can't honestly recommend the video suite, and won't name it here, because I've been really disappointed in it due to unreliability).
That was fun. I have a Squier that would benefit from this mod, I will find a Nashville pickguard and have at it... like your style dude, so ....
I subscribed. What is that tuning?
Thanks for your subscription!! It's a simple mod to do, and once you carve out that hole there are only a few simple solder connections to make. Just standard tuning, but my sometimes lousy guitar skills can throw it off a bit!
...Much-enjoyed your vid, Sir...Nice work & sounds great!!....New subscriber...Peace...
Thanks for the subscription, much appreciated! Glad you like the content and more to come soon!
I waited longer than I should for you to get to the point....bye
Farewell my friend, I appreciate that you were a subscriber. My longer vids aren't for everyone (hence the link in the description to skip the intro and go straight to the mods and demo). Best of luck and godspeed.
@ALTDOK667 Thanks man! Appreciate the sub! I tend to drawl on for too long sometimes, and I get how people don't have a lot of time to watch a long vid, so I don't blame anyone if it's not their thing. Appreciate the support!
I dig long videos. I have a longer…
attention span than most.
@@nilesthrompton come on 3 min. To find out that you had to watch at least up until then say you make 40 an hour you lost out on 2 bucks hehe you made a new subscriber. What does pauwolnia sp? Sound like is it light?
I don't blame you..... I couldn't watch it either...
1. Make hole.
2. skip the rest.
DONE.
Lol yeah I meant to create a schematic as I went too fast on the latter part... It's a simple mod but in looking at it after I realized that I over simplified it. I'll create a short scheme and make a link!
@@nilesthrompton I'm just joking haha
@deadboybeats6683 lol no worries! I actually did go too fast though on that last part, and didn't really explain it all that well - schematic link now in the comments!
1901
Damn, you might get blocked by MAB for this.
Lol it might happen... Though I did mention in the vid that they're making substantially better guitars now, and one of them is the Michael Angelo Batio model which I've been told is a really nice axe. There's no way to sugarcoat it when you look at that neck pocket though - this guitar's finishing was one of the worst I've ever seen.
@@nilesthrompton lol