I'm so glad I tuned into this channel because for years I really had a problem getting my fish to stick together and never even realizing that they make fish glue it's amazing what you can learn
Ted, I want to thank you so much for helping me learn how to fix my own guitars. As a full-custody, single Dad with two teenagers I can't really afford my dream guitar. So I play budget guitars, and have most of them playing nicely except for one. 2 years ago I bought a Mitchell ME1CE on sale for about $230, it is a beautiful looking guitar that looks and feels well made. But it had a problem, a buzzing issue which i thought i could easily fix or so I thought. I messed with this guitar countless times and finally got the action adjusted so that it was perfect. But it still buzzed like crazy past the 8th fret and it sounded too bright. It turns out that the guitar was shipped without a proper fret job. So I followed your instructions, used a fret rocker and then filed down my frets so that they are all now perfectly balanced. The end result is that now this cheapo guitar plays like a guitar worth 5 times it's cost and for the first time in 2 years I actually want to play this guitar. I owe it to you sir! Thank you so much for for your highly practical lessons, I was ready to pawn this guitar or trade it for another one, and now I want to keep it. Thanks again!
I bought one of these guitars -a very early example from 1952, serial number under 2000 I seem to remember- in Denmark Street in London. It had a loose heel joint- actually flopping around in there- and an action that made it feel like punishment. Now, I bought that guitar for it's sound. It boomed and jangled at the same time. I had a confident luthier reset the neck and remove material from the bridge, both improving the action. I played that guitar in bands around the country. Sometimes hot through fuzz boxes and old amps, sometimes clean, mic'd up with a little treble from the pickup I had installed. I sold that guitar a few years ago for roughly the money I put into it plus the cost of the instrument- break even. Now I have no guitar and money doesn't play the same. Investment in an instrument should be personal and grounded. Nice to hear your relationship with the customer is honest and earnest.
This is the best UA-cam channel that I have dug into in a while. It’s been like 1 week, 30+ hours of watch time , and I feel like I’ve learned more about not just guitar repair, but guitar history and culture, than I have on any other formant .
At 13:35, although I often cut screws and bolts shorter with the Dremel tool, some electrical crimpers have a set of built-in threaded cut-offs for #4, 6, 8 and 10 (SAE) screws that gives you a clean, essentially burr-free edge to the shortened screw. You can also buy crimpers with metric-thread cutoffs but those are much harder to find and typically a bit more expensive.
Thanks again for the effort that goes into letting us all watch you work. We really appreciate it. I have learned more from your channel than all the other luthiery channels combined.
Wow, i have one of these, nearly the same. The over all condition of my instrument is nearly mint, seems like not used, after 60+ years. i got it as a gift and it is very nice playable and rings like a bell. The sustain is about 18 seconds. Ok, it is not a high end guitar, but for the time in which they build it, it is very nice done....
Its not just the learning that is good from you, its also the experience you carry to us. Many cannot afford the repairs and don't know how valuable this is. God bless ya!
Wow! There is some seriously thoughtful and careful craftsmanship on display in this video. Of course, it's what we've come to expect from you, Twoodfrd. It is a pleasure to watch you work, sir. I love seeing these old wall-hangers coming back to life. It probably plays and sounds better now than it ever did. Thanks for making these videos!
@@richardweinberger6302 Hey my friend,. My dear old pops got me an arch top Harmony for Christmas one year. I don't know what he paid for it or where. The "music" store in our town when I was a sophomore in highschool in '62 was just a few C&W records, maybe a guitar string or 3. That was about it as I seem to recall. Yeah, there was a C&W band that would play in a place called the Cave, which was underneath a building in my town. Some of my old partners in crime in those days would sneak down the steps, poke our heads into the door to see what sort of denizens would be present inside. The bartender saw us and yelled to get out a stay out ! Holy cow, we knew it was adults only allowed -- we just wanted to get a glimpse. Anyway, I don't think my old man paid more than 20 bucks. One of the fellows in my dad's Dixie Land band showed me some chords and how to tune it to pitch. Gawd forbid I ever break a string tuning it. I'm of the opinion these working musicians, such as they were had to drive to Billings, MT to get strings, etc. The strings were rusty, the windings we're coming off before I ever knew one had to change strings every once or twice in a year or two. But I had Peter, Paul and Mary to listen to and try in vain to figure out how they played those songs....By my senior year we had Dylan and Blowin' In the Wind. What fun learning how to play that, even with decrepit strings. Still nothing broke in those years. Somewhere in '66 and with a bit more knowledge about good guitars, I was stationed in California in the military, so was able to buy a Gibson J-50 new off the wall in a phenomenal music store in Sacramento. Ha, they even had guitar strings. I paid $250 for that J-50. Kept that gem for many decades until I had to sell it during Dubya Bush's tenure due to financial hardships. It broke my heart -- it was like a beloved lady leaving me. Elderly in Michigan gave me $1,880 for it. Vintage, ya know and well cared for. That's my guitar story. Never replaced it -- discovered the mandolin instead. Cheers, brother. Bob in Montana. 😃😁🍺🍅❤️☮️
Great video. I like the pace and the way you explain things. For those press in tuner bushings on many older, less expensive guitars I"ve found that small metal grommets that you can buy at fabric or sewing stores are an exact replacement, especially on Harmonys, Kays, Stellas, etc. They are very inexpensive and they come in many small sizes
I know you can't read everything you get - just wanted to say though that I love the channel and your commentary - very droll and witty, lots of eclectic asides and observations! I have binged your videos HARD, and love, love the channel. Thanks so much. I am also learning a tremendous amount - I am a woodworker and hobbyist, and am thinking of doing a kit or finding a guitar to repair/rebuild for fun. Cheers from NH, USA!
I picked up a Silvertone and Kay archtop at estate sale for $10 dollar each. They're in for repair right now. 40 and 50 dollars to repair. So appreciate your comments on the worth of repairing theses things. Just trying to get them playable. They are good wall ornaments! Thanks, enjoy watching your channel.
Thank you so much for these videos! I am not a guitar repair guy...but I think guitars are beautiful...and I play a little. Your obvious passion and skill coupled with your calm demeanour makes for a fantastic companion to my morning coffee.
I'm currently at the end of restoring a Club 40 which had a broken neck joint and had been butchered for humbuckers. Had the same issue with the tailpiece as I had to use a sacrificial sets of strings to set it up (neck reset so wanted to dial in the action and make sure it was actually salvageable before I started building pickup surrounds to cover the holes in the body from the bucker conversion). Both sets of strings stuck in the tailpiece, used Ernie Balls and then Thomastiks. I'm wondering if modern electric strings run a different sized ball end? I'm only 39 so working on old stuff isn't my day to day but there must be a difference between modern and vintage strings ends rather than this just being a typical Hofner design problem?
Love your channel, love what you do and the respect and professional way you go about any repairs you do, it's so nice to see someone who cares about their work. And hi from Wales UK.
You also have to take into account the sentimental value to the customer. I have repaired many guitars that customers have been told are not worth repairing because the tech decided that it wasn't worth the effort or cost. I just did one of these Hofner's a few months ago. It was the sentimental value that made it worthwhile doing. Every guitar has a story and some are amazing.
Great stuff! I’ve been to the original factory in.Bubenreuth and the new one(they moved in the late 60’s but still call it the new one..) in Haganu. They have a lot of cellulose nitrate from the 50’s & 60’s saved that was used for inlays! Really nice folks!
According to the guitar tech who sorted out my Hofner Congress, they were shipped from the Hofner factory without being set up, the retailer was supposed to do that but they rarely did.
Great explanations RE thinking process. What is all that joint weirdness at 23:24 to 23:50. Looks like a bead of welding on the side, and a rough shim under the fingerboard? Trick of the light on some dings?
A have a 1960 Framus which apart from having a cutaway is almost identical. Action was very high on this, I made a new bridge out of ebony to sort this. Also, gave it a refret, installed electrics and now it plays great.
Thanks for this mate, I have a 456 and was trying to fix a couple of these issues myself. Hands down, the best structured and we'll thought out guitar fix video I have found! I'm missing the strap button from the bottom of my hofner and I'm not sure how to fix it / whether the fix is worth the risk of breaking it, it seems like the join where the strap button was is pretty vulnerable. No obligation to respond, but if anyone reads this and has a fix - I'm keen!
These old Hofner guitars and basses never used the type strap needing a strap button. Most used a strap that was tied in front of the nut, under the strings. McCartneys strap is actually this same style, only he tied it under the heel area of his bass. Brilliant idea even if it did make the bass a bit neck heavy.
Just a tip re gluing binding in this situation I suggest using un thinned lacquer for the re adhesion if any mishaps it can be wet sanded leveled and buffed..
I had to reset the neck and re attach one of the top struts on my old Framus archtop I rescued . You can't really get super slinky action on these old girls, they never had it back in the day. Yep when changing strings, the ball ends get well stuck, suspect that ball ends have changed over time. Love your videos :)
Interesting that he would mention about the changing dimensions of the ball ends of strings over years and it just so happens that the diamond string factory in New Brunswick New Jersey renovated the building and gave me all the lumber they pulled out of the building but in doing so I ended up with tons of ball ends dating back to the 1800s and whatever that's worth I'll just say good night
I build and work on drums and any time I am going for a vintage WMP (white marine pearl) or am trying to match something from the 40s or 50s, Precision Drum Co. Services can print custom wraps and probably match anything your shooting for. Made from delmar. Just a heads up if you ever are in that route.
I’m catching up on loads of your videos. I have to say thank you for making me laugh at the start of this one … trying to work out if you were John or Paul :)
I’d call it sentiment vs fetishized. I still have the ‘77 Takamine F-360 (D-28 copy) that I bought new in junior high. It is the first guitar I ever bought and I still love it; it’s in great condition, and plays/sounds great. When I bought it, the MSRP was $300 and I got it at a going out of business sale for $150. Now, if something were to happen it that would required $500 worth of luthier work, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. Yes, that’s likely twice it’s current value, but my “sentimental” connection to that instrument, is deep. I’ve owned/played it for 43 years.
I had a 1950s Hofner Senator arch top back in the early 1960s so I’ve found this video even more enjoyable than usual. My guitar had a three piece neck but no adjustable truss rod, (I don’t know if it had a bar in the neck). It had a Hofner single coil pickup which attached to the end of the neck and I actually used the guitar to play several gigs with the beat group I was in at the time. I remember that it had a really heavy action despite me sanding down the bridge so it was really hard on the fingers. Although it was a fabulously good looking instrument I very quickly traded in part exchange for a nice red Hofner Colorama solid, although not the finest guitar in the world it didn’t sound completely horrible and got me through a summer holiday season playing 6 gigs a week at holiday parks without shredding my fingers.
Quickly becoming my favourite luthier channel. I was wondering If you could talk about theoretical lowest action in a video. I find myself always prioritizing low action as possible as I've been learning fret replacement and dressing and then final setup lately. I know it depends on how people play but It seems like low action is always the goal... would love to understand the LIMITS of action and how to get closer to those limits so I understand when to stop or not expect too much from the guitar. Kind of how you talked about it here.
It's not always about 'low' action, it's more about 'easy' action imo. There are more factors at play than simply the distance from the string to the fretboard. Shorter scale models (e.g Gibson SG Special, Fender Mustang 90 etc) are easier to play because there is less tension in the strings making it easier the press them against the fretboard. BUT if you set the action to a height that would equate to a 'low' action on a Tele or LP you are almost certainly going to end up with fret buzz. Remember, by lowering the action you are shortening the strings which therefore means you have even less string tension when it's in tune with standard scale guitars. The easiest electric guitar I've ever played was a 1969 Gibson Byrdland with a 23 1/2 inch scale. The action was noticeably higher than my 25 1/2 inch Strat but it was the easiest playing guitar I've ever picked up. Just a thought
I don’t know if you found an acceptable bushing for that tuner shaft, but what I’ve used in the past on a couple of old Stellas are 1/4” rivet burrs. You have to “roll out” the swaged end using a drill bit on a metal surface (they’re slightly narrowed for some reason), but they work great.
I love celluloid for picks, but it does suck for inlays and pickguards. Because it will inevitably start to decompose. It’s a nice disposable plastic though.
I have one of these and it had the same problem. I worked on the bridge,as you did ,but still the action was just to high , then one very cold night I heard a : ping ! Some time later I found the neck glue had given way and the neck was loose, I was able to ease the neck out and shim it , now plays beautifully.
Among my many guitars, I have a Hofner Congress (1965). a Senator (1959) and a President (1965) as well as a Framus (1964/5)...they're lovely to play..I really appreciate your attention to detail..... and I knew somehow you were going to suggest fish glue..!
Ted, nice to see you are one of only a small handful of luthiers that know the proper way to fill a bridge to an arch top, Jerry Rosa is among then. Thanks and cheers. Bob
This is a really cool guitar. Surprisingly little sag in the top arch considering its age. I play a modern Hofner (Verythin Single Cut) and so I have a soft spot for them. Brilliantly conscientious resuscitation work and words of wisdom as always, sir. I almost dig the Freddie Green action in its original condition!
wait, what did you do about the missing tuning peg bushing? allparts has both stamped sheet metal "vintage" bushings and even plain brass sleeves that would likely fit around that post. did you pull a key off to determine if those were even real bushings or just rings stuck on top of the peghead?
I learned guitar on a Silvertone f-hole arch-top that looked nearly identical to this one (mine was late 60s early 70s). I wonder if Hofner made those Silvertone guitars.
That would be a dream to find. Love the whole vibe of that rig. I do have a super nice 1957 Gibson ES125 that is in really good shape and plays so nice its sick. I snagged it from my brothers father in law for $1000 reciently, it was a super buy in my opinion. Wish one like this would come to me somehow.
Hi there from Jim Paton in Fife, Scotland. I totally agree with your opinion of Hofners of this era.( I owned several of them). I think this one could be a Senator from the late fifties. The UK price new would have been £18 -18 shillings.
I wonder if you could use canopy glue on binding? It’s a glue that you’d get from a hobby store. I think it dries clear because I used to use it to glue on the canopies of my radio control airplanes. It smells and feels like regular elmers glue.‘it’s super strong tho. I never had one come off in the air.
What brand of superglue is in the little red tube? I am partial to water-thin superglue (TiteBond, or Hot Stuff) but I've never seen it in those tiny squeeze tubes, and the brands of CA glue sold in such miniature tubes are usually too thick and don't wick into tight crevices. Unfortunately, a bottle of Hot Stuff or similar typically starts curing and thickening in the bottle long before I can use it all up (or the top cap welds itself on). The Titebond seems to last a little longer and the cap seems less likely to glue itself shut.
It's old school Krazy Glue. Just the right consistency. It goes in deep enough before kicking off. The red label Hot Stuff is too hot for a lot of what I do and yeah - I have the same problem with the bottle.
had one, her name was lulu. Could only keep 2 strings in tune. a great bass guitar. one day I took off the strings and found that the neck had broken and was kept by the strings.,heavy strings and trying to keep up with the volume. She went to guitar heaven
Super job all around, reasonable and appropriate, solved all the problems without getting ridiculous. I hope you made some money and I think you've added real value too. Somebody would gladly pay the owner more than market for this guitar just for the condition, appearance and playabilty combined with what many buyers would be drawn to for the perceived historical value of the brand.
I have a gretsch electromatic that has fret buzz on the E and A strings on the 5th fret. Ive checked the truss rod it's at 6 thousand of an inch on the 6th fret. So everything seems in order but I'm still getting buzz. Amy recommendations
I got a broken one exaclty like this one, just darker sunburst. I know its not finacially smart, but im a musician and it was my granddads guitar. So its not about the money, its for the sentimental value youknow. I asked a luthier for what the job would cost and its was all from 1000$ to 1500$ And im fine with that, it originaly belonged to my grandads brother who passed away many decaded ago. He has since taken care of it, well its not been looked after, so repairs will be needed. But from my perspective! Its worth it, just based on the pure family history it has. Thanks for the headsup in the video! -Mats Odin.
I would have drilled out a hole in the bridge and installed a sleeve that the screw on the pick guard could slide in and out of, seems like that would be easier but what do I know?
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm so glad I tuned into this channel because for years I really had a problem getting my fish to stick together and never even realizing that they make fish glue it's amazing what you can learn
😆
funny! 🙂
With age comes wisdom.
with age comes a joke that works.. 😂
One of the most interesting channels on UA-cam.
Arthur. H you are certainly right I agree 100 % I just love his channel.
For sure and it's my ASMR
Ted, I want to thank you so much for helping me learn how to fix my own guitars. As a full-custody, single Dad with two teenagers I can't really afford my dream guitar. So I play budget guitars, and have most of them playing nicely except for one. 2 years ago I bought a Mitchell ME1CE on sale for about $230, it is a beautiful looking guitar that looks and feels well made. But it had a problem, a buzzing issue which i thought i could easily fix or so I thought. I messed with this guitar countless times and finally got the action adjusted so that it was perfect. But it still buzzed like crazy past the 8th fret and it sounded too bright. It turns out that the guitar was shipped without a proper fret job. So I followed your instructions, used a fret rocker and then filed down my frets so that they are all now perfectly balanced. The end result is that now this cheapo guitar plays like a guitar worth 5 times it's cost and for the first time in 2 years I actually want to play this guitar. I owe it to you sir! Thank you so much for for your highly practical lessons, I was ready to pawn this guitar or trade it for another one, and now I want to keep it. Thanks again!
Rock on full custody dads! I raised my 20 year old son, he is an incredible person, and I am raising my 10 year old son.
Lovely Vintage Mother-of-Toilet-Seat! That is hands down, the single most hilarious one-liner on UA-cam. Thank you for your service!
Everybody calls it 'Mother of Toilet-Seat', ffs....
@@stavrospapadimitriou7631 Yep, I've been hearing that since the 70s.
I bought one of these guitars -a very early example from 1952, serial number under 2000 I seem to remember- in Denmark Street in London. It had a loose heel joint- actually flopping around in there- and an action that made it feel like punishment. Now, I bought that guitar for it's sound. It boomed and jangled at the same time.
I had a confident luthier reset the neck and remove material from the bridge, both improving the action. I played that guitar in bands around the country. Sometimes hot through fuzz boxes and old amps, sometimes clean, mic'd up with a little treble from the pickup I had installed.
I sold that guitar a few years ago for roughly the money I put into it plus the cost of the instrument- break even.
Now I have no guitar and money doesn't play the same. Investment in an instrument should be personal and grounded. Nice to hear your relationship with the customer is honest and earnest.
Your opening monolog I think is spot on when it comes to thought processes around this type of instrument and it's owner.
One of the most informative repair specialists on youtube. Just the first 4 minutes of this video is filled with great tidbits of knowledge.
3:10 , Peter Griffin turns up and makes a low ball offer 😂
Excellent workmanship as always. 👍
This is the best UA-cam channel that I have dug into in a while. It’s been like 1 week, 30+ hours of watch time , and I feel like I’ve learned more about not just guitar repair, but guitar history and culture, than I have on any other formant .
At 13:35, although I often cut screws and bolts shorter with the Dremel tool, some electrical crimpers have a set of built-in threaded cut-offs for #4, 6, 8 and 10 (SAE) screws that gives you a clean, essentially burr-free edge to the shortened screw. You can also buy crimpers with metric-thread cutoffs but those are much harder to find and typically a bit more expensive.
Thanks again for the effort that goes into letting us all watch you work. We really appreciate it.
I have learned more from your channel than all the other luthiery channels combined.
Wow, i have one of these, nearly the same. The over all condition of my instrument is nearly mint, seems like not used, after 60+ years. i got it as a gift and it is very nice playable and rings like a bell. The sustain is about 18 seconds. Ok, it is not a high end guitar, but for the time in which they build it, it is very nice done....
Its not just the learning that is good from you, its also the experience you carry to us. Many cannot afford the repairs and don't know how valuable this is. God bless ya!
Wow! There is some seriously thoughtful and careful craftsmanship on display in this video. Of course, it's what we've come to expect from you, Twoodfrd. It is a pleasure to watch you work, sir. I love seeing these old wall-hangers coming back to life. It probably plays and sounds better now than it ever did. Thanks for making these videos!
I love what you just did with the harmony
I was hoping to see some bracing mods on that Harmony, like little add-on braces below the soundhole?.
@@richardweinberger6302 Hey my friend,. My dear old pops got me an arch top Harmony for Christmas one year. I don't know what he paid for it or where. The "music" store in our town when I was a sophomore in highschool in '62 was just a few C&W records, maybe a guitar string or 3. That was about it as I seem to recall. Yeah, there was a C&W band that would play in a place called the Cave, which was underneath a building in my town. Some of my old partners in crime in those days would sneak down the steps, poke our heads into the door to see what sort of denizens would be present inside. The bartender saw us and yelled to get out a stay out ! Holy cow, we knew it was adults only allowed -- we just wanted to get a glimpse. Anyway, I don't think my old man paid more than 20 bucks. One of the fellows in my dad's Dixie Land band showed me some chords and how to tune it to pitch. Gawd forbid I ever break a string tuning it. I'm of the opinion these working musicians, such as they were had to drive to Billings, MT to get strings, etc. The strings were rusty, the windings we're coming off before I ever knew one had to change strings every once or twice in a year or two. But I had Peter, Paul and Mary to listen to and try in vain to figure out how they played those songs....By my senior year we had Dylan and Blowin' In the Wind. What fun learning how to play that, even with decrepit strings. Still nothing broke in those years. Somewhere in '66 and with a bit more knowledge about good guitars, I was stationed in California in the military, so was able to buy a Gibson J-50 new off the wall in a phenomenal music store in Sacramento. Ha, they even had guitar strings. I paid $250 for that J-50. Kept that gem for many decades until I had to sell it during Dubya Bush's tenure due to financial hardships. It broke my heart -- it was like a beloved lady leaving me. Elderly in Michigan gave me $1,880 for it. Vintage, ya know and well cared for. That's my guitar story. Never replaced it -- discovered the mandolin instead. Cheers, brother. Bob in Montana. 😃😁🍺🍅❤️☮️
Great video. I like the pace and the way you explain things. For those press in tuner bushings on many older, less expensive guitars I"ve found that small metal grommets that you can buy at fabric or sewing stores are an exact replacement, especially on Harmonys, Kays, Stellas, etc. They are very inexpensive and they come in many small sizes
Tom, you give such thoughtful explanations. You are an excellent teacher. Thank you from Saskatchewan.
I know you can't read everything you get - just wanted to say though that I love the channel and your commentary - very droll and witty, lots of eclectic asides and observations! I have binged your videos HARD, and love, love the channel. Thanks so much. I am also learning a tremendous amount - I am a woodworker and hobbyist, and am thinking of doing a kit or finding a guitar to repair/rebuild for fun. Cheers from NH, USA!
I picked up a Silvertone and Kay archtop at estate sale for $10 dollar each. They're in for repair right now. 40 and 50 dollars to repair. So appreciate your comments on the worth of repairing theses things. Just trying to get them playable. They are good wall ornaments! Thanks, enjoy watching your channel.
Just fantastic content. That you give your experience away for free is a wonderful thing. Thank you.
These videos are so satisfying and relaxing to watch. Plus, I learn a lot.
Once again thank you for a video and using metric system. It is exactly what I was looking for!
Thank you so much for these videos! I am not a guitar repair guy...but I think guitars are beautiful...and I play a little. Your obvious passion and skill coupled with your calm demeanour makes for a fantastic companion to my morning coffee.
Wow... awesome work and... that guitar sounds great!
10:35 I have a 60's Harmony Rocket that had the same problem with the ball ends getting stuck in the tailpiece.
I'm currently at the end of restoring a Club 40 which had a broken neck joint and had been butchered for humbuckers. Had the same issue with the tailpiece as I had to use a sacrificial sets of strings to set it up (neck reset so wanted to dial in the action and make sure it was actually salvageable before I started building pickup surrounds to cover the holes in the body from the bucker conversion). Both sets of strings stuck in the tailpiece, used Ernie Balls and then Thomastiks. I'm wondering if modern electric strings run a different sized ball end?
I'm only 39 so working on old stuff isn't my day to day but there must be a difference between modern and vintage strings ends rather than this just being a typical Hofner design problem?
Take the ball ends off another set of strings & slide one over each string so it drops on top of the attached string ball end. Problem solved.
Love your channel, love what you do and the respect and professional way you go about any repairs you do, it's so nice to see someone who cares about their work. And hi from Wales UK.
It is so enjoyable to watch you work. Thank you so much for sharing! Cheers.
You also have to take into account the sentimental value to the customer. I have repaired many guitars that customers have been told are not worth repairing because the tech decided that it wasn't worth the effort or cost. I just did one of these Hofner's a few months ago. It was the sentimental value that made it worthwhile doing. Every guitar has a story and some are amazing.
This is the exact video I needed to help lower my 58 senator bridge. Thanks so much.
Not only am i a fan of your work, im also a fan of your playing demonstrations. Youre completely skilled
Wonderful work. Super lucid descriptions. Top Hole, all round !. Marvellous !. Greetings From Scotland.
Great stuff! I’ve been to the original factory in.Bubenreuth and the new one(they moved in the late 60’s but still call it the new one..) in Haganu. They have a lot of cellulose nitrate from the 50’s & 60’s saved that was used for inlays! Really nice folks!
According to the guitar tech who sorted out my Hofner Congress, they were shipped from the Hofner factory without being set up, the retailer was supposed to do that but they rarely did.
Beautiful tone - had no idea. I'm sure the owner is pleased. Great work and a joy to watch your inventiveness and precision.
Little bits add up. It sounds better than I expected. Thanks much for this.
I’m trying to lower the action on a vintage electric Kay and this video is going to help me so much. Thank you!
I like your videos a lot. I appreciate the content and how you post often
Great explanations RE thinking process. What is all that joint weirdness at 23:24 to 23:50. Looks like a bead of welding on the side, and a rough shim under the fingerboard? Trick of the light on some dings?
A have a 1960 Framus which apart from having a cutaway is almost identical. Action was very high on this, I made a new bridge out of ebony to sort this. Also, gave it a refret, installed electrics and now it plays great.
Thanks for this mate, I have a 456 and was trying to fix a couple of these issues myself.
Hands down, the best structured and we'll thought out guitar fix video I have found!
I'm missing the strap button from the bottom of my hofner and I'm not sure how to fix it / whether the fix is worth the risk of breaking it, it seems like the join where the strap button was is pretty vulnerable.
No obligation to respond, but if anyone reads this and has a fix - I'm keen!
These old Hofner guitars and basses never used the type strap needing a strap button. Most used a strap that was tied in front of the nut, under the strings. McCartneys strap is actually this same style, only he tied it under the heel area of his bass. Brilliant idea even if it did make the bass a bit neck heavy.
Just a tip re gluing binding in this situation I suggest using un thinned lacquer for the re adhesion
if any mishaps it can be wet sanded leveled and buffed..
I love your videos so much man, you’re an artist
I had to reset the neck and re attach one of the top struts on my old Framus archtop I rescued . You can't really get super slinky action on these old girls, they never had it back in the day. Yep when changing strings, the ball ends get well stuck, suspect that ball ends have changed over time. Love your videos :)
Interesting that he would mention about the changing dimensions of the ball ends of strings over years and it just so happens that the diamond string factory in New Brunswick New Jersey renovated the building and gave me all the lumber they pulled out of the building but in doing so I ended up with tons of ball ends dating back to the 1800s and whatever that's worth I'll just say good night
Love your work! First time getting in so early as well
Great list of practical advice, thanks for the excellent video as usual
I build and work on drums and any time I am going for a vintage WMP (white marine pearl) or am trying to match something from the 40s or 50s, Precision Drum Co. Services can print custom wraps and probably match anything your shooting for. Made from delmar. Just a heads up if you ever are in that route.
I'm learning so much from your inspirational videos, thanks 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Another fascinating video. Watching you fix guitars is zen for me.
I’m catching up on loads of your videos. I have to say thank you for making me laugh at the start of this one … trying to work out if you were John or Paul :)
Wow. I only started watching because my Dad has the same guitar...... Watched the whole vid, as I found it fascinating. Thank you 👍
"If Stuart stays 'ere with Astrid, Means one of us'll ave to play bass!"
(John and George start staring at their shoes...)
I love listening to your thinking process. To me, I want to play the guitar. I'm not a collector.
I’d call it sentiment vs fetishized. I still have the ‘77 Takamine F-360 (D-28 copy) that I bought new in junior high. It is the first guitar I ever bought and I still love it; it’s in great condition, and plays/sounds great.
When I bought it, the MSRP was $300 and I got it at a going out of business sale for $150. Now, if something were to happen it that would required $500 worth of luthier work, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. Yes, that’s likely twice it’s current value, but my “sentimental” connection to that instrument, is deep. I’ve owned/played it for 43 years.
I love the intro!!!! Im sure not many people got it, but it really made me laugh, great!!!
I had a 1950s Hofner Senator arch top back in the early 1960s so I’ve found this video even more enjoyable than usual. My guitar had a three piece neck but no adjustable truss rod, (I don’t know if it had a bar in the neck). It had a Hofner single coil pickup which attached to the end of the neck and I actually used the guitar to play several gigs with the beat group I was in at the time. I remember that it had a really heavy action despite me sanding down the bridge so it was really hard on the fingers. Although it was a fabulously good looking instrument I very quickly traded in part exchange for a nice red Hofner Colorama solid, although not the finest guitar in the world it didn’t sound completely horrible and got me through a summer holiday season playing 6 gigs a week at holiday parks without shredding my fingers.
"Hey, Rocky -- watch Ted pull a rabbit out of his hat!" Amazing save, bruh!
It sounds as sweet as a nut, I’m going to look for one right now on the Bay , Great videos by the way, much love from the UK x
Quickly becoming my favourite luthier channel. I was wondering If you could talk about theoretical lowest action in a video. I find myself always prioritizing low action as possible as I've been learning fret replacement and dressing and then final setup lately. I know it depends on how people play but It seems like low action is always the goal... would love to understand the LIMITS of action and how to get closer to those limits so I understand when to stop or not expect too much from the guitar. Kind of how you talked about it here.
It's not always about 'low' action, it's more about 'easy' action imo. There are more factors at play than simply the distance from the string to the fretboard. Shorter scale models (e.g Gibson SG Special, Fender Mustang 90 etc) are easier to play because there is less tension in the strings making it easier the press them against the fretboard. BUT if you set the action to a height that would equate to a 'low' action on a Tele or LP you are almost certainly going to end up with fret buzz. Remember, by lowering the action you are shortening the strings which therefore means you have even less string tension when it's in tune with standard scale guitars. The easiest electric guitar I've ever played was a 1969 Gibson Byrdland with a 23 1/2 inch scale. The action was noticeably higher than my 25 1/2 inch Strat but it was the easiest playing guitar I've ever picked up. Just a thought
Fantastic watching for an amateur luthier...enjoying learning in my 50s!
I don’t know if you found an acceptable bushing for that tuner shaft, but what I’ve used in the past on a couple of old Stellas are 1/4” rivet burrs. You have to “roll out” the swaged end using a drill bit on a metal surface (they’re slightly narrowed for some reason), but they work great.
I love celluloid for picks, but it does suck for inlays and pickguards. Because it will inevitably start to decompose. It’s a nice disposable plastic though.
Really inventive solution on that pickguard! Love it!
I have one of these and it had the same problem. I worked on the bridge,as you did ,but still the action was just to high , then one very cold night I heard a : ping ! Some time later I found the neck glue had given way and the neck was loose, I was able to ease the neck out and shim it , now plays beautifully.
Outstanding! It actually sounds great with you playing it. Yeah, its looking original still. Important for vintage class anything.
Your steady hands are to be admired!
Among my many guitars, I have a Hofner Congress (1965). a Senator (1959) and a President (1965) as well as a Framus (1964/5)...they're lovely to play..I really appreciate your attention to detail..... and I knew somehow you were going to suggest fish glue..!
I got a 55 456, 58 455 same as in this vid, 59 blond president & a 60 450.
Ted, nice to see you are one of only a small handful of luthiers that know the proper way to fill a bridge to an arch top, Jerry Rosa is among then. Thanks and cheers. Bob
0:17 it's a Höfner 455 Archtop Guitar
This is a really cool guitar. Surprisingly little sag in the top arch considering its age. I play a modern Hofner (Verythin Single Cut) and so I have a soft spot for them. Brilliantly conscientious resuscitation work and words of wisdom as always, sir. I almost dig the Freddie Green action in its original condition!
wait, what did you do about the missing tuning peg bushing?
allparts has both stamped sheet metal "vintage" bushings and even plain brass sleeves that would likely fit around that post. did you pull a key off to determine if those were even real bushings or just rings stuck on top of the peghead?
I learned guitar on a Silvertone f-hole arch-top that looked nearly identical to this one (mine was late 60s early 70s). I wonder if Hofner made those Silvertone guitars.
Sometimes Kay, sometimes (if you're lucky) National. Maybe others, I'd like to know, too.
That would be a dream to find. Love the whole vibe of that rig. I do have a super nice 1957 Gibson ES125 that is in really good shape and plays so nice its sick. I snagged it from my brothers father in law for $1000 reciently, it was a super buy in my opinion. Wish one like this would come to me somehow.
Great sound on that guitar and expertly repaired!
Nice to watch you work, and it sounds great!
Awesome work Ted. I really enjoy your channel.
Have you ever tried using your Dremel with a polishing wheel for cleaning up the frets? It works pretty amazingly with just a little rouge compound.
Hi there from Jim Paton in Fife, Scotland. I totally agree with your opinion of Hofners of this era.( I owned several of them). I think this one could be a Senator from the late fifties. The UK price new would have been £18 -18 shillings.
I wonder if you could use canopy glue on binding?
It’s a glue that you’d get from a hobby store. I think it dries clear because I used to use it to glue on the canopies of my radio control airplanes. It smells and feels like regular elmers glue.‘it’s super strong tho. I never had one come off in the air.
That's really good advice on judging the customers on upside down jobs.
Greetings from the Emerald Isle , love it.
Erin Go Bragh :)
I like the commentary regarding the value vs. the cost of the repairs.
Wow, what a gorgeous guitar. Too cool! Great job, as usual. 👍
What brand of superglue is in the little red tube? I am partial to water-thin superglue (TiteBond, or Hot Stuff) but I've never seen it in those tiny squeeze tubes, and the brands of CA glue sold in such miniature tubes are usually too thick and don't wick into tight crevices. Unfortunately, a bottle of Hot Stuff or similar typically starts curing and thickening in the bottle long before I can use it all up (or the top cap welds itself on). The Titebond seems to last a little longer and the cap seems less likely to glue itself shut.
It's old school Krazy Glue. Just the right consistency. It goes in deep enough before kicking off. The red label Hot Stuff is too hot for a lot of what I do and yeah - I have the same problem with the bottle.
16:06, I thought you were whistling along with the sharpie for the first few frets ahahah
had one, her name was lulu. Could only keep 2 strings in tune. a great bass guitar. one day I took off the strings and found that the neck had broken and was kept by the strings.,heavy strings and trying to keep up with the volume. She went to guitar heaven
Super job all around, reasonable and appropriate, solved all the problems without getting ridiculous. I hope you made some money and I think you've added real value too. Somebody would gladly pay the owner more than market for this guitar just for the condition, appearance and playabilty combined with what many buyers would be drawn to for the perceived historical value of the brand.
Mother-of-toilet-seat is the boutiquest material to craft from.
Looks like a 456. Really enjoying your videos, thanks!
When you started talking which glue to use I immediately thought HHG. Good call I’ve used HHG on several of these kind of jobs.
You nailed the Scouse accent! I love this channel!
I have a gretsch electromatic that has fret buzz on the E and A strings on the 5th fret. Ive checked the truss rod it's at 6 thousand of an inch on the 6th fret. So everything seems in order but I'm still getting buzz. Amy recommendations
Thank you so much for this video. I really love your videos. I don't know what else to say but Thank you Thank you Thank you!
I got a broken one exaclty like this one, just darker sunburst. I know its not finacially smart, but im a musician and it was my granddads guitar. So its not about the money, its for the sentimental value youknow. I asked a luthier for what the job would cost and its was all from 1000$ to 1500$
And im fine with that, it originaly belonged to my grandads brother who passed away many decaded ago. He has since taken care of it, well its not been looked after, so repairs will be needed. But from my perspective! Its worth it, just based on the pure family history it has.
Thanks for the headsup in the video!
-Mats Odin.
Interesting to hear fish glue being used in metals inlay. I like using it when I due frets👍🏻
It's my favorite for fretting too.
Hi Gang. :-). This should be on a t-shirt.
You must have the patience of a saint!
Great work, and great insight.
I would have drilled out a hole in the bridge and installed a sleeve that the screw on the pick guard could slide in and out of, seems like that would be easier but what do I know?
Excellent episode, beautiful sound on that guitar now👍🏻