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I love this so much, and feel like I coould have been there. Reeves and I hae been friends since 1984 when I first met him at Larry Fishman's house the very same day I met Larry. Reeves was in a bunh of Boston area bands, and working part - time for Larry in his basemeent making pickups. Reeves is blazing bright and very funny, apart from being one of the world's greatest guitarists. Thanks for sharing this, I can't stop laughing, and I just shared it with Larry. That's funny, I don't remember the model name of the guitar we made with a built - in amp and speaker, just getting old, I guess....

Hi Sam! HHalloween yourself! Check EBay for the master sander, they're out there, just make sure to get one that's fully accessorised with allll 6 plates and lots of spindles. The good news is that the spindles are a breeze to make, as the "Universal double angle collet" will take any size straight shank up to 3/4", and so easy to switch out!

I'm thinking about this a litle diferrently. The style and details of the termination of the backstrap behind fret 4ish isn't the point, and won't really influence anything. I did, in fact, bend the backstrap in two places for many years, as you suggest,both at the headstock bend and at the end on the back of the neck. I can't really see how any of this makes a difference to the strength of the neck, or the ability of the backstrap to do its crucial job, keeping the headstock from cracking if it takes a blow. I know they work, and I know they improve the sound of necks. Have fun with the backstrap, it's a very satisfying part of lutherie!

Have it your way, my friend. At the end of the job, I step halfway out the back door and address the steel woool swarf with copressed air. Poof! Good as new.

I like the "big" one, which is about 3/4" or 19mm. There's also a 1/2", or 13mm size that folks find useful. You're allowed to get them both, I'd say! I like to sharpen them with convex bevels, and add a slight convex curve to the edge.

Ha! Let's hope we don't have to launch into space!

It's all about obsession and thirst, you're so welcome, I've had a joyous work life, alright.

Yeah, his are several layers, very nice!

Good eyeball. I guess I should have explained this marvellous cutter already . Let me do a little research, and I'll film a riff on this incredible invention. "Whirling Spoons"

Patented in 1929 by Salstrom, the "Smoother- Rougher" cutter. Still unsurpassed in wood!

@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 ah I found a picture of it, now I sorts know what to buy

This is something I have in a drawer, and never think to use. Thanks for your reminder! Cyano adhesives are a marvel, very useful, of course although much misunderstood and mis - applied.

You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it.

I sure learned a lot from this book when it first published. Hideo was quite a good repairman, having started with violins in the '50's. He was a really good teacher, and helped us all tremendously with his "Complete Guitar Repair" in 1974. This was the first title of its kind, and a huge positive influence on the field. Thanks, Hideo!

Thanks for watching!

Oldest cutting tool. Why not?

Sides are easy to break, especially when they're thick, and I've done my share, as you suppose! In 2004, I tried to bend the curliest maple I ever had, and was sent right back to the drawing board.I got myself an eager intern, and for the whole summer we played fearlessly with bending/breaking follies. I learned so much about wood and bending, I can't help but recommend it. Played with thickness, temperature, tension restraints, and on and on. We learned so much it was crazy! Nothing breaks in my shop anymore, I promise.

OUCH. I just don't know any other worm geared tuner like them for weight. Maybe we should all sign a petition to Gotoh promising to buy them if they re-continue them?!??!? There are lots of pegs (fancy$) to be had now. Gotohs offers other fine products, then there's Sperzel, Waverly, Schertler, Roberts, K-TAR, and my latest heart-throb, the stunning Rickard Cyclone tuners, truly a marvel of modern manufacturing. As long as we're in the non-worm gear section, check out Pegheds and Wittner for the lightest options.

Inevitable, no? My favorite new album is titled "A Little Blood", just released by my amazing god-daughter, Grace Bergere. It's an amazing bunch of originals in the deep end of the pool. Wow, Grace! A Little Blood - Album by Grace Bergere Spotify open.spotify.com › album

I don’t know if there should be but I doubt I’ve ever done a project without some sacrificed.

You're most welcome, and thanks for sharing this, it's the whole idea, isn't it?

Every episode gives me insights or idea. I might use something in a completely different way or even area on the guitar. ❤ it, can’t thank Ken enough. It’s hard enough for me to do the work, I can’t imagine staging video too.

Sorry, too dumb to get this reference.

Glad you enjoyed it!

I took me many years to understand that genius = obsession x time. Guilty of the latter, I'm afraid. Persist!

This is one genius vise that for some dumb reason never got close to being a commercial sucess. Too bad, it's the best vise for a Bridgeport Milling Machine, 10" back jaw width is just right.

If you think this is a lot, try just doing it by hand. Really challenging stuff!

@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 Yes I can imagine!

It's all evolution at the bench, right? Frustration is the mother of invention.

@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 As well as necessity 😉

Well, we need at least 4 degrees or so of angle to get sufficient downward pressure to keep the string in the string groove. Fender's string trees are one great example of alternatives to angling the whole headstock to achieve this. This was done in order to get guitar necks out of 5/4 (1 1/4" thick commercial lumber) There are Lots of good string management ideas from the piano family as you well know!

Thank you kindly!

This is fully demonstrated in previous Archtoppery films, have a look!

Well, I sanded off some of it, at least. DNA marker of authenticity?

It really does help the neck's ability to survive, especially a Gibson design in crispy, splitty, non-shock resistant mahoganny, which is otherwise a fantastic neck material.

Glad you enjoyed it. Give it a try!

Yeah, it's a long story, starting with the questtion "Is this what I want to do and commit to?" The tools help, but they're just tools, and they don't do it all, and there's still lots of tricky details to perform.

How nice of you! Much appreciated

Thank you! Cheers!

There are all kinds of options, as you suggest, many of which would work fine depending on the design. You touch on a concerrn that I have about making the neck too stiff to comply with varying string forces. One use of the backsttrap that I forgot to mention in my current work is that it covers up all kinds of transitions of materials at the back of the neck in the nut area, and makes everything look calm and simple, my favorite look.

@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 Thank you Ken. Indeed it is a clean, beautiful look. If you don't mind a follow up question; why would we want the neck to comply with varying forces? As I understand on an archtop such as yours the sound is determined almost entirely by the body and a flexible, compliant neck would rob the body of energy. Not to mention alter the geometry with different string gauges.

Wow, thanks for your appreciation and extravagant praise!

Thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed it. You are most welcome!

What a great message! Big fat congratulations for switching from edible to inedible vegetables. My good friend, Michael Greenfield took a similar path, starting off training at Le Cordon Bleu, and sucessfully working in that field for many years before becoming one of North America's most noteworthy and influential guitar builders. Bravo!

The backstrap as a wooden element was not part of any Parker Guitar product, they were all painted necks, and the paint covered all the composite laminates. Damn backstrap is a bit of a magic trick, but not too bad, really.

No dust is good to breathe, and carbon/epoxy is no exception. A good particle mask or supplied fresh air mask is needed to protect your pretty pink lungs. As I mentioned, the best way to go is to try to design your carbon-reinforced parts in such a way that the cured carbon/epoxy doesn't need much (ideaally any) abrasion or other shaping.

@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 Thank you so much to get in touch. :D Means a lot to me. I love your work and try to incorporate your thoughts in my guitar building. In fact i always use a particle mask with filters when i produce dust. And overall try to minimize dustproduction ;). I was just wondering if Cabon/epoxy is similar bad healthwise as wood dust or more or less the same. Again. Thank you very much :)

It's always an honor and a pleasure! Enjoy!

Go for it! I have made these from ebony, aluminum and plastic. I always seem to be making just one more as I keep giving them away!

0000 Steel wool seems like a bullshit hobbyist's fall back until you need something to look good, and then there you are using it! I would say yes!

The 205 is the only Gougeon hadener that I use for guitarmaking. Other hardeners have been formulated to help to serve the needs of artisans building boats and other non-guitar articles by either signifacantly extending the working time (206 and 209), which I don't need, or by improving the surface quality of a thick epoxy film coating (207), which I never use, but in every case at the cost of strength. I think the strength and stiffness of the 205 hardener is just right for bonding guitar components. If you plan your glue - up properly and have everything needed at hand, the "Fast" hardener gives plenty of time to coat the small surfaces we are bonding as guitarmakers, and get it all clamped up withut a scramble. Have fun, and try for minimal squeeze-out.

@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 thanks Ken! Much appreciated

Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks vor watching!

The slick trick is to put the magnet in a plasic bag, making it easy to dispose of the steel shards and keep the magnet un steel-wollified.

What's a PDF70? The screws are made by MacIt. www.macit.com/product/clamp-wedge-screw/

Interesting comment, I get it. Sometimes it's better just not to argue with "common knowledge". On the other hand, I very much like the look of medullary rays , and will show them off if I can. It's not every species tht benefits from vertical grain the same way, but veneers really show the properties of the helpful cross grain fibers.

Every worthy subject has history and plents of depth!