You are truly a great teacher. The design philosophies, history, humour, research, skills, techniques, tools, patience, thank you so much for the uplifting experience.
Yes, very patient, thorough, and knowledgeable about guitar specs, and every little detail. Truly a wealth of knowledge from everything I've seen so far.
I’ve found that my Ethel impressions to be quite a hit especially after some chemical enhancements 🤣. Nothing beats Ethel singing either Under the Bridge by the Chilis or Blow At High Dough by the Tragically Hip. A bunch of half drunk, middle aged folks nearly pissing themselves while I pick away and belt out my best Ethel never fails to amuse me.
The guy that did a neck reset on my old Martin D18 merely bent and glued the fretboard to the soundboard too, creating that same annoying fall-off. As you mention, almost impossible to play up there anyway without a cutaway, but still bugs the hell out of me. Nice to know there is a solution without actually having to do yet another full neck reset. Awesome job!
"An Exercise in Futility" title of my memoir. Keith's Hummingbird always sounded really aggressive and upfront. "The basic track of "Street Fighting Man" was recorded on an early Philips cassette deck at London's Olympic Sound Studios, where Richards played a Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar, and Watts played on an antique, portable practice drum kit."
Gibson in the 60s did recycle some serial number batches, about four years apart, so it is possible, what with the narrow nut width and filled in screw holes of the pickguard, that this one is from 67/8, just before they reverted back to belly down bridges. Having said that, as far as I Know, they only produced a few Hummingdoves (Maple B&S) and in 62/3, supposedly because Gibson had orders waiting on Hummingbirds, but a surplus of Dove bodies. Excellent as always Ted👌
My first neck reset was on a '72 Harmony Sovereign during the bored time of 2020 stuck at home, it has the pickup in the end of the fingerboard. Reset came out nice other than the fretboard drop off at the body. Funny thing, when I originally did the reset I thought about making a tapered piece for under the fretboard but second guessed myself due to my lack of knowledge and that it was probably over-kill! HAHA Thanks for the lesson and the how to I guess I am going to make a go at it now.
This comment could be on any one of your videos. I have been on a binge of your stuff recently and it’s pure joy to see someone so talented patiently sharing their techniques and best advice with the world. Thank you for your efforts! It really matters.
I steward a 2016 Hummingbird VOS . It is arguably the finest acoustic instrument ive ever played.. kind of astonishing to be the one taking care of it for now
Love the hummingbird ! I have a 68 or 69 copy made by Conqueror (c.j.bruno) . It's been an excellent guitar, and still sounds great. I've been tempted over the years to change the adjustable insert in the bridge, but can't bring myself to do it. It's never had a neck reset ,a fret job ,or a truss rod adjustment. I'm lucky ! Pick guard fell off years ago, and got put back on. One of those timeless guitars I will keep ! Thanks Ted !
I once used a credit card as a fret rocker, in a pinch. Wouldn’t recommend if you have access to a real one. However, it did work, and with its help I leveled a fret that gave me fits for a couple years before I was comfortable to tackle it. Great video as always!
Great job! I have a 60’s that for the longest time I thought was a ‘62 but with the research I’ve done on the web it could be a ‘66? So frustrating to date these. It belonged to my dad which he bought when I was a toddler I was born in ‘62. Mine as a very narrow nut width as well. Maybe it’s a ‘63 like this one? I’ve been hoping to have it fixed and set up by you. I’ve been watching many videos on guitar repairs , set ups etc… you are by far my favorite!!! Thank you and please keep’em coming. You are an amazing luthier and person 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Greetings from the UK, Ted. Another informative video. It would be easy to be deterred by your skill & knowledge. However your can-do approach inspires me to try my own stuff. Cheers.
It needs a fret job 58 years ago! Ya know, the one time I got my hands on a real deal original burst, the frets were *Terrible* (in a Cleveland voice). I’m perplexed by people who pay double for an instrument that’s unplayable, but 100% original. Give me new pots and a super jumbo fret job every day of the week. I’ll also be very pleased to gut the Astron caps out of a Tweed amp before I even plug it in!
@@wingracer1614 I suppose it lets the action sit super low so chording and some basic blues playing is easier. Playing anything else must be hell though
Love your videos and dry sense of humor. I used to have a Bartolini pickup on my Takamine F360S but mine was the non-destructive soundhole type. Great little pickups. Very balanced tone without being too "electric-y". Sadly both guitar and pickup were stolen decades ago. Today I make do with an oddball Epiphone PR720S with a Dimarzio soundhole pickup.
I believe holly is the type of wood used for the headstock veneer before it was changed to plastic. I believe it’s cause it’s a closed grain wood that was very easy to obtain.
I played a 63 hummingbird with maple back and sides about a month ago. It was wonderful in many ways. I only had a few moments with the guitar, but I miss it dearly.
This is the exact video I needed to see right now. I've got a buzz at the 12th on my Strat and it never occurred to me that 11 *could be* low instead of 12 being high. Thanks, Ted! 🙏
Sir, I LOVE your videos and tips. My question is if you could do a video discussing errors or failures you've had and what lessons were learned? Failures teach as well if not better than successes. Thank you and God Bless
"...the dropoff is noticable" ? 😂 I really think that's an understatement. From the looks of it that's a good 2-4mm lower than the actual fretboard height is. Ted you're a true wordsmith brother 👍
It's a beauty! The nut size is the same as the one I bought new in 1974, and its serial reads like a 62. Mine has already seen very nearly its last day out of the case. And I'd love to hear your Ethel Merman!
I've seen a few fairly dull sounding ones, but there is an Australian picker called Mike McLellan who had a beauty that he bought in a hock shop in 1965. It was a stunner.
Please, I hope someone can help me... I'm looking for a particular video of Mr. Woodford's, where he's looking inside an old acoustic, and realises that a previous repairman missed a soundboard crack with a cleat. That's right, the cleat is glued on, NEXT to the crack! Does this ring a bell with anyone? It's one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen, but i'll be damned if i can find the video!!! Anyway, keep up the good work, Mr. Woodford! Big fan of the channel!!!
Ethel Merman! I'm 69 and that name Seldom comes across my mind, even in relation to the Hollywood song. If Ted had not made the reference, I would not have remembered she sang it. However, I do remember Bugs Bunny (and Jerry Seinfeld) singing "This is It".
I always liked narrow knecks, I think from moving from electric to acoustic for the first time, as a child. Then you get a hold of one of those classicals, and your frettin hand balance is complete!
Thanks for your work in recording video of your repairs, you've amassed a pretty good data base! I wish for a video concerning modern USA made CF Martins and loose bindings. Is it the plastics or is it the glue and maybe this would alert CFM that there is an issue. Thanks again, 👣
some of those Gibson we're built specifically with the narrow neck to put into the hands of female players and if you were somebody and had ordered a hummingbird you could get it "sized"... A friend of mine found a custom hummingbird that was built for a young lady back in the '60s and had a very narrow neck..
I see a lot of these old Gibson guitars (acoustic and electric), and not only are the frets very very low, they look like they were never recrowned after being leveled, including the highest frets on the acoustics, which rarely get any play wear. I wonder how many intonation woes were caused by this.
TWOODFRD I know you get a bunch of questions here, but this is a real good one. I have an all original 1966 Ibanez 12 string with a trapeze tail piece, it’s basically a Gibson B45-12 clone. Should the saddle have string slots cut in? I know bridges with pins saddle slots can cause buzzing and muting of strings. Hard strumming and finger picking this guitar causes the strings to move around on the adjustable brass saddle. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thanks for this great channel!
Ted--"just" another one of your examples of engineering followed by execution ! (Now, by the way, I am setting up the Daviln-Ford bridge heating assembly. I watch you using it and it appears in the video that you are using some version of a multi-meter to measure heat. Am I mistaken on that? I bought 2 S-Mc kits but, darn, those need big holes !! ( I have to do a vintage Guild D40---mine) I found what appears to be a $53 dollar adjustable power source (YES, DC) on Amazon. My wire, sleeve material and SS tubes are in my cart. Ian sent me his link; I had already made some guesses and was very close, but I am not too proud to be at a degree of error. It does not seem right to ask for expert advice, and then, ignore it.
man.. i would love to have you you fix up my old Ventura 12 string ( lifting bridge ) ... maybe if i watch enough of these ill fine the confidence to fix it my self. thanks for the great videos.
Total novice here. Given the importance of the sound board to tonal quality, why are pick guards and glued fretboards applied? Surely these impede the the full potential sound? Probably a dumb question.
I’ve seen a few vintage 335’s from 1967 with the 1 9/16 nut, maybe the manufacturer just borrowed necks from the ES line for hummingbirds? Just a thought
Had a Hummingbird once. Over 50 years ago, I knew a guy in southern Cal. named Sparrow or maybe "The Sparrow" and he had a Bird. I bought a used one and thought I was so cool. Did not really like it. It had that screw raising adjustable saddle and all the screws did was to drill a hole in the top. Traded it for a Santa Cruz H model several years ago. Also, if the box was from the 60's or even 70's most of the Hummingbird art on the guard would have been polished away from a player's arm, just say'n.
As you said the Hummingbird was very popular during the 1960s, I think that they sound great when mixed with electric guitars etc. Although I’m pretty sure that many acoustic players dislike the adjustable bridges on 60s Gibson acoustic guitars I actually love their tone, but there again I am primarily an electric guitar player.
I could understand why they put dove joints in the necks when bolt on necks looks more sensible. I took the coordinator rods out of my banjo and made the rim a full inch. It made adjustment easier and didn't have to distort the rim to adjust. Doesn't Taylor use bolt on necks?
After hearing one where that awful plywood bridge plate had been replaced with Paduak (a WONDERFUL acoustic wood) I was praying you'd replace it. Kinda figured you wouldn't (I love your ethics) but could hope 😁
another thing about the fret rockers, even if the frets are perfectly flat, it can still rock because it's not parallel enough with the axis of the strings and it's rocking on the radius of the board.
I bought one of these in 1963 or so from the music store where I worked. It was never "right." There was a brace missing under the treble side of the upper bout which resulted in a sunken area in the top of the instrument. I got rid of it really quickly.
You are truly a great teacher. The design philosophies, history, humour, research, skills, techniques, tools, patience, thank you so much for the uplifting experience.
It’s like watching Holmes on homes but for guitars, stringed instruments. Just awesome.
Yes, very patient, thorough, and knowledgeable about guitar specs, and every little detail. Truly a wealth of knowledge from everything I've seen so far.
Marvelous sound at the end. This ‘bird can sing!
Yeah, I thought the same! Was very surprised by that. Has a great tone.
So weird. I was just watching your repair of a hummingbird copy and this video popped into my feed. From a copy to the real deal!
Don’t save me, I want the Ethel Merman impressions!
I’ve found that my Ethel impressions to be quite a hit especially after some chemical enhancements 🤣. Nothing beats Ethel singing either Under the Bridge by the Chilis or Blow At High Dough by the Tragically Hip. A bunch of half drunk, middle aged folks nearly pissing themselves while I pick away and belt out my best Ethel never fails to amuse me.
The guy that did a neck reset on my old Martin D18 merely bent and glued the fretboard to the soundboard too, creating that same annoying fall-off. As you mention, almost impossible to play up there anyway without a cutaway, but still bugs the hell out of me. Nice to know there is a solution without actually having to do yet another full neck reset. Awesome job!
Doesn't seem to matter how hard you strum, one sound comes out of a Hummingbird. Love those old rascals.
Learn so many handy tricks and tips from this channel, nice to see some decent practical thought processes being shared.
Translating fahrenheit to celcius: thank you, much appreciated.
He can probably translate into Kelvin too!
Out of all the horrible imperial measurements, Fahrenheit is top/bottom 3
@@DenKulesteSomFins I think it's #1. No simple way to convert. Which ones do you place before it?
"An Exercise in Futility" title of my memoir. Keith's Hummingbird always sounded really aggressive and upfront. "The basic track of "Street Fighting Man" was recorded on an early Philips cassette deck at London's Olympic Sound Studios, where Richards played a Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar, and Watts played on an antique, portable practice drum kit."
Oh man, the DRYNESS of "this is a piece of holly wood.....hooray for it"; too good!
Thank you, love your videos, and the hummingbird , sounds amazing.
Gibson in the 60s did recycle some serial number batches, about four years apart, so it is possible, what with the narrow nut width and filled in screw holes of the pickguard, that this one is from 67/8, just before they reverted back to belly down bridges. Having said that, as far as I Know, they only produced a few Hummingdoves (Maple B&S) and in 62/3, supposedly because Gibson had orders waiting on Hummingbirds, but a surplus of Dove bodies.
Excellent as always Ted👌
I LOLed at holly wood, yeah for it! Love your humor.
As soon as I saw the title, I knew I was in for a treat, and that it was in great hands.
Just found your channel. Enjoy it so much!!! Cannot wait to see future videos. Thank you!!!
My first neck reset was on a '72 Harmony Sovereign during the bored time of 2020 stuck at home, it has the pickup in the end of the fingerboard. Reset came out nice other than the fretboard drop off at the body. Funny thing, when I originally did the reset I thought about making a tapered piece for under the fretboard but second guessed myself due to my lack of knowledge and that it was probably over-kill! HAHA Thanks for the lesson and the how to I guess I am going to make a go at it now.
This comment could be on any one of your videos. I have been on a binge of your stuff recently and it’s pure joy to see someone so talented patiently sharing their techniques and best advice with the world. Thank you for your efforts! It really matters.
Your delivery of the Hollywood pun killed me! I can barely type. Fuck, I'm still laughing!
Thanks again. I really enjoy your talks. Keep up the good work
I have the Epiphone version. Beautiful sound. Mine's only five years old. I bought mine because of that charming man, Adam Barrett.
Thank you for an interesting walk through on such a beautiful Gibson.
Perfect :-) I have the same problem with my Gibson Hummingbird 1977 ..... your tutorial will help to solve the problem ... thank you !!!
I steward a 2016 Hummingbird VOS
. It is arguably the finest acoustic instrument ive ever played.. kind of astonishing to be the one taking care of it for now
Love the hummingbird ! I have a 68 or 69 copy made by Conqueror (c.j.bruno) . It's been an excellent guitar, and still sounds great. I've been tempted over the years to change the adjustable insert in the bridge, but can't bring myself to do it. It's never had a neck reset ,a fret job ,or a truss rod adjustment. I'm lucky ! Pick guard fell off years ago, and got put back on. One of those timeless guitars I will keep ! Thanks Ted !
I had a 1964 Dove with the same narrow neck that I finally sold because I found it too hard to play. Thank you for the great videos.
I'm a big fan and i always look forward to your weekly videos :)
I once used a credit card as a fret rocker, in a pinch. Wouldn’t recommend if you have access to a real one. However, it did work, and with its help I leveled a fret that gave me fits for a couple years before I was comfortable to tackle it. Great video as always!
Awesome video demonstrating the true nuances of setting up the vintage Gibson Hummingbird. Cheers!
Lovely. I have a 63 SJ. Plastic bridge i think nails it as a 63. Wonderful guitars. Very fascinating. Ty
I would never be mad if you posted more often...
He can't, watch his video where he explains his workload. You clearly have not watched them all before whining for more.
@@UmVtCg I've been a subscriber for over 2 1/2 years
soon to be five years
Love these history lessons :)
My 65 Epiphone Texas FT79N has a 1 9/16" nut and I love it. I wish I could put that neck and nut on all my guitars...lol. Another awesome video.
Great job! I have a 60’s that for the longest time I thought was a ‘62 but with the research I’ve done on the web it could be a ‘66? So frustrating to date these. It belonged to my dad which he bought when I was a toddler I was born in ‘62. Mine as a very narrow nut width as well. Maybe it’s a ‘63 like this one? I’ve been hoping to have it fixed and set up by you. I’ve been watching many videos on guitar repairs , set ups etc… you are by far my favorite!!! Thank you and please keep’em coming. You are an amazing luthier and person 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Greetings from the UK, Ted. Another informative video. It would be easy to be deterred by your skill & knowledge. However your can-do approach inspires me to try my own stuff. Cheers.
It needs a fret job 58 years ago! Ya know, the one time I got my hands on a real deal original burst, the frets were *Terrible* (in a Cleveland voice). I’m perplexed by people who pay double for an instrument that’s unplayable, but 100% original.
Give me new pots and a super jumbo fret job every day of the week. I’ll also be very pleased to gut the Astron caps out of a Tweed amp before I even plug it in!
I'm not a super jumbo guy but I still have to agree about "fretless wonders." Why do they want to make it harder to play? It boggles me.
@@wingracer1614 I suppose it lets the action sit super low so chording and some basic blues playing is easier. Playing anything else must be hell though
I played and owned a hummingbird from this time that had low frets and played well. Better then any acoustic I played
Beautiful sounding instrument
Love your videos and dry sense of humor.
I used to have a Bartolini pickup on my Takamine F360S but mine was the non-destructive soundhole type. Great little pickups. Very balanced tone without being too "electric-y". Sadly both guitar and pickup were stolen decades ago. Today I make do with an oddball Epiphone PR720S with a Dimarzio soundhole pickup.
Thank you so much for your videos!
As excelent video as always. Thanks for sharing your amazing fixes.
I don’t own a guitar. I can’t play a guitar. Still, I find these videos fascinating.
Same here!
hey hi, that string separator, wood block, over the sound board, great tip, fancy tech, hahaha, take care.
I believe holly is the type of wood used for the headstock veneer before it was changed to plastic. I believe it’s cause it’s a closed grain wood that was very easy to obtain.
I played a 63 hummingbird with maple back and sides about a month ago. It was wonderful in many ways. I only had a few moments with the guitar, but I miss it dearly.
That Gibson now sounds as good as it looks
Great work. thank you for the video!
That is a beautiful sounding guitar!
This is the exact video I needed to see right now. I've got a buzz at the 12th on my Strat and it never occurred to me that 11 *could be* low instead of 12 being high. Thanks, Ted! 🙏
Sir, I LOVE your videos and tips. My question is if you could do a video discussing errors or failures you've had and what lessons were learned? Failures teach as well if not better than successes. Thank you and God Bless
Great video and information sir!
Wish you were in the US cuz I’d try to get my 60’s Hummingbird into your hands for a look.
"...the dropoff is noticable" ? 😂 I really think that's an understatement. From the looks of it that's a good 2-4mm lower than the actual fretboard height is. Ted you're a true wordsmith brother 👍
Great presentation. Thanks for posting.
Cool...intro...humour. Thanks Ted 🎶🎶🎶
Sir you are definitely a pro, nice work as always on a really neat guitar!
Beautiful job, guitar and sound
It's a beauty! The nut size is the same as the one I bought new in 1974, and its serial reads like a 62. Mine has already seen very nearly its last day out of the case. And I'd love to hear your Ethel Merman!
Really super work. And sound.
I love that guitar
That is a 63' Gibson Hummingdove......still a lovely piece.
I've seen a few fairly dull sounding ones, but there is an Australian picker called Mike McLellan who had a beauty that he bought in a hock shop in 1965. It was a stunner.
I love adjustable saddles. In addition , I own a guitar that has one and is loud and full sounding.
Please, I hope someone can help me... I'm looking for a particular video of Mr. Woodford's, where he's looking inside an old acoustic, and realises that a previous repairman missed a soundboard crack with a cleat. That's right, the cleat is glued on, NEXT to the crack! Does this ring a bell with anyone? It's one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen, but i'll be damned if i can find the video!!!
Anyway, keep up the good work, Mr. Woodford! Big fan of the channel!!!
That is a sweet tone
twoodfrd and 'Andy bass & guitar' (from Japan) are by far my favourite guitar channels
That's what they call a hummingdove.
a very nice sounding and unique guitar
Always wanted a humming bird but they cost a fortune here in singapore ended up getting a martin guitar and they sounds great brighter on the rhythm
That's a nice sounding guitar at the end. :)
Thanks for the video.
Ethel Merman!
I'm 69 and that name Seldom comes across my mind, even in relation to the Hollywood song.
If Ted had not made the reference, I would not have remembered she sang it.
However, I do remember Bugs Bunny (and Jerry Seinfeld) singing "This is It".
Always considered those adjustable saddles an abomination. Have replaced many over the years.
Just a beautiful instrument. My favorite acoustic ever. I have a 70’s Yamaha copy that I love. Not worth what the Gibson is, but it’s mine.
Never dissapoints; always something new.
I always liked narrow knecks, I think from moving from electric to acoustic for the first time, as a child. Then you get a hold of one of those classicals, and your frettin hand balance is complete!
Thanks for your work in recording video of your repairs, you've amassed a pretty good data base!
I wish for a video concerning modern USA made CF Martins and loose bindings.
Is it the plastics or is it the glue and maybe this would alert CFM that there is an issue.
Thanks again,
👣
Great job!
I was am waiting for a follow up remake to the “it’s not cocaine” … “or is it?” 🤦🏼♂️😂😂
Great work as always Ted!
some of those Gibson we're built specifically with the narrow neck to put into the hands of female players and if you were somebody and had ordered a hummingbird you could get it "sized"... A friend of mine found a custom hummingbird that was built for a young lady back in the '60s and had a very narrow neck..
I see a lot of these old Gibson guitars (acoustic and electric), and not only are the frets very very low, they look like they were never recrowned after being leveled, including the highest frets on the acoustics, which rarely get any play wear. I wonder how many intonation woes were caused by this.
TWOODFRD I know you get a bunch of questions here, but this is a real good one. I have an all original 1966 Ibanez 12 string with a trapeze tail piece, it’s basically a Gibson B45-12 clone. Should the saddle have string slots cut in? I know bridges with pins saddle slots can cause buzzing and muting of strings. Hard strumming and finger picking this guitar causes the strings to move around on the adjustable brass saddle. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thanks for this great channel!
Most 12 strings require grooves to keep the string spacing accurate. They shouldn't be too deep. Half the string diameter or less.
@@twoodfrd Thank you brother I appreciate your response! Now I got a saddle to work on!
Only cat EVER to mention that about using a fret rocker ! Listen up 👍
Awesome video
that backwards bridge really cracks me up
Yes, commercial fret files are too tall so had to grid down the sides of a fret file to get it to work on this type of fret.
The sudltys of guitar repair... one thought on that skinny nut is done with the neck reset for a small hand, a lady or child... very good fix!
Very nice.
Thumbs up for the Ethel Merman reference. 😁
Ted--"just" another one of your examples of engineering followed by execution ! (Now, by the way, I am setting up the Daviln-Ford bridge heating assembly. I watch you using it and it appears in the video that you are using some version of a multi-meter to measure heat. Am I mistaken on that? I bought 2 S-Mc kits but, darn, those need big holes !! ( I have to do a vintage Guild D40---mine) I found what appears to be a $53 dollar adjustable power source (YES, DC) on Amazon. My wire, sleeve material and SS tubes are in my cart. Ian sent me his link; I had already made some guesses and was very close, but I am not too proud to be at a degree of error. It does not seem right to ask for expert advice, and then, ignore it.
My grandpa had that 🎸 wow super cool
man.. i would love to have you you fix up my old Ventura 12 string ( lifting bridge ) ... maybe if i watch enough of these ill fine the confidence to fix it my self. thanks for the great videos.
I have a 1966 Dove with a 1-9/16 nut also.
Total novice here. Given the importance of the sound board to tonal quality, why are pick guards and glued fretboards applied? Surely these impede the the full potential sound? Probably a dumb question.
Pickguards definitely, but I'd expect above the soundhole is a bit of a deadzone vibrationwise regardless
If you have the nerve, I'd want to hear that Merman impression 😜
I’ve seen a few vintage 335’s from 1967 with the 1 9/16 nut, maybe the manufacturer just borrowed necks from the ES line for hummingbirds? Just a thought
Had a Hummingbird once. Over 50 years ago, I knew a guy in southern Cal. named Sparrow or maybe "The Sparrow" and he had a Bird. I bought a used one and thought I was so cool. Did not really like it. It had that screw raising adjustable saddle and all the screws did was to drill a hole in the top. Traded it for a Santa Cruz H model several years ago. Also, if the box was from the 60's or even 70's most of the Hummingbird art on the guard would have been polished away from a player's arm, just say'n.
Can’t imagine what a headache removing those frets would be.
Yep, it's difficult to get a grip!
As you said the Hummingbird was very popular during the 1960s, I think that they sound great when mixed with electric guitars etc. Although I’m pretty sure that many acoustic players dislike the adjustable bridges on 60s Gibson acoustic guitars I actually love their tone, but there again I am primarily an electric guitar player.
I could understand why they put dove joints in the necks when bolt on necks looks more sensible. I took the coordinator rods out of my banjo and made the rim a full inch. It made adjustment easier and didn't have to distort the rim to adjust. Doesn't Taylor use bolt on necks?
After hearing one where that awful plywood bridge plate had been replaced with Paduak (a WONDERFUL acoustic wood) I was praying you'd replace it. Kinda figured you wouldn't (I love your ethics) but could hope 😁
another thing about the fret rockers, even if the frets are perfectly flat, it can still rock because it's not parallel enough with the axis of the strings and it's rocking on the radius of the board.
I bought one of these in 1963 or so from the music store where I worked. It was never "right." There was a brace missing under the treble side of the upper bout which resulted in a sunken area in the top of the instrument. I got rid of it really quickly.