NEW NEW To learn the tune I play at the end here are the lessons; Right Handed th-cam.com/video/LCCNs5pvYRA/w-d-xo.html Left Handed th-cam.com/video/-lP_lWRSGcA/w-d-xo.html
Very professional presentation. Concise, clear, detailed information explained before, during, and after! Your voice is very calming and encouraging! Thank-You so much for your patience in doing this wonderful video. God Bless you and your family and all the viewers on your wonderful channel!
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this video.Quite cathartic for me.Thank you and a fine job.Also,the guitar sounded really nice and I enjoyed your playing.
Kudos! Aside from the Fishman setup, this work you did was what these cheap guitar factories cannot do and still keep the prices so low. The cost of human labor is a very expensive proposition, even in an Asian country where they can afford to pay people less money than they must in Western countries. That's why these guitars are perfect for someone who wants to learn how to do this kind of work, and end up with a nice playing guitar for not a lot of money.
18:44 Hello, just a small correction: the piece on the lower part of the guitar which is sanded by 4mm is called the saddle, not the bridge. Good job on modifying the guitar.
Thank you kind sir for this video. This will help me for when I buy my first guitar and be able to look deeper plus asking the correct questions. I would like to feel the connection to the instrument with my investment of time, to be able even in a small way to have it be a part of me. Thanks again
I find your video amazing my brother, after watching you reconstruct this particular acoustic!! It was very helpful for me.. one of the best videos yet!!.. thanks again! You are the best!!...
Well that's entertaiment a master class on upgrading a cheaper guitar wonderful video but i'm not sure if we are all capable of your expertise but it just goes to show at a small price the end result is worth the while Kudos to you Sir
@@guitar-academy honestly that was such a good video! I've just been looking over my guitars at the same time as watching (cheap Stagg and Crafter from Argos!) But to be fair they seem quite well made judging from your tips in the video. I actually felt like someone in a guitar shop the way I was smoothing down the frets to check if any were protruding over the edges, and feeling around the sound hole! You put some much information into what is actually quite a short video considering how much you went over there. I love the way you're patient and explain things slowly and clearly, and you're not here to sell stuff on behalf of brands. As a person, you get it! We came to this video cos we have a cheap guitar, of course we're going to look to eBay for a knock off! You're one of us :) it's not the brand, it's everything but the name! Thanks again, keep rocking! 🤘🎸
Great video. . thank you. . . I have a guitar which I bought s/h when I was 14 (44 years ago - a B&M omg . . yes) I filed the frets myself using an engineers straight edge and a small file. . . . . . (I still have the Guitar and it plays beautifully - although I never really progressed) Proficient players have played it and say it's fantastic.. . .
Tuners, nut, bridge, bridge pins and, of course, strings are also worth to consider upgradeing. Cheap, poorly cut plastic compared to bone or graph tech's Tusq material is like night and day. It both affects the tone and tuning stability of the instrument
For safety sake, use a Forstner bit to cleanly and securely cut the electronics plug hole. Those paddle bits you used are netorious for jamming, splintering and skipping out of the hole.
Alembic recommends organic lemon oil for fretboards. And dont over saturate, it can cause your frets to lift up. My friend purchased a inexpensive classical guitar, I'm going apply these techniques for setup. Thx
A+ man, i have installed about 10 of these over the years as i quite like the fishman presys dual 301's n they sound great n are cheap but have the nice copper wire sonicore under saddle pickup which is much better than some of the others that have the hard plastic under saddle pickup with the knotches for the strings, i always polish the back of the neck very lightly with 0000 steel wool to a satin not a gloss and i always use a demel to ramp the slots a little for the bridge pics like ibanez do on their artwoods and i always use d'addario EJ Phospher bronze strings but great video man, keep up the great work A+
I upgraded my Glarry acoustic. First I removed the neck and replaced it with a Martin D-45 neck. I then removed the body and replaced it with the body from another Martin D-45. Play's great now!
@@evenseb7574 yes, another good tip . . none of this was necessary on this guitar because the walls are plywood and plywood is far easier to work on than solid wood which will try and slit down the grain.
Good point . . It's near impossible to do on the fingerboard though because of the frets, and the point of using the almond oil I use is that it doesn't dry like other oils. 🙂
The neck has to be adjusted flat, with the truss rod ,before leveling the frets. I didn't see you explain that. I may have missed it. I do my own adjusting on my guitars
I cringed at your rec to use pliers etc to remove the pegs !!!! You can, but with some cover to the pegs and something under the tool on the bridge too, so no dings there. I used to carve custom rifle stocks back in the day, hence my appreciation of wood.
Please don't take offence, but that sounds a little bit OCD, it's a musical instrument after all and not an ornament. I've been doing this over 30 years and I've only ever dinged a guitar once whilst working on it and that was because I dropped a tool on it, I've done way more damage to guitars playing them, including this one. But don't change the way you do it, we are all individuals after all. 🙂
@@guitar-academy I was NOT deriding your obvious skills as a luthier, merely giving some advice to the less technically able, so they did not ruin the guitar they do have.
I have a similar wire stringer but mine has a cutter it folds like a pair of scissors and it has a thing to get the pegs out on the other end it's actually very useful and it was like $3 dollars . Anyways nice video I've been trying to turn my $80 sag acoustic into a nice guitar for years now I'm always tinkering with it recently I I sanded away about 1/8 of an inch of wood then I stained it ebony I thought taken away a good chunk of the wood would make it sound more crisp instead of that dull sound that it have but honestly I think all that time and effort was for nothing I can't really tell the difference the first thing I did was fix my action and round off my Frets . What is the difference between a $5,000 Martin and at $80 sagg is it just the way they're built on the inside or is it the type of wood I'm sure with enough research I could figure this out and I probably should have did that before I started sanding the s*** out of my guitar. My buddy has always had Taylor's and Martin's and I've always had piece of s*** pawn shop guitars and it amazes me how much better his guitar sound like where the hell are you getting the sound from I know how to make my guitar play better but I don't know how to make it sound better, I think it might have something to do with the way the wood is braced on the inside sort of like when you build a sub for a speaker if you build them the right way or buy more expensive ones then you get more bass out of them because they're built with math and perfect measurements and all that stuff not just slapped together four corners and put glue on it " made in China"
Cool, that sounds like a useful tool. I agree with everything you say, but the cheap guitars are improving so they can be made to sound at least reasonably good. I few years ago they were all nasty laminate, but these days you can get a cheap guitar that is solid wood and the maths and measurements are exact copies of the expensive guitars. Admittedly they will never sound like a really good guitar, but they're OK for people who just don't have the money to spend on an expensive guitar. Another thing I think is important is the amount you can learn from a project like the one you did. Even if the guitar doesn't get any better, your knowledge of guitars does . . 😊😃
This video is a summary because all the jobs in detail would take hours and you would die of boredom . . The links to the detailed videos are in the description, you need 2 videos . . how to set up a guitar - th-cam.com/video/UgsN_HOjV2c/w-d-xo.html how to cure buzz - th-cam.com/video/8BSmoehj7sQ/w-d-xo.html
Hi! What brand is your fret edge / bevel tool? I can't quite see the logo on the side. There seems to be a lot of cheap chinese versions of this bevel tool
@@guitar-academy ok, no worries! I bought one from Chris Alsop (UK) www.chrisalsopguitar.co.uk/shop/guitar-tools/fret-bevel-file/dual-angle-fret-bevel-file-TF014
What brand is the fret edge file you have? Any tips on where to get one like it? (Besides Stew-Mac, where the prices are astronomical for everything...and the similar one they have is still different than yours.)
when I first put the strings on I was worried I'd taken too much off, but I got it right. The action on the bottom 'E' string (thick one) is very good and no buzzes. I can still angle the bridge slightly to lower the top 'E' string slightly, but I will do this in a future video when I put a better bridge on, the one on now is not very good because it has hollows in it.
even more expensive guitar have an action problem, i have a epiphone aj40tlc 1998 125th anniversary edition with way to high action ... i just took a file and used that on the bridge ... action is much better, no hums and it finally made the guitar playable ... but it is not the best most professional solution i am sure
@@bartholomeusclever Many people think that high action is a fault on a guitar but that's not true. Some very good professional guitarists like the action very high and some expensive signature editions copy this. If your solution has turned an unplayable guitar into a playable one, who cares if it isn't the most professional solution . . . 😊
Dressing the frets is essential to do before adjusting the action and adjusting the action, especially on a cheap guitar and having correct action makes a huge difference to the way a guitar plays.
For a nylon strung guitar make sure the pickup is long enough because the saddle on a nylon strung guitar is longer. These days they usually make the pickup longer anyway so it shouldn't be a problem. 😊
@@guitar-academy yes, its quite long and it produces sound too! I just hesitate as of the cheap design and the low budged micro. The original was only seen in some OEM guitars and is not available as a single unit. Have to replace a B-Band system, which is known for its failures after a certain time. (material issues of the pickup). So I have to expand the hole and if the sound is ok, I will buy another one for my steel string that also has a B- Band. What do you think of the sound, especially from the microphone? It must not be automatically bad just because its cheap...
How do I know if my actions on my guitar needs to be changed. I just started learning on a ovation acoustic guitar I already changed the strings to some elixirs but I am wondering if I should get the action changed the frets do need to be polished.
honestly if you have just started learning . . concentrate on learning how to play the guitar first. When you can play beyond the guitar you can worry about improving it . . 🙂
@@guitar-academy 9 months later I am writing my own songs lol I have played in front of people and right now I am working singing and playing at the same time
T-cut takes a very thin layer off the top of the finish, so if you have a gloss finish with fine scratches, it'll sort that out and also if you have (as I did) a mat finish neck that you want to be glossy is will sort that. BEWARE though, it takes a lot of rubbing to get the finish, and don't use it on a guitar where the lacquer is thin it might remove it completely. 🙂
When I was younger I used to talk about needing better gear and a more expensive guitar to sound good... then a man came to my house, picked up my guitar and made it sing... I was immediately confronted by my friends about the idea that I needed better equipment after hearing him use mine.. valuable lesson learned that day and quite an inspiration to play better with what I have. You have inspired many with your playing with the instrument you were using. Thank you.
When I was younger I had an inexpensive acoustic guitar. I got pretty good at playing it. Then I noticed the string action grew fairly large, over a 1/4 inch. I couldn't play it anymore so I put it in the case. It did not have a truss rod and I couldn't figure out how to fix it so I gave it away....
This was a few years before the Internet. Today, because of the Net, I know exactly how to fix it. In fact, you can fix string action without even working on it. All I had to do was put it in a relative's house in a dry climate, under 35% humidity, and pack it with 5 - 300g desiccant packets.
@@Cypherdude1 or maybe even just lighter gauge strings would've helped. I remember buying a new guitar when I was 16, because it couldn't stay in tune and sounded bad. I didn't have a teacher or anyone to tell me that maybe I should put on new strings. I really thought once a year was plenty enough haha
Not sure why but I always find English folks to be so proper in their speech and mannerisms compared to the average American. Much more thorough in their explanations of how things work.
Huge respect for your skill brother! Anyone who can make a Gleary, or any other $60 U.S. acoustic sound like that, Fishman or not, is amazing in my paradigm!! Sounds great! Jack ~'()'~ Canada
I'm a luthier in the UK, and agree with everything you did on here, although I would have gone further to improve the tone from the instrument by putting in a compensated bone saddle and compensated bone nut, which are reasonably cheap to source, and if fitted correctly will bring the mid and bass frequencies more in line with the treble register sounds. Great video mate, and a great instructional aid to those who wish to do it themselves. Quo @ Quo Guitars
my thoughts exactly I bought a cheap ibanez with a broken neck at a charity store. after i re glued the neck it sounded ok. bought a cheap bone nut and saddle intonated it set the string height fret level and importantly put some elyxir strings on it, and it was suddenly twice the guitar, still my main player. I liked it so much I sold my good acoustic for 1500 because I liked my 15 dollar Ibanez better.
@@JM-bg2ts That's great . . there is a sense of satisfaction to making a guitar nice to play as well . . 😀 Everyone seems to miss that this was a series of videos and I actually put a bone nut and saddle on it . . th-cam.com/video/N9dvUg90T6M/w-d-xo.html . . . enjoy
Masterfully done! Lots of great tips, I certainly wasn't aware of. Ty for posting Surprised one of the things wasn't switch out the tuners. They usually don't hold tune well on cheaper guitars, and of course dressing the end of the frets which was done here.
Thank you very much . . glad it was helpful! I very rarely find tuners these days that don't hold the guitar is tune, but I'm sure there out there still.
Subscribed, I have an older guitar that my son got from a friend who plays music for our church and was willing to teach him. My son has moved on to electric guitar and I've have taken this acoustic to get back into playing, it's been a while. Your video was top notch and had given me ideas to get the guitar back into playing shape. I'm looking forward to viewing your other videos for tips and lessons. Well done sir, thank you.
How do you make an expensive guitar sound like an expensive guitar? I have a gibson hummingbird that sounds like crap! My 100 dollar pawn shop fender sounds better than my 5,000 dollar gibson
A few months back, I purchased a Glarry guitar to keep upstairs in my house. Secondly, it will give me the opportunity to work on the guitar without jeopardizing my expensive instrument. I leveled the frets and replaced bridge and pegs and now I am waiting for the delivery of an electronic pickup system. I am expecting the delivery here in a few days. Low and behold I found this video and It couldn't come at a better time. This project should keep me busy during our "Corona Virus Pause". Thanks for the helpful instruction. It was done very well.
Does the _brand_ of almond oil matter? What brand was that? I'm in the US, so I _may_ not be able to find it. Also, what was the oscilloscope you were using to look at the "note" waveforms? Is it specially made for "music work"?
The brand doesn't matter at all, but I've noticed that in the US more people go with Lemon oil, I don't know if it's because it's easier to get. The oscilloscope is none specific.
You learn to play the tune at the end of this video in the fingerstyle course. It's called the troubled heard by Sad Fantasy th-cam.com/play/PLIQJcXCYbgO2q9hDUBT0E5z1JZDk3bowI.html
I didn't need to watch this but god was it so relaxing and interesting. As a new (basement XD )classical guitar player I didn't know that's how the preamp worked. Thank you, man.
First of all thank you for sharing your knowledge, I began my journey down this rabbit hole with only a basic understanding and very little musical talent. Each improvement gives satisfaction and confidence, my first was a fender that was left to me by my uncle, years of use and abuse had left it almost unplayable, especially for a beginner. Adjusting the action was a learning experience for me. Started with the saddle and found that there was more to it than just lowering, especially when the neck had came up due to a compromised body, that also had a swollen belly🤦♂️😂. I decided that i was seeing this one through. Growing up in a wood workshop as well as a machine shop helped with my confident ambition. A little ingenuity,patience, steam and glue later, I had it satisfying to play and sounding decent. Decided to keep going and pulled the back off, reworked and “tap tuned” on the back and bracing as well as the front… involving much more research than actual work. Sorry for the ramble, but this was such a learning experience and had such a feeling of satisfaction when done! I would have never imagined it would have sounded as good as it did when completed. Next i found a cheap made by Gibson acoustic and did the same…it is addictive! Just felt the need to share, maybe it will give someone else the encouragement to make a go at it for themselves.
Does a guitar that's like a relatively light trip for groceries actually exist?...holy wow I would buy that any day and put some effort into learning, the more time it takes to make it right would only make it more satisfying
Guitars have gotten a lot cheaper these days, thanks being manufactured in developing countries with their cheap labor, and also due to technology. It's especially easier to build electric guitars now, with CNC machines carving the bodies within a fraction of a time it would take to do it with hand, and much more accurately.
" Great find this video.!" You are very Natural and Thorough; which is a great example to self training Luthiers . Your tone of voice is very calming and your direction of works reminds me of a Surgeon keeping the team calm in critical operations. Your a TH-cam Dimond. Thank you for you Engaging Work.....
I have thrown so many lower class fender acoustic guitars in my closets just because they did not have that crisp sound now I have my work cut out for me thanks to you!! ... again I can't thank you enough ✌️
@@williambrown6721 Each improvement gives satisfaction and confidence, my first was a fender that was left to me by my uncle, years of use and abuse had left it almost unplayable, especially for a beginner. Adjusting the action was a learning experience for me. Started with the saddle and found that there was more to it than just lowering, especially when the neck had came up due to a compromised body, that also had a swollen belly🤦♂️😂. I decided that i was seeing this one through. Growing up in a wood workshop as well as a machine shop helped with my confident ambition. A little ingenuity,patience, steam and glue later, I had it satisfying to play and sounding decent. Decided to keep going and pulled the back off, reworked and “tap tuned” on the back and bracing as well as the front… involving much more research than actual work. Sorry for the ramble, but this was such a learning experience and had such a feeling of satisfaction when done! I would have never imagined it would have sounded as good as it did when completed. Next i found a cheap made by Gibson acoustic and did the same…it is addictive!
Yes we don't use dollars in the UK he's English so he's using the currency of his country usually a pound is on average worth about $1.50 in case of any confusion.
How did you separate the preamp from the mounting plate without breaking it or the hinge pins? It's okay found your other video on the full installation. Thanks
The only thing to remember which is double important, is making sure those iron filings and saw dust are thoroughly removed from inside the instrument, as the magnetic pick up will become clogged over time. Always cover the sound hole during work, especially doing fret work.
This is a great suggestion if you have magnetic pickups. However, the transducer pick up strip I don't believe is magnetic? I would vacuum and wipe clean all dust weather it'd be iron filings or wood.
Another mod you could do is check the bracing on the inside and help improve any defects there. You could also reinforce the bridge in case they didnt or the tail in case it isnt reinforced. I think Id have done a full refret if I was going to do so much work anyway on them and use better wire than they used. Anyway cool video and very thorough on the fishman install.
I have the same guitar I recently bought from TEMU except its flat black . I got a digital EQ preamp and some locking tuners for it....the tune pegs that come on it are pretty bad...
@@guitar-academy Thank you for responding back to me and yes, I am grateful for your forwarding the link so I may learn to play it. PS. I just noticed my horrendous grammar I'm my initial comment. Thanks again, FH.
I picked one up, and she removed all strings, except a tiny G-string. No strings attached, she said. I'm used to a P-bass on my lap, but 400 pounds? How much Stones is that, again?
For me, playability and tonal substance are the key criteria for the guitars I like to play and own. By that I mean it’s not about the price but the potential a particular instrument possesses. A well designed and made guitar may sound great, even using lower spec materials. At a given price point there are compromises, but the most important part is to play the instrument and hear and feel how it resonates. Sure, new strings, fret finishing and a good set up are important too. I’ve bought some pretty low cost guitars as well as much more expensive too. But each one has something to say and has a beating heart in the sound it generates. The enjoyment of improving guitars is a passion. Thanks a lot for this inspiring video.
I'm going to pick up one of those guitars for my granddaughter! She'll be 10 years old that's my youngest one and she wants to play guitar hi Grandpa LOL but that looks like it'll be a good starter.
That's just the sound of the Fishman at the end? ...Just the line out? How are you getting that tone? I expect a totally different sound from an under the saddle Piezo.... Like just the Piezo quack.... Oh... That one has a mic, doesn't it? Your mostly using the mic? What are you running it into? An acoustic amp? It doesn't sound dry....
I set everything dead centre to give the best generalization of the sound so it's 50% mic and 50% piezo. The sound was straight into a mixing desk, but I forgot the reverb in the desk was on. 🤔
If you put a capo on the neck you can loosen and remove the strings from the pegs without ruining the strings. When you are through adjusting the bridge simply put the strings back in the holes, replace the pegs and tune it.
Quite interesting I have an old flat top that was virtually untuneable or was it like meant to have plastic strings like a spanish/clasical guitar Im wondering and I dont think it has a truss rod to adjust the neck it was a christmas present my first ever guitar Kingston was the brand And I have a smashed yamaha acccoustic that I basicallty bondowed probably not the best idea but it works and sounds alot better as well so I did do something right and its playable. Im not a perfectionist I picked it up driving truck for like 15 dollars. Not sure what the original price was I spose I could look it up Ive heard bad things about pickups for accoustic guitars. I think I had one for an old twelve string I think. But this is interesting as in one mans garbage can be another mans gold. If you have the right tools and equipment
@7:50 By far the best pin removal. Grab the leftover tag end with pliers. "Push" the string back _towards_ and "through" the pin, wiggling and bending while pushing. Also pull and push a little. Try to wiggle the pin with other hand. This method "uloads" the stress of the ball wedged against the pin. Works every time unless somebody glued them in. Never have a toolmark on your pins again. This has got to be one of the best tricks ever taught to me long ago.
NEW NEW To learn the tune I play at the end here are the lessons;
Right Handed th-cam.com/video/LCCNs5pvYRA/w-d-xo.html
Left Handed th-cam.com/video/-lP_lWRSGcA/w-d-xo.html
😂😂😂
Excellent job! Very well presented! Thank you!
@@israelrivera835 Thank you very much 😊
@Maximo Duke 😊
@@silkysmoof5697 thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it 😃😃
Very professional presentation. Concise, clear, detailed information explained before, during, and after! Your voice is very calming and encouraging! Thank-You so much for your patience in doing this wonderful video. God Bless you and your family and all the viewers on your wonderful channel!
Wow . . thank you very much . . . 😀
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this video.Quite cathartic for me.Thank you and a fine job.Also,the guitar sounded really nice and I enjoyed your playing.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you very much . . 🙂
Kudos!
Aside from the Fishman setup, this work you did was what these cheap guitar factories cannot do and still keep the prices so low. The cost of human labor is a very expensive proposition, even in an Asian country where they can afford to pay people less money than they must in Western countries.
That's why these guitars are perfect for someone who wants to learn how to do this kind of work, and end up with a nice playing guitar for not a lot of money.
Thank you . . Yes, these days even many of the expensive guitars seem to be lacking on that final work . .
18:44 Hello, just a small correction: the piece on the lower part of the guitar which is sanded by 4mm is called the saddle, not the bridge. Good job on modifying the guitar.
Yes, this video was done when I was still in the habit of talking violin 🤔
Such of knowledgeable musician you are, generously sharing those technically stuff too, love your lessons.
I appreciate that! thank you 😀
Thank you kind sir for this video. This will help me for when I buy my first guitar and be able to look deeper plus asking the correct questions. I would like to feel the connection to the instrument with my investment of time, to be able even in a small way to have it be a part of me. Thanks again
No problem! thank you 😊
I would like to have heard the guitar before all of your work. The after is a very nice sounding instrument.
Yes, I wish I'd done that, but it was too late. You can here it if you listen to the original review of the guitar. The link is in the description. 😀
@@guitar-academy or you can buy the same exact guitar (if possible) but that is another story.
I find your video amazing my brother, after watching you reconstruct this particular acoustic!! It was very helpful for me.. one of the best videos yet!!.. thanks again! You are the best!!...
Thank you very much . . that's really nice of you to say 😊😀
I can make a 400£ guitar sound like a 1£ guitar.
LOL . . well done you . . I think 😀
Omg me too
Wish I could.
👍
That’s quite impressive man 😂
Well that's entertaiment a master class on upgrading a cheaper guitar wonderful video but i'm not sure if we are all capable of your expertise but it just goes to show at a small price the end result is worth the while Kudos to you Sir
Thank you very much . . I guess that's how I see car building programs on Discovery TV, entertaining to watch but I could never do one . . 🙂🙂
This is like watching a David Attenborough video, but for guitar players!
Agreed!!!!
Wow, thanks! . . . 😀
@@guitar-academy honestly that was such a good video! I've just been looking over my guitars at the same time as watching (cheap Stagg and Crafter from Argos!) But to be fair they seem quite well made judging from your tips in the video. I actually felt like someone in a guitar shop the way I was smoothing down the frets to check if any were protruding over the edges, and feeling around the sound hole! You put some much information into what is actually quite a short video considering how much you went over there. I love the way you're patient and explain things slowly and clearly, and you're not here to sell stuff on behalf of brands. As a person, you get it! We came to this video cos we have a cheap guitar, of course we're going to look to eBay for a knock off! You're one of us :) it's not the brand, it's everything but the name! Thanks again, keep rocking! 🤘🎸
@@guitar-academy Watching the video on bone saddle/nut replacement.
@@DavidAndrewsPEC that's the first thing I went to eBay!
Great video. . thank you. . .
I have a guitar which I bought s/h when I was 14 (44 years ago - a B&M omg . . yes) I filed the frets myself using an engineers straight edge and a small file. . . . . . (I still have the Guitar and it plays beautifully - although I never really progressed) Proficient players have played it and say it's fantastic.. . .
There's nothing better than a properly aged instrument . . especially a nice one . . 😊😊
Tuners, nut, bridge, bridge pins and, of course, strings are also worth to consider upgradeing. Cheap, poorly cut plastic compared to bone or graph tech's Tusq material is like night and day. It both affects the tone and tuning stability of the instrument
It's already been done . . . th-cam.com/video/N9dvUg90T6M/w-d-xo.html
Awesome Tut! Thanks a Ton. Will have to get started on my guitar now.
thank you . . . enjoy 😊
For safety sake, use a Forstner bit to cleanly and securely cut the electronics plug hole. Those paddle bits you used are netorious for jamming, splintering and skipping out of the hole.
Thanks for the tip . . 🙂🙂
Alembic recommends organic lemon oil for fretboards. And dont over saturate, it can cause your frets to lift up. My friend purchased a inexpensive classical guitar, I'm going apply these techniques for setup. Thx
Great tip! and as bad as the frets lifting, if you over saturate the neck you can cause the glue to degrade . . 😮
That was great. Thanks on ya. I'd only have wished to hear the difference between how shyte it was in the beginning to how clean it sounded after.
Great point! you can here the pre upgrade guitar here th-cam.com/video/7AH52fXpljQ/w-d-xo.html
Very fine 👍 luv the tune ( The Troubled Heart?) at the end ,very sweet!!!
Thank you very much 😊😀
A+ man, i have installed about 10 of these over the years as i quite like the fishman presys dual 301's n they sound great n are cheap but have the nice copper wire sonicore under saddle pickup which is much better than some of the others that have the hard plastic under saddle pickup with the knotches for the strings, i always polish the back of the neck very lightly with 0000 steel wool to a satin not a gloss and i always use a demel to ramp the slots a little for the bridge pics like ibanez do on their artwoods and i always use d'addario EJ Phospher bronze strings but great video man, keep up the great work A+
Thank you very much . . it sounds like you've perfected the sound and feel you like 😊😀
@@guitar-academykeep up the great work hey
Thank you, I will 😊😊@@gregrayner3146
Excellent and detailed job, good to witness such care and expertise.
thank you very much 😊😊
I upgraded my Glarry acoustic. First I removed the neck and replaced it with a Martin D-45 neck. I then removed the body and replaced it with the body from another Martin D-45. Play's great now!
Thanks. One thing is please make sure that the hole cut has rounded corners or else it could split over time.
great tip . . . thank you 🙂
Better start with a drill in the corners?
@@evenseb7574 yes, another good tip . .
none of this was necessary on this guitar because the walls are plywood and plywood is far easier to work on than solid wood which will try and slit down the grain.
FANTASTIC VIDEO...WELL DONE SIR
Thank you . . 🙂🙂
Also- work with the grain not against it you can see where oil is not getting info the fret board properly.
Good point . . It's near impossible to do on the fingerboard though because of the frets, and the point of using the almond oil I use is that it doesn't dry like other oils. 🙂
Excellent job and very informative - the guitar sounds great x
Thank you kindly! 😊😊
so to make a 40 pound guitar sound like a 400 pound one, just by a 360 pound diamond fret beveler.
Just kidding, great video!
You're right though . . guitar tools are ridiculously expensive. This guitar is around £50, a set of 6 nut files is around £100 . .
I never knew frets had feelings!
😂
The neck has to be adjusted flat, with the truss rod ,before leveling the frets. I didn't see you explain that. I may have missed it. I do my own adjusting on my guitars
This is part of a playlist - th-cam.com/video/xbKyNBYBveM/w-d-xo.html
I cringed at your rec to use pliers etc to remove the pegs !!!! You can, but with some cover to the pegs and something under the tool on the bridge too, so no dings there. I used to carve custom rifle stocks back in the day, hence my appreciation of wood.
Please don't take offence, but that sounds a little bit OCD, it's a musical instrument after all and not an ornament. I've been doing this over 30 years and I've only ever dinged a guitar once whilst working on it and that was because I dropped a tool on it, I've done way more damage to guitars playing them, including this one. But don't change the way you do it, we are all individuals after all. 🙂
@@guitar-academy Thats just insulting fella
@@BillyNoon Sorry . . I tried to be as polite as possible . . i didn't mean to offend.
@@guitar-academy I was NOT deriding your obvious skills as a luthier, merely giving some advice to the less technically able, so they did not ruin the guitar they do have.
@@BillyNoon fair enough
Sounds like the best Roadie on earth Del Preston .......Ozzy wouldn't go on stage till he got a Brandy glass full of bron M+M s !! ;-)
I had a dream where Jim Morrison came to me and told me to make TH-cam videos . . 🤣😂🤣 ( I hope you get that one)
@@guitar-academy ha ha If you make TH-cam video they will Come ......Didn't you think seeing the Indians butt crack was a tad unnecessary ??? ;-))
Thank you and that sounds beautiful.
Thank you very much . . 😀😀
I have a similar wire stringer but mine has a cutter it folds like a pair of scissors and it has a thing to get the pegs out on the other end it's actually very useful and it was like $3 dollars . Anyways nice video I've been trying to turn my $80 sag acoustic into a nice guitar for years now I'm always tinkering with it recently I I sanded away about 1/8 of an inch of wood then I stained it ebony I thought taken away a good chunk of the wood would make it sound more crisp instead of that dull sound that it have but honestly I think all that time and effort was for nothing I can't really tell the difference the first thing I did was fix my action and round off my Frets . What is the difference between a $5,000 Martin and at $80 sagg is it just the way they're built on the inside or is it the type of wood I'm sure with enough research I could figure this out and I probably should have did that before I started sanding the s*** out of my guitar. My buddy has always had Taylor's and Martin's and I've always had piece of s*** pawn shop guitars and it amazes me how much better his guitar sound like where the hell are you getting the sound from I know how to make my guitar play better but I don't know how to make it sound better, I think it might have something to do with the way the wood is braced on the inside sort of like when you build a sub for a speaker if you build them the right way or buy more expensive ones then you get more bass out of them because they're built with math and perfect measurements and all that stuff not just slapped together four corners and put glue on it " made in China"
Cool, that sounds like a useful tool. I agree with everything you say, but the cheap guitars are improving so they can be made to sound at least reasonably good. I few years ago they were all nasty laminate, but these days you can get a cheap guitar that is solid wood and the maths and measurements are exact copies of the expensive guitars. Admittedly they will never sound like a really good guitar, but they're OK for people who just don't have the money to spend on an expensive guitar. Another thing I think is important is the amount you can learn from a project like the one you did. Even if the guitar doesn't get any better, your knowledge of guitars does . . 😊😃
The masters touch🎼🎶😎
😊 thanks . .
Pins can be removed by a fork from the kitchen, right?
You can remove them with whatever you want it doesn't matter, it's your guitar . .
I enjoyed the video, but you never mentioned checking how level or flat the neck was, nor the truss rod. How come?
This video is a summary because all the jobs in detail would take hours and you would die of boredom . .
The links to the detailed videos are in the description, you need 2 videos . .
how to set up a guitar - th-cam.com/video/UgsN_HOjV2c/w-d-xo.html
how to cure buzz - th-cam.com/video/8BSmoehj7sQ/w-d-xo.html
Excellent tutorial, thank you. Subscribed !!
Thank you for the sub! 🙂🙂
outstanding!!!
Thank you . . 🙂
Any guitar is good if it’s set up right and don’t buzz
Yes . . I agree with you 😊😀
Quality video
thank you . . 🙂
Very nicely done!!
Thank you! Cheers! 😀
Hi! What brand is your fret edge / bevel tool? I can't quite see the logo on the side. There seems to be a lot of cheap chinese versions of this bevel tool
It's so badly warn I can't see it here. I've had it for years and I can't remember . . sorry
@@guitar-academy ok, no worries! I bought one from Chris Alsop (UK) www.chrisalsopguitar.co.uk/shop/guitar-tools/fret-bevel-file/dual-angle-fret-bevel-file-TF014
Well most expensive guitars I see in my shop, doesn’t play like an expensive guitar....
I think most expensive guitars are very over rated . . 😀
@@guitar-academy Even Taylor or Martins?
Great video, Thanks. Could this pickup be used for a classical guitar?
Yes, I intend to make that a future project because it looks like it would go in nicely. 😀
@@guitar-academy Great, Thanks a lot!
What brand is the fret edge file you have? Any tips on where to get one like it? (Besides Stew-Mac, where the prices are astronomical for everything...and the similar one they have is still different than yours.)
Actually I figured it out when I saw your fret rocker - and found it on Fleabay!
Yeah . . that's where I found it. I have never found anything at a sensible price on Stew-Mac . .
Nice
Thanks 👍
very nice, how is the action at the 12th fret now?
when I first put the strings on I was worried I'd taken too much off, but I got it right. The action on the bottom 'E' string (thick one) is very good and no buzzes. I can still angle the bridge slightly to lower the top 'E' string slightly, but I will do this in a future video when I put a better bridge on, the one on now is not very good because it has hollows in it.
even more expensive guitar have an action problem, i have a epiphone aj40tlc 1998 125th anniversary edition with way to high action ... i just took a file and used that on the bridge ... action is much better, no hums and it finally made the guitar playable ... but it is not the best most professional solution i am sure
@@bartholomeusclever Many people think that high action is a fault on a guitar but that's not true. Some very good professional guitarists like the action very high and some expensive signature editions copy this. If your solution has turned an unplayable guitar into a playable one, who cares if it isn't the most professional solution . . . 😊
thanks
Love it, I'll bet you have almond oil on your cornflakes :) Seriously such a helpful video, thank you!
Yes I do, and I use it as a beauty treatment (which would explain a lot) . . LOL. 🤣 Thanks 🙂
Great vid man! 🤘 I’ve always used lemon oil on ebony boards
Dressing the frets won't change how it plays or sound's. Adjusting the action probably won't make sufficient difference to the sound either.
Dressing the frets is essential to do before adjusting the action and adjusting the action, especially on a cheap guitar and having correct action makes a huge difference to the way a guitar plays.
This pickup is so cheap because its a Chinese fake. I bought one, but haven't installed it yet. I hope it will do ok inside a nylon string
For a nylon strung guitar make sure the pickup is long enough because the saddle on a nylon strung guitar is longer. These days they usually make the pickup longer anyway so it shouldn't be a problem. 😊
@@guitar-academy yes, its quite long and it produces sound too! I just hesitate as of the cheap design and the low budged micro.
The original was only seen in some OEM guitars and is not available as a single unit.
Have to replace a B-Band system, which is known for its failures after a certain time. (material issues of the pickup).
So I have to expand the hole and if the sound is ok, I will buy another one for my steel string that also has a B- Band.
What do you think of the sound, especially from the microphone?
It must not be automatically bad just because its cheap...
@@tobiaslieblein2686 Ah, I understand your reluctance. . . 😊😊
You remind me of Ivor Cutler!!! Nice!
My playing has improved significantly since I had the covid vaccine. I think it’s because I now have 6 fingers on each hand.😂
😂🤣😂
I feel like a 400 lb guitar would be difficult to play.
👍
How do I know if my actions on my guitar needs to be changed. I just started learning on a ovation acoustic guitar I already changed the strings to some elixirs but I am wondering if I should get the action changed the frets do need to be polished.
honestly if you have just started learning . . concentrate on learning how to play the guitar first. When you can play beyond the guitar you can worry about improving it . . 🙂
@@guitar-academy yeah absolutely! I can play a few country songs that utilize the 4 basic chords G C D Em. My strumming needs alot of work.
@@benjaminhurley1823 It sounds like your doing well . . keep it up you might be the next big name in music . . 🙂
@@guitar-academy 9 months later I am writing my own songs lol I have played in front of people and right now I am working singing and playing at the same time
Amazing
Thank you! Cheers! 😀
Hey, I am from India and where can i buy original fishman blend????
Hello, did you have to do anything to the truss rod relief?
surprisingly, no I didn't. But I I've made a video of how to do it if you want it th-cam.com/video/UgsN_HOjV2c/w-d-xo.html
Bit late to this, would you recommend t cut for removing a finish?
T-cut takes a very thin layer off the top of the finish, so if you have a gloss finish with fine scratches, it'll sort that out and also if you have (as I did) a mat finish neck that you want to be glossy is will sort that. BEWARE though, it takes a lot of rubbing to get the finish, and don't use it on a guitar where the lacquer is thin it might remove it completely. 🙂
@@guitar-academy lovely, thanks for the advice
When I was younger I used to talk about needing better gear and a more expensive guitar to sound good... then a man came to my house, picked up my guitar and made it sing... I was immediately confronted by my friends about the idea that I needed better equipment after hearing him use mine.. valuable lesson learned that day and quite an inspiration to play better with what I have. You have inspired many with your playing with the instrument you were using. Thank you.
A good life lesson there . . unfortunately the guitar world is full of snobs . . 🙂
When I was younger I had an inexpensive acoustic guitar. I got pretty good at playing it. Then I noticed the string action grew fairly large, over a 1/4 inch. I couldn't play it anymore so I put it in the case. It did not have a truss rod and I couldn't figure out how to fix it so I gave it away....
This was a few years before the Internet. Today, because of the Net, I know exactly how to fix it. In fact, you can fix string action without even working on it. All I had to do was put it in a relative's house in a dry climate, under 35% humidity, and pack it with 5 - 300g desiccant packets.
@@Cypherdude1 or maybe even just lighter gauge strings would've helped.
I remember buying a new guitar when I was 16, because it couldn't stay in tune and sounded bad.
I didn't have a teacher or anyone to tell me that maybe I should put on new strings.
I really thought once a year was plenty enough haha
You are the kindest teacher in world. such nicely warm spoken voice and no trying to be the funniest guy. LOVE IT.
That's because I'm not funny . . LOL . . Thank you so much, it's really encouraging to get really nice comments like yours . . 😀😀
Totally agreed, he talk nicely and politely kindness teacher on u tube so far I've been watching over.
@@willielee2083 I would not still be making videos if it wasn't for people like you Willie and Rob. Thank you so much . .
Not sure why but I always find English folks to be so proper in their speech and mannerisms compared to the average American. Much more thorough in their explanations of how things work.
I told my wife to make sure her bottom is flat and she gave me a neck adjustment.
😀
She needs to keep abreast of improvement.
i told your wife that also
I always fiddle with the wife's G-String !!
Girls with flat bottoms are hot
Huge respect for your skill brother! Anyone who can make a Gleary, or any other $60 U.S. acoustic sound like that, Fishman or not, is amazing in my paradigm!!
Sounds great!
Jack ~'()'~
Canada
Thank you very much . . 🙂
I'm a luthier in the UK, and agree with everything you did on here, although I would have gone further to improve the tone from the instrument by putting in a compensated bone saddle and compensated bone nut, which are reasonably cheap to source, and if fitted correctly will bring the mid and bass frequencies more in line with the treble register sounds. Great video mate, and a great instructional aid to those who wish to do it themselves. Quo @ Quo Guitars
Thank you . . . and great observation . . 😀
my thoughts exactly I bought a cheap ibanez with a broken neck at a charity store. after i re glued the neck it sounded ok. bought a cheap bone nut and saddle intonated it set the string height fret level and importantly put some elyxir strings on it, and it was suddenly twice the guitar, still my main player. I liked it so much I sold my good acoustic for 1500 because I liked my 15 dollar Ibanez better.
@@JM-bg2ts That's great . . there is a sense of satisfaction to making a guitar nice to play as well . . 😀
Everyone seems to miss that this was a series of videos and I actually put a bone nut and saddle on it . . th-cam.com/video/N9dvUg90T6M/w-d-xo.html . . . enjoy
Is that human bone? From a dead musician? Do poor musicians sell their bones?!
@@voornaam3191 from sudents who don't practice . . mwa haa haa haaaa 😲
Nice video. The problem I've always had with inexpensive acoustics are those which don't intonate correctly. Not a breezy fix.
Very true . . if the intonation is out it isn't even worth starting these modification . . . 🙂🙂
Intonation becomes a problem at the higher registry..for most players, they dont play beyond the 10th fret
@@parrotbrand2782 Chet said he never made any money past the fifth fret
Masterfully done! Lots of great tips, I certainly wasn't aware of. Ty for posting Surprised one of the things wasn't switch out the tuners. They usually don't hold tune well on cheaper guitars, and of course dressing the end of the frets which was done here.
Thank you very much . . glad it was helpful! I very rarely find tuners these days that don't hold the guitar is tune, but I'm sure there out there still.
Subscribed, I have an older guitar that my son got from a friend who plays music for our church and was willing to teach him. My son has moved on to electric guitar and I've have taken this acoustic to get back into playing, it's been a while. Your video was top notch and had given me ideas to get the guitar back into playing shape. I'm looking forward to viewing your other videos for tips and lessons. Well done sir, thank you.
That's great thank you very much . . 🙂🙂
How do you make an expensive guitar sound like an expensive guitar? I have a gibson hummingbird that sounds like crap! My 100 dollar pawn shop fender sounds better than my 5,000 dollar gibson
I hear that kind of thing a lot. . . 🙂🙂
A few months back, I purchased a Glarry guitar to keep upstairs in my house. Secondly, it will give me the opportunity to work on the guitar without jeopardizing my expensive instrument. I leveled the frets and replaced bridge and pegs and now I am waiting for the delivery of an electronic pickup system. I am expecting the delivery here in a few days. Low and behold I found this video and It couldn't come at a better time. This project should keep me busy during our "Corona Virus Pause". Thanks for the helpful instruction. It was done very well.
Thank you very much . . and every success with your installation . . 😀
Does the _brand_ of almond oil matter? What brand was that? I'm in the US, so I _may_ not be able to find it.
Also, what was the oscilloscope you were using to look at the "note" waveforms? Is it specially made for "music work"?
The brand doesn't matter at all, but I've noticed that in the US more people go with Lemon oil, I don't know if it's because it's easier to get. The oscilloscope is none specific.
The guitar looks and sounds great but of course it's in the hands of a master guitarist.
Thank you very much . . . 😀
A 40 lb guitar is pretty heavy, I can’t imagine playing a 400 lb guitar.
It would be . . 🤔
Not original but it’s still pretty funny
nice dad joke
Iol
Yeh. I wouldn't bother trying to get a job as a comedian, first thing about a comedian is, you have to be funny.
PLEASE MAKE A TUTORIAL ON HOW TO ADJUST GUITAR ACTION PROPERLY
I am planning on doing that . . .
Professor: Good project to take on; and excellent results. Now I want to learn to play that song at the end. Subscribed.
You learn to play the tune at the end of this video in the fingerstyle course. It's called the troubled heard by Sad Fantasy
th-cam.com/play/PLIQJcXCYbgO2q9hDUBT0E5z1JZDk3bowI.html
The song at the end...lesson, please. All around interesting lesson!
I didn't need to watch this but god was it so relaxing and interesting. As a new (basement XD )classical guitar player I didn't know that's how the preamp worked. Thank you, man.
Glad you enjoyed it! thank you . . 😊😊
First of all thank you for sharing your knowledge, I began my journey down this rabbit hole with only a basic understanding and very little musical talent.
Each improvement gives satisfaction and confidence, my first was a fender that was left to me by my uncle, years of use and abuse had left it almost unplayable, especially for a beginner. Adjusting the action was a learning experience for me. Started with the saddle and found that there was more to it than just lowering, especially when the neck had came up due to a compromised body, that also had a swollen belly🤦♂️😂. I decided that i was seeing this one through. Growing up in a wood workshop as well as a machine shop helped with my confident ambition. A little ingenuity,patience, steam and glue later, I had it satisfying to play and sounding decent. Decided to keep going and pulled the back off, reworked and “tap tuned” on the back and bracing as well as the front… involving much more research than actual work.
Sorry for the ramble, but this was such a learning experience and had such a feeling of satisfaction when done! I would have never imagined it would have sounded as good as it did when completed. Next i found a cheap made by Gibson acoustic and did the same…it is addictive! Just felt the need to share, maybe it will give someone else the encouragement to make a go at it for themselves.
Thanks for sharing . . it sounds like you have the bug 😊😀
Does a guitar that's like a relatively light trip for groceries actually exist?...holy wow I would buy that any day and put some effort into learning, the more time it takes to make it right would only make it more satisfying
agreed . .
Guitars have gotten a lot cheaper these days, thanks being manufactured in developing countries with their cheap labor, and also due to technology. It's especially easier to build electric guitars now, with CNC machines carving the bodies within a fraction of a time it would take to do it with hand, and much more accurately.
Very good video. But I really loved your playing at the end.
Beautiful.The Guitars tone sounds very good to my ear.
Good job all round.
SUBSCRIBED.
That's really nice of you . . thank you . . 😊
" Great find this video.!"
You are very Natural and Thorough; which is a great example to self training Luthiers .
Your tone of voice is very calming and your direction of works reminds me of a Surgeon keeping the team calm in critical operations.
Your a TH-cam Dimond. Thank you for you Engaging Work.....
Thank you very much indeed 😊😀
I have thrown so many lower class fender acoustic guitars in my closets just because they did not have that crisp sound now I have my work cut out for me thanks to you!! ... again I can't thank you enough ✌️
Again thank you very much . . It sounds like you're going to be busy 😊🎸
Why would you buy a Fender though???
I would rather play a Ibanez than a Fender, but what I recommend is Yamaha. Not to pricy, but good craftsmanship.
@@williambrown6721 Each improvement gives satisfaction and confidence, my first was a fender that was left to me by my uncle, years of use and abuse had left it almost unplayable, especially for a beginner. Adjusting the action was a learning experience for me. Started with the saddle and found that there was more to it than just lowering, especially when the neck had came up due to a compromised body, that also had a swollen belly🤦♂️😂. I decided that i was seeing this one through. Growing up in a wood workshop as well as a machine shop helped with my confident ambition. A little ingenuity,patience, steam and glue later, I had it satisfying to play and sounding decent. Decided to keep going and pulled the back off, reworked and “tap tuned” on the back and bracing as well as the front… involving much more research than actual work.
Sorry for the ramble, but this was such a learning experience and had such a feeling of satisfaction when done! I would have never imagined it would have sounded as good as it did when completed. Next i found a cheap made by Gibson acoustic and did the same…it is addictive!
Thought you said how to make a 40 lb guitar sound like a 400-pound guitar!
I did . . it's get you buff . . 🙂
Yes we don't use dollars in the UK he's English so he's using the currency of his country usually a pound is on average worth about $1.50 in case of any confusion.
I watched and enjoyed your entire video. I appreciate your attention to detail. The refinished guitar sounds beautiful too. Nicely done!
Thank you very much! 😊😊
This video was awesome. Informative, calm and calming, and with very pleasant music at the end!
Seriously nice improvement on the guitar!
Thank you very much indeed . . . 😀
@@guitar-academy You're seriously welcome.
Fantastic videos you do.
How did you separate the preamp from the mounting plate without breaking it or the hinge pins? It's okay found your other video on the full installation. Thanks
It's a really tricky job . . not my favourite job . . 🙂
37:19 LOL now THAT'S an actual plot twist.
🤔
Absolutely speech less in Lock down- Lot of thanks from India.
Thank you . . . 😀
The only thing to remember which is double important, is making sure those iron filings and saw dust are thoroughly removed from inside the instrument, as the magnetic pick up will become clogged over time. Always cover the sound hole during work, especially doing fret work.
Great point!
This is a great suggestion if you have magnetic pickups. However, the transducer pick up strip I don't believe is magnetic? I would vacuum and wipe clean all dust weather it'd be iron filings or wood.
Another mod you could do is check the bracing on the inside and help improve any defects there.
You could also reinforce the bridge in case they didnt or the tail in case it isnt reinforced.
I think Id have done a full refret if I was going to do so much work anyway on them and use better wire than they used.
Anyway cool video and very thorough on the fishman install.
This is just fantastic. Your close ups and narration are the best I’ve seen on TH-cam.
wow . . thank you very much . . 😊
I have the same guitar I recently bought from TEMU except its flat black . I got a digital EQ preamp and some locking tuners for it....the tune pegs that come on it are pretty bad...
Yes, locking tuners is a nice upgrade to most guitars 😊😀
That melody was beautifully played! As well as beautifully written (revised grammar @ 1504 hours)
Thank you very much . . I've done a video on how to play it if you want to learn it th-cam.com/video/LCCNs5pvYRA/w-d-xo.html
@@guitar-academy
Thank you for responding back to me and yes, I am grateful for your forwarding the link so I may learn to play it.
PS. I just noticed my horrendous grammar I'm my initial comment.
Thanks again, FH.
@@francoishynes7739 I didn't thank anyone did grammar in TH-cam comments . . LOL 😊
@@francoishynes7739 If you want the tab it's part of this years Christmas give away:
th-cam.com/video/m5Lp0T2LqWM/w-d-xo.html
I couldn't pick up a 400 pound guitar.
Yes.especially a 400 pound one
I picked one up, and she removed all strings, except a tiny G-string. No strings attached, she said. I'm used to a P-bass on my lap, but 400 pounds? How much Stones is that, again?
Hey 4 months later and thats still freakin funny! Lol.
@@voornaam3191 28.5714286 stones
28 stones makes a boulder, ten boulders in a hill and four hills in a mountain.
For me, playability and tonal substance are the key criteria for the guitars I like to play and own. By that I mean it’s not about the price but the potential a particular instrument possesses. A well designed and made guitar may sound great, even using lower spec materials. At a given price point there are compromises, but the most important part is to play the instrument and hear and feel how it resonates. Sure, new strings, fret finishing and a good set up are important too. I’ve bought some pretty low cost guitars as well as much more expensive too. But each one has something to say and has a beating heart in the sound it generates. The enjoyment of improving guitars is a passion. Thanks a lot for this inspiring video.
Thank you very much for your thoughts (I agree with you) and thank you for watching 😊😀
I'm going to pick up one of those guitars for my granddaughter! She'll be 10 years old that's my youngest one and she wants to play guitar hi Grandpa LOL but that looks like it'll be a good starter.
agreed . . a good instrument to get started on. 😀
A huge improvement I've done is replace the cheap plastic bridge and neck nuts with real bone.
that's great . . . 😊
That's just the sound of the Fishman at the end? ...Just the line out? How are you getting that tone? I expect a totally different sound from an under the saddle Piezo.... Like just the Piezo quack.... Oh... That one has a mic, doesn't it? Your mostly using the mic? What are you running it into? An acoustic amp? It doesn't sound dry....
I set everything dead centre to give the best generalization of the sound so it's 50% mic and 50% piezo. The sound was straight into a mixing desk, but I forgot the reverb in the desk was on. 🤔
If you put a capo on the neck you can loosen and remove the strings from the pegs without ruining the strings. When you are through adjusting the bridge simply put the strings back in the holes, replace the pegs and tune it.
good suggestion . .
I have a guitar that I left in the village coz of high action, plastic pegs and fake preamp... I'm so going to get it and work on it
That sounds like the perfect project . . 😀
Quite interesting I have an old flat top that was virtually untuneable or was it like meant to have plastic strings like a spanish/clasical guitar Im wondering and I dont think it has a truss rod to adjust the neck it was a christmas present my first ever guitar Kingston was the brand And I have a smashed yamaha acccoustic that I basicallty bondowed probably not the best idea but it works and sounds alot better as well so I did do something right and its playable. Im not a perfectionist I picked it up driving truck for like 15 dollars. Not sure what the original price was I spose I could look it up Ive heard bad things about pickups for accoustic guitars. I think I had one for an old twelve string I think. But this is interesting as in one mans garbage can be another mans gold. If you have the right tools and equipment
Great story . . It's a really great feeling to able to turn something others consider rubbish into something you can enjoy . . . 😊😀
@7:50 By far the best pin removal. Grab the leftover tag end with pliers. "Push" the string back _towards_ and "through" the pin, wiggling and bending while pushing. Also pull and push a little. Try to wiggle the pin with other hand. This method "uloads" the stress of the ball wedged against the pin. Works every time unless somebody glued them in. Never have a toolmark on your pins again.
This has got to be one of the best tricks ever taught to me long ago.
Agreed! Good job!
Martin and Taylor factory CEO committed Suicide after watching this 😭😭
lol 😂