With much due respect, a second grader taught me a trick while stringing popcorn for our Christmas tree ...while silently cursing at reinstalling a Martin F-55 hollow pickup switch. Tie strings to the posts of the pots before removing the nuts, pulling the string through the nut washer and top like stringing popcorn. When reinstalling after rewiring, re-tie the strings to the posts and draw the pots through the guitar top washers and nuts in exactly the same order they were removed. Your videos have become my comfort screen time to sit back, relax, and listen to an excellent Luthier. Thank You Ted.
having had various archtop and hollowbody guitars and having the same deal with the difficulty of getting the electronics back in pots jacks etc first time I did it unprepared. here is how you do it the prepared way...Each jack/pot you take out you tie a piece of either high breaking strain fishing plastic line to each one or if you are a cheapskate or a non fisherman Dental floss will cut it basically anything that isnt going to snap if something gets hung up, but no massive tugging just gentle coaxing. Then when they are out, remove the line from the pot/jack/.switch but leave it though the holes and the pickup holes and tape both sides down (you can even label them if you wanna waste time as pulling will quickly tell you which is what) Then when you want to replace tie all the innards to the correct strings, pull them through gently to their correct hole and button down, Have done 4 pot, switch and jack wiring harness replacements with this system in 15 minutes max...Simple easy and once you have tried it once if you can find a better way good luck to you...Preparation is the art of thinking ahead...
A trick I learned working on my semi-hollow: aquarium tubing; helps with keeping track of things, and with washers and nut, also saves you from a lot of trouble
I'm fond of this style of guitar. I have three of them: archtop, hollow body, with a pickup. Two are true hollow bodies, and the other has a block in it, like an ES-335. Two have single P 90's and the other has a neck humbucker, and a bridge P 90 that I installed. They sound very nice, and are easy to play due to the thin bodies. They are all pretty attractive, also. However, the true hollowbodies feedback like demons if you are not very careful. Hint: get a piece of medical tubing with a 3/16" [5 mm] ID, and use it to grab the pot shafts. You then simply pull them through the holes and secure them. Easy-peasy. Repeat. A 1/8" [3 mm] piece of tubing works for most switches, etc. These latex tubes are extremely handy.
I like the look of these guitars. I can't play them because I like to rest the palm of my pick hand on the bridge. Yes, I'm a electric guitar player. Bad habits I know. But I use the muff alot. But when I play hollow body I use strumming techniques or use my pinky finger for my base when picking the strings. But when I'm finger picking no need for a base. But these half hollow bodies will just mess me up. Maybe I should learn a different style of playing to incorporate this guitar into my repitar. And yeah I know, bad spelling. I blame it on phonics!
Catching up on older vids and still fascinated by your techniques as well as presentation. Watching is like freshwater stream fishing for me: always cathartic. Thank you.
Your skills and abilities are just amazing! I know you have worked for years to hone them so you can do these modifications and repairs, but you make it all look so easy! Great video once again.
Tired of waiting for Sunday, so going back in time. As a hobby fettler of guitars I thank you for sharing your skill and knowledge with us. I mostly give my stuff away to people that can't afford guitars. Like you I like to recycle...
Your videos are always great but I found this one particularly interesting and beautifully explained ... thanks, buddy .... keep 'em coming because a lot of us out here love watching your work
@Ray Clark You're _what_ when a video has just posted...? (10-1 it's, "About to throw my phone off a roof for mis-hearing what I was trying to say...")...
i really enjoy watching your videos your a master at your craft and i love how you explain everything in detail please keep the videos coming thank you for showing us your talent easily one of the best channels or the best channel on TH-cam
Ted this was fine example of your on point Luthiery, and covered a beautiful guitar-form I enjoy learning more about. Thank you for sharing your experience with us all.
I used to see which wire was connected with ground, or go by a color code,but, I like the way you did that because it would work with unknown homemade types of pickups as well.
Another neat job and a nice idea allowing for future pickup installations. I think that I’ve seen the idea of running the pickup leads under the scratch plate and through the f holes on old Harmony Rocket guitars.
When taking pots out of a hollow body I used to part undo the nut and tie a long thread around the pot - after you finished soldering or whatever I pulled the pots back into place with the thread - bit of fiddling into position then re fit the nut remove the thread and tighten. In your case as you had to rout the hole this wouldn't work but otherwise I used this trick many times. I have a 2 pickup Eastman and got the pickups swapped out for Duncan Alnico Pro IIs. The shop I bought the pickups (and the guitar) from did it for free - great service! I had a lot of trouble with sharp fret ends - I think this may be common on Eastmans.
One thing I've always seen people do when de-wiring and re-wiring a hollow or semi-hollow is to tie fishing line or string with labels on 'em to the pot shafts and switches before removing them. That way, when they're out, you've got stuff in place to help pull them back through the right holes.
I put a blob of blue tak on the spiked retaining washers to keep them in place when dragging in a wiring harness. Using a tuning fork to test pickup settings without the strings installed/available is also a good trick as it gives you an idea of how the whole thing is sounding. I don't have anything like your skills or knowledge so you probably know better!
another classy job - the d'armond sounds great, I had one of their soundhole p/ups years ago and it sounded very similar but squealed like a pig without great care
Nice vid, Great job wiring that guitar I just finished restoring my 1980 Epiphone Sorrento (es175) Man my fingers took a beating trying to fish the the wiring & pots thought the f hole. I used surgical tubing on the top of the pots but it was really a pain I broke a connection my first attempt. Anyway Thanks for your channel you make things look so easy.
Have you ever considered using clear plastic tubing as your 'fishing line'? I just swapped out the pickups and wiring harness in my hollow body archtop Gretsch guitar. I put in a pair of TV Jones Classic pickups and a TV Jones wiring harness, that had all the pots and the switch pre soldered in place. I used their very inexpensive installation tubing kit, which worked brilliantly. I imagine that you could have run pieces of tubing, that are sized to fit snuggly over the pot shafts, from the pot holes and up through the pickup hole. You can pre load the retaining washers in place on pot before inserting the tubing over the shafts. You can then pull the pots neatly into place, and secure. It's a good method for working with these types of guitars, and saves a lot of time and effort.
I've used the same method on a Country Gentleman (just using tubing from home depot). It's pretty well explained on the TV Jones site. Made the re-install a breeze.
Also rather than giving your little finger a beating to hold stuff in place through the F hole, one of your bits of old steel ruler with a 90 degree bend and a bit of shrink tube or tape round it to stop it scratching stuff is the goto tool...You watch next week on Stew Mac for 50 bux...and I can hear the whiners now...But its really wide and I can't turn it...Well that's why you file/indent the "handle" area to be say 2/3rds thinner so it can be rotated in the F hole or those handy round bits at the end of the F hole as all you need to do is hold that and you can even use it both ways round when space is tight inside...Simplicity is the art of genius...
I have a thinline (a Hofner) with no control compartment or pickguard and I am so impressed with the delicate surgery luthiers use to wire these instruments up. Mine is only 1.25" deep and has four pots. You did a much neater job than the guys at Hofner did.
Great job Ted and as always I learned a few things. If I was that player I would have wanted the out-of phase *option* on a push-pull pot. Not a sound you’d need all the time but I bet w the DeArmond it would be a cool low-fi slide sound.
Nice. That's kinda the sound I went for with the one in my profile pic. Put it together from a kit from Pitbull in AU, put one of the new TV Jones Ray Butts in the neck, and a Dynasonic clone in the bridge. Rockabilly for days.
"Thanks for watching"?? No thank you for inviting us in. That was great.
Your work is incredible - as is your attention to detail. Your customers are very fortunate.
This channel is a "breath of fresh air". I was getting tired of just set-ups.
Ted , as always I learn so much from your videos. Thanks. ( Terry from OZ).
These are always great! He's got such a cool vibe too.
Yeah, someone you'd enjoy just chilling with, talking music and guitars. Cheers.
That ebony bridge is a thing of beauty. Nicely done
With much due respect, a second grader taught me a trick while stringing popcorn for our Christmas tree ...while silently cursing at reinstalling a Martin F-55 hollow pickup switch. Tie strings to the posts of the pots before removing the nuts, pulling the string through the nut washer and top like stringing popcorn. When reinstalling after rewiring, re-tie the strings to the posts and draw the pots through the guitar top washers and nuts in exactly the same order they were removed. Your videos have become my comfort screen time to sit back, relax, and listen to an excellent Luthier. Thank You Ted.
Super cool idea to mount the rear pickup. Very clever.
I like the carved ebony.. Sounds good. Thanks for sharing
having had various archtop and hollowbody guitars and having the same deal with the difficulty of getting the electronics back in pots jacks etc first time I did it unprepared. here is how you do it the prepared way...Each jack/pot you take out you tie a piece of either high breaking strain fishing plastic line to each one or if you are a cheapskate or a non fisherman Dental floss will cut it basically anything that isnt going to snap if something gets hung up, but no massive tugging just gentle coaxing. Then when they are out, remove the line from the pot/jack/.switch but leave it though the holes and the pickup holes and tape both sides down (you can even label them if you wanna waste time as pulling will quickly tell you which is what) Then when you want to replace tie all the innards to the correct strings, pull them through gently to their correct hole and button down, Have done 4 pot, switch and jack wiring harness replacements with this system in 15 minutes max...Simple easy and once you have tried it once if you can find a better way good luck to you...Preparation is the art of thinking ahead...
A trick I learned working on my semi-hollow: aquarium tubing; helps with keeping track of things, and with washers and nut, also saves you from a lot of trouble
Always a highlight to my day when I find you have a new video.
I'm fond of this style of guitar. I have three of them: archtop, hollow body, with a pickup.
Two are true hollow bodies, and the other has a block in it, like an ES-335.
Two have single P 90's and the other has a neck humbucker, and a bridge P 90 that I installed.
They sound very nice, and are easy to play due to the thin bodies. They are all pretty attractive, also.
However, the true hollowbodies feedback like demons if you are not very careful.
Hint: get a piece of medical tubing with a 3/16" [5 mm] ID, and use it to grab the pot shafts.
You then simply pull them through the holes and secure them. Easy-peasy. Repeat.
A 1/8" [3 mm] piece of tubing works for most switches, etc. These latex tubes are extremely handy.
I have a 335, a 339 and a 335. Love them all.
I like the look of these guitars. I can't play them because I like to rest the palm of my pick hand on the bridge. Yes, I'm a electric guitar player. Bad habits I know. But I use the muff alot. But when I play hollow body I use strumming techniques or use my pinky finger for my base when picking the strings. But when I'm finger picking no need for a base. But these half hollow bodies will just mess me up. Maybe I should learn a different style of playing to incorporate this guitar into my repitar. And yeah I know, bad spelling. I blame it on phonics!
Sounds great! The middle position is my favourite.
Thank you for helping me relax. I find your videos fascinating yet calming and your approach is really creative.
Just awesome. what an artist you are. pure genius
I'll say it again - you're an artiste, sir! And yeah, DeArmond pickups kinda have this... I dunno, "pop" to them.
That thang sounds SHWEET! Great job.
Thank you sir. I really appreciate the video. Nice guitar. Fascinating work.
beautiful work, love the bridge work especially, you are a true craftsman.
I like the way you decide the way to tackle whatever task, and it always turns out perfect.
Catching up on older vids and still fascinated by your techniques as well as presentation. Watching is like freshwater stream fishing for me: always cathartic. Thank you.
I could watch your repair/restore vids all day. Another learning experience.
There’s just nobody like you! Gorgeous meticulous work as always...
I cringe at cutting that beautiful pick guard. But YOU are the man to do it! Thank you for all your videos.
Beautiful work. Again!! That new bridge top is a think of extreme skill and beauty.
Really well and thoroughly explained...excellent...
Ooh that D'Armond sounds so sweet! I'd love to hear a rocker like Alvin Lee shredding with that tone. It's a bit noisy, but what a nice bite!
I love that string winder clamp idea! Makes me want to crack a side just to try it out legit 😀
Your good! Very good!
Your customers are lucky.
Your skills and abilities are just amazing! I know you have worked for years to hone them so you can do these modifications and repairs, but you make it all look so easy! Great video once again.
Super awesome... nice work! That fiddle sounds really good with the bucker nd the DeArmond :)
That sounds like a pretty nice combo of pick ups… Perfect for a slide.
Tired of waiting for Sunday, so going back in time. As a hobby fettler of guitars I thank you for sharing your skill and knowledge with us. I mostly give my stuff away to people that can't afford guitars. Like you I like to recycle...
Beautiful work. To the customer .... you have a nice guitar there
Great video - nice trick with the drinking straw tips!
Your videos are always great but I found this one particularly interesting and beautifully explained ... thanks, buddy .... keep 'em coming because a lot of us out here love watching your work
End product looked and sounded amazing as per usual! Love and adoration my friend!
Once again... Beautiful work Ted! Thanks for sharing your day!!
Not often I'm when a video has just posted:) The world needs a lot more luthiers like you.
@Ray Clark You're _what_ when a video has just posted...? (10-1 it's, "About to throw my phone off a roof for mis-hearing what I was trying to say...")...
@@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG LOL:) Made ya think.
I always enjoy watching a craftsman at work.
I always enjoy a "tip of the day". They usually make life smarter & easier ! Thnx. I do the same trick with the straw, except I use aquarium hose.
So much more comforting than watching the evening news.
Very excellent work as usual. Thanks for the lesson from Belleville ON.
i really enjoy watching your videos your a master at your craft and i love how you explain everything in detail please keep the videos coming thank you for showing us your talent easily one of the best channels or the best channel on TH-cam
That’s some incredible craftsmanship right there. Love how the guitar sounds!
A new, balanced, pair of pickups would be way less scary to start with. That's one beautiful bridge, Mister.
Such professional work, cheers for the share
Just fantastic craftsmanship and attention to detail
Ted this was fine example of your on point Luthiery, and covered a beautiful guitar-form I enjoy learning more about. Thank you for sharing your experience with us all.
Another great episode! This D'Armond in the bridge position really sounds great!
Thank you for all the insights and all the little tips and tricks!
Wow. Your skills and expertise are inspiring.
Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.
I used to see which wire was connected with ground, or go by a color code,but, I like the way you did that because it would work with unknown homemade types of pickups as well.
Love those old Dearmond pickups! Surprised at how well it balances with the humbucker.
Another amazing job! I love your creativity and attention to details. Fantastic craftsmanship, as well. Great job!
Wow nice work. That thing sounds really really good too.
Very nice 👍
I see why he likes that guitar. Sounds great!
Fantastic. Thanks for sharing! You always film well.
Beautiful. And your little demo perked my ears. I've not played around with alternate tunings, but inspired me to toy around with it. Thank you.
Another neat job and a nice idea allowing for future pickup installations. I think that I’ve seen the idea of running the pickup leads under the scratch plate and through the f holes on old Harmony Rocket guitars.
Great work. Nice to see this level of craftsmanship on a cool guitar.
Great stuff here! I can watch you work all day.
When taking pots out of a hollow body I used to part undo the nut and tie a long thread around the pot - after you finished soldering or whatever I pulled the pots back into place with the thread - bit of fiddling into position then re fit the nut remove the thread and tighten. In your case as you had to rout the hole this wouldn't work but otherwise I used this trick many times. I have a 2 pickup Eastman and got the pickups swapped out for Duncan Alnico Pro IIs. The shop I bought the pickups (and the guitar) from did it for free - great service! I had a lot of trouble with sharp fret ends - I think this may be common on Eastmans.
One thing I've always seen people do when de-wiring and re-wiring a hollow or semi-hollow is to tie fishing line or string with labels on 'em to the pot shafts and switches before removing them. That way, when they're out, you've got stuff in place to help pull them back through the right holes.
I can see that working in many cases, but in this case he
was drilling new holes and reaming the old ones.
Wow your work on that bridge is amazing.
👍👍😎 A true artist at work, every time!
So glad I watched this. I have to track down a phantom hum in a Gretsch next week and some of these tips will help a lot.
The straws are genius!
What a cool guitar. You can hear how it must be awesome with a slide. Great work!
Beautiful work and a lovely sound.
True master of your craft sir!
As always an outstanding job. The replacement bridge is a thing of beauty. If only you lived in Scotland.
I could watch these all day, keep em coming!
I put a blob of blue tak on the spiked retaining washers to keep them in place when dragging in a wiring harness. Using a tuning fork to test pickup settings without the strings installed/available is also a good trick as it gives you an idea of how the whole thing is sounding. I don't have anything like your skills or knowledge so you probably know better!
This channel is incredible. thanks for all the info.
That black hum bucker needs a chrome cover.
another classy job - the d'armond sounds great, I had one of their soundhole p/ups years ago and it sounded very similar but squealed like a pig without great care
That sounded really good.
Nice vid, Great job wiring that guitar I just finished restoring my 1980 Epiphone Sorrento (es175) Man my fingers took a beating trying to fish the the wiring & pots thought the f hole. I used surgical tubing on the top of the pots but it was really a pain I broke a connection my first attempt. Anyway Thanks for your channel you make things look so easy.
Have you ever considered using clear plastic tubing as your 'fishing line'? I just swapped out the pickups and wiring harness in my hollow body archtop Gretsch guitar. I put in a pair of TV Jones Classic pickups and a TV Jones wiring harness, that had all the pots and the switch pre soldered in place. I used their very inexpensive installation tubing kit, which worked brilliantly.
I imagine that you could have run pieces of tubing, that are sized to fit snuggly over the pot shafts, from the pot holes and up through the pickup hole. You can pre load the retaining washers in place on pot before inserting the tubing over the shafts. You can then pull the pots neatly into place, and secure.
It's a good method for working with these types of guitars, and saves a lot of time and effort.
I've used the same method on a Country Gentleman (just using tubing from home depot). It's pretty well explained on the TV Jones site. Made the re-install a breeze.
You are very good at what you do ! Guitar Surgeon 👍
Beautiful work
I have always learned something here. As well , I have watch many guitar techs over the last 40 years , Twoodfrd is very talented and a player😊🇨🇦
Also rather than giving your little finger a beating to hold stuff in place through the F hole, one of your bits of old steel ruler with a 90 degree bend and a bit of shrink tube or tape round it to stop it scratching stuff is the goto tool...You watch next week on Stew Mac for 50 bux...and I can hear the whiners now...But its really wide and I can't turn it...Well that's why you file/indent the "handle" area to be say 2/3rds thinner so it can be rotated in the F hole or those handy round bits at the end of the F hole as all you need to do is hold that and you can even use it both ways round when space is tight inside...Simplicity is the art of genius...
Very nice looking guitar. Sounds nice.
A craftsman who has made mistakes and found clever ways to avoid them in the future
I have a thinline (a Hofner) with no control compartment or pickguard and I am so impressed with the delicate surgery luthiers use to wire these instruments up. Mine is only 1.25" deep and has four pots. You did a much neater job than the guys at Hofner did.
Great job Ted and as always I learned a few things. If I was that player I would have wanted the out-of phase *option* on a push-pull pot. Not a sound you’d need all the time but I bet w the DeArmond it would be a cool low-fi slide sound.
Yeah, great sound out of that DeArmond!
Sounds great. Nice job on that bridge.
Absolutely incredible work, as per usual
Great video !!!!! I love it when you do some unorthodox jobs like this one ! Beautiful guitar
A little beeswax on the lock washer helps hold it in place, too.
Nice. That's kinda the sound I went for with the one in my profile pic. Put it together from a kit from Pitbull in AU, put one of the new TV Jones Ray Butts in the neck, and a Dynasonic clone in the bridge. Rockabilly for days.
Fantastic work and tuition.
Wonderful work as always. Thanks!
I like the "Straw Trick"!
Beautiful work ones again!
I like your trick with the straws ......I will use that... thank you 😊
Takes a lot of skill to do all that. Those pickups sound great!
"Solder or sold-her" 😀 Always one good jab per episode.