Oh man. I work at the Taylor Guitars factory so this entire video feels all too familiar. The guitar industry at large is a massive threat to the existence of trees in general, so for any instrument makers to give a damn about their impact and act accordingly is a breath of fresh air. What Taylor's doing and what you're doing may not be the same on a physical, practical level, but I certainly feel it is in ethos and in philosophy. I just hope the rest of the industry takes it into consideration as well. In any case, this is a pretty sweet build and I hope you keep it up in the acoustic world.
From what I understand, Taylor is one of the few manufacturers to try to find a better way in any sort of meaningful way. I mean all companies like to say they're making an effort, but it's mostly lip service. You just gotta look in their dumpster or take a deep breeath on the factory floor. There is a sweet spot in the Venn diagram between quality, ecology and profitability. Doesn't it make sense for every industry to aim for it?
@@timsway I'm pretty sure Warwick uses sustainable woods, and makes sure that their manufacturing is completely carbon neutral, however if I'm wrong feel free to correct me
@@maffooo2040 they may very well be. Honestly, I stopped following and caring what "name brand" manufacturers do long ago. Lol. I just watch and champion the other little guys.
So I'm just about to buy a Taylor but it's in my mind to avoid their layered wood models despite I love the look of their 2** series koa model which is in my budget range. Can you tell me apart from eco reasons and just from a (hobby/couch player) guitarists point of view why I should forego an all solid wood model like the AD's possibly GT's or 3** series upwards. I've been tossing this around in my mind for a while. I want a guitar I can pass on to younger relatives so why should I buy the layered one rather than the all solid ? I really am prepared to go that way but I know from experience how solid wood gets better as a guitar with age so give me a reason apart from eco. Also what's the diff between layered and laminate ?
There are countless very fine alternatives to simple wood for an acoustic guitar body and neck. Carbon fiber is one. Bamboo is another. Aluminum is yet another. The major acoustic guitar manufacturers have pushed the 'tonewood' nonsense for so many years that they find themselves boxed in by their own propaganda. I'm not saying that a piece of wood will not resonate or sound better or longer that another piece of wood, but I am saying that alternatives to the 'traditional' species of soundboard woods need to be considered. Innovation is much needed.
Tim Sway is one of the big reasons why I want to learn to build guitars. Recycling is a big passion of mine and I feel that guitar builders could really benefit from it. Tim is showing us the way, we just need to follow.
awww, thanks. Guitars are such a powerful image and tool to make from reclaimed. I get to take trash and make art that then goes on to another artist to make more art. Hopefully their music also inspires more to art and environmentalism.
Er.... If you like to recycle why not just reuse the door and get a guitar from a charity shop? The guitar will sound better and you won't have to buy a new door
@@carolramsey8457 there's a lot of truth in that! However thousands of these doors are still thrown out in home remodels every year and factories are still churning out new guitars. There are 3 Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle, and they should be used in that order. Step one, we need ton stop buying shit we don't need! This video and the bulk if my work focuses on step 2 because I have personal interest in that area. I'm not saving the world, just trying to get a few more people to look at it differently.
@@timsway It's not so much the buying of shit we don't need and more the discarding of the still-useful/repairable, reflexively replacing with shinier/bigger/better/more power, volume-wise. The people in your part of the world must be hugely materially-successful for the buying of SWDN to be any more than a small single-digit percentage expense. What is the actual ratio of the cost of SWDN to a new 50 gal. water heater? Or alternator replacement? Or A/C service? Just not seeing this oft-fabled glut of SWDN, except in videos where some dude has a half-dozen guitars but only two hands.
@@richsackett3423 Assuming SWDN is "Stuff we don't need?" If you want to be pedantic, one doesn't need to replace their closet doors with new ones or a new car every 2 years so it's kind of the same point: "Keeping up with the Joneses" is BS any way you look at it. But still, absolutely yes people in my part of the world have all sorts of unnecessary stuff, myself included. The funny thing about wealth is few think they are "too rich" - rather people with more than them are too wealthy and people with less need more. For sure I'm on the lower end of the financial spectrum in my neighborhood, but globally speaking the amount I have is pornographic. I know I'm no hero and making guitars ain't gonna change inequality or save the rain forest. Guitars in particular are art that make art, and musicians' art can be very influential, which is why I make them. Also, making these videos and generating these thoughts and conversations is better than doing nothing, no? And it's way better than just marching along with the lemmings pretending there is nothing wrong. he longer I live, the more I want to do to help. This ain't the last stop, only the current one. I appreciate your contribution!
Ive built 22 guitars. I used to spend hundreds $ on wood. My last 2 guitars i got the wood for free. 120 year old bed frame and window frame from 128 year old house. Poplar, mahogany and sitka spruce. Excellent.
I am literally way too busy at this point in my life to even think of becoming a DIY guitar maker (college senior, full-time factory employee, podcaster, TH-camr), but this channel gives me hope for my leisure time and a new hobby in the future lol.
I am, however, about to attempt repairs on each of my acoustic guitars tomorrow with my dad. Patching a giant hole in the back of one, and mending a separating back on the other. We're handy enough to do a serviceable job, I think. Luckily neither of them are incredibly expensive guitars (although one is a Martin). I do hope to get a new axe this summer too.
In my last video I talk a little about my journey. When I was your age I wanted to build guitars (and managed to make one, it's in the vid) but then it took me another 20 years to get to where I am now which seems like a lot to someone who's only lived about 20 years but it's the blink of an eye. If you really want to get there, you will get there. And it will happen faster than you think It just takes some time and determination. You and your dad are starting at the right place.
At first I used to think that you were a guitar maker, then I realised that making guitars was just the medium you worked in. Your message lies in all the experimentation [both success and fail] that makes you more of a pioneer. I applaud your route and it always brings me back to your channel to whats cookin'. Watch the vapours coming off that DiHydrogen Monoxide Tim, if it can bend wood there's no telling what it might do to you, so keep yourself hydrated and beware!
This is better that guitar made out of perfect wood. This one has that great component - love with which you make those instruments. All of the owners of these are lucky to have something super unique and "warm".
I even got someone who took the time to tell me they were unsubscribing because of this! Could you imagine feeling the need to do that? lol. The internet is a fun place.
@@timsway we are all unique. Some in a good sense and some - not really. One worlds famous luthier also used second-hand wood. I guess, we all have heard of the guy whos violins now sell for millions. He also loved making his violins.
It even has Nylon Strings which are very gentle on the fingers. The nice thing is that Parlor Guitars make excellent travel Guitars because they're compact
Really really like the re-use and giving new life to otherwise wasted materials. These instruments look great! Have a request for more bass guitars please.
I have a ton of basses in the works right now. A bass like this guitar, a semihollow short scale, a bass vi (probably won't film that) and v2.0 of my new fretless design i hope to hit this summer or fall.
There’s a tribe in Africa that collect elephant dung and pats (by hand) them into polished rocks that celebrities and rich folk pay crazy money for. So yes. Yes you can polish a turd into a gem. If you still don’t believe me then rewind this very video...
See, a polished turd impresses no one. Nobody’s going to say “Wow! Look at the shine on that turd”. They’re just going to say “don’t step on that turd”.
You can use fan bracing if you're using nylon strings. Makes the top move much easier, since x bracing makes everything stiffer so that the steel strings don't destroy everything.
The guitar is made of scrap at little cost and yet It tunes up and plays. If it's sound isn't studio quality, it still sounds good to my ears. I think it's a worthwhile nylon string guitar to keep around, and you continue to impress me!
Pretty cool idea and fun to watch. Could you stabilize the neck wood before carving like folks do in knife handle making and such? Vacuum epoxy into the wood?
@@timsway Not sure if a vac bag would work for stabilizing or not. Most of the time they're using some sort of degassing chamber. I guess it'd be a bit of an investment, but seems like it would open the door to a lot of projects with your material. (no pun intended) th-cam.com/video/Z2jEdjYEd1M/w-d-xo.html
I've used old kitchen cupboard doors for other types of builds and the wood can be amazing, solid oak frames with thin oak panels. Even some of the old pine doors must have thin panels that could be tuned for acoustic guitars like you do with spruce. If not perfect for that slightly upmarket electric guitar
Another good idea for hollowcore doors are floating shelves, if you cut them on the table saw long ways to a desired shelf size, break back the cardboard inside a bit on the cut side, cut lumber to fit into the hollow, attach the board to the studs in the wall, slide the hollowcore door on the board and fasten with a couple screws. They look pretty nice at the end! Especially if they're like most hollowcore doors made of mahogany.
Man I love this, it’s recycling at its best. Turning trash into treasure, many famous guitarist made there own instruments be it Eddie Van Halen or Eric Clapton, but what those guys did was take off the shelf parts or guitars and make a new one. Brian May made his guitar from everything from a table to using motorcycle parts to make his own unique and amazing guitar, and that’s what makes his guitar so unique is that it was made from recycled materials and is amazing and personalized to his taste.
Tim, I think what will help prevent cracking is radiusing the braces. That slight arch let’s it flex in or out and let’s the instrument handle humidity and environmental changes. That and the least amount of mass you can put on the top and back are supposed to be very important for volume/tone
Smart move using nylon strings. Probably a good candidate for paint, then you could scrape the bindings for some zing. You can usually get paint at the recycle center.
This makes perfect sense if you think about it. Look at any department store acoustic guitar from the latter half of the 1900s and you'll see its made from thin plywood. So basically hollow core doors. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those factories wasn't spitting doors out of one side and guitars out the other. I know they get a lot of hate, but my 1960s Silvertone archtop is 100% plywood(save for the neck) and I think it sounds fantastic!
Inspiring. I wonder if a Spanish joint (where the sides get joined into slots right in the heel) would work better than a dovetail. Or a bolt-on rig, maybe.
Hey I really like the build. The question I have is around these slotted/classical headstocks. I am not sure the reason for having a break angle between the headstock and neck, when you have a natural break angle caused by the tuner being probably 10+mm below the height of a regular tuner. Just always seems so much wood (or effort with scarf joints) could be saved.
I did a slight angle just for looks really. I make a flat headed, electric guitar with a slotted headstock that is the best of both worlds: natural string break angle without a fragile, difficult or wasteful angled headstock and noextra hardware needed.
Matthias Wandel quote from one his videos. Anyone can make something that looks like it was made from garbage. The trick is making it not look like it was made with garbage. Great guitar. I got 4 hollow core doors from our house in the shed. Wife keeps wanting me to get rid or them but I will use them one of these days...
Another unique-looking and great-sounding guitar! You need a new bumper sticker for the Jambulance: Garbage is my Favorite Tone Wood. You're welcome. 😁 Thanks for sharing!
It sounds kind of like "Trigger," Willie Nelson's guitar. I'm wondering if Hollow Core doors might be good for making something like Dan Electro sounding guitars. Maybe the shape of the body could be cut out of the door, structural beams added, and then the spaces filled with some sort of expanding structural foam. Thanks
You have inspired me to try to make instruments out of non-traditional materials. I have made a pine ukulele and a Coffincaster 3string guitar. Both turned out great. I lost several trees to emerald ash borers in the past few years and my next instrument will be made from wood from those trees that I saved. Thanks, Tim Sway, for what you are doing. With your abilities (far beyond those of mortal men) you could be using the finest exotic hardwoods to be making world-class musical instruments. But “polishing the turd” is much more challenging. Thanks again.
Ash is good guitar wood. just make sure the bugs are dead in it first. (kiln dry or you can do some diy stuff in the driveway with plastic bags to choke them out). The other thing with traditional guitar building is the waste. you have to select the right pieces, avoid knots, etc. So for every piece in the guitar there's a pile that didn't make the cut, or if you make a tiny mistake you gotta start over instead of sanding it out... it just doesn't make sense to me. I mean we're gonna scratch the thing up with our fingernails and picks, sweat all over it, spill beer on it then forget it in the trunk of the car overnight...
I work on old buildings here in the UK of varying ages sometimes over 500 years,, this can be challenging we have a saying.. you can't polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter !!!
I find your channel really inspirational. I have made a few small guitars and a double neck ukulele from old ikea parts and hope to continue exploring the whole trash to playable instrument cycle you are working in. There are so many materials right in front of us all. Not every instrument needs to be a stradivarius and it's a lot of fun to keep things out of the landfill while giving them a new and useful existence. Thanks for your videos, especially this one.
Great work Tim. You picked up a few more tools since the double bass video. I built a teardrop double bass and you were a wealth of information. Thanks.
Tim, I think this guitar came out great. Like most things in life it's a learning experience. One thing I that I think could have worked is, if you had mixed some wood pulp or saw dust with epoxy and used that to fill in the gap between the neck and body. I have an old Manuel Tatay Spanish Guitar, it use to belong to my cousin Roger who passed away some years ago. The room I had it in was completely torn apart by Hurricane Katrina years ago, and the guitar was badly damaged. I was wondering if I could send it to you over the mail, to see if you can make something new from whats left of it?
good idea. I've done that to fill small cracks. it would probably have worked like a mortar. you can message me via www.newperspectivesmusic.com to discuss the Tatay for sure.
Great video. I really like the shape and design with the cut out. Like headstock too. Any chance that a plan or drawing is available? Danny Lewis is another good channel showing how he uses reclaimed wood to make acoustic guitars and ukeleles. Really like this idea rather than expensive exotic woods.
cheers! no plans for this one, sorry. I very openly share a lot of my work online, but I have to keep some IP for myself! :) I do have some electric guitar and bass plans for sale at newperspectivesmusic.com
Tim, that was sh1t - polished nicely. It sounds better than my $40 cheap shop guitar i bought to keep in the staffroom for when i need a break. I love watching you make from what others consider trash, keeping it from the landfill for a little longer.
This is not really about guitars so please bear with me: I totally get the re- and upcycling of wood. It was a tree once, then it became a barn for 200 years, then someone made a wardrobe out of it, that later was sawn apart and became a cupboard and finally you hack it into small pieces to heat your house. So you really get the last bit of use out of a tree and in the end return it to the cycle and that all completely CO2 neutral. Now we bring resin into the mix and I see that a lot in the upcycling "scene". I would imagine that resin makes it harder to add an additional upcycling step once the object you made has outlived it's usefulness. I'd also think that you can't just leave resin treated wood out in the rain to have it turn into compost over time or burn it for heating without releasing something undesired. Can anyone shine a light on this for me?
I hear you and I am not a big fan of resin (primarily because of its footprint). I use it sparingly, like glue or for minor crack repairs. The giant river table pours make me crazy. Living leaves a footprint for everything and everyone. But we can decide how big ours is and actively manage its size. If I were truly unselfishly concerned with my individsual footprint, I'd live in the woods and not make youtube videos. But I feel the need to make and to passively get others to think about their footprints, so I try to do so the best I can. I hope to do more good than harm. Hear me out, I know this is grandiose, but if by making these videos I can help change the way many people look at materials, approach deconstruction, build instruments, etc., then I find that justifies the footprint I leave behind in doing so. This guitar that will eventually decompose (everything does, some things faster) But just like every builder ever in time, I do my best to make it NOT decompose! lol. Environmentalism is not black and white bu very, VERY grey with lots of rabbit holes and murky waters. I find many people don't want to explore it because it's hard (or they lack the ability to think in grey) so they give up, put their head in the sand, deny their direct impact on the world around them or pass the buck. Me? I jump in. I certainly make mistakes but I also make discoveries. I am very grateful to hear from people like you who understand how to think critically and live in the grey areas. Please DO NOT give up. Keep thinking, looking for answers and questioning what you see. Don't like my answer? Do the research and get the word out there! But don't get jaded. Do it with the right intentions and for reasons of good. Always. No one person has all the answers but you can help be a part of the solution! Thank you.
I watched another YTer build an acoustic and she used a bolt on system (bolts through the block and CA glue coated threaded insert fasteners in the neck heel) to install the neck. I wonder if that might work better with your luan multilaminate neck? You're getting better with every project. Regards.
The last acoustic I made I used a threaded insert and bolt. I know from experience with a bolt on elecrtric that the luan and screws don't work too well together. I think I prefer bolt ons from a maker standpoint (and repair position) but I want some experience doing this, too.
@@timswayNow that you mention it I watched that video and completely forgot you had already used the bolt on process. Maybe luan is just too "shreddy" at the body/heel attachment point? I think you alluded to this, but perhaps sandwiching? a piece of solid wood at the heel end of the neck blank would stabilize things. I'm sure you'll figure it out and I will be glad to see the process!
Love your sustainable philosophy and practical approach. Have you ever thought of using the cardboard reinforcing inside the doors? Maybe you could soak them with resin and make a lattice braced guitar?
I have thought about it as I love the look. "submerged in resin" I find a little boring and counterproductive for my eco mission (so much resin, so many people do resin guitars!) Maybe a compression with resin to make a solid block? That would feel better on the wallet and environment than filling the air between with epoxy...
@@timswaythanks for the reply 😊 I wasn't thinking of filling the guitar - rather keeping the cardboard pretty much as is and using it in a guitar much like it's used in the door. Like one of Greg Smallman's guitars. The resin would just be to strengthen and stiffen it.
Well done Tim! Even with the mistakes, that guitar turned out great & also sounds pretty damn good. I appreciate the fact that you use materials in a sustainable way. Having made an Acoustic from scratch many years ago, I can appreciate the work that goes into building a guitar like that. Keep up the great work & doing what you are doing! 👍👍😉😉
I find it kind of funny that you are using old mahogany doors to make guitars as I thought of the same thing probably ten years ago. However, I have never built a guitar so, I am glad that you are using something that I wondered about myself.
Tim you are definitely the Leonardo DaVinci of upcycling guitar makers. As always I love your videos. This video I missed my favorite part when you give a guitar to somebody that you made especially for them and their expression and happiness.
The door knob would have made the worlds largest strap button.
😂
Oh man. I work at the Taylor Guitars factory so this entire video feels all too familiar. The guitar industry at large is a massive threat to the existence of trees in general, so for any instrument makers to give a damn about their impact and act accordingly is a breath of fresh air. What Taylor's doing and what you're doing may not be the same on a physical, practical level, but I certainly feel it is in ethos and in philosophy. I just hope the rest of the industry takes it into consideration as well.
In any case, this is a pretty sweet build and I hope you keep it up in the acoustic world.
From what I understand, Taylor is one of the few manufacturers to try to find a better way in any sort of meaningful way. I mean all companies like to say they're making an effort, but it's mostly lip service. You just gotta look in their dumpster or take a deep breeath on the factory floor. There is a sweet spot in the Venn diagram between quality, ecology and profitability. Doesn't it make sense for every industry to aim for it?
@@timsway I'm pretty sure Warwick uses sustainable woods, and makes sure that their manufacturing is completely carbon neutral, however if I'm wrong feel free to correct me
@@maffooo2040 they may very well be. Honestly, I stopped following and caring what "name brand" manufacturers do long ago. Lol. I just watch and champion the other little guys.
So I'm just about to buy a Taylor but it's in my mind to avoid their layered wood models despite I love the look of their 2** series koa model which is in my budget range. Can you tell me apart from eco reasons and just from a (hobby/couch player) guitarists point of view why I should forego an all solid wood model like the AD's possibly GT's or 3** series upwards. I've been tossing this around in my mind for a while. I want a guitar I can pass on to younger relatives so why should I buy the layered one rather than the all solid ? I really am prepared to go that way but I know from experience how solid wood gets better as a guitar with age so give me a reason apart from eco. Also what's the diff between layered and laminate ?
There are countless very fine alternatives to simple wood for an acoustic guitar body and neck. Carbon fiber is one. Bamboo is another. Aluminum is yet another.
The major acoustic guitar manufacturers have pushed the 'tonewood' nonsense for so many years that they find themselves boxed in by their own propaganda.
I'm not saying that a piece of wood will not resonate or sound better or longer that another piece of wood, but I am saying that alternatives to the 'traditional' species of soundboard woods need to be considered. Innovation is much needed.
Tim Sway is one of the big reasons why I want to learn to build guitars. Recycling is a big passion of mine and I feel that guitar builders could really benefit from it. Tim is showing us the way, we just need to follow.
awww, thanks. Guitars are such a powerful image and tool to make from reclaimed. I get to take trash and make art that then goes on to another artist to make more art. Hopefully their music also inspires more to art and environmentalism.
Er.... If you like to recycle why not just reuse the door and get a guitar from a charity shop? The guitar will sound better and you won't have to buy a new door
@@carolramsey8457 there's a lot of truth in that! However thousands of these doors are still thrown out in home remodels every year and factories are still churning out new guitars. There are 3 Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle, and they should be used in that order. Step one, we need ton stop buying shit we don't need! This video and the bulk if my work focuses on step 2 because I have personal interest in that area. I'm not saving the world, just trying to get a few more people to look at it differently.
@@timsway It's not so much the buying of shit we don't need and more the discarding of the still-useful/repairable, reflexively replacing with shinier/bigger/better/more power, volume-wise. The people in your part of the world must be hugely materially-successful for the buying of SWDN to be any more than a small single-digit percentage expense. What is the actual ratio of the cost of SWDN to a new 50 gal. water heater? Or alternator replacement? Or A/C service? Just not seeing this oft-fabled glut of SWDN, except in videos where some dude has a half-dozen guitars but only two hands.
@@richsackett3423 Assuming SWDN is "Stuff we don't need?" If you want to be pedantic, one doesn't need to replace their closet doors with new ones or a new car every 2 years so it's kind of the same point: "Keeping up with the Joneses" is BS any way you look at it. But still, absolutely yes people in my part of the world have all sorts of unnecessary stuff, myself included. The funny thing about wealth is few think they are "too rich" - rather people with more than them are too wealthy and people with less need more. For sure I'm on the lower end of the financial spectrum in my neighborhood, but globally speaking the amount I have is pornographic. I know I'm no hero and making guitars ain't gonna change inequality or save the rain forest. Guitars in particular are art that make art, and musicians' art can be very influential, which is why I make them. Also, making these videos and generating these thoughts and conversations is better than doing nothing, no? And it's way better than just marching along with the lemmings pretending there is nothing wrong. he longer I live, the more I want to do to help. This ain't the last stop, only the current one. I appreciate your contribution!
Using the pencils as dowels is a nice touch.
Ive built 22 guitars. I used to spend hundreds $ on wood. My last 2 guitars i got the wood for free. 120 year old bed frame and window frame from 128 year old house. Poplar, mahogany and sitka spruce. Excellent.
I am literally way too busy at this point in my life to even think of becoming a DIY guitar maker (college senior, full-time factory employee, podcaster, TH-camr), but this channel gives me hope for my leisure time and a new hobby in the future lol.
I am, however, about to attempt repairs on each of my acoustic guitars tomorrow with my dad. Patching a giant hole in the back of one, and mending a separating back on the other. We're handy enough to do a serviceable job, I think. Luckily neither of them are incredibly expensive guitars (although one is a Martin). I do hope to get a new axe this summer too.
In my last video I talk a little about my journey. When I was your age I wanted to build guitars (and managed to make one, it's in the vid) but then it took me another 20 years to get to where I am now which seems like a lot to someone who's only lived about 20 years but it's the blink of an eye. If you really want to get there, you will get there. And it will happen faster than you think It just takes some time and determination. You and your dad are starting at the right place.
At first I used to think that you were a guitar maker, then I realised that making guitars was just the medium you worked in. Your message lies in all the experimentation [both success and fail] that makes you more of a pioneer. I applaud your route and it always brings me back to your channel to whats cookin'. Watch the vapours coming off that DiHydrogen Monoxide Tim, if it can bend wood there's no telling what it might do to you, so keep yourself hydrated and beware!
Cheers. I like making guitars because they are little works of art that live on to make more art.
‘In the race and not in the land fill’ 👌 🎸 fun and inspiring as always
Love the idea that you used a small strip of wood from the door as purfling.. genius!
This is better that guitar made out of perfect wood. This one has that great component - love with which you make those instruments. All of the owners of these are lucky to have something super unique and "warm".
I even got someone who took the time to tell me they were unsubscribing because of this! Could you imagine feeling the need to do that? lol. The internet is a fun place.
@@timsway we are all unique. Some in a good sense and some - not really.
One worlds famous luthier also used second-hand wood. I guess, we all have heard of the guy whos violins now sell for millions. He also loved making his violins.
It even has Nylon Strings which are very gentle on the fingers. The nice thing is that Parlor Guitars make excellent travel Guitars because they're compact
Really really like the re-use and giving new life to otherwise wasted materials. These instruments look great! Have a request for more bass guitars please.
I have a ton of basses in the works right now. A bass like this guitar, a semihollow short scale, a bass vi (probably won't film that) and v2.0 of my new fretless design i hope to hit this summer or fall.
‘Yeah, well no, actually you can polish a turd’ is the most brilliantly on-brand thing. Nearly cheered out loud. Carry on, Tim!
There is a whole Mythbusters episode dedicated to it.
Mythbusters once tried to polish a turd...
@@pallecla And then it hit the fan.
There’s a tribe in Africa that collect elephant dung and pats (by hand) them into polished rocks that celebrities and rich folk pay crazy money for. So yes. Yes you can polish a turd into a gem. If you still don’t believe me then rewind this very video...
See, a polished turd impresses no one. Nobody’s going to say “Wow! Look at the shine on that turd”. They’re just going to say “don’t step on that turd”.
You can use fan bracing if you're using nylon strings. Makes the top move much easier, since x bracing makes everything stiffer so that the steel strings don't destroy everything.
I love the way it looks and it sounds really good too. I definitely need to start making more of an effort to use less and reuse more.
just perfect
The guitar is made of scrap at little cost and yet It tunes up and plays. If it's sound isn't studio quality, it still sounds good to my ears. I think it's a worthwhile nylon string guitar to keep around, and you continue to impress me!
I love the overall design and shape.
Pretty cool idea and fun to watch. Could you stabilize the neck wood before carving like folks do in knife handle making and such? Vacuum epoxy into the wood?
Probably. I don't have a vacuum bag. I think that would work better
@@timsway Not sure if a vac bag would work for stabilizing or not. Most of the time they're using some sort of degassing chamber. I guess it'd be a bit of an investment, but seems like it would open the door to a lot of projects with your material. (no pun intended) th-cam.com/video/Z2jEdjYEd1M/w-d-xo.html
I've used old kitchen cupboard doors for other types of builds and the wood can be amazing, solid oak frames with thin oak panels. Even some of the old pine doors must have thin panels that could be tuned for acoustic guitars like you do with spruce. If not perfect for that slightly upmarket electric guitar
Another good idea for hollowcore doors are floating shelves, if you cut them on the table saw long ways to a desired shelf size, break back the cardboard inside a bit on the cut side, cut lumber to fit into the hollow, attach the board to the studs in the wall, slide the hollowcore door on the board and fasten with a couple screws. They look pretty nice at the end! Especially if they're like most hollowcore doors made of mahogany.
love it!
Man I love this, it’s recycling at its best. Turning trash into treasure, many famous guitarist made there own instruments be it Eddie Van Halen or Eric Clapton, but what those guys did was take off the shelf parts or guitars and make a new one. Brian May made his guitar from everything from a table to using motorcycle parts to make his own unique and amazing guitar, and that’s what makes his guitar so unique is that it was made from recycled materials and is amazing and personalized to his taste.
You can’t polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter.
But Mythbusters had polished a turd
That’s beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for letting us see your work
Tim, I think what will help prevent cracking is radiusing the braces. That slight arch let’s it flex in or out and let’s the instrument handle humidity and environmental changes.
That and the least amount of mass you can put on the top and back are supposed to be very important for volume/tone
It looks amazing, Tim! Thank you so much! 🎸
Smart move using nylon strings. Probably a good candidate for paint, then you could scrape the bindings for some zing. You can usually get paint at the recycle center.
I just want to say that first track you used is super catchy
That sounds way better than the door I slammed last week. It just wasn’t as... “musical”
Great job repurposing that wood, Brother Tim!
Well it just looks adoorable. Sounds that way too.
This makes perfect sense if you think about it. Look at any department store acoustic guitar from the latter half of the 1900s and you'll see its made from thin plywood. So basically hollow core doors. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those factories wasn't spitting doors out of one side and guitars out the other. I know they get a lot of hate, but my 1960s Silvertone archtop is 100% plywood(save for the neck) and I think it sounds fantastic!
That will of guitars are my fav
Gonna miss the podcast 🥲
Inspiring. I wonder if a Spanish joint (where the sides get joined into slots right in the heel) would work better than a dovetail. Or a bolt-on rig, maybe.
Absolutely gorgeous guitar!! Love the fact that you’re making things the unnatural way!
lol. well put :)
Man, you never stop! I like the distressed wood look and the size is kind of cute!
Hey I really like the build. The question I have is around these slotted/classical headstocks. I am not sure the reason for having a break angle between the headstock and neck, when you have a natural break angle caused by the tuner being probably 10+mm below the height of a regular tuner. Just always seems so much wood (or effort with scarf joints) could be saved.
I did a slight angle just for looks really. I make a flat headed, electric guitar with a slotted headstock that is the best of both worlds: natural string break angle without a fragile, difficult or wasteful angled headstock and noextra hardware needed.
Wow, that looks awesome.
Matthias Wandel quote from one his videos. Anyone can make something that looks like it was made from garbage. The trick is making it not look like it was made with garbage. Great guitar. I got 4 hollow core doors from our house in the shed. Wife keeps wanting me to get rid or them but I will use them one of these days...
Good quote
Another unique-looking and great-sounding guitar! You need a new bumper sticker for the Jambulance: Garbage is my Favorite Tone Wood. You're welcome. 😁 Thanks for sharing!
It sounds kind of like "Trigger," Willie Nelson's guitar. I'm wondering if Hollow Core doors might be good for making something like Dan Electro sounding guitars. Maybe the shape of the body could be cut out of the door, structural beams added, and then the spaces filled with some sort of expanding structural foam. Thanks
You can make anything from them. After all, #HollowCoreDoorsAreTheNewPallet :)
You have inspired me to try to make instruments out of non-traditional materials. I have made a pine ukulele and a Coffincaster 3string guitar. Both turned out great. I lost several trees to emerald ash borers in the past few years and my next instrument will be made from wood from those trees that I saved. Thanks, Tim Sway, for what you are doing. With your abilities (far beyond those of mortal men) you could be using the finest exotic hardwoods to be making world-class musical instruments. But “polishing the turd” is much more challenging. Thanks again.
Ash is good guitar wood. just make sure the bugs are dead in it first. (kiln dry or you can do some diy stuff in the driveway with plastic bags to choke them out). The other thing with traditional guitar building is the waste. you have to select the right pieces, avoid knots, etc. So for every piece in the guitar there's a pile that didn't make the cut, or if you make a tiny mistake you gotta start over instead of sanding it out... it just doesn't make sense to me. I mean we're gonna scratch the thing up with our fingernails and picks, sweat all over it, spill beer on it then forget it in the trunk of the car overnight...
I work on old buildings here in the UK of varying ages sometimes over 500 years,, this can be challenging we have a saying..
you can't polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter !!!
Thats great. It had a Wild West vibe to it. Another epic build!
Not bad Dad....I like it , now maybe an elextric acoustix slide only model ?
Your guitars are masterpieces!
Works of art!!
Couldn’t ask for a better video on my 18th birthday
happy birthday!
WOWOWOW.. what a bunch of work to reclaim that wood ... omg ... well done Tim .. Hi from italy
I find your channel really inspirational. I have made a few small guitars and a double neck ukulele from old ikea parts and hope to continue exploring the whole trash to playable instrument cycle you are working in. There are so many materials right in front of us all.
Not every instrument needs to be a stradivarius and it's a lot of fun to keep things out of the landfill while giving them a new and useful existence. Thanks for your videos, especially this one.
Testify
The reclaiming mentality is amazing Tim, I've adopted it myself for the work on my gun restorations. Learned that one from you my dude.
Great work Tim. You picked up a few more tools since the double bass video. I built a teardrop double bass and you were a wealth of information. Thanks.
Cool lofi beat in the background. Usually you see guitar playing in the background on a video like this
Oops there it is
You/He definitely has some new perspectives on guitar construction.
It is a joy to watch a master craftsman. I like the Django Reinhardt style. Re purposing, recycling is cool.
They’re going to be collectors items one day, so cool ! 💃🎶💃🎶🇦🇺
Tim, I think this guitar came out great. Like most things in life it's a learning experience. One thing I that I think could have worked is, if you had mixed some wood pulp or saw dust with epoxy and used that to fill in the gap between the neck and body. I have an old Manuel Tatay Spanish Guitar, it use to belong to my cousin Roger who passed away some years ago. The room I had it in was completely torn apart by Hurricane Katrina years ago, and the guitar was badly damaged. I was wondering if I could send it to you over the mail, to see if you can make something new from whats left of it?
good idea. I've done that to fill small cracks. it would probably have worked like a mortar. you can message me via www.newperspectivesmusic.com to discuss the Tatay for sure.
I'd like to see what you could do with old road signs. Ive heard you can purchase decommissioned signs from city road departments.
Haha i purchased my "decommissioned" signs straight from the road
your guitar building videos have me actually looking forward to the time my fence needs replacing lol...
Great job!
Love it Tim!
23" scale sounded good in your hands on that last part of the video. You play very well.
Great video. I really like the shape and design with the cut out. Like headstock too. Any chance that a plan or drawing is available? Danny Lewis is another good channel showing how he uses reclaimed wood to make acoustic guitars and ukeleles. Really like this idea rather than expensive exotic woods.
cheers! no plans for this one, sorry. I very openly share a lot of my work online, but I have to keep some IP for myself! :) I do have some electric guitar and bass plans for sale at newperspectivesmusic.com
Tim, that was sh1t - polished nicely. It sounds better than my $40 cheap shop guitar i bought to keep in the staffroom for when i need a break.
I love watching you make from what others consider trash, keeping it from the landfill for a little longer.
Tim, Happy Fathers Day!
This is not really about guitars so please bear with me:
I totally get the re- and upcycling of wood. It was a tree once, then it became a barn for 200 years, then someone made a wardrobe out of it, that later was sawn apart and became a cupboard and finally you hack it into small pieces to heat your house. So you really get the last bit of use out of a tree and in the end return it to the cycle and that all completely CO2 neutral.
Now we bring resin into the mix and I see that a lot in the upcycling "scene". I would imagine that resin makes it harder to add an additional upcycling step once the object you made has outlived it's usefulness. I'd also think that you can't just leave resin treated wood out in the rain to have it turn into compost over time or burn it for heating without releasing something undesired.
Can anyone shine a light on this for me?
I hear you and I am not a big fan of resin (primarily because of its footprint). I use it sparingly, like glue or for minor crack repairs. The giant river table pours make me crazy.
Living leaves a footprint for everything and everyone. But we can decide how big ours is and actively manage its size. If I were truly unselfishly concerned with my individsual footprint, I'd live in the woods and not make youtube videos. But I feel the need to make and to passively get others to think about their footprints, so I try to do so the best I can. I hope to do more good than harm.
Hear me out, I know this is grandiose, but if by making these videos I can help change the way many people look at materials, approach deconstruction, build instruments, etc., then I find that justifies the footprint I leave behind in doing so. This guitar that will eventually decompose (everything does, some things faster) But just like every builder ever in time, I do my best to make it NOT decompose! lol.
Environmentalism is not black and white bu very, VERY grey with lots of rabbit holes and murky waters. I find many people don't want to explore it because it's hard (or they lack the ability to think in grey) so they give up, put their head in the sand, deny their direct impact on the world around them or pass the buck. Me? I jump in. I certainly make mistakes but I also make discoveries.
I am very grateful to hear from people like you who understand how to think critically and live in the grey areas. Please DO NOT give up. Keep thinking, looking for answers and questioning what you see. Don't like my answer? Do the research and get the word out there! But don't get jaded. Do it with the right intentions and for reasons of good. Always. No one person has all the answers but you can help be a part of the solution! Thank you.
@@timsway 👏This reply is proof of the reasoning to watch this channel!
Thanks!👍
Absolutely wonderful!!
Meranti wood aka Philippine Mahogony? I am surprised to find that it’s Janka Hardness is 800 or greater. Thanks!🌞✌️😎🎻
Very impressive work. Turning trash into treasure, love the philosophy.
I watched another YTer build an acoustic and she used a bolt on system (bolts through the block and CA glue coated threaded insert fasteners in the neck heel) to install the neck. I wonder if that might work better with your luan multilaminate neck? You're getting better with every project. Regards.
The last acoustic I made I used a threaded insert and bolt. I know from experience with a bolt on elecrtric that the luan and screws don't work too well together. I think I prefer bolt ons from a maker standpoint (and repair position) but I want some experience doing this, too.
@@timswayNow that you mention it I watched that video and completely forgot you had already used the bolt on process. Maybe luan is just too "shreddy" at the body/heel attachment point? I think you alluded to this, but perhaps sandwiching? a piece of solid wood at the heel end of the neck blank would stabilize things. I'm sure you'll figure it out and I will be glad to see the process!
Love it! Always an inspiration!
Very inspiring.Thank you!
Another ace piece of work...love it!
Love your sustainable philosophy and practical approach.
Have you ever thought of using the cardboard reinforcing inside the doors? Maybe you could soak them with resin and make a lattice braced guitar?
I have thought about it as I love the look. "submerged in resin" I find a little boring and counterproductive for my eco mission (so much resin, so many people do resin guitars!) Maybe a compression with resin to make a solid block? That would feel better on the wallet and environment than filling the air between with epoxy...
@@timswaythanks for the reply 😊
I wasn't thinking of filling the guitar - rather keeping the cardboard pretty much as is and using it in a guitar much like it's used in the door. Like one of Greg Smallman's guitars. The resin would just be to strengthen and stiffen it.
@@timsway cool 😊👍
You've come quite a long way 👏👏
Very cool! One small suggestion: grain filler. These closet door panels have such a deep grain. Just a thought.
I need a shop to work in with AC . It is too hot to do my Cigar Box guitar builds . Living in a 20 ft trailer makes it hard .
It has a kind of weird Danelectro vibe. Really cool!
Danelectro was great at reusing 'garbage' too and did some great inventions alon the way.
Good job Tim enjoyed the video sounds nice little bit of a ukulele sound in it sweet!
You’re very inspiring, Tim.
Tim my man. Ive used junk wood for furinuture and yes total boat is grand!
I use there top coats. Epoxy
As glue hell ya
Well done Tim! Even with the mistakes, that guitar turned out great & also sounds pretty damn good. I appreciate the fact that you use materials in a sustainable way. Having made an Acoustic from scratch many years ago, I can appreciate the work that goes into building a guitar like that. Keep up the great work & doing what you are doing! 👍👍😉😉
May we all master some form of your practical alchemy. This is awesome.
I find it kind of funny that you are using old mahogany doors to make guitars as I thought of the same thing probably ten years ago. However, I have never built a guitar so, I am glad that you are using something that I wondered about myself.
I really enjoy and learn from your videos. Thank you.
I would like to see you make a guitar out of bamboo cutting boards.
Acoustic bass next???
Yes. Mini 6 string bass
"There's still some shine to find in that turd." Words to live by. :)
Nice work Tim, I really enjoyed this video. Nicely filmed, the hand tool work is great!
Wow, great video! I had no idea you made guitars
Very interesting...sounds and looks GREAT!!!
Well, I’m convinced. I’ve been watch for some years now and I think I’m ready to join the turd polishing business!😂
A Homemade Parlor Guitar complete with a cutaway
Tim you are definitely the Leonardo DaVinci of upcycling guitar makers. As always I love your videos. This video I missed my favorite part when you give a guitar to somebody that you made especially for them and their expression and happiness.
cheers. I don't always get to do that for film :/
👍 I learned to play on a guitar with a very similar voice.
You know what, it's kinda like converting an old broken Guitar into a Mandocello
well done!. inspirational.
Was wondering do you have any tee shirts or other merchandise for sale
Only hats right now at www.newperspectivesmusic.com
Great video. Awesome guitar. Can see you're adding more and more detail. Cool. Thanks for saving the planet. Mahalo for sharing! : )
Knock-knock...good looking guitar.
Awesome work Tim! 😃👍🏻👊🏻
Good job tim! It sounds good too!