445 RSW 1930's 1940's Recording King

Once the King of guitars for Montgomery Ward, this guitar was in the shop for some much needed TLC. A neck reset later and this instrument regained it's crown back! Filled with good music from RSW!
Support: / rosastringworks
Website: www.rosastring...

[@RickMichaelis63]

Awesome job Caleb!!!!🎸🎶🙏👍🏻

[@sandis5554]

Calab as many have stated here... we loved the video. You are a wonderful addition to the channel especially since there is no dillitalling going on there! Lol. I loved hearing you say that! Jerry is rubbing off on you in more ways then you ever thought!.

[@1244taylor]

Great Job Caleb.. Sounds pretty darn good...a nice old guitar..

[@charlieherbst5517]

Great job young man. It was a pleasure to watch you work a couple weeks ago.

[@cwilczak8706]

Great Job! Another check in the box!

[@CarolDailey]

Wow. Great job Caleb!

[@briankientz2926]

Thumbs Up Caleb! You made it look easy...

Nice one Caleb. You the man!

[@WithStringedInstruments]

You are doing a great job on repairs. You demonstrate clearly how much you have learned. Bringing an unplayable or damaged instrument back to life brings everyone great joy - the luthier, the owner and also the viewers.

[@HayesTech]

Awesome video Caleb. I have a new Recording king RD-328 and love that guitar. It's solid Adirondacks spruce top and solid East Indian Rosewood back inside. It's a cannon. Don't overlook Recording King. Keep up the awesome work Caleb, you are doing a great job.

[@freddyjholst60]

Kalob...I've ben so happy watching you grow. Doing much better with explaining your work. Less anxiety. You go buddy!

[@zapa1pnt]

Yes, Caleb, you are doing better, talking to the camera. Just pretend you have an eight year old, who don't know squat, standing next to you and talk to him. A lot of us, out here, are just like that eight year old. We don't know squat, but we want to. 😋

[@daveogarf]

*Fred Holst* - (*Caleb)

[@antoniojss]

Great job, your voice sounds really calm, that help us to keep paying attention on what you are explaining.

[@nfijef]

Go Caleb! Makin' us proud;)

[@micktepolt6276]

very good job ,all righty

[@bruceducker2029]

It never ceases to amaze me some of the instruments you get in the shop. Unique is an understatement. Jerry, I noticed that Caleb has mastered holding his mouth right in order to get the most out of his blossoming talent. Thanks for the video.

[@bobmckenna5511]

Curious pickup placement. It seems to me it would be more style matching to the contemporary music to go closer to the neck, either half way or right up to it. Yes, i see the way it was built that would require a significant overhaul. Plus, they were just learning their way around the application of electrifying guitars then, so Montgomery Ward just entered something into the market to get a slice of the pie. Cool video, thanks.

[@joeymclaughlin1264]

I know nothing about instruments, music or woodworking, but this channel is my new favorite! You explain everything so well and your voice is very calming. Thanks.

[@phantom21629]

Awesome work Caleb! You are doing so well. I love your confidence level when taking on these projects. Keep up the great work. Periodically during the video we can hear Jerry scrapping away on that mandolin. Can't imagine the hours you two put into these projects. Hope we see more soon. Until next time :)

[@jeremywolstenholme9277]

Lest we forget,the music on your channel is wonderful.

[@ferdberffle]

Fantastic job, Caleb! I'm kinda thinking you were born to be a Luthier. Jerry, great job of taking Caleb under your wing and teaching him.

[@williambain7900]

That looks like the pickup on my Supro lap-steel

[@mitchmatthews6713]

I've seen some old Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs, and those pickups with the controls on the sides were common. Keep up the good work, Caleb!

[@scaira60]

Caleb Great job kid, Jerry has taught You well. But You also obviously have a natural talent that cannot be taught.. One suggestion to Both You & Jerry I know you guys use that semi chrome polish I beg of you wear gloves when useing that stuff, Take it from a 60yr old guy who has been exposed to too many chemicals over my career Iam now suffering from a lot of issues. God Bless & Keep em coming💪💪🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙏

[@The..Butterfly..Effect]

How old is Caleb ?

[@chrismills1561]

@@The..Butterfly..Effect he'll be 21 this month

[@The..Butterfly..Effect]

@@chrismills1561 Not a kid

[@steveharris2589]

Very good work Caleb!!!!!!)))🎸🎸🎸👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼😊

[@chadritchey1427]

Caleb, great job! Jerry your compositions have become earworms that I hum and sing to throughout my day. Thanks to Melissa too for starting to get this ragtag crew into shape! Love you guys!

[@richfolkes]

Great job Caleb. I take my hat off to you for your splendid work.

[@Sir.RickParker949]

Good job Caleb!you're a very fortunate young man To have the opportunity to Learn from Jerry,for it is a trade that very few people Know, and you are learning from 1 of the best luthiers There is. He is teaching you not only the trade, but little tricks that many he learned the hard way, so don't take things forgranted.Hang in there and learn all you can for nobody lives forever,like my great uncle who taught me woodworking and guitar repair while he was busy Making his own fiddles. I had to move back up to Michigan due to my father's health failing fast. Before I Knew it my dad and uncle both passed away within a few months of each other. Thanks to them both I have 2 trades. I was a auto mechanic, but got my hand severely crushed in a accident.I Can't work on cars anymore Now I'm on disability, but I can do luthier work as a extra source of income thanks to my great uncle.

[@keninnis1]

Nice work Caleb...way to go..

[@billmumbo2697]

Wish I had your tenacity and talent at your age but I'm trying thanks from London England 4:20 am

[@THETuerre]

The way Caleb conducts himself with the tools of the trade shows he has been exposed to fine woodworking for awhile. He's doing advanced techniques I've not seen Jerry perform.

[@jimpage601]

A fascinating video with cool and thoughtful repairs and an interesting early acoustic-electric guitar. Good job, Caleb (and Jerry!).

[@RedRose4711]

That looked actually quite a difficult repair, but I am glad Caleb was up to the task, but I kinda knew anyway judging from all his previous work. Very well done indeed.

[@monsterkxf]

Awesome job!! Would love that guitar!! 🤘🤘

[@willmorrison1022]

What a neat old guitar. Most unique pickup I've ever seen. Looks like a Charlie Christian type, but with double blades. Fascinating what people would buy back in the day. But all in all, a nice box, and now it's ready for the next hundred years. Great job as always, Caleb. And you are really getting good at describing what you're doing, which is a great way for those also learning the techniques you are. COOL!

[@froter1]

Well done Caleb ! You are a fine young man ! I'm sure Jerry is very proud of you and he should be ! You've learned very well and you are so methodical and precise ! I'd take my guitar to you any day of the week ❤️

[@timothycharron8807]

Nice work!

[@kolinhodgson286]

Excellent job. I imagine it was a big leap of faith to apprentice for Jerry, but you are getting an education no money can buy. Your skills were already good and I think they're improving fast. Keep up the great work.

[@reginaldfitzpatrick8681]

Did I miss something, or is there a reason that both E strings have more space between the other strings at the nut area? Seems strange

[@andrewreynolds2647]

Great job Caleb, you did that job like a pro, the guitar sounds great for an old oldjun, but then so does Jerry lol. Great entertainment watching your skills. Cheers. Andy. Scotland

[@zapa1pnt]

One of those is currently selling, on Reverb, for $1450 + ship. It has the same electrics but a different tail piece.

[@guitarsforsaleonebay]

Lol. The guitar from this video is up on Reverb too.

[@TheRobman]

@@guitarsforsaleonebay I found your listing: reverb.com/item/34375528

[@graemehansell7642]

Wow. It didn’t take long for that guitar to appear on the market! Nice to see that Caleb’s great work is properly regarded as a selling point! Seeing the invoice from RSW that was good value for money!

[@guitarsforsaleonebay]

Well actually the guitar's been done for about 2 months they're just releasing the video now. And I had actually had the guitar up on reverb before the repair was done. I took it down while they had the guitar and then I put it back up soon after I got it back.I thought maybe they didn't do a video on this one and I was actually surprised to see it pop up. They must have been working on this vid for a while.

[@dl22al10]

Sounds wonderful! I got a Recording King 12 string four years ago and it’s the best sounding guitar I have. It also stays in tune better than my other ones

[@dennismason3740]

Beautiful. I'd do what I did with my Sears Silvertone - I'd turn it into a superfine slide guitar and leave the neck as is. I'm not really lazy, just terrified of destroying the instrument. Plus I play exquisite slide guitar in open tuning with just firsts and fifths. Nice work, Caleb.

[@fino2604]

Great job fella.

[@alanburgess3453]

That pickup looks like it may have come from a vintage Lap Steel guitar and has been DIY'd into the Recording King.

[@guitarsforsaleonebay]

No it's original. That's my guitar. There are a number of others that can be seen online that match it.

[@wellmike]

@@guitarsforsaleonebay You put the guitar in good hands. Going to be a nice playing tool.

[@NickRatnieks]

Here is a quote from an identical guitar for sale- which was made by Regal for Recording King (Montgomery Ward) that mentions the pick up type was used in lap steel guitars: "This very early electric archtop features a pickup which at the time Regal almost exclusively reserved for the Maybell lap steel they were producing under the Slingerland name, however, a few documented examples have surfaced with this pickup design mounted on a guitar like the instrument for sale here!

[@guitarsforsaleonebay]

Well they're saying it's identical pick up system that was used in a certain lap steel model guitar but that does not mean it was home installed into the Recording King there are far too numerous examples of this exact guitar with that exact pickup for to have been just a home done grafted in pickup. Definitely not DIY'd.

[@NickRatnieks]

@@guitarsforsaleonebay I have edited my comment because it clearly was made by Regal with the pick up installed at the factory- not added later as there ae a number of these guitars around. I imagine that there is also a Montgomery Ward ad that features the guitar but the Regal guitar book does not show one although it does show Recording King ads from that time.

[@antonsworldofvideos8096]

You so deserve a thumbs up for an excellent video Caleb. Most impressive.

[@RickRomanelli]

Nice Caleb. Do you both like the Super Phatic glue better than the Canopy glue?

[@p_mouse8676]

Can you maybe explain why to use a bar instead of an adjustable truss rod? Seems to be the same amount of work? Just curious. Wonderful job as always!

[@guitarsforsaleonebay]

I didn't really want to have them change the appearance of the guitar from original if you used an adjustable truss rod you would have to route out into the headstock and then have the additional truss rod cover and I really didn't want that. These not adjustable bars are basically like what Martin had done in their first years of reinforcing the next and they hold up very well.

[@cojones8518]

Couple reasons I can see. First to use an adjustable rod means you have to adjust it. That means you'd have to have somewhere to put a wrench on it. Since the body only has F hole cutouts and not a round sound hole like a normal guitar means you can't hide the adjusting nut and adjust it at the bottom inside the body. So the only place open is on the headstock which means extending the groove cut and adding a cover plate. Customer might have objected to that radical a change to the look of the guitar.

[@TheRobman]

​@@guitarsforsaleonebay would it have reduced its vintage value?

[@guitarsforsaleonebay]

I mean possibly. But there's no real fix other than reinforcement. If you don't fix it it's just an unplayable wall hanger. And in my mind that's worse.

[@TheRobman]

@@guitarsforsaleonebay what I meant was, if Caleb had put an adjustable truss rod in there, with a cover on the headstock, even though that would have improved its playability down the road, would it have reduced its vintage value?

[@perihelion7798]

That pickup was obviously designed by Motorola, a pioneer in vehicle radios. Very cool. You are learning pretty fast, Caleb. Maybe you can fill in while Jerry plays music and chops wood! Seriously, I do hope you continue as a luthier. You seem to have a real affinity for the work.

[@markgandcompany]

Nice work Caleb. Another old cool looking guitar ... saved and improved upon.

[@Garry572301]

Nice Job Caleb, Wow a Montgomery Ward guitar… I remember I purchased my first guitar from Spiegel Catalog... no longer in business either… it cost me a whopping $19.95 back in 1968 when I was around 12… it took me quite a while to save for it, by cutting grass and delivering newspapers and such…👍👍👍

[@professornuke7562]

Is this the master teaching the apprentice all the skills of a business including self promotion? I never film my instrument fixes because, well yeah, I'm not a professional job here. Just like I didn't film the outside toilet build that saved me three grand (true story but hard to prove). Cary on mate. you're doing okay and I hope Jerry is happy. I watch a mad chap in England who seems to have a Sarth Efrikaan accent make guitars I would never buy, (he has a bald, tattooed head and isn't hard to find) learn a lot, but never want to be in the market. I've loved Jerry's videos....if it is you, that's gonna be fine.

[@MrRbillharz]

Nice repair! Thanks for bringing this one back! I think this guitar should be strung with electric guitar strings, they work better with a magnetic pick-up. In keeping with the guitars age I would of strung it with a medium gauge flat wound.

[@Bruhaha9]

The neck is straightened by virtue of simply being clamped and glued around the stabilizing rod?

[@papotorres9064]

Hats off to your granddad , thanks to him you have picked up on his footsteps. Alfred NYC/PR

[@DavidinFujairah]

Well done! I enjoyed watching this as much or more than any of your videos. Really enjoyed the Rosa Strings music here too.

[@GA1dad]

Well done young man,, your Jedi skills are advancing quite nicely!!!

[@judyyoung1167]

I have a ‘39 Recording King exactly like this except the pickup is in the neck position. Only one I’ve ever seen

[@ramspencer5492]

Wait.... Recording King has been a brand that long? Cool..... I've never acoustic models... Made in China but nice ... Solid wood and pretty good tone ... Thick necks....

[@opinFox]

so why could you not put a regular truss rod in the necK? would the arch give you too much trouble for a body truss or the neck too much trouble for truss to go in ? im not trying to pick you apart im just interested to find out why this was the better option?

[@andrewduke1489]

Great work Caleb, you keep making strides forward, I love it!

[@davidmcausland4088]

Great Job there Caleb you really made a difference to a nice old guitar well done.

[@Bruhaha9]

Glue doesn't go between the fingerboard and the body?

[@Shadowmanbluesbluesman]

Nice job Caleb, I have to do the same job on my 1950s Klira

[@jerrybest9852]

Enjoyed it Caleb, keep up the good work Jerry best

[@bobl2995]

Great job Caleb nice repair your doing great my friend 👍

[@philsaunders6133]

what a labour of love for something that would sound better hung on the wall !

[@nileswright8915]

that is awesome work...... great video! :)

[@fuzzyjax]

What an old gem of an instrument. Great job!

[@davidstrother496]

Great job Caleb, I have enjoyed watching your progression as a luthier. You did a great job on the old Recording King. BIG thumbs up.

[@orcaandrea]

Jerry you sound like a wonderful teacher. I like the way you give instructions and how much you trust Caleb. And, kid, you are great!!! Thanks for all your contents!

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Like #598 Thanks for the video!

[@phereracer]

Nice work Caleb...time to ask for a raise!! 😉

[@shartne]

Good job Caleb looks like you can make any old guitar play good.

[@yorpersona]

An Iron will soften the fretboard

[@danielr.schafer9504]

Why not an adjustable truss rod?

[@robertkibbler1564]

Can I just say clamp the work piece (i.e. The guitar) to the bench , to stop it moving about whilst working on it ....? It makes sense don't you think.!

[@RosaStringWorks]

That might work for you but it doesn't work for us. We like to keep things moving. I need to move things around in order to work on them

[@serkangunturk6273]

Great repair Caleb, congratulations! I don't think Bronze strings is the right choice for pickup though.

[@serkangunturk6273]

and you may check the string spacing on the nut again, but you did the hard part-setting the neck!

[@philbrown6787]

Nice! I love old archtops

[@csnelling4]

Nice one Caleb, 👏👏👏👏👍🇬🇧

[@danielr.schafer9504]

What brand on the pick up?

[@rontuohy8902]

Great work as usual Caleb!

[@Unclejake]

Great job, why was the decision to put in a non adjustable rob? I mean I understand a lot of decision are made about final cost, and an adjustable would be more time putting in a channel in the headstock and making a truss rod cover but looks like the customer was getting the “full meal deal” and upgraded to the jumbo fries. Nice job in the end.

[@TheRobman]

It was the customer's choice, ​ @Abingdon Alchemy owns this guitar and commented up above that he didn't want that.

[@walterhambrick8705]

Hey Caleb, think of how lucky you have been in 2020 ! You are learning a craft that will be needed for the next 10 years (at least). And if you decided to change direction, you could be a finish carpenter or furniture maker ! You work in a shop where there is only you, Jerry, and maybe his wife. You don't have to wear a mask all day long ! You get to learn and not have student loan debt ! Good luck in your future.

[@willmorrison1022]

Ten years? Forever. As long as there are wooden instruments, there will be people needed to fix them. It's funny, most instrument builders start off as regular woodworkers, and then want to test themselves. Once they start making instruments, they usually don't go back to furniture. Totally different set of skills. Instruments are far more demanding. And so, more satisfying when you've done a good one.

[@walterhambrick8705]

@@willmorrison1022 HI Will. I was just being conservative. I simply meant he had a lifetime of work with the skills he was / has learned.

[@willmorrison1022]

@@walterhambrick8705 That is for sure. I'm jealous as can be. Wish I would have had that chance when I was his age. I might actually be GOOD at something by now (62).

[@walterhambrick8705]

@@willmorrison1022 Will, I know this is not politically correct, but life isn't fair. I think I was able to do things I wanted, but not when I wanted, which of course made me an awkward automobile technician / computer tech / and teacher. I'm retired now and life is good. Hope yours is too.

[@willmorrison1022]

@@walterhambrick8705 You know, as we sit here and look back on what was vs what we thought COULD be, it does occur that we did have some choices, just not the ones we were expecting. What we have done with them is the thing that matters. I've done the computer tech thing, as well, and various other things, right now I work in prototyping and production for a commercial lighting company. It gives me a chance to do all sorts of different things, from electrical testing to metal parts fabrication, to paint, to whatever else needs to be done, all the way down to delivering the rent payment. Boredom isn't that big of an issue, now days. Can't complain, all in all, but what is the point of that? It just gets everyone else thinking they can complain to YOU, and then you're stuck listening to them whine. Takes all the fun RIGHT out of it!

[@peterbryan3081]

Great job Caleb.

[@edgilligan5078]

Great job Caleb!

[@rbcphoto]

Great job Caleb

[@stevedimebag]

Get some eye protection Caleb. Little bits of metal spinning at 10000rpm, shattering at any moment can cause some serious damage. Only takes one...

[@andyoke50]

Well done Caleb.

[@pierrelalumiere6109]

good job Caleb

[@colinricgmailcom]

Excellent!

[@QBandBookingKC]

Excellent

[@garyclements2491]

Another awesome job Caleb!!

[@LUCKYB.]

You know it rite when its goodNtight 👍

[@Dr.Catacus]

Nice job, Caleb. 👍👍👍🤠

[@NickRatnieks]

The guitar was made by Regal in about 1941- those Kluson tuners with those covers date from the very early 1940s before WW2 led to metal shortages- so goodbye tuner covers! Recording King was a Montgomery Ward brand through the 30s into the 40s before WW2 made mail order sales problematical due to difficulties getting stock for the catalogue. After WW2 the Montgomery Ward brand name became Sherwood and the guitars were mostly supplied by Kay. Well done for your efforts!: reverb.com/uk/item/354224-1930s-recording-king-by-regal-vintage-electric-archtop-guitar-sunburst-w-case?locale=en-GB

[@DrGeek01]

Nice work Caleb!! Love love love my old archtops and makes me cry for joy when someone does the right job and resurrects one with respect and dignity!

[@MaximilianBocek]

I was surprised that the Rosa shop uses Titebond on top of epoxy, yet it seems to work. I'd love it if at some point, in some video, Jerry, you could tell us what you know about using these two adhesives together. Great job, Caleb. Plus, super cool old guitar!

[@jklog69]

Great job Caleb! Jerry is very lucky to be passing knowledge on to a fine young man like yourself. I'm not here to harp on you at all, buy please use some safety glasses when you're routing. Trust me, it's no fun having a sliver of wood removed from your eye at the ER.

[@mattliebenau9083]

Neat old guitar. I think those were lap steel pickups from Kay or Valco or whoever made the guitars for Montgomery Ward.

[@RicksPickin]

Excellent job, and a very interesting video as you have such a cool, relaxing “bench side” manor..... I’m gonna nickname you “The Doc” 😎