"Bob Holo quick course on gypsy jazz guitar setup" / patrus53.com / DFNW 2012

[@marcpost5266]

Tommy Emmanuel adjusts his truss rod on a regular basis before each show due to humidity and temperature changes. He wants his guitar neck as straight and action as low as he can get it. He adjusts the truss rod to the point where he gets fret buzz then backs it off to the point where it stops. He says no one should be afraid of making minor adjustments to the truss rod.

[@kebmo3108]

I agree - it is often just the neck that bends due to temperature and humidity - so little adjustment of the truss rod helps definitely - but everybody is totally afraid of it, which I can understand if it is a expensive guitar. Thanks for the the first hand Tip from TE , good to know - makes it less mystic to adjust the truss rod.

[@0hardy]

Great instructor !

[@Heretic11743]

That's one crunchy and fine sounding gypsy guitar, Mr. Holo!

[@77pearcearrow]

Thats a great video, very informative. Thank you Bob!

[@davestambaugh7282]

It is my understanding that these guitars have a scale length of 26.625" which is longer than usual for guitars. This would result in higher tension than most guitars given the same string set is used. So I would guess that the players prefer higher tension that you would find on other guitars. This calls to attention the fact that unlike most flat top guitars these guitars have a saddle bridge and a tailpiece meaning that they require higher string tension to get the same amplitude as guitars with tie bridges and no tailpiece since the energy is given to the sound board by downward pressure alone. Good intonation is dependent on string tension. Tension that is to high can result in string breakage among other things however to low string tension can seriously affect intonation. I have made a fixture to measure string tension and found that the closer to equal tension between the strings in a set gives the best intonation.

[@SKarlaArt]

good video, that Guitar sounds great, I can't believe he slid the bridge under full tension!

[@archtopeddy]

Nice job Bob. Thanks for the tips!

[@angelyakko731]

excellent merci

[@charleshoernemann8661]

Thanks for the information Bob! But please snip off the excess string protruding from the pegs...

[@plectroman]

Very interesting and informative.. Just for the record however, the interval between the high and low E strings is TWO octaves, not one.

[@MarioMaccaferriRules]

Where is Bob Holo now ? Miss him, lovely guy !

[@patrus53]

I will do more video next Sept with Bob. Musicalement, patrus

[@johndennis5182]

iam not really sure what your talking about on the action part, but when you turned your guitar around, your action on the 12th fret looked alright to me, I could tell that the action was not laying down on the fret, which of course you would get string buzz. but your action from what I could see looks about like mine, I know some players like high action, but I like mine a little low, my action looked like yours and I hoping that is a good thing.

[@samuil_maxim]

Hello...Can you please tell me why are gypsy jazz strings for guitar so sticky,.???..I play gypsy jazz for couple of years now and i am an advanced level,..but i always played on regular guitar,...recently i bought gypsy jazz guitar and i put new strings as well d'ddario but they are very sticky much more then regular strings...Why is this,..??? I was looking for answer on the net but nothing on this topic...Greetings...So please if you see this comment can you explain why is this.

[@jacquesmarjaq3173]

Great info..thank you.

[@martinluthierking]

this is simple physics but it is very hard to convey this information to 99.9% of the guitarists I have known.

[@gregmacmillan842]

Bob I'm wondering how you set the height of the 0 fret

[@MarshallAmpMan]

Bob is the bridge fixed or floats? that is can it be glued like let's say on a Martin HD 28? where the bridge doesn't move.

[@ms9625]

thank you!

[@psgcaravan]

that's two octaves you played, not one

[@mate0107]

So what is the best way for put your strings closer to the neck (2.8 and .23mm)?

[@ArkRed1]

My Gitane is really sensitive to an little e string. I get some real bad overtones when I play it open. Some have told me the top is too thin. I've used a .010 and a .011. for a first and still get bad harmonic overtones. I have resorted to using a string damper which takes care of it, but I don't like using the damper. Any suggestions?

[@DavidS992]

I managed to get such parameters. However, now my bridge height is around 0.9 cm and it feels like a bit low. Should I just get used to? Is there any difference for sound because of that?

[@jonahanzlik]

Thanks Bob, i shared it on a Gypsy Jazz forum, and would love to see a part 2 of this. Best regards. Jonah

[@chrisyoung8062]

Bob, when a bridge needs to be raised what is the best method for accomplishing this? I would imagine that shimming the feet would make the most sense but what material would you recommend? I've heard using a hardwood sheet veneer is good because you can stack layers up to achieve the desired height. Is there enough curvature to the top to require "fitting" the bridges feet or is it relatively flat and not an issue?

[@keithpetersen9196]

I have guitar picks under one of mine currently, works well looks ugly.

[@chrisyoung8062]

@@keithpetersen9196 since posting that question I obtained some rosewood veneer as well as a fiber veneer which is used in inlay work. I'm currently using the rosewood but I tried both and both seem to work just as well. Since these veneers are about .5mm in thickness they conform very easily to the curve of the top, even if you stack multiple layers to achieve the desired adjustment. I don't glue the layers as that makes the shim too stiff to conform but instead just stack them and they bend easily. My guess is that any hardwood veneer would work equally well and you don't have to use rosewood.

[@gaiusdrusus]

"Intonating/setting Bridge" : something I have done is to set my bridge when tuned down a fifth. Then I tune up and double check intonation. This saves in high tension bridge moves which can scratch or worse. Anyone have thoughts on that as a technique? My intonation seems pretty good after string changes. Always looking for more insight. Thanks,

[@PabloCardonaMusic]

Well I'm 6 years late but I think this technique works only with small gauges that have little tension, because the more you tune up the strings, the more up bow you give the neck. When the strings are a fifth below the neck is more straight, when you tune up to pitch then the strings will pull more the neck and give a bit more up bow, which means that they will be a small bit taller, and you will be bending them a little bit more when you fret them affecting the intonation

[@F0nkyNinja]

Django raised his bridge by sliding old metro tickets under it.

[@BuzzyWhitlowIndy]

I am interested in learning how to play gypsy style guitar. I already play some guitar, but not jazz. I have small hands and have trouble making some chords and the jazz chords really intimidate me. I do not want to buy another guitar (gypsy) unless you think it would be better to start on a gypsy style guitar. If so, is there one with a narrow neck you could recommend? I like the looks of the ones with the small oval hole the best. Thanks in advance for any reply.

[@patrus53]

+Tom Rodgers I good place to learn is: www.dc-musicschool.com You don't need a Holo to start that's for sure. Musicalement, patrus

[@nicolasloarfa6385]

try a good and cheap Australian guitar, click for gypsy guitar on ebay , CARAYA brand of only near u$s 200.-

[@GypsyFly]

now please send me some link to buy that guitar :D or where to buy it?

[@patrus53]

only at www.djangobooks.com

[@davidkennedy1271]

Did you forget your wire cutters? Good video for a man without cutters.

[@billybob123421]

Met your brother im Coburg

[@miroslavsafin]

I want this guy to tweak my guitar.

[@sirsteven88]

How do you measure the neck relief?

[@dominicsoon]

Steven Reimer I second this unanswered question. The video doesn't explain how to measure the neck relief.

[@MrJunkpile]

+Steven Reimer 6:11

[@bausin]

He explains how to measure it there. Then he concludes that you shouldn't mess with the truss rod. But what if the relief measured too high or low?

[@SKarlaArt]

he said use a pic, feeler gauges work too

[@jdjones4825]

With my chiropractor...... boom boom

[@MrTubeman007]

You told people, don't play with the trusrod, good advice. You didn't say how to get the measurement at the 12th, do you take some wood of the top of the bridge, or the bottom, what if it's too low, can you add wood to the bottom as a shim. Yet to took time to explain that the strings are fat and thin, something that I think is obvious to anyone with a guitar. My advise is if you don't know what you are doing leave well alone, I have just bought an expensive GJ and you could drive a bus under the bridge feet, fiddled with by a nobhead. I built violins for years and found hundreds of beautiful instruments messed up by idiots with shitty tools, they think just because they own a nail file there a Luthier.

[@seandoyle9678]

all you have done is talk... play so django how to play

[@patrus53]

you do understand that I have more than 600 videos of Django's music and just a few videos about guitar marker....talking.

[@keithpetersen9196]

Well this is a video about guitar setup..

[@milenakorovljev4209]

Since Americans are just about the only nation that still uses imperial measures, useful informaton you presented is not much of use for most of us , "millimeter people". Pithy...