Guitar repair: Berries and Birds

[@michaeldorcey9305]

When i have the time, you tube is gracious enough to supply me with a seemingly endless supply of older vids from my main man Ted. Love watching your work. I learn so much too

[@ryanjohnston8599]

I know absolutely nothing about woodwork, electronics or luthiery but I'm totally addicted to this channel. If I lived in Canada this is the gentleman who would look after my instruments. Amazing work 👍

[@ziggylayneable]

I need to tell you Ted you have saved my life watching you work on guitars is so calming😊

[@BenPortmanlewes]

Healing vibes sent. Hope she won.

[@babyyoda4012]

I LUV watching a Surgeon at work! Your THE MAN! Thanx for enriching another day in My Life! Rock On Big Fella!

[@8BitEggplant3]

the paint work on the strat is so lovely, and hearing the context makes it all the more beautiful. I hope the owner's mom is managing okay or that they've been able to find some small peace in this time

[@JC-11111]

I'd much rather have a dark spot than a gouge like that in my fretboard. I'm sure the owner was thrilled! 👍

[@atakdragonfly1675]

I've got lots of guitars where it's naturally that way anyways

[@J.C...]

@@atakdragonfly1675 I don't see how people get those gouges in their fretboards. The first time I played with long fingernails and had a nail dig into the rosewood, I clipped my nails *immediately*. And now I keep them shorter than I ever have at any point in my life lol. I play my guitars daily so I just keep my nails trimmed back so there's no white growth at the ends. Lol. They're *short.* I could *never* catch the fretboard and dig out a chunk with them this short.

[@davidmckean955]

@@J.C... That one doesn't look like it came from nails, he probably accidentally bashed it up against something or it fell over into something.

[@harrygoodchild4563]

Hand decorated guitars are unmatched in my mind it really makes your guitar yours and unique to you

[@reco5able]

That strawberry caster looks cool

[@fuzzy1dk]

12:03 couldn't you just move the middle spring so there is two on each side to make it symmetric?

[@IrisGalaxis]

I thought the same thing

[@bobs_ya_runkle]

No! All that opposing tension would cause the Strat body to split and rip in halves straight up the centre of the body causing extremely serious injury to the player, band and audience. 😁😁

[@twoodfrd]

Hehehe. Sometimes I do things to provoke a reaction.

[@tommywilliamsjr.697]

You're awesome. I'm giving you a hi-five from Texas.

[@kylevandeusen]

Two high fives from TX.

[@tommywilliamsjr.697]

@@kylevandeusen Nice...where aboots? Lol...

[@kylevandeusen]

@@tommywilliamsjr.697 Fort Worth area (or, for anyone not familiar, "Dallas".)

[@tommywilliamsjr.697]

@@kylevandeusen Just outside of Austin.

[@tigdogsbody]

Good health to you and all of your viewers.

[@frankcarter6427]

healing energy aimed at the artist , much love from someone who's been there and is still here

[@tad5920]

Words of wisdom spoken at 18:10. Seems obvious, but so easy to forget about... : )

[@courier11sec]

The wood of that strawberry Strat neck is really pretty.

[@mightyV444]

15:54 - Yes! That way of pronouncing "out" has totally been *the* give-away to me over the past two years or so that someone's from Canada 😀 I love it! 😊

[@DonaldVanHall]

Glad to see you're still oot and aboot!

[@edwardpetersen4309]

Thanks for continuing to post these excellent videos despite all the armchair quarterbacking you always get in the comments. They are informative and entertaining.

[@thegeekdude67]

I always feel a genuine “joy” when watching your videos. Please don’t stop sharing! 😎👍👊👏 🎸

[@garywhitt98]

Good man. We all feel the same. Ted is a positive force.

[@briandell7682]

New to this channel. You’re amazing, almost hypnotic to watch. Keep the vids coming

[@DTGuitarTech]

I’ve watched so many of your videos that I feel like I’ve had both a history lesson and done a luthiery apprenticeship 😀

[@atakdragonfly1675]

As soon as you FLASHED to the Waterloo guitar...I was like whoa! Nice! Striking in a way I still can't describe... And not normally my thing. I never liked the top so light.

[@JackdeDuCoeur]

Nice tone on that Waterloo

[@jackelliott872]

I learn something every time I watch; thank you.

[@danielsgrunge]

That's a lovely looking guitar

[@ianrose5505]

Great I information as always thank you

[@ToloFest]

easily became my favorite channel.

[@kiddcomet3563]

My Saturday is complete 👍 yes

[@swampy1584]

I love to start my sunday morings with your videos keep up the good work

[@adobedoug2564]

Thanks for playing them for us Ted.

[@jackbarlow4104]

Always makes me smile when he plays at the end, just very cool.

[@evanduquette]

What a pleasant surprise! Thank you, Ted :)

[@mrstude]

The Strat sounds amazing!

[@durty_1135]

that bit at the end needs to be your intro music! damn fine!

[@jimreilley3417]

I so love your channel man. So entertaining and informative. I’m a producer and session bassist in Nashville for the last 22 years and I tell everyone about your channel. Thank you for the effort and education!

[@eviekraner1452]

Everytime I watch these videos, I learn a lot. I also vibe with the chill atmosphere

[@josephpedroza632]

You can play man... love when you play something at the end.. learned a lot from you.

[@rootvalue]

Thank you for sharing these. I enjoy them so much. As a side note, I do not get bored of the tasks you have shown repeatedly, i.e. fret dressing, nut filing. If you can bear to edit the footage, I’ll watch it all. 🤍

[@brianpateman2666]

For someone who isn't used to open D that sounded pretty good. Damn, now I think I need a Waterloo!

[@Elraurko]

Most strats with 12s will sit flush with three springs if you configure them in a \|/ shape. I find 4 springs can be a bit stiff at times.

[@frodehau]

Awsome as always, and now I have to read up on baked maple. I crimp the tabs on the ground pin around the cable sleeve, but I guess it doesn't matter much in this case. My heart goes out to the mother and artist, and the people close to her. I know what It's like to have a loved one go through that.

[@twoodfrd]

I went back and crimped them after I tested it. I left them loose until I was sure.

[@trajtemberg]

Guitars repaired, weekend improved. Thanks Ted.

[@sasavincic9534]

Whenever I am fixing this sort of slot angle problem, I draw a line with a graphite pencil down the bottom of slots, and then file them at the angle untill only the last dot of the pencil graphite remains at the front of the slot. The last move I do is to "erase" that trace with one final strike of the file...

[@audiotechlabs4650]

All instruments have a voice. To find it is the challenge. It is hard for some to go through time and effort to find the voice, that’s why players trade an instrument for another, and when the voice is found it may not be the voice a player wanted or it is a new voice that is welcomed. All of your videos entertain, teach, and challenge one’s abilities! Fantastic! Love from NW Colorado. Thanxz

[@olivercorrodi3340]

this is hands down one of the best channels on youtube. and i'm subscribed to an obscene amount of channels lol

[@bobs_ya_runkle]

Sunday morning in Australia. Twoodfrd and Abom! Bring it on! Extreme opposite ends of the engineering spectrum but so much in common.

[@Da5idc]

As always, amazing attention to detail

[@dalgguitars]

Thank you for your videos!

[@IrisGalaxis]

1 AM right here, it's been a short yet weird night. But what a great way to end it. All the best to that guy's mother...a member of my family currently is suffering from hard cancer too...not a good place to be in life that's for sure.

[@kmilford100]

Positive vibes on their way.

[@donaldholman9070]

Great work. Thank you so much.

[@JoeyDistorto]

One of the coolest guitars I've seen on Reverb was an early 80s Charvel shredder with homemade graphics of Fred Flintstone and Barney playing guitars on the front, done by what I'd say was a talented amateur. Very cool, punky, DIY vibe, and I was of course too broke to grab it at the time. Anyway, the strawberries are lovely, good vibes to that guy's mom.

[@Fred.C-]

Very good video, simple and very clear, thank you for these tips.

[@colleenbarry5611]

Incredibly well done, as usual!

[@alexo5861]

Funny enough I just spent a couple hours changing pics ups and re-wiring my Strat today. Took my time and it the wiring looks so much better than before. It also sounds like I want to Strat I am playing to sound.

[@0MyWay01]

Nice job on that “toasted” neck! Beautiful.

[@HananGrinberg]

Why not move one of the springs over and have a 2 and 2 symmetrical configuration? Great content as always!

[@yakacm]

Yeah what Hanan said, I was thinking the same thing.

[@michaelinglis567]

I just commented that before in read the comments. Another vote for the 2x 2 configuration.

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

BB may have gone to higher action later, but he always played 008s... Back in 1970 I got a brief time to visit with BB, and he let me play Lucille... In that time period he preferred both low frets and low action.. just like I had my Guild Starfire V set up. I know... I actually got a few minutes of noodling around with Lucille. He was a FINE man, a true gentle soul. I have cherished that brief time with BB my entire life

[@DerangedTechnologist]

I could worry about using a mono cable in a stereo jack -- when you plug it all the way in, you are shorting one output to the sleeve. On a passive system, that's no big deal, but on a system with a preamp it could be an issue.

[@pallecla]

No, it is not an issue.

[@ziggylayneable]

I am sending the most strongest vibes to his mother I possibly can because I had a brain injury and I will never be the same and I can't believe that people do not show their fellow human beings love like they should I learn so much from this accident(I know this comment is over a year old I do not care I hope it's mother is still with us and I am sending love her way)

[@chuckquinn8026]

That’s a damn fine sounding guitar! Great video as always!

[@bigtoelittlefinger6133]

Just fixed my first 12 stringer neck break quality job i might add thanks to u bro easy meat

[@tommypetraglia4688]

Thank you for the efforts you make to share your skill, knowledge and bits of philosophy. For Saturday nights this is essential viewing

[@jamesflack8624]

Thanks, I enjoyed that photo. Cheers 🍻

[@MrRoybob]

On those little solder cups: use a short length or shrink tube on EACH wire to strain relieve between the solder cup and the insulation.

[@mC_DiDiDiDiDi]

"You wouldn't want to leave it off, it would look foolish" 😁

[@savedaz]

We learn by our mistakes! 😊

[@andrewmuelleranantababaji8073]

Had strat put locking tuners low E was doing that jumping, I put a thi4d roller saddle worked great

[@NINEWALKING]

4 springs two up two down if the springs are same. Or go 5 springs and back of claw screws. Great video as usual.

[@TheRumbles13]

That neck is incredible

[@ashermil]

Sending Strawberry Mom good vibes.

[@kennogawa6638]

When you solder clean the tip with a clean rag. Have a damp clean small sponge and run the tip over the sponge making a hissing sound. It thermally shocks the iron so the surface of the tip is hotter. Then tin the surface of the pins and wires before soldering together.

[@goodun2974]

Ken, The thermal shock of the hot soldering-iron tip hitting a damp sponge is actually bad for the lifetime of the tip (damages the steel plating found on high-quality tips). I prefer the special brass wool sponges that Weller and others sell specially for this purpose, although I suppose you can even use a stainless steel kitchen scrub sponge, which are easy to find. It is worth noting that most soldering iron tips are made of copper or brass, and the steel plating is necessary to keep the solder and flux from quickly eating away at the copper tip. Modern lead- free solder is much harder on soldering iron tips because the flux (no longer merely rosin, but instead contains organic acids) eat away at the metal more quickly, and also it requires a higher temperature setting for soldering with lead-free solder. The fumes from lead free solder are also much worse for you than rosin fumes from ordinary tin/ lead solder, and require good ventilation or at least a fan ( If you breathe in those fumes or they drift towards your eyes, you definitely won't like it). I personally detest lead free solder and avoid using it. The fluxes in the solder core remain corrosive after soldering has been completed and must be thoroughly cleaned away, as they can actually eat into the connection and damage circuit boards and so on.

[@kennogawa6638]

Interesting been doing it this way for forty years and the only tips I've replaced are the ones that bent.

[@goodun2974]

@@kennogawa6638 , I've been soldering stuff for over 50 years, including 15 years as a full time audio repair tech, but this is something that I only learned about maybe 10 years ago. Granted, it may be more of an issue if you're using lead-free solder and the higher tip-temperatures necessary for that stuff.... but considering the cost of good quality soldering tips and the difficulty in finding replacements for some older soldering equipment that you might still be using, it's a good idea to preserve their life as much as possible. I have noticed that some of the "replacement" tips sold nowadays have much shorter useable life than the ones that we bought a decade or two ago; probably made in China with cheaper metals, and not thickly plated with steel. Bare copper or brass tips would corrode away pretty quickly, which is why you should never file soldering iron tips. In addition to the brass wool tip cleaners I mentioned earlier, at work we also have these little cylindrical tip cleaning blocks (made by Multi-Core I think) that are apparently a mix of flux and powdered solder or a similar alloy; they work great.

[@kennogawa6638]

I retired ten years ago so maybe they changed things since then. The main thing is to make a good physical connection since the solder in electronics is for good electron flow not physical strength.

[@kennogawa6638]

I thought his intermittent in this case was caused by a cold solder joint.

[@Itswriter07]

On the Waterloo acoustic, the inset/threaded screw nut inserts on the pickup are at different heights. Can you go over what these do and maybe the reason that you would need to adjust these or possibly give an example of improper and proper heights whenever you have an opportunity in the future? Thank you so much for sharing your craft with us.

[@Itswriter07]

@Matt Hayden Nice. Thank you, Matt. Appreciate it.

[@kindabluejazz]

"ah-oot" - that's awesome, I never realized before that the Canadian pronunciation is actually more of a multi-syllabic (actually a dipthong) and phonetic one, albeit still a regional choice of how to pronounce each vowel. Thanks.

[@nma0ne]

I wish I could like your videos more than once

[@robertshorthill4153]

Don't forget, Ted, all instruments have a spirit and a soul of some sort. Some can bond with the player. That's why some owners don't care what the cost is to bring it back to that "magical" experience it once had. Others can not relate to the spirit and / or soul of the machine and might abuse it creating negativity from within said instrument. The repair person has to decide how to deal with the energy. Is it good or otherwise. A good repair luthier can tell soon enough.

[@dooleyfussle8634]

Zen, and the Art of Guitar Repair!

[@analogoutdoors]

I keep my electrics at 3/32 and my acoustics at 7/64. It is what I prefer. I tried really low action on an electric; my fingers lay on top of the strings and then you push. I prefer to get under a note and really yank em, lol.

[@emersonsrandomvideos248]

The acoustic guitar was so loud... i liked how it sounds too

[@SkyscraperGuitars]

I understand the high action... It changes where the string hits your finger (pad vs tip) and if you do a lot of bends, you want all your pickup points to be the same.

[@telecasterbear]

I am not much of an acoustic fan, but that Waterloo sounds wonderful.

[@joeferris5086]

12:20 Bro I have this problem on every single strat I've ever owned

[@copperaudio9664]

Ted, isn't the sound coming out of the sound hole out of phase with what's coming off the top? I've always wondered about that. Love your work, thanks!

[@rodparker4514]

Thanks ,more please .

[@verysurvival]

Why don’t you put the springs on the outside and leave the middle claw with out one? That’s what I do with 4 springs

[@scottenosh4548]

I like the strawberry design.

[@hydorah]

Strings need room to swing. I'm glad somebody else is talking about the 'no angle' headstock on a Strat. The Gibson hate brigade really don't get understand that part of Gibson's designs. Fender have string trees, staggered tuners and all sorts of little tricks to try and get some decent break angle over the nut and they work to an extent, but not consistent string to string - And it's OK of course. But it's the whole reason for an angled headstock on many people solid body electrics - Perfect and consistent break angles. When I fix synths and things I sometimes have to solder under magnification. Never tried this soddering business though ;-)... That's quite the wiring loom that you stashed inside that teeny little guitar! Great vid as always. And good tip for Strats and suchlike to wrap the string down the post to improve break angle!

[@ileutur6863]

I'd take inconsistent break angle over fragility any day of the week, especially on an expensive instrument

[@hydorah]

​@@ileutur6863 I've got a really high mileage Les Paul Custom been gigged loads, loads of finish wear from good honest playing, over many years. No breaks ever. there's nothing to be afraid of. I have a USA Strat too, so I'm not biased! The differences are all good. My LP is my number one guitar though. The feel and tone are what I want to experience most often. The Strat only gets occasional outings

[@kthwkr]

Higher action for me means my fingers grip the string better when I am bending it. Lower action and my finger often slips off the string during a bend.

[@skyout19]

Wouldn't it have been better to leave the middle tension spring out and move it out so that instead of positions 1x345 you have 12x45 (at 12:02) ?

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

I'll have to dig one out of storage to verify, but that acoustic pickup's "XLR" appears to be the same connector as a mid-80s Motorola Syntor-X keyloading port/cable. I love me some encrypted guitar...

[@alecr666x]

Love your videos. Can i make a suggestion purely based on my slight ocd when it comes to the visuals? When you added the fourth spring, why not move the centre one over to the next position, that way, you would have two on either side of centre. This would (for me anyway), be visually nicer as they would be symmetrical. Keep up the great work dude.

[@beytone]

Nicely done Ted, I always love you care and wisdom. My inner OCD was wishing you’d moved the middle spring to the left leaving the middle slot empty, for symmetry, don’t you think? From your description it didn’t seem you realised about this option, but maybe you just took into account the higher tension on the bass strings.

[@Hafragrautur1]

Was eating a strawberry when I clicked and then I see the red guitar. Delightful

[@kindabluejazz]

The key to tiny soldering is a magnifying lens, or opti-visors, a fine pencil tip iron, and a third-hand to hold the parts. Easy on the coffee too. As I've aged, I now need both a magnifying lens AND opti-visors.

[@davidford1548]

I put two pairs of glasses on, but then I am really old.

[@channelsixtysix066]

I wish your client's mother all the best, Ted. I hope she's doing OK.

[@yobentley7274]

Do you use Glu Boost products?

[@goodun2974]

I found myself wondering where he buys a superglue accelerant that isn't in the form of an aerosol spray can.

[@jesinbeverly]

I know I’m 2 years late.. minjacks were never meant to be permanent connections. They relied on frequent removal and reinsertions to clean the contacts. A mini xlr would be a better permanent choice.

[@Rotary_Phone]

I wonder how it would affect the tone of an acoustic guitar if you put in a sound post like they do in violins? It's like a little round dowel that's inserted just in front of the bridge touching the back, and top of the guitar. Has anyone ever tried that before?

[@Snowy0123]

You guys will find if you like to play Stevie ray songs,high action is essential to really nail his Texas shuffle (dirty rake)..low action just doesn't sound the same when you rake mute..

[@vikingbeard]

What's the name of the file you're using at 8:15? Thank you for your very helpful and entertaining videos!

[@Ottonic6]

Robin Trower uses 12s. He likes that heavy tone.

[@timearll266]

Energy sent. Can you please tell us the brand and model of the internal mic? Also your opinion on its sound quality? Gracias por todo!