High Quality Classical

[@GTsuji]

Small correction, the Ramirez belonged to my cousin. I put the headstock back together and replaced the headstock veneer but then he passed away suddenly. I felt that I needed to make the guitar whole again even though he’s gone. When I heard you play it, it was a pretty emotional moment for me. Thanks Ted.

[@beenaplumber8379]

That is an extraordinarily beautiful guitar, and I'm glad for you and your cousin's memory that it will carry on its own life in a condition befitting it. Thank you for letting Ted share it with us. Wow it's beautiful!

[@corporalrich]

Beautiful emotionally, and very impressive for both you and Ted.

[@400_billion_suns]

Ted did a beautiful job on it. I hope it continues to make music for many years to come!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

The Guitar totally Rocks

[@TroubadourJuggernaut]

I could not think of a better person to entrust this beautiful guitar to than T Woodford

[@emaneercsadeeni]

I wish there was a button for double thumbs up!

[@sharg0]

A tip from a machinist: When measuring height with a caliper don't use the "stick" if at all avoidable - that is for narrow holes. Instead turn it around and use the two flat, ground surfaces at the top! This is the fourth pair of measuring surfaces on calipers that few people use, the irony is that technically this is the best way to get a good measurement from them!

[@vpfund]

Best part of my Sunday is when the twoodford notification pops up!!

[@myoptik3x103]

I got to see Segovia in concert in 1973 when I was 10 years old. Even as young as I was I was amazed. Near the conclusion he did some two hand tapping and it brought the house down.

[@martin-1965]

I was fortunate enough to see Segovia in Cardiff at the St Davids Concert hall when he was already in his 90s. The first half of his performance was not perfect. He was old and kept stopping when he made an error, or to retune, but it was still amazing to see such a legend. Then, after the intermission, he returned and performed the most breathtaking performance on a guitar that I have ever seen or heard live by a human being. It was as if the first half was a warm up and now he was completely let loose, everything was note perfect and spellbinding. He died a few years later so I was so privileged - as was the entire audience - to get to witness a true maestro and genius in concert, still performing at a level of artistry on the instrument he pretty much invented and set the standards for all who followed.

[@mrz80]

I can remember driving thru DC area traffic to get to my music theory class and hearing the local all-news station start playing classical guitar music. My first thought was, "What, did Segovia just die?!??!" and sure enough, "Classical guitar master Andres Segovia just passed away..." Drove the rest of the way to class crying.

[@mattrogers1946]

Wow, that must have been amazing to see Segovia.

[@timedwards5600]

I saw Segoviaim phoenix 1980 his last tour. Awesome how an 85 year old could played. Thnx for this story.

[@Jaw_47]

Episodes with historical deep dives are my favorite.

[@scottbangoarce4836]

Amazing historical lecture, sir. Thank you. I saw Andrés Segovia in 1979 at the Ford Auditorium in Detroit. My friend and I had the last two seats in the last row of the very farthest corner of the highest balcony. Segovia, quite elderly, came out with his guitar, sat on a chair - no mics or sound system at all - and we heard EVERY SINGLE NOTE!

[@trinacria1956]

Saw Segovia in the 70s ! Packed Jones Hall in Houston. Amazing but also amazing how loud. He stopped twice for coughing ,second time told person to get out!

[@MrBtcruiser]

The rosette alone speaks of expensive guitar - I've seen videos of people making rosettes like the one on this guitar - talk about labor intensive..Thankfully I've been very happy with my 1984 Yamaha CG-3A, but I don't even attempt to make a living at playing a guitar LOL. Thanks for sharing this lovely guitar with us.

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

Another beautiful tale from the master. Glad to see this Ramirez get a new lease on life; I had a Ramirez back in the 70s when I was studying at the Conservatory. It was a very special guitar and every time I played an exam or recital, they would come peering into the soundhole to see who was the maker. I scored highest mark in the province (Ontario) in 75 or 76 on that Ramirez. Wonder where it is now? I still have that little silver medal the Conservatory awarded me.

[@bad_dreams_hex]

This show is awesome. I didn't even care about guitar repair until I saw this show, now I'm fascinated. Even the simple stuff is cool to see.

[@Andrew-vz1gu]

Thank you for making these videos and not asking me to “smash the ‘like’ button.” I do it for you cause you don’t ask.

[@ryanintopeka]

I am blown away by how much of this history you know. Seriously.

[@billfreese3141]

I owned a 1967 Ramirez 1A for years. An amazing guitar but for many of the reasons you mention and my aging stiffening fingers I traded it of lesser (but excellent by most standards) guitar. The new owner ran a high end classical guitar business. His plan was to have the fingerboard removed and a full length shim fit under it much like I've seen you do with fingerboard extensions. I never found out how it worked out.

[@AndreRMeyer]

👍🙏✌️ Greetings from the sunny climes of Basle, Switzerland

[@brad42948]

Like all the very best guitars, you can hear that Ramirez resonating to Ted's voice. I had the pleasure of a recording session once with a Contreras from the early 60's, and what struck me was the sheer willingness of free resonance - that guitar was basically a sympathetic reverb for every sound in the room; remarkable. Great work Ted.

[@promerops]

Even my relatively humble Yamaha GC55 had this same quality. Sadly, it was stolen from me.

[@brad42948]

@@promerops Ah, that's too bad 😥 I rate Yamaha very highly, always good instruments.

[@IndridCool54]

Oooo! Time for Guitar Church! 🙏🏼

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

@Marvin Jerew I've always thought of it as 'Guitar Porn'...

[@KS-uv7yc]

I don't work in your profession -- so I'm not competent to offer any advice. That said, I'll share with you that, when filing metal (steel) near delicate finishes, I place a magnet close by. Less likely to work itself under any protective barrier.

[@stephenhepworth3534]

Ted I’ve watched 95% of your videos, loved them all but this Ramirez is the best sounding guitar of all of them. Keep up the great work.

[@Thepuffingyank]

that rosette is absolutely fantastic

[@mj14-k7y]

That's the best playing I've heard you do

[@jltrem]

The first time I noticed the name Ramirez was during the "And I Love Her" sequence in "A Hard Day's Night" with a close up of George's hands playing the solo.

[@ericl6460]

You working at lee valley makes so much sense. Another hint in the history of the man himself

[@chrisreed1907]

I love the sensitivity of your repairs and restorations.

[@VinylOcelot]

I love how resonant, yet pronounced the notes sound. Beautiful guitar. Great job, Ted.

[@mraycgz]

Thanks for the story. And the content in general.

[@IndridCool54]

Another well taught lesson in guitar building and repair and life. 😎✌🏼

[@Revlrt1964]

Thirty minutes well spent. Beautiful guitar.

[@lawrencezbikowski9162]

Thanks for another wonderful and instructive video, Ted. One small observation: one of the main reasons the action is typically high on classical guitars has to do not only with aggressive strumming (as you illustrate) but how one gets the most sound out of the string, even with single notes. If you've been around classical guitarists at all (and let's face it, a little can go a long way) you may hear them obsess about the rest stroke (or apoyando). That is indeed an important technique for bringing out a melody or even an individual pitch, but the reason it is effective is because it moves the string down toward the face of the instrument. That impulse is then transmitted directly to the bridge. (Anyone who is in doubt about this should just compare the sound created by moving the string parallel to the top with moving it down toward the top.) In truth, proper technique on a classical guitar is always moving the string that way (rest stroke or not); thus the need for a higher action.

[@dlstanf2]

Im certainly no guitarist and no luthier, but I really enjoy the history & your work. Personally, I never miss an episode & I thank you for the work involved to put out a video. I used to have a 70's Yamaha & tried playing that. Finally gave it to someone that could make it sing like it was supposed to.

[@thomasmcd5862]

Me also!

[@kevinmorris7722]

Ted is fantastic.

[@DANWRIGHTITIS]

The depth & breadth of your knowledge is very impressive - especially of the instrument history! That´s before you even open your tool kit! I live in Madrid - so thank you for the history lesson!! You´re the BESTEST Mt Ted! Right - Time for my siesta - its the LAW here!

[@kevinmorris7722]

Very interesting fix. You considered so much. The instrument, history, customer, playability... everything. The fret board adjustment wouldn't have crossed my mind. I would have been lost. Super cool to see a method that's working for this one. Nice job as always.

[@joeyoungs8426]

I recently did this to a mid ‘70s Masaru Matano classical and I’ll be honest, I only did it this way because I couldn’t see any other way to bring both the action down and the saddle up from near zero. I was lucky that the fretboard was close to 7mm at the nut and was similar to the Ramirez with the falloff starting around the 10th fret or so. I also installed a slightly higher fret to help the end result. While I’m very happy with the result I’m all the more so knowing I unwittingly did what a pro would have done to solve the issue.

[@herrrmike]

It’s interesting that you mention the higher frets. I was just wondering whether that was an option to address a high action. Seems like a less invasive solution than steaming the neck off or doing a ninja reset!

[@joeyoungs8426]

@@herrrmike I wouldn’t think that alone would buy you much. The frets I went with were just shy of .020” taller. So the extra height was a very small part of the bigger effort.

[@bobsegar1242]

the way you explain has helped me make thousands in repairs. thanks buddy, good video.

[@johnb4871]

Amazing sound! The clarity and volume of the high E way up the neck is incredible.

[@grene1955]

"I'm not an accomplished player on the classical guitar"... plays it beautifully! Maybe not Segovia, but definitely shows off the guitar!

[@copperaudio9664]

One of the amazing things about Ted to me is how many music genre he can play. Nice work Ted. Nice pickin' too.

[@JackBealeGuitar]

Musicians like as many genres as non musicians and like to play all sorts. Your favourite player, probably plays totally different music when not on stage

[@thewaygokid3135]

I’m not a player but I love music and instruments. I have been to Spain three times. We went through many churches, museums, gardens and Hemingway hangouts. Ate some great hamon, tapas, pintxos & paella. But I never knew or learned about Spain’s history of guitar making and musicians. Thanks Ted!

[@mattjc]

My father an I each have 1970's Suzuki Violin Co. cedar classicals, and now I see where the design comes from.

[@chuckquinn8026]

Hands down that’s the finest sounding guitar I’ve heard on this channel ❤️❤️❤️ Gorgeous guitar in the hands of an impeccable luthier. Bravo! 👍👍

[@TheShabzz]

Oh baby this guitar sounds amazing. Got me all tingly from the first note. Can only imagine how it sounds in an amphitheater in the hands of of a pro.

[@juanmanuelroman8377]

Thank you so much for the history lesson at the beginning

[@MikeCurtin-nn8xy]

Your videos are consistently excellent and useful. The historical perspective just adds another layer of richness. Thanks much for all you do.

[@tracyc7813]

I love the natural reverb that is coming out of that.

[@davidmacleod9313]

30:08 That guitar sounds beautiful! So did you! Never mind! Very pretty.

[@cjhenry41]

Saw Segovia when I was a really little kid in the 60's in San Diego. All I can remember is him sitting on a raised platform in the center of the audience and everyone standing and giving ovations. Dad played his records all the time. Personally, I can't even play on those zero radius fingerboards, it's like a different instrument and I end up perplexed and frustrated.

[@MrGibble64]

no worries , , he was an asshole and nobody cares about him or his talent anymore . . fitting .

[@markjames9487]

As usual just sublime, thanks Ted. These videos I could watch all day. Thanks again

[@wolfgangniemann2572]

Such a Great guitar and craftsman!

[@bretonguitar]

Yep, I needed this video a week ago. Thank you again!

[@trevorgwelch7412]

This instrument is a museum piece . In the right hands it comes alive . Great Video's . I would like to hear Yngwie Malmsteen playing this guitar .

[@davesimms5]

I grew up with a guy who was going to Berkeley music collage. He had one of those a couple of years older than that one. It was a amazing guitar and i was fortunate to play it several times. He taped me playing on the fly making up a song as i went. He was a amazing player yet that was his favorite recording, wonderful guitar

[@kissfan003]

Was hoping for a little Ennio Morricone there at the end. As always, fantastic work Ted!

[@ronkelley5348]

Interesting that I was watching a video by a modern early music specialist (plays lute, theorbo, baroque, and classical guitar). He was saying how far away we've moved from Segovia's way of playing, especially for Renaissance music

[@herrunsinn774]

Having just discovered (for myself) your channel, I enjoyed every moment. Your relaxed style is soothing, like the gentleman on the "Wristwatch Revival" channel. I will be delighted to watch more of your videos. 😎

[@RobertHayes-tu5fp]

I own a Manuel Rodriguez classical guitar but very recently had chance to play a Ramirez and it was a world of difference!

[@albertplaysguitar]

Those were definitely some nice sounds at the end 😊

[@radfury23g32]

Man your videos are priceless, so cool to see an incredibly experienced luthier do his thing no matter what the situation calls for

[@pmsphoto]

Another beautiful video Ted - I've watched them all ! This one was absolutely fascinating mainly because it was the type of guitar I saw a true master play at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England in 1974. I was ten years old and it's the only classical guitar concert I've ever been to. The performer ? Andrés Segovia. Incredible.

[@sergiobollana]

Incredible loud and clear sound from this one. Awesome history lesson

[@GordiansKnotHere]

That guitar sounds just gorgeous. Thank you very much.

[@ahg1358]

I remember back in the late '70s reading in Guitar Player magazine a quote from A.S. when asked about quality guitars he answered the best ones are the ones with orange tops which spawned a whole new market for the cheap cheap manufactures . The only other thing I remember him saying was if you take the top off of an Ovarian you have a punch bowl .

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

@ahg1358 Do you mean an Ovation...?

[@isaacbugalho]

Great video!!! Nice history lesson.

[@tuskedbeast]

That sounded noticeably rich and nuanced, even over compressed digital audio. Thanks as always for your instructive and oddly relaxing videos.

[@nevinmurtha1670]

This is one of your best videos.

[@jonq8714]

I just adore your content man. History, wood working, problem solving... it's perfectly suited to my interests. Many thanks!

[@johnkennedy6690]

Most amazing sounding instrument I’ve heard on this channel.

[@HayesTech]

Another outstanding video. I'm not a big fan of classical guitars "to play" but do like their sound. I have a @ "1963" Gibson C1 and I can't believe how loud, and resonant that guitar is. I can only imagine what that thing sounds like in hand and not through KZbin's compressions.

[@ohpotatoesandmolasses]

That thing sounds absurdly good.

[@giovanni5063]

Just want everyone to realize that each one of these presentations is university quality instruction.

[@Henkie0011]

That was a remarkable repair. Your story on the history of the brand and Segovia was new to me and felt like a masterclass ;-). I hope somebody with the right skills will be able to play it one day to appreciate its herintance. I mean not only for the (previous) owner, but also for the makers.

[@Henkie0011]

@twoodfrd Is this for real or was your account hacked/misuded? Funny things are happeniig lately.

[@saiteninstrumente-and-music]

Hello, I own a Guitar of Jose Ramirez, which was made in 1978, Nr.12124, Clase 1a, a wonderful instrument with a fantastic sound. I lowered the string action for a good playability and installed a Shadow undersaddel pickup for the gigs wtih my little band. Besides this, I like your videos very much, you are a very good luthier to fix every kind of damage and misfunction. Congratulation and best wishes!

[@miky8788]

!! jeesoos christ , this channel is a Unique Gem !!

[@LightBranches]

I imagine that guitar smells great as well, besides looking and sounding excellent.

[@nickpearsonuk]

Fascinating video Ted. I build my classical guitars with a twist in the fingerboard, creating a fall-away as here on the bass side approaching the sound-hole, and often a small amount at the treble nut end. This allows a consistent saddle height at the bridge and a reasonably precise string height above the soundboard of around 12 mm. The fingerboard remains straight along each string's path. I love the F1 analogy; these instruments need a skilled classical player with strong attack to bring out their best.

[@garetkonigsfeld2]

I love the history lessons of the guitars. Thanks for letting us into your shop.

[@benjaminholt4292]

Very enjoyable and informative content Sir

[@chrisbeall5702]

Ted with the pseudo-classical playing! Enjoyed it

[@pgprog]

The sound!! OMG beautiful

[@ponyman56]

Excellent episode. Wonderful journey thru to beautiful sounding guitar. The clarity!

[@Sharpened_Spoon]

Wow. Even on a low quality mic the resonance sounds like reverb! That’s nuts.

[@sarcletti]

Thanks a lot. That operation, that's what I always wanted to see (an get instructed).

[@scottdunbar4898]

I'm pretty sure I now have a master's degree in something. I'm not sure what, exactly, but I show 'nuf am feelin' the smartlies!

[@jimmythecricket25]

Simply, a joy to watch.

[@mhaight]

Very engaging and informative video. As ever, I remain a fervant fan of your channel and your vocabulary. Thank you.

[@sukoelpiucho]

Wow man the quality of your guitar jobs is the most outstanding work I have ever seen. I am a very meticulous guitar tech and your work is so amazing! Thanks for sharing!

[@briansavage932]

Good lord this thing sounds fantastic.

[@J.C...]

Ted. You gotta Kung Fu the 1A! COME ON! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@allendesomer]

Love the sound of this one! 💛

[@f1s2hg3]

Ted classical guitars are beautiful. I have a few original songs I wrote for a classical guitar and I purchased a classic guitar used from my neighbor. I recorded the song and it’s perfect tone is from the nylon strings that are so easy on my hands! I love the tones and it’s great to know the Spanish history. But after hearing the history of guitars I have great respect for the Spanish people who made guitars by hand ! They are incredible!

[@paulheartsongs]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge so freely, Ted. Now I know what the guitar tech is saying when I’m being admonished for another repair job! 🤣

[@markcooper8561]

As an alternative to a (impossible) neck reset, this is the best and most useful ive seen. Thanks.

[@mrz80]

I'd wondered about taking the fretboard off and planing the neck down

[@EmyrDerfel]

​@@mrz80you don't really want to remove material from the neck, particularly with the longer scale, as you'll make the neck easier for the strings to pull into a curve.

[@mohikan2226]

THANKYOU! for giving me the confidence to attack my own headstock/fretboard and replace my own nut . not mechanically minded here but your show how to was REALLY helpful THANKS

[@weschilton]

Man this history of this guitar is as fascinating as your excellent work! Great video, thank you!

[@beytone]

Another lovely video Ted, thanks for the history class and outstanding repair work. We probably wouldn’t use the word “cantina” in Spain, but I guess it’s the right translation choice for English speakers.

[@billysmether6237]

You are a master! Thank You.

[@deandee8082]

for giggles I would have detanged that last fret where it overhangs and run a full fret maybe dress up the tang end so its nice

[@mattrogers1946]

Nice job, Ted. Always dreamed of owning a Ramirez.

[@fab-heidema]

Amazing content and masterful work once again 👏🏼 Thanks Ted.

[@rjmprod]

A beautiful sounding guitar………!