OH SNAP! Breaking My 1953 National Archtop Electric Guitar vintage restoration broken fixed

Sure, it had to move to Canada too dodge the draft, but this baby-booming' Chicagoan never turned its back on its history. A blend of reckless abandon and thoughtful repair keep this 71 year old beauty singing like new. New nut, bridge work, fret dressing, and, of course, tailpiece repair. This is one sweet, big ol beauty of a guitar, more electric than acoustic, but unafraid to share its natural voice. There is no hotline for guitar abuse, but maybe there should be? #Guitarsrights
check out my Patreon, for early releases, chat rooms, DMs, exclusive videos....and more?
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Check out Mike O'Neill:
www.tunsband.com
The original upload of this video got copyright claimed for the first song I tried to include by Sofia Wolfson! just minor oversight, and learning curve to fair use etc... Check her out anyway! I'll try and get another track from her soon!
check out Sofia Wolfson:
www.sofiawolfso...
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#guitarrepair #restoration #guitar #archtop #archtopguitar #archtopelectric guitar #vintageguitar #guitarrestoration #national #dearmond #goldfoilpickup #goldentone #valco #kay #kayguitar #nationaldynamic #nationalnewyorker

[@bubbyis1337]

these videos have made it much easier for me to quit smoking. i refuse to elaborate further on this. thanks for being you

[@Notaluthier]

Bizarre and wonderful.

[@e.maeve.m]

I was wicked grumpy this morning and then the intro to this video happened. I feel joy instead of grumpy now. Mr. NotALuthier, your videos are fabulous. Thank you for replacing my grumpy with joy.

[@Notaluthier]

Good morning and thank you too!

[@olivierjarda3885]

Great vid, cool guit. You spinning Mike O’Neill gave me chills. Beautiful song and songwriter. Mike is a friend of a friend and hand-delivered the record to me in Halifax back in 2012. Didn’t expect that and was very touched by the gesture. Wild Lines, what a great album, all bangers. You brought me back to some sweet memories of my times in the NS, thanks.

[@pennykattack5789]

Lady Bugs are well-known in the Animal Kingdom to be amazing guitar players. That is why dogs lay donw in the sun: they think "Here she comes... that show off...". Your videos are pure Art. Thanks and congratulations. Your channel will grow faster day after day. Cheers.

[@Notaluthier]

Thanks a lot

[@Guilhem74]

What a great documentary on pets and Luthery! Love the twirl of the ladybug. Lovely video, as always!

[@Notaluthier]

Many thanks!

[@harmlesscreationsofthegree1248]

That intro certainly created a lot of tension 🙂

[@martinhiggs7027]

Absolutely beautiful instrument well done !!!!

[@daverice2426]

Dig that neck joint, kinda reminds me of the old Wandres. I like that you can bend it, too. Bonus points for first demoing it with the rudest sound imaginable.

[@brianmcghee2389]

Wow! That Vibing neck is something else! Rudolph Dopyera was on to something with that design imo. Your tip for the bridge posts was a solution I came up with through trail & error for bringing my 1969 Jedson hollow body back to life, & now it's my favourite guitar! Love your channel, it's educational & entertaining in a really nice way, I really look forward to your all your vids. Love from Edinburgh!

[@Notaluthier]

The Dopyera Bros did so many crazy things! Always innovating and striking their own path

[@SierraAppa]

Another fantastic meditation in guitar love. Peace brother 🙏

[@Notaluthier]

Thanks so much!

[@tuskedbeast]

This channel is becoming the Firesign Theater of guitar repair YouYube. 👍👍

[@Notaluthier]

I appreciate the obscure reference!

[@grandflash1347]

Excellent. Ladybird rush hour.🎉

[@ChristofferNelsonG]

Also, promoing your bud was a sweet touch.

[@PeteEllson5656]

I would have to say this video was all three from the title. But mostly fun.

[@that_thing_I_do]

Nice tie. I donated it to Goodwill last week. That was quick.

[@costasarantidis4499]

The reward on the wanted poster 😊

[@djangoyeah]

Best one yet!

[@brettbunke9096]

That was really cool man an your friends song was great 👍😊

[@mattbridges8908]

What an enchanting sound those old DeArmond goil foils have. I get the appeal. Curtis Novak makes some convincing reissues which I put in a strat and adore. Great video!

[@Notaluthier]

These are hard pickups to mess up the details on! Glad the Novak one is good

[@MikkelBCMusic]

I fucking love this content, a variaté of guitar geekery! And very useful tips and tricks along with extremely funny skits, what's not to like!

[@DrDooDah]

Gorgeous guitar, lovely video, and your friend Mike sounds more than a little like Paul McCartney, to my ears. A pleasure all 'round. Thanks.

[@darlacurrey-colter3844]

magnesium, stylist neck. love national! love yer channel!

[@Notaluthier]

Thanks!

[@DaHill1998]

The dust & super glue! Hilarious! So true. Thanks for the saddle screw tip - will do that. Have a few old catalog archtops I hobby with. Man is it nice to just move the bridge around and adjust the saddle height with a turn. The lack of downward pressure, however, like a pin bridge, makes them really difficult to make sound well acoustically, in my opinion, without clanging with a pick, not my thing. They look so cool sitting around, I don’t care tho. Great vid - Rockin’ tune to close out.

[@scottishgentlemen6038]

That opening sequence was such a stressful thing to watch!

[@wesleykoch550]

Great video! I've always found aluminum necks to be something that pops up every 30-40 years in guitar construction, only for them to disappear again. Weird stuff. Anyway, I loved the fuzzy demo you did around the 21:30 mark. Everyone's always so scared of feedbacking on jazzboxes and hollowbodies with higher gain but I think it really sounds nice. Thanks!

[@henryhunter5026]

Great video! Wonderful old guitar with interesting neck construction and attachment method.

[@Notaluthier]

Thank you

[@nownomiss]

Fresh air to watch your videos! Really like it! All the Best for you 😊

[@Notaluthier]

Thanks so much!

[@K5HJ]

Nice use of the ladybug to smooth out the binding.

[@Notaluthier]

It took decades but it worked

[@skullheadwater9839]

What a great guitar, that is kind of a brilliant way to do a neck, no resets. I have been wanting an old archtop for a couple of years now. I don't feel comfy buying online and locally in New Orleans we mostly see Harmony's and not very often, most of them floated away in hurricanes like Katrina in 2005 when I lost all of my worldly possessions including 8 guitars. Don't weep for me I have 14 guitars now. I have never seen a National brand guitar in person of any sort. I guess because Chicago is way up there by Trudeauland.

[@lukespread]

A most excellent guitar video. I await the newly suggested song, No Bone For Buggy.

[@timscarrow9151]

On the new tailpieces I can take the anchor off of the wire easily. Mine had that part missing and it just un clipped off the wire. Oh sure it looks fun but don't snort the bone dust.

[@woodcutterdave7835]

Thank you, cool video. I was just given an old Harmony acoustic, that was pretty much done. Anyways I've never worked on or restored a guitar before, so needless to say you definitely would have cringed 😢 but for the condition it was in I thought I had done it some good. LoL you would have to have seen the whole thing start to finish to get the effect. Anyhoot I liked and subscribed. Thanks again

[@Notaluthier]

Cool, thanks!

[@bradleyclosson5042]

Love your vids man. Thanks

[@msmknz]

The Midnight Society approves this intro

[@chadwilliams8583]

Dude this is awesome

[@Notaluthier]

Hey, thanks!

[@twoodfrd]

How many ladybugs did you have to pick through to find one of the appropriate matching hue?

[@Notaluthier]

How do you get them to eat through a resonator cover in the exact shape of their bodies?

[@1-eye-willy]

every dog ive ever had sun bathes, but im pretty sure the fact they all have been neurotic, anxious basket cases with separation anxiety has nothing to do with the way mammals bask in the sun 😂

[@codygranrud6212]

Sweet project

[@chascopley]

the abject horror of that bridge peeling open

[@FrogCabin-in5wd]

I love the music you're playing in the background. Isn't that from the Roland Stoves' legendary album, "Egg Salad on Main Street?"

[@MC-sg5yr]

People arguing about tonewood when they don't even realize it's about the Tone ladybug in the circuit. I'm partial to a tone dung beetle myself. I find that it imparts a more earthy musty tone than the ice pickiness you'd get from a ladybug

[@chadwilliams8583]

I love it!!!

[@tonylewis1803]

So.....starting up a repair shop here in Bishop. It's been great to watch your progression. Your starting to hit a nice stride. It's fun to watch what works on social media. I still am leaning towards it being horribly evil but there is some goodness..................like this! But it must be morally trying to decide to hook into it to try to put some food on the table?.............cause we might get a message from it to load the rocket to the asteroid belt...............In the meantime…..“It’s easy to bend the neck to give it some vibrato”…………

[@Notaluthier]

Yeah it’s definitely tough providing content for a giant corporation. But it also has a certain feeling of independence…really a freelance video maker with hopes google makes enough money off of it to pay me. Definitely a question of scruples. I’ve never been a huge fan of social media, but if I can make a living doing what I enjoy, the compromise may be worth it. The entirety of human existence seems to be filled with similar compromises. Best of luck with the shop!

[@bengordon2330]

Thanks!

[@Notaluthier]

🙏🏼

[@guitfidle]

I actually really like this guitar!

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

Where on Earth in Canadia do you keep finding these lovely old Nationals? The neck joint is outrageous I tell ya. Put a Bigsby on it? Scandinavian suicide note etc...

[@reginaldbowls7180]

Good mornig!

[@bigtguitars7312]

I wish we had some sun for my dog Bertie to lay in but we live in the cold north of England and winter is coming

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

I just got to the part where you tried out a Bigsby...I see what your problem is.

[@sohosteveuk]

Really like your pal's outro tune! Puts me a little in mind of Andy Schauf

[@Notaluthier]

Oooh! Never heard of Andy before, something to check out!

[@sohosteveuk]

@@Notaluthier and dis.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5SqpGuod96hgpIsi=7-OSaZN4uXW30P72

[@sohosteveuk]

@@Notaluthier and finally my face kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJXPk2ecnshgm7Msi=e76a5IWHN7EmcooZ

[@blodpudding]

If your dog lies in the sun it is obviously a baked potato, you're clearly sour cream.

[@Notaluthier]

You know, I’ve read that!

[@bengordon2330]

Sillyness masterclass.

[@trevorkendrick7028]

At the end of the video I thought you had pizza sitting on the guitar. Didn’t realize it was the pick guard

[@Notaluthier]

New channel:, I taste pizza off of different guitars

[@MrTails36]

Not sure if this was a repair video or a short indie masterpiece. Guess both!

[@Notaluthier]

😌

[@qwerty_studios]

i feel like would be a good cool uncle

[@LeftyPem]

That tailpiece failure happened to a similar vintage Harmony archtop I helped my wife’s family restore. Exact same model tailpiece. Must be really bad alloy.

[@Notaluthier]

Yeah it’s not my first of this brand to break either

[@LeftyPem]

@@Notaluthier Gibson used these as well. Whoever was supplying to CMI was making some real crap!

[@fehuthel]

I’ve seen some rare Nationals built with that particular neck joint affixed to really top-end Gibson-made 17” cutaway archtop bodies. Think 1950’s ES350 and the like. Wacky! Just Elling and commenting for the Al Gore Rhythm.

[@Notaluthier]

It’s the national stylist neck on the Gibson flattops that I’d like to get my hands on

[@galeng73]

I am relatively new to the channel. Ted sent me, I suppose. I don't comment much, though I've been here for a while. I am not the grammar police, but you strike me as the type who'd like to be 'correct'. So, I'm pretty sure the word you were looking for is, "naught".

[@Notaluthier]

It’s not naught for nothing! Whoops

[@ChristofferNelsonG]

Another winner. The ladybug stole the show. Where are you from originally again? I just watched this in a tent outside Grand Falls, on my way to Digby. And, what's your name, dude?!

[@Notaluthier]

Levon is my name. I’m originally from wolfville 🎉

[@ChristofferNelsonG]

@@Notaluthier Pleasure to meet you, Levon. Thanks for all the Scandinavian suicide letters. And the sharing of early guitar history. And the silliness. Chris. Pegcity holla, yo.

[@M1norCharacter]

Man I’m begging you, can you PLEASE upload background music from methstang video or say where you got it from? I really like it Love your videos!

[@Notaluthier]

Thanks so much! I recorded all of the background music for my videos and the methstang backing track is almost entirely recorded on the methstang. Perhaps I will compile the best tracks for an audio-centric KZbin video

[@grooooved]

​@@NotaluthierThat'd be cooool! And/or, perhaps, it could be a great reason/excuse to start a second channel. Maybe somethin like: D'Scanavian Anti-Suicide Lullabies in 420

[@banks3388]

Needs a TV-tron...

[@1-eye-willy]

holly shitt your friends band sounds like tom petty

[@laurencehastings7473]

Yes I know you're neither a blacksmith or a metalworker but believe it or not heating up metal makes it maleable and easier to bend. If you had achieved a tighter bend on the plate you would have probably avoided having to plug the holes and re-drilling.

[@Notaluthier]

There needed to be zero excess material at the edge of the body to actually fit…possible maybe

[@swbusby]

To me it sounded best acoustic, recorded through a mic!

[@robinfawcett7973]

Weirdly in England we call them Ladybirds...!?🐞

[@lukespread]

The British. So strange, so strange.

[@samsgarage3540]

I think you should wear the suit to repair guitars in. That will solence the haters. Be for serious.

[@pavil58yt]

I'm not a luthier either but won't that tailpiece resting on the front surface of the body wear into it over time? Seems like it should float a little above the surface. It looked like it was rubbing the wood.

[@forresta65]

that was a premature tuning stringasm!

[@machooke4846]

Also not a metal worker, I see... But I still love the videos.

[@Notaluthier]

I had a torch at the ready…if that helps 😅

[@R3TR0R4V3]

Gah! It's one of those Japanese beetles, invasive species... Smash it! 😖 Great tune st the end.. Really dug it!

[@richardross9296]

I thought I heard some fret bugs 🐞🐞🐞🤪

[@MarkLada]

I have a 1939 National Sonora that I'm getting ready to restore back to factory original condition.. The guitar itself is in mint condition, but somebody decided to stain the body an ugly brown color and paint the bindings white.. Apparently, they didn't realize what they had.. The Sonora was the first electric guitar with two pickups, and it was also the most expensive guitar to ever hit the market when it came out.. I've been told by multiple experts that there are less than 10 National Sonoras known to survive.. Mine also has a D prefix in front of the serial number.. Out of all the instruments that the National Guitar company ever made.. Only a handful of them had the D in front of the serial number.. Nobody knows what the D designation means.. My Sonora is only the second one to be discovered with the D serial number.. Unfortunately it's probably going to cost me more to restore the guitar than it will be worth.. I feel like I have to put it back to original condition after learning about the history of the guitar and just how significant it is historically..

[@Notaluthier]

Omg I saw one of these for sale not long ago on reverb or eBay and was seriously tempted! Such a beauty! And I lcan be the mismatched pickups

[@MarkLada]

@Notaluthier I ran across that one also while I was researching mine.. It had major buckle rash on the back of it if I remember right.. A guy from Cincinnati owned it.. I actually spoke to him.. Something looks off with his.. It's definitely not the same guitar as mine.. I believe that's why he pulled it from the market after seeing mine.. The shoulders on his don't look right for a Sonora.. They are too wide and flat in the back.. My opinion is that his guitar was a National Princess that someone modified by putting a neck pickup into it.. Mine has been authenticated by two different experts independently, and they both told me the same thing.. The serial number on mine is D303.. The only other Sonora known to exist with the D serial number is D202.. So theres zero doubts mine is a real Sonora.. The neck pickup on mine is missing its guts.. The housing is still in the guitar, so I'm hoping I can find specs for it somewhere and get it rebuilt.. The bridge pickup had also been changed at some point, but I got super lucky and found an original bridge pickup for it at a shop in NYC.. Other than the pickups and the finish, there's not even a scratch on the guitar.. It sat in my uncles closet for almost 60 years untouched before he gave it to me.. His uncle gave it to him when he was a kid.. We aren't really sure where my great uncle got it from.. He did not play the guitar, but he owned a grocery store and used to trade people groceries for stuff when they were short on money.. I've been told that this guitar was far too expensive back in the days for some hobbiest guitar player off the streets to own.. I wish I knew more about the previous ownership of the guitar.. It very well could have belonged to someone important before my uncles got their hands on it.. If you want to see pictures of it.. Look for Mississinewa Mark on insta.. I'm excited to get it put back together the way it should be.. The luthier that I'm working with is backed up for a couple more months.. I'm hoping he has time to fit me in the first of the year..

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

You'd think you might have learned the lesson after the Gourd Banjo but nooooo...

[@zaynesohlberg8108]

If it failed once- isnt it safe to assume it will fail again?

[@dareneskriett7433]

Is that neck joint cover ceramic?

[@Notaluthier]

Nah, plastic

[@BlackMarketYoga]

Magnesium? I take it every day.

[@PeteEllson5656]

LOL. Good one.

[@greendragon4571]

What was burning?

[@robertcarltoniii]

These videos give me the confidence to, potentially, wreck my own guitars.

[@Notaluthier]

Whooooops!

[@LightBranches]

In most cases, there are two nuts: one on the guitar neck, and another playing the guitar.

[@Notaluthier]

🤡🎸

[@runrin_]

pickup sounds amazing. great choice not to put it back to original

[@fonzroid]

At 21:48 i started coughing for no reason besides seeing ur "nag champa" getting out of control

[@Notaluthier]

It was quite smooth incense!

[@JeffJulien-j9x]

I don't get it ? 😠. Why would you intentionally try to break a National guitar ?

[@Notaluthier]

It was just a “creative” way of removing an already broken tailpiece

[@JeffJulien-j9x]

@@Notaluthier oh 😳. OK 👍

[@adammono1839]

Did you have to shave your beard off at the end though?

[@Notaluthier]

Yeah, but it was worth it for the $16 of ad revenue i’m gonna make 😅