Repairing a broken neck on an 1865 parlour guitar

[@joq702]

Wow. Always you show us great, caring, careful work. That guitar sounds marvelous and I personally think it is one of the best looking parlor guitars on KZbin. Looks so beautifully made and the finish is stellar.

[@flameguitars5770]

Thank you

[@nathanieldelrosario1324]

ngl that's the most cleanest break on a guitar neck that I've ever seen....

[@robertcaffrey6097]

Soooo glad I discovered your channel. Great to see a 150 yr old guitar lovingly looked after and still singing "Sweetly" well done sir.

[@johnrobertson7968]

Thanks for posting this video David, Lynn and I have been fascinated to watch the repair being carried out so skillfully and we can vouch for the superb workmanship achieved. Lulu's guitar is still looking good and sounding great.

[@flameguitars5770]

As I say in the video, it was a joy for me to be part of the story of this lovely guitar. Thanks for bringing it to me.

[@wishchris]

That was a very relaxing repair!

[@jimmer1047]

Love watching your great skill and craftsmanship! I also like the twoodfrd guy from Canada, the Crimson Guitar guy from UK and Rosa String instruments from US. You guys are all so interesting and entertaining!

[@flameguitars5770]

Thanks for that. Appreciate your comment

[@mordokch]

That's beautiful man ! Very satisfying to see her saved and singing again :)

[@joshuabrande2417]

So nice to see someone having pride in their work. That is a beautiful guitar.

[@restojon1]

What an absolute little sweetie that is. Top job too

[@jaredlucky9990]

decided to stay for lutherie lesson,.. then the music kicks in and i realise im actually watching a mystic liberating a trapped song spirit of an old world.

[@davespears2241]

Beautiful sound.

[@buckgibbons6218]

Outstanding bit of work there....

[@melaniebuford]

Watching this to make me feel better about my broken Ovation applause guitar. The fretboard fell off when it slipped out of my hand putting it on the guitar stand. It’s a practice guitar but I’m counting down the days until it’s repaired and new again.

[@bluesingmusic3443]

Beautiful job!

[@flameguitars5770]

Thank you!

[@tylersmith8045]

Wow, what a great job! Can you write the sequence of grits you went through. Also, the name of the buffing conpound? Thanks

[@tribestribes2555]

Oh what a lovely guitar. Just look at this Rio Rosewood. 👍

[@tonyshoe3131]

It's the little things... like the back ground music as he repairs..... nice touch.

[@LuthierBrunoGarcia]

An 1865 guitar with modern 20th century T style frets? Right.

[@chrisofnottingham]

I am constantly amazed at how good glue can be

[@Fazman81]

You don’t think a wooden dowel would have made it a stronger repair? Or would that not have been appropriate for such an antique guitar?

[@MisterMosfet]

No real need for reinforcement on classicals, glues are generally stronger than the wood itself and the tension from nylon strings is so low it poses no risk of cracking for another 100 years at least.

[@tonybradley9909]

Hi, very interesting repair. Could you confirm what glue you used. Thanks

[@chrisjohnson4165]

Very good repair, but hot hide glue is far superior to bottled cold glue, and violin makers never sand a joint, but rather dissolve old glue with water or laponite gel, allow to dry and then scrape if necessary.

[@technestudio]

Beautiful everything about this is beautiful

[@HailRider]

Beautiful work there. What I can't believe is that there is nothing but glue for the fix. I thought perhaps a splicing would help strengthen the joint.

[@michaelbritton9778]

1856 guitar a very delicate job by the looks of it will it hold out a very good job you done with it

[@francissmith9443]

You did beautiful work on that lovely antique guitar. I would love to find a guitar of that vintage or older. Once I was in London and visiting a guitar store on or around Charing Cross Road and saw an 1860s parlour guitar. However, it had been fitted with steel strings, to my shock. Someone there at that shop did not know or realize that this was a guitar built long before steel strings and should have been fitted with nylon strings. Steel strings will warp a neck on such a guitar.

[@stevee7774]

Is this why there was no truss rod on this guitar? Do nylon stringed instruments not require them?

[@MisterMosfet]

@@stevee7774 Yep, nylon stringed instruments don't have truss rods. I could be wrong, but from my understanding truss rods only came to be after electric guitars had thinner necks as standard, as opposed to the much wider necks on classical guitars. Nylon strings require very little tension to make a good tone, infact this guitar in the video would have been originally fitted with gut strings. I have an early unbranded electric classical that's designed for steel strings, the neck is even wider and thicker than a standard classical and is made from the hardest wood I've felt on a guitar.

[@joq702]

Technically classical guitars can still structurally benefit from a truss rod and many classicals can be bought with ant truss rod. Purists do not always want them because of tone concerns and generally do not mind a little higher string action anyway. And part of this lack of concern for the string height and structural integrity over time is that the nylon strings have a total string tension much, much less than a standard steel string guitar. The pull forces on the neck and joint and the string tension effects also on the bridge and bridge pulling up the top, pushing in the sound hole are significantly less in force. @@stevee7774

[@jonahguitarguy]

Very nicely done! Great little guitar I love seeing these old gems get a second chance at life.

[@flameguitars5770]

Thanks Dane. Each year I work on lots of Fenders and Gibsons. And I enjoy that. But it is also nice to work on something unusual.

[@bernhardnizynski4403]

Lovely finish!

[@Ricobass0]

Nice job. Very nice finish. V strange airbrush technique! Not sure why you used cold hide glue when that break does not need to ever be taken apart again. And, you won't want any movement further down the road to show up as a witness line in your great new finish.

[@1967brokedude]

I would have to ensure the neck is true while clamping. Straight edge string line or other alignment aide.

[@kirkmcinerney8757]

Agreed, though it was weird not to include that in the video. Also, how did he repair the fingerboard? Crucial section of the repair left out of the video.

[@alanbrewer9454]

Smashing job as always, remarkable history, still sounds great.

[@flameguitars5770]

Thanks Alan, hope you are well

[@jimrodgers4363]

GREAT WORK.FUN TO WATCH.

[@wilson4180]

Would this repair now compromise a neck reset down the line? I’m curious as why you didn’t remove the neck completely to reinforced the entire neck, separate from the body.

[@stevenstainbrook1064]

Yeah, I was thinking the same. Unless it is going to be strung loosely and used for display, maybe tuned up now and then to be played a short time. Seems that removing everything and doing the repair would be best. But I am just armchair repairing...

[@romulusremus7537]

From the headstock, can see it was built for nylon strings, not steel. So this is the correct repair for this guitar.

[@ToddSauve]

@@romulusremus7537 I think they would have been gut strings back in 1860.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Popping the neck heel from the neck block simply makes more work than the repair actually requires--since the neck angle was fine prior to the break. The hide glue he used is stronger than the wood itself. In the future, a neck reset would be possible because everything is in the same place as it was when the neck was first installed by the maker. This is a top-notch repair.

[@ungmd21]

Beautiful finishing job. However I am worried that the neck might not be strong enough over time or if it should fall. I wonder about adding splines or taking off the neck block first and putting in dowels or rods to reinforce the heel

[@flameguitars5770]

Thanks for your comment. I have given a detailed response to this issue to frannelk

[@genesmith555]

Being as old as it is, it was built for gut strings and is now strung with nylon. The neck shouldn't have any trouble holding up as long as the glue holds up.

[@ahf5471]

Incredible guitar

[@fufc1231]

Thats a clean refinish on that break Do you have a video on how you polish up the finish like that? I would love to see it

[@chrisjohnson4165]

You've just watched one. Work up through the grades of abrasive, then use cutting compound.

[@SoulofAncient]

This is exactly what I'm looking for. I'm looking at buying a 12 string with a pretty bad break much like this one.

[@balhallak]

Nice work, does glue type used for gluing broken neck affect the guitar performance and tuning, like white glue? thank you.

[@flameguitars5770]

I either use Titebond or cold hide glue. The most important thing for me is to make a good, effective repair.

[@harrisonandrew]

You are a genius.

[@richardstevens4230]

The neck was flawless. There are jackasses like Quentin Tarantino who direct breaking vintage guitars, and heroes who fix them. Preserving precious instruments from the past is noble

[@cgavin1]

@Wrdn54 That priceless on-loan-from-museum guitar that was smashed in Hateful 8 was real. Props guy goofed. The gasps from the female lead in the scene were of horror as she knew it was real but Kurt Russell did not. Tragic!

[@farangkinok]

Very nice repair, wonderful to watch the process as it happens.

[@tomohawk5567]

Geo, is an abbreviation of the name George. Great video thanks for sharing 👍

[@bamboosa]

@Flame Guitars - nice fix. I would have installed a hardwood dowel in both bits being glued together but each to their own. I fixed my Hyundai 12-string, broken in exactly the same way, with a woodscrew and a shite-ton of Krazy Glue - that was 11 years ago. That parlour guitar has sat in the dark, unplayed for over a hundred years. Nice to hear somebody finally play it. I recommend Harold Budd (works with Eno) over the sentimental piano music. Aloha.

[@ftumptch86]

I thought the same. Pin and glue for strength but I'm a model maker not a guitar fixer upper.

[@bamboosa]

@@ftumptch86 - interesting. The same principles apply. Some folk have a gift for "engineering" which is simply a familiarity with and a knack for modeling in the physical world

[@jimdoner3443]

Nice work and what a beautiful little instrument. Thank you for sharing nice video production also.

[@hionforex9169]

whats w the first few notes of phantom of the opera?

[@LandryGammon2024]

Would that not have been hide glue you could have removed with hot water?

[@diegotovar5448]

Awesome job! Which glue did you use?

[@flameguitars5770]

I can't recall. But I might have used Titebond cold hide glue

[@shaunzimmerman661]

if this guitar needed a neck reset cause of action would u have taken the neck heel out of the body an glue it a finger board back together then reset or would u have still done the same way

[@bd7337]

I’m sorry if I got your name wrong but if it’s David. Please tell me the flame burst electric guitar that’s behind you when you are playing the classical guitar you just fixed. The one hanging on the wall that’s stripped down, it a tiesco/Japanese made guitar/ or maybe called sekova. I had a Green burst sekova 6 string electric many years ago. It was a bit different from the one hanging behind you but the body quite similar. It was I believe only 1-2 pickups, no extra switches, but a couple of control knobs. It was made in the late 60’s. I sold it back in 1980s and regret it. It was my very first guitar and hoping to find it or one like my green burst Sekova again. If you have seen one or have one. Please reply to my message and let me know how I may acquire it. Thank and great job on your luthier work. Sounds great.

[@JoeKyser]

Using your thumb on the airbrush trigger is a bit different. I use my thumb after using the cheap ones for a while. They always hurt my finger.

[@flameguitars5770]

Interesting. I've never thought about using it in a different way.

[@djsullivan9045]

I really wish you were near Los Angeles, California. I have a "project", a 100+ year old parlor guitar that needs expert help. So where are you located? Great video of that Lulu Sweet Guitar!

[@dewindoethdwl2798]

Really satisfying. Thanks for sharing.

[@flameguitars5770]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stevesoldwedel]

Loved this. Way to resurrect some history.

[@silva10123]

What type of glue did you use? I can't see the reply you answered below.

[@flameguitars5770]

I used Titebond cold hide glue

[@GT-yw8ue]

What type of final polish were you using in the video? I use t-cut but wondered if there was a better alternative.

[@flameguitars5770]

I use different grades of Mirka compounds. But there are alternatives

[@MsRavens13]

What glue is that?

[@petar_marus]

Would the resonance be the same as before?

[@justincooney6873]

What type of wood glue did you use? Great vid of this reaper!

[@flameguitars5770]

I think I used cold hide glue

[@billmicallef4786]

Great work, what type of paint was applied for the touch up? Cheers.

[@flameguitars5770]

Thanks. I used nitrocellulose lacquer.

[@TaralgaBushAdventure]

Cripes! - where the hell do you get 3600 grit?

[@flameguitars5770]

Micro mesh polishing cloths. Up to 12000 grit which gives a semi gloss finish.

[@swamptrog5]

GEO is short for George. Not enough room to write out George on the plaque. It was obviously made by an excellent luthier. Do you have any idea who built it? Very nice work but I have to agree with the 1st 2 comments below. I would think reinforcing the neck to heel would be better. However, I'm not a luthier so take my advice for what it may be worth. Thank you for showing us this incredible guitar.

[@davesrvchannel4717]

Martin guitar was founded by CF Martin in 1839. His fathers name was George. This guitar needs research done on it to see if it might be one of the first made of Martin. I’m struggling to believe the age of this guitar. The previous restoration was done great. Really makes it look a century younger.

[@FenderBenderBilly]

amazing work - didn't expect anything else - ps my strat is still playing like a dream

[@flameguitars5770]

Thanks Brett

[@pwman]

Beautiful guitar and wonderful repair work. Sounds lovely.

[@guitaresberdah558]

Good job!

[@bntaft5133]

Thank you.

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

Can I ask, are you self taught? Do you have a background in fine woodworking? You did a beautiful job. It sounds lovely. I would have thought steel strings for a parlour guitar, but the nylon strings sound great. Thanks.

[@sidnewman7676]

Early guitars like this were all nylon 🤘

[@carlosmacmartin4205]

@@sidnewman7676 Wrong. 19th Century guitars used silk and sheep gut strings.

[@frannelk]

Nice job, but a question from a curious person, Does only glue keep that neck still? To me if you add the string tension this might get broken again. obviously you are an expert and you are playing the thing you repaired. It has to be a big deal to get such as old instrument in your workshop.

[@flameguitars5770]

Feel free to ask. The traditional way to make a guitar heel is to glue several pieces of wood together and then carve the heel. A dovetail joint is formed and the neck is then glued in place. This guitar was to be fitted with nylon strings. So nothing like the pull that steel strings exert on a neck. This break left a lot of gluing surface. And importantly that gluing surface was in 3 planes (the heel, the underside of the fretboard and the vertical line of the heel block) I did think about strengthening the repair joint but decided it wasn't necessary.

[@sewing1243]

@@flameguitars5770 If you see this...if you had done something other than the repair as shown, what do you think you would have done to help tie everything back together?

[@Rupesh_kumar_dev]

Sorry, but sir which is this material you are using?

[@hamjazz]

Can you tell me the type of glue you were using please?

[@flameguitars5770]

Its Titebond hide glue

[@hamjazz]

@@flameguitars5770 Thank you.

[@menandroesios8407]

what adhesive brand you are using thanks!

[@lemboz7695]

Sir guitar nam?

[@shaunberry7893]

Thanks for the vid, great work, enjoyed.

[@randyivie359]

What type of glue did you use ?

[@flameguitars5770]

I'm afraid I cant remember. It would either have been Titebond or cold hide glue.

[@randyivie359]

@@flameguitars5770 thanks

[@mudasiriqbal8256]

My guitar is broken from the same point & I don't have money to get repaired 😔

[@markrefoy]

Fantastic job David, what an amazing guitar. I love that Jaguar body hanging on your wall............😉

[@flameguitars5770]

Thanks Mark. I think the Jag went to a good home!

[@joseluizm.garcia998]

Mostly a cosmetic work , It should very well brake apart again. No oin installed between the two broken pieces

[@peterpetrusa3131]

Very nice repair. What type of glue did you use?

[@hackerguitar]

It’s Franklin liquid hide glue.

[@ahf5471]

Wonderful

[@Ron-jd4th]

GREAT WORK!! So great to see this 144 yr. old instrument, looking and sounding so good!!! Btw; this guitar is a Martin, is it not? If so, what model? Thanks, Ron

[@ToddSauve]

It would actually be 160 years old. Older than even me!

[@tgkanter]

Thank you for sharing. To me it sounds like you put nylon strings on. The construction of the bridge and headstock suggests that it was built for use with steel strings. Did you put nylon strings on because the glue might no longer support the added tension?

[@flameguitars5770]

I did use nylon strings which was how the guitar was strung before the break. I am no authority on the history if guitar strings, but the age of the guitar suggests that it would have originally been strung with gut strings. Nylon and steel strings being a later invention. That said, this guitar has undergone a few modifications. I dont think the bridge is original and it may be that as some time steel strings were fitted. But steel strings would have put this delicate guitar under too much stress. No truss rod either.

[@johnwelch2959]

Guitars weren’t strung with steel strings until the 1920’s. Prior to that time, steel could not be extruded in such small diameters. The early parlor guitars were lightly braced with spruce bridge patches, so it was correct to use the nylon strings. I sometimes use silk and steel strings on such guitars as they are also low tension. These early parlor guitars have a beautiful tone. Thx for posting.

[@Cemballo]

@@johnwelch2959 And what about the small diameters of 16th century harpsichord strings?

[@tukulhati6173]

lovely...

[@willmorrison1022]

WRONG GLUE!!! Do NOT use cold hide glue on ANY instrument. That stuff is the WORST glue around, it has poor adhesion, it doesn't last, it's NOT the same as what they used originally, HOT hide glue. Hot glue is still a very good choice, but the cold stuff is just horrible. Stop using that stuff IMMEDIATELY!!! Beautiful guitar. Funny thing, back when that was made it was considered a HUGE guitar. When Martin first introduced the 0 size guitar, that was called the Grand Auditorium. Largest guitar they had ever built. Then came the 00, slightly larger, and then the 000, finally followed by the dreadnaught. But this guitar, at the time, was considered a very large guitar. Nice to know it's back up and running again, at least until that hide glue gives out.

[@jeffhigh2]

And the cleanup before gluing could have been done with hot water rather than sanding

[@willmorrison1022]

@@jeffhigh2 Exactly. The cold stuff just doesn't hold. And then that repair will just have to be done correctly, all over again. There is just no point in using that stuff. Don't ask me how I know.

[@RodCalidge]

You sure about that 1865 date?

[@agwbcfjc2]

See: @0:31.

[@svenburns9069]

If the tuners are meral its made for steelstrings but that repair and the top probably could not take the pull from steelstrings without further adjustments to the construction of that guitar.

[@stavrospapadimitriou7631]

Not so. I have a 1880 guitar made by Hermanos Sentchordi in Valencia, and that also has stock small metal rollers, although it was certainly built for gut strings. Stringing the guitar takes ages! The machines were considered a luxury appointment, and I've seen identical machines on a Torres guitar of a similar vintage valued at over 200 thousand dollars! I wouldn't be surprised if the machines on this guitar were similar. Those on my guitar were manufactured in Germany, by all accounts. Genuine ivory buttons.

[@stavrospapadimitriou7631]

Actually, looking at the video again, I see that the machines are very similar indeed. Notice the worm-gears are toward the body of the guitar, as they are on mine. Most modern guitars are the other way round.

[@patrickwilliams3108]

Steel strings were not invented until the late 1890s and were not marketed before 1900. This guitar, being built before 1865, would have had gut strings.

[@janklas7079]

With respect, but a pretty bodged repair. This thing is just going to break again. That wood is dry, and you used a single component glue. Furthermore, you left a broken fretboard on there. The proper way would have been to remove the neck in its entirety, then enlarge the glue surface between the neck and the broken off part with dowels, glue it properly with a solid 2 component glue, remove the fretboard, replace it with a new one, and then properly place the neck again. THEN you would have the original strength back. Now you have a bodged repair which will break again soon enough.

[@stevee7774]

This_isn't_for_your_eyes! - 🤣👍

[@giampierorusso607]

Bravissima 👏👏. .good! !

[@bjangofett1]

Played by Javier Escuaela

[@KS-uv7yc]

Sanding to smooth surfaces, and small as they are, will not provide proper strength. The block should have been reinforced.

[@pabloricardodetarragon2649]

That was screaming for inserts reinforcements of the neck. There was largely enough place to drill 6 to 7 mm holes and to glue two hard wood pegs as longs as possible. This reparation is totally invisible and does not detract. And the guitar can be played again.

[@mathhhias42]

its a nylon string guitar, the amount of weight isn't even near of an acoustic guitar, that neck will be fine with this repair .

[@harrickvharrick3957]

Why not repair the other obvious damages when you're at it..?

[@perihelion7798]

Very nice job, but...that guitar has a remarkable finish for an 1865 guitar. Just sayin'.

[@perihelion7798]

Refinish! Ha. I missed that on first viewing. I need to pay closer attention to description.

[@clartypaths840]

my mum would have repaired this with carpet tacks and sellotape.

[@DanielLeeBurchette]

This is stephen merchant's dad.

[@babablowfish]

Really? He does look like him.

[@vishnubhramashiva4110]

Damn, now I can't unsee that.

[@psblad2667]

The background music is unnecessary and quite irritating!!

[@nikitafagerbrant2428]

I do not agree with this kind of repair. Yes you fit it to the body again, but how to do a realignment? In my opinion you should have removed all part, repair the broken part and fit it to the body again. In this way it still would be possible to realign when needed. Now a realignment is equal to a rebuild of the guitar.

[@peachmelba1000]

Great work. Btw, you look like a far less daft Stephen Merchant.

[@seriousguitarinstructionbo6690]

All you great repair guys kill me. Jealous as hell.

[@Screamdoom]

god, that painful to watch

[@GaugeTen]

Remove the strings and just hang the guitar on the wall and focus on painting job. Dont touch any guitar with broken neck.

[@235buz]

You would never touch one of my instruments.

[@stevee7774]

Cuz you couldn’t afford it.