Stevie Ray Vaughan Strat - RUSTED TRUSS ROD!?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you all for the interest in this project and the channel! Most of the comments have been positive, but there seems to be some confusion on a few points. I'll make a follow up video to answer some common questions. I'll link it when its avaliable but for now, I'll mention a few points that keep coming up in the comments. #1 The guitar was an off the shelf strat, SRV signature model from 1996. Not actually one of Stevie's. Just a prodution line guitar. #2... Before me and the owner did a TON of work to it on both the body and the neck, the guitar was a total basket case wall hanger, unplayable, and absolutely ruined due to the way it was "stored". Any value it had was basically gone. To sell it, you'd have had to list the condition as "for parts only", not even "used-poor" The neck is even still slightly discolored from the water damage, and it's a miricle the finished maple wasn't any worse than it was. It's now a bad to the bone, one of a kind, awesome strat, with an awesome stainless steel fret job that almost plays itself. #3 the original fingerboard was water damaged, and the water had allowed something that looked like black mold to grow even inside all the fret slots. Water was able to enter the neck through the fret slots to get to the truss rod and rust it out. The owner didn't want to keep that board, plus, I think he really liked the idea of being able to choose the piece that ended up being his. He literally picked that piece of wood from several options. And I turned his selection into part of the instrument. #4 If you think heating and steaming off a fingerboard is quick and easy.... you've obviously never done it. I have. And its not quick. And its not easy. But it is easy to screw up. The method I came up with eliminated a HUGE chance to mess this neck up. Had I not had to film and explain, removing the board the way I did would have taken probably 20 minutes, maybe half an hour, plus, the same operation corrected the neck warp, and prepped the neck for glueing the new board on. 3 operation in one go. It was by far the simplest and easist part of this project, and yet it seems to be the most debated... Thank you all, and I hope enjoyed the video!

[@MrUltraworld]

Fellow Luthier here, looks like nice work, that SRV Strat will play better than any off-the-shelf model.

[@ranman58635]

That's what people do, criticism is the specialty of today's learners. It's a great job. No need to explain such mastery.

[@AndreRMeyer]

genial. Greetings from the sunny climes of Basle, Switzerland

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! I just looked it up, and that seems like a very pleasant place to be!

[@dog61]

The video wasn't too long. Great work!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks!

[@laurentmcdonald2096]

I enjoyed this video very much. Thank you for sharing your skill and time with us.

[@stevemineer2857]

It amazes me that Leo designed these guitars to easily replace the neck yet people go through such pains to save them.

[@Patrick-857]

With a new neck it's no longer an SRV signature model.

[@stevemineer2857]

@@Patrick-857 Order one from Fender or get one from Stratosphere. There’s nothing special about that guitar.

[@tomstiel7576]

except most likely nicer by the looks of it@@stevemineer2857

[@brianjohnson3863]

I agree ,they are meant to be replaced .not cherished

[@brianjohnson3863]

Fender,bender

[@PhreddCrintt]

Blown away! A totally superb video. Thank you so much Davey!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you!

[@manonbassguitar]

Why wouldn’t you just heat-steam the fingerboard off? It seems like your doing more unorthodox work than necessary

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Had I not had to film it and explain as I went, I could have done that process in less than half an hour. Looks complicated but honestly it wasn't. Getting the board off was without a doubt the easiest part of this. Didn't want to introduce hot steam to the already water damaged neck also. And there was a smell of mold. I didn't want to give that junk a fresh drink of hot water and a new lease on life!

[@Bolandcustoms]

Having steamed and heated fretboards off, I can tell you he did a much cleaner job.

[@cerd6292]

This seems like a carpenter’s idea of replacing a fret board. Never seen anyone use this method.

[@jweetabix8052]

Totally appreciate the different perspective for replacing the fretboard, and it was interesting to watch, thank you

[@catzdollz9810]

Maybe a DUMB QUESTION but, if that fingerboard had been swabbed for DNA, would it actually be SRV's DNA?

[@chrissturley823]

Unbelievable work. I look at something like this and it makes me feel like that neck will never play right again. Then I think again and realize that this guy clearly knows what he’s up to. I’d love to play that neck and see how it feels. Great work. Thanks for the super interesting video.

[@nrich5127]

I watched all of the video and I'm amazed at the depth of the work involved and your knowledge and skill. Someone's got a piece of history restored - great job with amazing results.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you!

[@Old-Skull.]

That is not a piece of history it's a replica or signature model made by Fender , not one of the real guitars of SRV . It's just an expensive guitar because it has a decal of the signature of SRV in the headstock.

[@FlipDahlenburg]

That tip about the center line of the Strat neck hitting the third-string tuner hole is great, and a new one on me! Thanks!

[@ronmorey3475]

Great work! I like longer in-depth vids like this. Very inspiring. Thanks!

[@francoispoussereau978]

Great Work !

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you!

[@777L38]

Really good job, thanks for sharing

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks!

[@1148-w1d]

Good job! I'd love to see the finished guitar.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Coming soon! Already filmed it, no time to edit yet. Real life job in the way! A couple of shorts are up with me playing this guitar with the owners permission, but a more indepth follow up is on the way Thanks for watching!

[@johnward3874]

Wow! Great work. I would love to play that neck after you finished it. Great finish on the sides as well. I have seen dings filled in using that method with a drop fill.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks! That's the most I've ever used that super glue method to do. The owner and I are both very very happy with the end results. And the stainless steel frets play really really good!

[@wombatau]

Amazing work

[@kg2nc]

Wow what a beautiful job you did. Thanks for sharing

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks!

[@activese]

I will love to own and play that neck, not because SRV or Fender or wood type, just because of your great hard work and attention. Cheers.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you for commenting and thanks for saying that!

[@carsgunsandguitars]

That's an impressive repair!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks!

[@753Jackson]

Brilliant video. Very inspiring. I’ve got a 70s Telecaster the neck has a bit of a back bow. The truss rod is maxed out. I wish I had your skill set.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you! As long as the truss rod is still working, a good luthier in your area should be able to sort it out for you. The fretboard gets leveled in the process of doing a fret job, and the neck can be corrected during that process. The process isn't cheap. But it isn't outrageously expensive either. It's worth it for a good instrument in the end. Depending on its condition and value as is, the fret job could actually help the value of the instrument. If it's a "player grade" vintage, I'd say you're good to go ahead and make it so a player really would want to play it. If it's a really pristine mint example..... I don't know if it's a good idea to do the fret job. Might be worth more as it is. The 70s were honestly not fantastic years for fender in general, but there were some gems among them. A good luthier can make any of those guitars better than they came from the factory and make a real player out of that one for you if that's what you want. I definitely think you'd like the end result. Ask around some local music stores and they can probably direct you to a reputable luthier. But hey, I'm just a guy on KZbin. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@753Jackson]

@@daveydacusguitars9033 I did take it to one. The advice was there's no more travel on the truss rod. It could be straightened by heat but it was not advised. I watched a Stew Mac rescue. A few more threads were added to the rod that hadn't enough turns and it worked. The tool however is expensive. So at the moment I just play it as it is.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

I would definitely trust the person who actually saw the guitar in that case. I'm not sure the truss rod rescue kit is what you need though. It's used to give the truss rod more travel yes, but only in the case where the neck is in relief, and you need to truss rod to give it MORE back bow. In other words you need it to act more AGAINST the string pull. To act with the strings to push the neck, you'd need a double action rod. Which that one doesn't have. If yours is stuck in a back bow state, I think you can either continue to play it as it is, use a heat it a straighten it, or pull the frets and level the hump out and put new frets in it. In other words, a fret job. If you're not a bender.... I supposed you could also try a really heavy gauge string and see if it'll pull the neck up over time. Like 11s or 12s.

[@xraydelta7]

Long video but so much awesome information. Thank you

[@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm]

OMG = what have you done !

[@shawnbowling5766]

Fantastic work. Love the super glue trick.

[@Krullmatic]

I just wanna know what doofus would leave an SRV under a tarp?

[@johnmueller6240]

I like longer repair videos. The longer the better. 😀😀

[@McDGuitars]

Watched the whole thing easily. Great work!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Awesome, thank you!

[@guitarscientist9386]

I dont think the video was too long. was fascinating and very quick 30 minutes. wish it was longer!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks for watching!

[@guitarscientist9386]

@@daveydacusguitars9033 Im watching your tele build vids now :)

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Cool thanks! I'm trying to get better at making videos overall. Some of my early ones are a little rough haha

[@guitarscientist9386]

@@daveydacusguitars9033 seems good so far. very interesting content which is what matters. I want to learn how to make guitar necks one of these days, so your vids are really cool.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Awesome! Fletcher handcrafted guitars has some great videos on the subject Also PRS guitars used to have literally hours of footage going through their factory and talking about the processes.

[@thatlisagirl71]

Was there something wrong with the fretboard? Was this just a preference with you or the client? I’ve seen plenty remove and reinstall the fretboard. I don’t get it.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

For one.... it really really smelled of mold and mildew. Got as much smell as we could off the surface. When he pulled frets there was black junk all down inside the fret slots.... And I'm pretty sure the moisture was allowed to enter the neck and rust the rod through the fret slots. We just decided, the owner and myself, that we should just replace it.

[@thomasmussari2819]

Nice Job!!!!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks!

[@Stratisfied22]

That was a ton of work but damn did it come out nice. Great work dude!

[@jamespell8091]

Those results are par excellence

[@debil477]

Perfect work.

[@LostMountainRestoration]

Great job and great video. New sub!

[@srt8speed]

Very interesting video and great work! Love the end result, lots and lots of work wasn’t it? Subscribing from CT!!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you and welcome aboard!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Yes probably.... 10... maybe 12 hours of work. Plus a little time in between waiting for glue to dry. I didn't really track it.

[@gptg1981]

Love the super glue trick! Whole project turned out like new!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks!

[@danielmiller2886]

Great video! SRV was my obsession when learning how to play guitar as a teen in the early - mid 90s and it hurt my heart badly to hear how this was "stored".

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Man you have no idea There's an 88 or 89 American jazz bass with GREEN frets.... an 86 Japanese strat. There was a 2007 Mexican deluxe players strat... an older aria pro 2 bass.. like... not low level cheap instruments overall. This one was actually one of the ones in better condition. I'm not sure some if the other are salvageable.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

And thanks!

[@johnoakley6696]

You guys got it easy. We use to make a curved set of rails and attach them to the neck to route a curved slot for Gibson style truss rod. 1/4"on the neck end and anchor end and3/4" drop in middle.

[@venusssharman5922]

Wasn't long enough for me. Loved every moment....

[@chrissturley823]

Kinda what she said… ?

[@venusssharman5922]

@@chrissturley823 Lol, i get it.. You know what i meant though... Video was not long enough for me

[@duggervaughan8768]

Excellent job sir. I'm completely amazed by your level of mastery of this repair. I'm curious to know what the total time involved and what a repair of this level will cost? It'll be worth every penny.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you for watching and commenting! So... work investment for me is probably about 12 hours or so, maybe a little more maybe a little less. Plus filming is a real pain and I can't really charge for the time it takes to film as well as the repair. This repair had several situations where... I'd work for like an hour, then I'd need to wait for glue to dry.... the next day work for an hour.... wait for glue to dry again. So it took me about 3 to 4 weeks between my regular job and other projects to get it finished up. And I did this neck for another guy who does repair work. So I just got the neck from him, did the repair, gave him back the neck. I didn't end up doing any of the final set up work after the neck was reinstalled like I would do for the average client. I don't really want to throw too many numbers around as I'm not really "qouting" a price to you or anyone. Every guitar and every repair is a little different and I won't give prices without seeing it the job. But to give you an idea... I'll say.. to replace the frets on an unbound rosewood board like this alone is about $350+ in my area. With stianless steel frets like these anyway. That doesn't include any of work with replacing the fingerboard and truss rod. Different factors affect the price of a fret job. If the guitar has a maple neck and will need a refinish after leveling the board. If the guitar has binding. If it is a set neck guitar.... seveal factors have an effect on final price. I would say you are definitely in the same realm price wise as say.... ordering a fully built customized neck from a company like warmoth. So it needs to be a guitar someone is really attached to or has a lot of value in player grade and "repaired" condition.

[@duggervaughan8768]

@@daveydacusguitars9033 Great info. Thank you for replying, and again, good looking work.

[@pvdguitars2951]

Mind blowing and breath taking. Stunning result!!! Superglue is the luthier’s best friend!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

That stuff has saved me more times than I can count! And thanks!

[@robertkroberjr.157]

I have to share a Stevie Ray concert experience with you. Mid June clear Blue sky. On the South side of Downtown Pittsburgh. His stage was set up in front of railroad tracks. You could see the city through the backdrop of the stage. About halfway through the show, a train went by. You couldn't hear the train, but the visual was incredible! I'll never forget it! RIP Stevie!🙏❤️

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing

[@guywihn1658]

That offset could be a design feature to compensate for unequal string pull? I was surprised to learn from original blueprints that the truss rod route has two different radii to reduce force at the thinner headstock end.

[@piotrkarel]

Out of curiosity, why not removing the fretboard in one piece? What is the benefit of doing it this way? Nice work btw 👌

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you! So because of the way this thing was "stored".... the original had mold and mildew all inside the fret slots. It smelled REALLY bad. And it was decided by the owner and myself to just replace it and not try to save it. The main benefits though was by using the drum sander, the bow on the neck shaft was corrected, and the glue joint was prepped in the exact same way as it would be when I make a new neck, so the glue joint ended up looking great, and the original finish was not disturbed at all. To pull it off in one piece I would have had to heat and steam it. Heat and steam would surely have messed up that original neck finish. In short, this way got a cleaner looking result WAY easier.

[@piotrkarel]

@@daveydacusguitars9033 ok, makes sense 👍

[@TheCousinEddie]

Is there an advantage to repairing the original neck versus replacing it with a different neck? I appreciate the technical skill and artistry you put in to restoring the neck. Nice job!

[@0Imtheslime0]

A job like this can easily cost $600-800. For that price you can get a custom neck in highest grade Flame Maple and the best features you need. Worth it? not really..

[@stealingtomorrowband]

Definitely a unique approach to repairing

[@billwittman0504]

Truly beautiful work, Master Luthier!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks! Maybe not master.... but I do my best.

[@BruceEEvans1]

I admire your skill and resolve in effecting this repair. However, I really have to wonder if it might have been faster/cheaper/better to just put a new modern neck on it.

[@benwright6330]

Is it possible when doing a job like this, to turn the truss rod around backwards so it's adjustable at the Headstock?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Short answer... Technically.... I guess it is. Yeah.. I would say yes, for sure that's possible. You would use a different truss rod and do a few things differently. But yes, it's possible. Long answer, it's not a great idea in practice... at least not for this neck. I am pretty confident I would have butchered up the appearance of the headstock if I tried to drill that access hole at such a low angle like that... The side of the drill contacts first, you would have to make a jig to drill the hole, and then assuming you got the hole drilled cleanly, you then have fresh maple showing that I'm sure I could never color match to the original, uniquely aged amber finish. Someone out there maybe could. But I could not color match that for sure. Maybe if I were planning to refinish the neck completely it could come out good enough to pass a visual inspection. With all the routing being done either under the fingerboard, or hidden under the neck heel it was much less trouble in this case to leave the access point where it originally was. All that is hidden when the guitar is assembled and it has a nice clean overall look. Not a bad idea, but not the best solution for this particular neck I think. Beyond my skills to execute cleanly anyway. But probably someone out there could have made that happen. Thanks for watching!!!

[@jamesascher8147]

nice work

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks!

[@Flippityflop2350]

Hello can you tell me where you purchased your green vise?-

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

@Flippityflop2350 Woodcraft, it's retailer here in the US. They have some locations spread all over the US but also online. I think they call it a "Gunstock carving vise" or maybe just a "Carving" vise. Either way. Same thing as the red stewmac one, half the price, you can also be patient and it will go on sale even cheaper. I got mine on sale for $99 I think. About 2 years ago though so.... we might not ever see it that cheap again.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-patternmaker-s-carving-vise/t34003?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrKu2BhDkARIsAD7GBottDXmf4x_ipp_T9Olt0xbFlKRlYuAWHSblfAcAfJSj64iXwnC_cxgaArRAEALw_wcB Here's one from grizzly on sale now

[@maxwellblakely7952]

Great work. No doubt about that. My question is: Is this job cheaper than just buying a new neck?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

2 answers ... Not really, and it depends. Just any ol replacement strat neck like an allparts or mighty might neck would have been between 150 and 250. To find another SRV second hand..... depends on how much the owner values it.... could be $500 plus A neck of similar qaulity to this end result, probably similar in price point. A custom warmoth neck built to spec, could run $500 plus as well. I will say I priced this pretty cheap, to the man who I learned to do fretwork from because he taught me a ton about guitars. He refused to pay that amount and gave me more than I asked for and said it was well worth it. He also was looking at how much money he had in the guitar, and even with what he paid me, he came out really good total investment in the instrument. Be cause if it's state and how it was "stored" he got a good deal on the guitar. To this particular client, I think maintaining the original neck and decals and seriel# and all that was sort of priceless. He wanted it working again.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

And thanks!

[@chrissturley823]

Can you imagine the thousands of dollars of labor put into this?

[@1finemeat]

Ya right! But it worked (I think).

[@ewm335]

Yeah, was thinking the same. Generally a refret alone costs about as much as a good-quality replacement neck. The cost-effective approach (if not great for content creation) would be to wait for someone like Stratosphere to sell an actual Fender SRV signature neck. This was almost as much work as making a neck from scratch, and I imagine if you paid for that amount of labor, you could almost buy a used SRV Strat. Looks like a good repair, though.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Well..... you have to consider this was a wall hanger hunk of junk when the guy bought it as a "for parts only" kind of deal. So his total cost investment in the guitar in the end is actually very reasonable considering how it came out. He does guitar work as well, he just did not feel comfortable replacing a fingerboard. Lots of sweat equity on his part. He actually paid me more than I asked for this repair and still came out very good.

[@PhpGtr]

Good call on planing down that fingerboard. I have only removed one by steaming and wedging/prying once, and it wasn't a problem. Then again, it wasn't on there very well to begin with, which is why I was removing it... But I'll take your word for it!

[@fed9096]

you are a true craftsman! I could have watched a much longer video 😂

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks!

[@moose6676]

A work of art my friend, a sterling job 🙏🏻

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you! And thanks for watching!

[@ashtonb3948]

the superglue finish was very smart, gonna have to keep that in my toolbox for later... hahaha

[@PaleRider638]

Where are you located?

[@Apeshoot13]

Fantastic work. It's amazing what "stock" guitars have gone through. What should a clone Strat built to '62 specs cost today?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Depends ya know In my opnion it's very hard to find the right buyer for a really really good caliber instrument. The truth is most people won't pay what they are actually worth. And that's hinestly fair because.... most people are not going to use them to their full extent, or need them to perform at that level. Professional musicians are really who will pay for a good instrument and know its true value. I had a 1961 in my house for about a week and studied that thing top to bottom. I made some replica pickups to match those and I thought they came out excellent. I've been running them in my guitars. One set is one reverb, under the listing "60/61" vintage reproduction set

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

And also... Thanks!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Also Fender's version of what you describe is about.... $2200 US The American vintage II series

[@abd-ix5qd]

I was so in negative when he strip off the fingerboard. I thought it was an actual SRV guitar, but learning it was just an SRV series, then I can say it was a good restoration.

[@FlipDahlenburg]

I've never seen anyone completely 'remove' a fingerboard THAT way before! You must be a good planer!

[@lousekoya1803]

Well you have a new sub here from Quebec ! 😊

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Awesome! Welcome aboard! I love how youtube can connect people who otherwise would never know each other!

[@lousekoya1803]

@@daveydacusguitars9033 Hey thanks ! Here to stay !

[@0Imtheslime0]

Shaving off the fretboard.. Brutal.. But super effective i must say as you will get a 100% flat new clean surface. Always danger of shaving off to much, but the new fingerboard compensate for that loss. It also preserves a nice clean edge to the finish, as prying them off with heat/steam can chip it here and there.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@markdalton6662]

You got laughing with that super glue finish comment 😂 good job .

[@GodzillaGoesGaga]

Just curious if superglue is as durable as a poly finish ? Isn’t superglue brittle ?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

I've never used quite so much as this before. Mainly used it for small patches on poly guitars with issues. But I don't anticipate any issues with it. I've seen factory poly finish fender guitars peel REALLY badly and come off in.... sheets... is the best way to describe it... like it didn't adhere to the bottom coat or something. Also I'm sure some sort of mishandling occurred to cause it. One guy had cut his arm pretty badly on a giant chunk off the arm bevel of a strat. I think he liked the fact that it was sort of a natural relic deal going on and lived with it for a while, but he stripped the rest off after that incident. In short... I figure it'll be at least as durable as the poly.

[@0Imtheslime0]

@@daveydacusguitars9033 I hear of people actually using superglue on maple neck fretboard.. i mean superglue the whole top as finish and sanding it gloss. and they work fine for years after. Super glue is brittle, but as a finish, should cause no issue. It gets super hard, and that is a plus if you look for gloss finish.. Can get super glossy if you like if you do it correct.

[@kalamazoousa4412]

Lot of work

[@tomstiel7576]

anything done right,,,is just that,,,a lot of work

[@AlexHamilton]

Great work! Did he ask for abalone inlays or was it an executive decision? 🤣

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you! He did ask for it. He's fond of it.

[@achillesbellicast9620]

why you don"t use a knife? and heat steam?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

We didn't want to try and save the water damaged, moldy original fingerboard. The drum sander had much less potential of damaging the original finish of the neck.

[@elbowjames7625]

Rosewood board sure is pretty with no frets or even slots on it.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

I took the guy 8 or 10 pieces to choose a new fingerboard, I knew he would pick that one. It's was a really nice piece and went to a worth cause I think.

[@elbowjames7625]

@@daveydacusguitars9033 That is a pretty board indeed. I actually meant how pretty the rosewood looked when it was almost completely sanded off the neck to point of being flat with no more fret slots. The replacement is just as nice of course. Man, that is a lot of work.

[@miekgenklefin9616]

I appreciate your craftsmanship and envy that shop. The owner must’ve absolutely loved that neck. I understand. The neck, to me, may be the most important detail of any guitar like instrument. But, that SRV neck will never be what it was. I would consider that a ‘drove it till the wheels fell off’ situation.

[@pedraw]

I'm curious as to how the truss rod got so rusty. Edit: The video isn't too long unless someone has ADD....in that case they probably wouldn't be suitable for this type of work. Excellent repair.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you for watching and commenting! The humidity in summer can be rough down here in the southern US, especially under a tarp like this one was stored. From the looks of it, the majority of he moisture came through the fret slots cut into fingerboard. And then wood is permeable, so the water was able to travel easily enough once it got a jump start through the fret slots. That's my best guess anyway. The rust was a good bit worse where there were more frets closer together.

[@badscrew4023]

I can't help but wonder if this repair was economically viable - wouldn't a neck replacement be simpler and cheaper?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

@badscrew4023 thanks for watching! This one was a lot more about doing work for a friend, and restoring a guitar that was owned by a mutual friend of ours that has now passed. The owner didn't come out bad on money, because of the condition of the guitar he didn't have a lot invested. But again, this one wasn't so much about money either way. Thanks again for watching!

[@veryboringrides3664]

@@daveydacusguitars9033 makes sense!

[@_leopold_butters_stotch]

Who's the hillbilly that would leave that guitar under a tarp in their front yard?

[@Truth12360]

This must have cost a small fortune, so much work

[@Tricknologyinc]

Why didn't you just heat the fingerboard to remove it?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

2 reasons mainly It was water damaged and moldy and very musty smelling and not going to be reused. Heating, prying, steaming the board off posed a significant chance of damaging the original finish on the neck. This method seemed to me to be the path to the cleanest end result possible.

[@g.k.dickenson9259]

Did you not own a "Neck Heater" for straightening warped necks? Heat removal is the norm, but your method leaves an "already flat surface" for the "New Fingerboard." Great Job!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

I don't own one, but could have borrowed one from a friend. Really, really, REALLY regretting not mentioning in the video about the water damage and mold inside the fret slots that prompted the owner and myself to decide to replace the board instead of doing the truss rod repair and putting the original back on. And spot on the last 2 points. I saw this is the best and easiest way to do several steps of the process all at once. It greatly simplified the steps that come right after. Using this method was unconventional, sure. But..... The old moldy stinky board was gone. The neck shaft was leveled. The glue residue was also gone. The joint was prepped for the new board. The original finish of the neck remained untouched. All in one step. All those factors considered, this was a far easier way to get the job done. And is a big part of the reason the result came out as it did. Thanks for watching!

[@stephenfrancis303]

This neck was built on a friday after noon time i bet

[@adamimberti6948]

How did you blame Fenders crooked truss rod channel for your misaligned dots?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

I didn't What I said in that clip was... "I guess I don't have a right to complain about fenders truss rod channel when I can't even get the dots right..."

[@hmann34]

It's funny, i was watching a different video where the fretboard being removed with heat was taking a long time and chipping/breaking etc. many comments there were, "why didn't you just remove the frets and plane it off?"

[@michaelhaiden6718]

i do not do this even for a hobby i am a master carpenter but i will say you do imaccluant work 2 thumbs up

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks for taking the time to watch! Working on instruments is a collection of a ton different disciplines.

[@jonramboat9680]

Great wood work but you can clearly see that all of the dots are off center and the 9th fret dot is obviously offset to them all. Do you think it possible that you got the fretboard on just slightly crooked?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

I fix it in the video

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks for watching

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

The first fret dot is not so far out. Like a 1/16th or so. So maybe whatever I grabbed to make the center line wasn't 100% straight. Had a slight bow to it. Either way I think in the future for similar situations I'll mark the centers after it's installed. I was kicking myself for that. And still am!

[@willie714]

Grind the fretboard shavings to dust and market in small bottles as SRV fretboard filler.

[@tedmich]

Pao Ferro fretboard! And the outdoor storage may have been a homage to SRV's Couldnt stand the weather vid... extreme water damage! (I'd have just popped off fretboard with heat )

[@DavidRavenMoon]

It’s always interesting to see how other people do things. When I remove fretboards I heat them up with a clothes iron and pry them off. One reason your fretboard might have bowed is the water in the Titebond. I’ve been using epoxy to glue fretboards on. Got the idea from Rick Turner. I also don’t put a fillet over the truss rod. But there’s no disadvantage in doing so. That was nice clean work. 👍

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks! I can always see where I would change something I did even if it was small, but I am super proud of this one. The owner was thrilled with it too! I don't like epoxy because of the clean up mainly. I'm not sure I would have ever gotten the residue off in the end. I've used titebond multiple times for the same process and I don't usually get a back bow like that. When making a neck I usually glue the board when the neck is still flat on the back, before shaping. I think it's probably my caul with the cork padding, I think it's bowed a bit and transferred that bow to the neck when I clamped it up. Either way, it wasn't too big of a deal to level it back out. A clothes iron will always have a place in my shop! In fact there was one less than 3 feet from where I was working haha I thought about peeling this one off as well. I just chose not to do it that way. I was afraid the steam would affect the finish. And I figured the neck wasn't level either. So the drum sander solved both problems. I have installed the hot rods before without the filler piece. I've had a couple of them end up buzzing inside the neck. So for insurance I like to glue the piece over them. So if it rattles the filler strip is all I have to remove to fix it. And I think the necks end up sounding better. But too many variables to know for sure.

[@plane_guy6051]

After seeing that truss rod being off center, I don't think I'd bother spending my money on a real Fender as the Chinese knockoffs are probably no worse. I had a Squire strat and it played nice, especially after I polished the frets and fingerboard. I think guitars have gotten to the point of the emperors clothes -- they're mass-produced using CNC machines so one is as good as the next.

[@Haven2U]

The reason it got rusty is because Stevie often took this guitar into the shower with him. ;) (J/K)

[@SwingingCreeper]

So why couldn’t you just order a new neck with the same specs as the original?

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Absolutely could have. Not what the owner wanted to do.

[@youscreamiscream]

What'd you charge for this repair? Curious

[@Burgschall]

I hope this was not one of the rare very first SRVs with the Brazilian Rosewood Fretboard !

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

I am familiar with those. They have SE9****** serial numbers. Typically means 1989 but those serial numbers ended up on several years in early production. No one really knows but they figure there are around 500 of them. This one was Pau ferro. SN6 serial, 1996

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

I figure those necks must have been preproduction necks and then when SRV passed so unfortunately and untimely.... everything was put on hold. Eventually, someone must have found them they got used on guitars from about 1992 thru around 1996 or so. But they did all have the SE9***** serials.

[@Burgschall]

I know, I own one of these early SE9… ;)

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

*fist bump* I've ever ever seen the one in person...

[@benperry490]

why would you not just delaminate the fretboard from the neck? its a much simpler process

[@WallyBernhardt]

You could have just got a new neck, but it wouldn't have the love put into it, great job.

[@babooll5632]

Um, you can steam the fretboard off

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

If I wanted to... yes.... We decided not to save the original board from the water damage, and the drum sander posed less risk to the original finish on the back of the neck. This seemed to me the best way to get the cleanest end result possible.

[@isaactaylor6997]

The off-center truss rod design was intentional because the SRV strat has an asymmetric neck shape.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

I considered that. Or also considered because it was offset to the bass side it might be intentional. But... I own an SRV as well and.... it's centered. Googlomg a little I've seen people with like 5 mi th old guitars who just noticed theirs off center as well, other strats and teles. To either side. I think it's a, or was anyway, a QC issue. Whoever on the line and jigged it up mounted it in the jig a little off or something like that.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

This one was a 1996

[@citizencyclops406]

Agree with m…. A source of steam (careful) and a thin, flexible putty knife will persuade the yellow or hide glue to give way and the fingerboard is off quicker than you can get all that sanding dust out of your shop and lungs. If you discover that the fingerboard was glued using an epoxy resin ( an idiot move); your method would be the way to go. Just saying

[@richardwhitehead4684]

Not possible to just remove the fretboard? Saw another guitar tech do it on another channel. Won’t name her, but I’m guessing most people who’ve watched this video also saw that one. Personally, I think even squire level guitars, when set up properly, are plenty good enough, even for ‘pros’. Notice I said ‘good enough’. For me, that’s all that matters.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thank you for watching Yes I saw that video as well. A jazz bass I think, and in that case, I believe the old board was still junked and not reused. That was possible in this case as well. I just chose not to. The owner had already decided on the piece that would be the new fingerboard and I saw the drum sander as the absolute cleanest way I could remove the fingerboard and correct any issues the neck had. The original board also stank of mildew and mold from being stored outside in the case for so long.... For most people a squire level is indeed "good enough". Which is why it's hard to ask the kind of money a hand-built instrument is probably actually worth. For the average person a $300 guitar will do the job they need done as long as they need.. But a real musician will pay $300 plus.... just to have frets replaced. And how should a builder price an instrument he has 70 plus hours in?? Because of the time put in, you have to ask more. But the truth is.... for most players, it's not worth it to them. And understandably so. The whole diminishing returns thing. You big big money for..... single digit % improvement. For like 3% better.... you can pay thousands. To some it's worth it. For most it's not.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

And by "real" musician.... I don't mean to imply that others aren't real musicians. There's just a certain type of person who has chosen "musician" as thier profession. And they make the sacrifices necessary in other parts of their lives to do whatever possible to play music for a living and for the rest of their lives. To those people.... most entry level instruments just won't cut it. Although I have seen some great squires. Today's cnc manufacturing process make entry level guitars REALLY good for what they are, and then exported labor makes them super super affordable.

[@Randomnessaralus]

Tanya?

[@Ry_Valz]

Damn, it hurts to see how you hammered the truss rod out and heat glued the new truss rod in, now it can't freely move as it shoud inside the cavity. I think you should watch how StewMac change his truss rod. Heating the fretboard would be faster also and can reuse the original fretboard. That Smell you and youre client were talking about can go off in time soon as the lemon oil is treated. If the finish is poly, shoe glue is okay...but not on nitro finishes. Nice job but too much time is wasted of how you do it but experience is a good way of self improvement.

[@jamespell8091]

Less chance of chipping the wood and finish this way. Did you see the results. No repainting. Just blending

[@jamespell8091]

Sympathy notes from a truss rod blows. Plus this is a hot rod truss rod. There are two rods. They can bang up against each other and rattle like crazy

[@maltyne1]

Did you know stewmac do a truss rod recovery tool

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Thanks for watching! Good thought. It's purpose primarily is to repair either damage to the threads, replace the nut if needed, or repair the anchor point on the end which the nut acts against. This is useful if the anchor points are somehow damaged or it the nut is out of travel on the threads, or any other issues that can be addressed from that side . Several options like that were explored. Such as putting a bushing behind the nut to give it more travel, therefore pulling harder on the rod and making it act more on the neck. In this case, the rod it's self had lost physical integrity, and no matter what kind of force you put on it, the rod just couldn't do the job anymore. I think it was the big area rusted out around the 12th fret or so that lost the most integrity. This part had visibly stretched under the force and was more skinny than the rest of the rod.

[@TheFretman2]

Nice job…vid not too long!

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

@TheFretman2 Thank you, and thanks for watching!

[@Patrick-857]

Nice to know that even top notch craftsmen make mistakes.

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

Definitely still working on the "top notch" part haha But thank you for watching!

[@Hambonebodi]

I think the whole point was to save the original signature srv neck .❤

[@mdhmsmith]

I just popped in to say it’s probably from a Texas Flood.

[@stratmatt22]

LOL just get a new neck thats the point of a stratocaster lmao