The door knob would have made the worlds largest strap button.

@weirdscience6820

2 жыл бұрын

😂

Tim Sway is one of the big reasons why I want to learn to build guitars. Recycling is a big passion of mine and I feel that guitar builders could really benefit from it. Tim is showing us the way, we just need to follow.

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

awww, thanks. Guitars are such a powerful image and tool to make from reclaimed. I get to take trash and make art that then goes on to another artist to make more art. Hopefully their music also inspires more to art and environmentalism.

@carolramsey8457

3 жыл бұрын

Er.... If you like to recycle why not just reuse the door and get a guitar from a charity shop? The guitar will sound better and you won't have to buy a new door

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

@@carolramsey8457 there's a lot of truth in that! However thousands of these doors are still thrown out in home remodels every year and factories are still churning out new guitars. There are 3 Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle, and they should be used in that order. Step one, we need ton stop buying shit we don't need! This video and the bulk if my work focuses on step 2 because I have personal interest in that area. I'm not saving the world, just trying to get a few more people to look at it differently.

@richsackett3423

3 жыл бұрын

@@timsway It's not so much the buying of shit we don't need and more the discarding of the still-useful/repairable, reflexively replacing with shinier/bigger/better/more power, volume-wise. The people in your part of the world must be hugely materially-successful for the buying of SWDN to be any more than a small single-digit percentage expense. What is the actual ratio of the cost of SWDN to a new 50 gal. water heater? Or alternator replacement? Or A/C service? Just not seeing this oft-fabled glut of SWDN, except in videos where some dude has a half-dozen guitars but only two hands.

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

@@richsackett3423 Assuming SWDN is "Stuff we don't need?" If you want to be pedantic, one doesn't need to replace their closet doors with new ones or a new car every 2 years so it's kind of the same point: "Keeping up with the Joneses" is BS any way you look at it. But still, absolutely yes people in my part of the world have all sorts of unnecessary stuff, myself included. The funny thing about wealth is few think they are "too rich" - rather people with more than them are too wealthy and people with less need more. For sure I'm on the lower end of the financial spectrum in my neighborhood, but globally speaking the amount I have is pornographic. I know I'm no hero and making guitars ain't gonna change inequality or save the rain forest. Guitars in particular are art that make art, and musicians' art can be very influential, which is why I make them. Also, making these videos and generating these thoughts and conversations is better than doing nothing, no? And it's way better than just marching along with the lemmings pretending there is nothing wrong. he longer I live, the more I want to do to help. This ain't the last stop, only the current one. I appreciate your contribution!

Oh man. I work at the Taylor Guitars factory so this entire video feels all too familiar. The guitar industry at large is a massive threat to the existence of trees in general, so for any instrument makers to give a damn about their impact and act accordingly is a breath of fresh air. What Taylor's doing and what you're doing may not be the same on a physical, practical level, but I certainly feel it is in ethos and in philosophy. I just hope the rest of the industry takes it into consideration as well. In any case, this is a pretty sweet build and I hope you keep it up in the acoustic world.

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

From what I understand, Taylor is one of the few manufacturers to try to find a better way in any sort of meaningful way. I mean all companies like to say they're making an effort, but it's mostly lip service. You just gotta look in their dumpster or take a deep breeath on the factory floor. There is a sweet spot in the Venn diagram between quality, ecology and profitability. Doesn't it make sense for every industry to aim for it?

@maffooo2040

3 жыл бұрын

@@timsway I'm pretty sure Warwick uses sustainable woods, and makes sure that their manufacturing is completely carbon neutral, however if I'm wrong feel free to correct me

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

@@maffooo2040 they may very well be. Honestly, I stopped following and caring what "name brand" manufacturers do long ago. Lol. I just watch and champion the other little guys.

@sizzler271

3 жыл бұрын

So I'm just about to buy a Taylor but it's in my mind to avoid their layered wood models despite I love the look of their 2** series koa model which is in my budget range. Can you tell me apart from eco reasons and just from a (hobby/couch player) guitarists point of view why I should forego an all solid wood model like the AD's possibly GT's or 3** series upwards. I've been tossing this around in my mind for a while. I want a guitar I can pass on to younger relatives so why should I buy the layered one rather than the all solid ? I really am prepared to go that way but I know from experience how solid wood gets better as a guitar with age so give me a reason apart from eco. Also what's the diff between layered and laminate ?

@perihelion7798

3 жыл бұрын

There are countless very fine alternatives to simple wood for an acoustic guitar body and neck. Carbon fiber is one. Bamboo is another. Aluminum is yet another. The major acoustic guitar manufacturers have pushed the 'tonewood' nonsense for so many years that they find themselves boxed in by their own propaganda. I'm not saying that a piece of wood will not resonate or sound better or longer that another piece of wood, but I am saying that alternatives to the 'traditional' species of soundboard woods need to be considered. Innovation is much needed.

Using the pencils as dowels is a nice touch.

Ive built 22 guitars. I used to spend hundreds $ on wood. My last 2 guitars i got the wood for free. 120 year old bed frame and window frame from 128 year old house. Poplar, mahogany and sitka spruce. Excellent.

‘In the race and not in the land fill’ 👌 🎸 fun and inspiring as always

I am literally way too busy at this point in my life to even think of becoming a DIY guitar maker (college senior, full-time factory employee, podcaster, KZreadr), but this channel gives me hope for my leisure time and a new hobby in the future lol.

@andrewcoggins187

3 жыл бұрын

I am, however, about to attempt repairs on each of my acoustic guitars tomorrow with my dad. Patching a giant hole in the back of one, and mending a separating back on the other. We're handy enough to do a serviceable job, I think. Luckily neither of them are incredibly expensive guitars (although one is a Martin). I do hope to get a new axe this summer too.

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

In my last video I talk a little about my journey. When I was your age I wanted to build guitars (and managed to make one, it's in the vid) but then it took me another 20 years to get to where I am now which seems like a lot to someone who's only lived about 20 years but it's the blink of an eye. If you really want to get there, you will get there. And it will happen faster than you think It just takes some time and determination. You and your dad are starting at the right place.

That’s beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for letting us see your work

Love the idea that you used a small strip of wood from the door as purfling.. genius!

This is better that guitar made out of perfect wood. This one has that great component - love with which you make those instruments. All of the owners of these are lucky to have something super unique and "warm".

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

I even got someone who took the time to tell me they were unsubscribing because of this! Could you imagine feeling the need to do that? lol. The internet is a fun place.

@janisvaskevics93

3 жыл бұрын

@@timsway we are all unique. Some in a good sense and some - not really. One worlds famous luthier also used second-hand wood. I guess, we all have heard of the guy whos violins now sell for millions. He also loved making his violins.

At first I used to think that you were a guitar maker, then I realised that making guitars was just the medium you worked in. Your message lies in all the experimentation [both success and fail] that makes you more of a pioneer. I applaud your route and it always brings me back to your channel to whats cookin'. Watch the vapours coming off that DiHydrogen Monoxide Tim, if it can bend wood there's no telling what it might do to you, so keep yourself hydrated and beware!

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

Cheers. I like making guitars because they are little works of art that live on to make more art.

‘Yeah, well no, actually you can polish a turd’ is the most brilliantly on-brand thing. Nearly cheered out loud. Carry on, Tim!

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

There is a whole Mythbusters episode dedicated to it.

@pallecla

3 жыл бұрын

Mythbusters once tried to polish a turd...

@doubledarefan

3 жыл бұрын

@@pallecla And then it hit the fan.

@presmasterflash7555

3 жыл бұрын

There’s a tribe in Africa that collect elephant dung and pats (by hand) them into polished rocks that celebrities and rich folk pay crazy money for. So yes. Yes you can polish a turd into a gem. If you still don’t believe me then rewind this very video...

@captaincrawdaddy

3 жыл бұрын

See, a polished turd impresses no one. Nobody’s going to say “Wow! Look at the shine on that turd”. They’re just going to say “don’t step on that turd”.

You are underselling how cool this looks.

Really really like the re-use and giving new life to otherwise wasted materials. These instruments look great! Have a request for more bass guitars please.

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

I have a ton of basses in the works right now. A bass like this guitar, a semihollow short scale, a bass vi (probably won't film that) and v2.0 of my new fretless design i hope to hit this summer or fall.

Great job repurposing that wood, Brother Tim!

just perfect

It looks amazing, Tim! Thank you so much! 🎸

hats off to you! amazing work as per usual

Very inspiring.Thank you!

Nice work Tim, I really enjoyed this video. Nicely filmed, the hand tool work is great!

Awesome work Tim! 😃👍🏻👊🏻

your guitar building videos have me actually looking forward to the time my fence needs replacing lol...

Well it just looks adoorable. Sounds that way too.

Love it Tim!

I really enjoy and learn from your videos. Thank you.

Wow, that looks awesome.

Your guitars are masterpieces! Works of art!!

In SF we got a house in our family. I got shelves out of the living room. This is like 100 plus year old shelves. The guitar will have a lot of sentimental feeling for me. Great video!

Absolutely wonderful!!

Couldn’t ask for a better video on my 18th birthday

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

happy birthday!

well done!. inspirational.

This makes perfect sense if you think about it. Look at any department store acoustic guitar from the latter half of the 1900s and you'll see its made from thin plywood. So basically hollow core doors. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those factories wasn't spitting doors out of one side and guitars out the other. I know they get a lot of hate, but my 1960s Silvertone archtop is 100% plywood(save for the neck) and I think it sounds fantastic!

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

That will of guitars are my fav

23" scale sounded good in your hands on that last part of the video. You play very well.

Great work Tim. You picked up a few more tools since the double bass video. I built a teardrop double bass and you were a wealth of information. Thanks.

I love the way it looks and it sounds really good too. I definitely need to start making more of an effort to use less and reuse more.

Love it! Always an inspiration!

Man I love this, it’s recycling at its best. Turning trash into treasure, many famous guitarist made there own instruments be it Eddie Van Halen or Eric Clapton, but what those guys did was take off the shelf parts or guitars and make a new one. Brian May made his guitar from everything from a table to using motorcycle parts to make his own unique and amazing guitar, and that’s what makes his guitar so unique is that it was made from recycled materials and is amazing and personalized to his taste.

That sounds way better than the door I slammed last week. It just wasn’t as... “musical”

The guitar is made of scrap at little cost and yet It tunes up and plays. If it's sound isn't studio quality, it still sounds good to my ears. I think it's a worthwhile nylon string guitar to keep around, and you continue to impress me!

Gonna miss the podcast 🥲

Great video. Awesome guitar. Can see you're adding more and more detail. Cool. Thanks for saving the planet. Mahalo for sharing! : )

You can’t polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter.

@a_makarov

3 жыл бұрын

But Mythbusters had polished a turd

Well done Tim! Even with the mistakes, that guitar turned out great & also sounds pretty damn good. I appreciate the fact that you use materials in a sustainable way. Having made an Acoustic from scratch many years ago, I can appreciate the work that goes into building a guitar like that. Keep up the great work & doing what you are doing! 👍👍😉😉

Matthias Wandel quote from one his videos. Anyone can make something that looks like it was made from garbage. The trick is making it not look like it was made with garbage. Great guitar. I got 4 hollow core doors from our house in the shed. Wife keeps wanting me to get rid or them but I will use them one of these days...

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

Good quote

Tim, that was sh1t - polished nicely. It sounds better than my $40 cheap shop guitar i bought to keep in the staffroom for when i need a break. I love watching you make from what others consider trash, keeping it from the landfill for a little longer.

Good job Tim enjoyed the video sounds nice little bit of a ukulele sound in it sweet!

Absolutely gorgeous guitar!! Love the fact that you’re making things the unnatural way!

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

lol. well put :)

Another unique-looking and great-sounding guitar! You need a new bumper sticker for the Jambulance: Garbage is my Favorite Tone Wood. You're welcome. 😁 Thanks for sharing!

Cool lofi beat in the background. Usually you see guitar playing in the background on a video like this

@elemonix4334

3 жыл бұрын

Oops there it is

Man, you never stop! I like the distressed wood look and the size is kind of cute!

The reclaiming mentality is amazing Tim, I've adopted it myself for the work on my gun restorations. Learned that one from you my dude.

I find your channel really inspirational. I have made a few small guitars and a double neck ukulele from old ikea parts and hope to continue exploring the whole trash to playable instrument cycle you are working in. There are so many materials right in front of us all. Not every instrument needs to be a stradivarius and it's a lot of fun to keep things out of the landfill while giving them a new and useful existence. Thanks for your videos, especially this one.

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

Testify

Good job tim! It sounds good too!

Very interesting...sounds and looks GREAT!!!

I love the overall design and shape.

Thats great. It had a Wild West vibe to it. Another epic build!

You’re very inspiring, Tim.

Great video! Will definitely be checking out more! U r a true alchemist! Love it! Sounds like it will be a great little bluesy guitar,

I just want to say that first track you used is super catchy

WOWOWOW.. what a bunch of work to reclaim that wood ... omg ... well done Tim .. Hi from italy

Great stuff, Tim. Keep polishing those turds, man!

Tim, Happy Fathers Day!

Wow, great video! I had no idea you made guitars

Great job!

A Homemade Parlor Guitar complete with a cutaway

I find it kind of funny that you are using old mahogany doors to make guitars as I thought of the same thing probably ten years ago. However, I have never built a guitar so, I am glad that you are using something that I wondered about myself.

You/He definitely has some new perspectives on guitar construction.

Meranti wood aka Philippine Mahogony? I am surprised to find that it’s Janka Hardness is 800 or greater. Thanks!🌞✌️😎🎻

Well, I’m convinced. I’ve been watch for some years now and I think I’m ready to join the turd polishing business!😂

May we all master some form of your practical alchemy. This is awesome.

Nice toys bro! And a big kudos on experimental recycling..

They’re going to be collectors items one day, so cool ! 💃🎶💃🎶🇦🇺

I've used old kitchen cupboard doors for other types of builds and the wood can be amazing, solid oak frames with thin oak panels. Even some of the old pine doors must have thin panels that could be tuned for acoustic guitars like you do with spruce. If not perfect for that slightly upmarket electric guitar

fantastic work again Tim ,,and by the way (you can't polish a turd but you can roll in glitter)!

Another good idea for hollowcore doors are floating shelves, if you cut them on the table saw long ways to a desired shelf size, break back the cardboard inside a bit on the cut side, cut lumber to fit into the hollow, attach the board to the studs in the wall, slide the hollowcore door on the board and fasten with a couple screws. They look pretty nice at the end! Especially if they're like most hollowcore doors made of mahogany.

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

love it!

Man that's so darn cool👍👍

You have inspired me to try to make instruments out of non-traditional materials. I have made a pine ukulele and a Coffincaster 3string guitar. Both turned out great. I lost several trees to emerald ash borers in the past few years and my next instrument will be made from wood from those trees that I saved. Thanks, Tim Sway, for what you are doing. With your abilities (far beyond those of mortal men) you could be using the finest exotic hardwoods to be making world-class musical instruments. But “polishing the turd” is much more challenging. Thanks again.

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

Ash is good guitar wood. just make sure the bugs are dead in it first. (kiln dry or you can do some diy stuff in the driveway with plastic bags to choke them out). The other thing with traditional guitar building is the waste. you have to select the right pieces, avoid knots, etc. So for every piece in the guitar there's a pile that didn't make the cut, or if you make a tiny mistake you gotta start over instead of sanding it out... it just doesn't make sense to me. I mean we're gonna scratch the thing up with our fingernails and picks, sweat all over it, spill beer on it then forget it in the trunk of the car overnight...

It is a joy to watch a master craftsman. I like the Django Reinhardt style. Re purposing, recycling is cool.

Tim my man. Ive used junk wood for furinuture and yes total boat is grand! I use there top coats. Epoxy As glue hell ya

"You can't polish a turd"...No, but you can roll it in glitter ;)

"There's still some shine to find in that turd." Words to live by. :)

Smart move using nylon strings. Probably a good candidate for paint, then you could scrape the bindings for some zing. You can usually get paint at the recycle center.

You can use fan bracing if you're using nylon strings. Makes the top move much easier, since x bracing makes everything stiffer so that the steel strings don't destroy everything.

Very impressive work. Turning trash into treasure, love the philosophy.

I work on old buildings here in the UK of varying ages sometimes over 500 years,, this can be challenging we have a saying.. you can't polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter !!!

It sounds kind of like "Trigger," Willie Nelson's guitar. I'm wondering if Hollow Core doors might be good for making something like Dan Electro sounding guitars. Maybe the shape of the body could be cut out of the door, structural beams added, and then the spaces filled with some sort of expanding structural foam. Thanks

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

You can make anything from them. After all, #HollowCoreDoorsAreTheNewPallet :)

Cool axe. Good music.

Knock-knock...good looking guitar.

Tim you are definitely the Leonardo DaVinci of upcycling guitar makers. As always I love your videos. This video I missed my favorite part when you give a guitar to somebody that you made especially for them and their expression and happiness.

@timsway

3 жыл бұрын

cheers. I don't always get to do that for film :/

Adding a Piezo Pickup would make recording easier

It has a kind of weird Danelectro vibe. Really cool! Danelectro was great at reusing 'garbage' too and did some great inventions alon the way.

Vintage Doors sound.

Very cool! One small suggestion: grain filler. These closet door panels have such a deep grain. Just a thought.

I'd like to see what you could do with old road signs. Ive heard you can purchase decommissioned signs from city road departments.

@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer

3 жыл бұрын

Haha i purchased my "decommissioned" signs straight from the road

Those doors make much better guitars than doors!!!

Damn Tim, I love every single new guitar you make, they're so different ando so unique. I loved the look of this one in particular. I really understand how you feel about the woods and environment, as a brazilian, I'd love to have a good guitar with native woods, not those expensive crap that people use only because of tradition

👍 I learned to play on a guitar with a very similar voice.

Inspiring. I wonder if a Spanish joint (where the sides get joined into slots right in the heel) would work better than a dovetail. Or a bolt-on rig, maybe.

Not bad Dad....I like it , now maybe an elextric acoustix slide only model ?

what if you stabilized the neck laminate ?