I once spent $350 to repair a bottom-of-the-line Epiphone Les Paul worth about $150 in pristine condition. It was my brother’s and when he passed, he left very little for his kids. It was a very abused instrument, like 5 sheetrock screw holding on the neck abused. It made zero financial sense but was the right thing to do.

This guy, Mr Ted Woodford is by far the best luthier/teacher/explainer on KZread. Not only does he make the most compelling repair videos that keep us captivated. He is seemingly a really nice guy,. Which I have confirmed via some research, I have found out that not only is he a genuine, good guy, he doesn't gouge his customers ethier. I have been on a binge watching his videos and I am learning a lot. But sadly too old now to ever get remotely close to catching up. Regardless, he is an amazing teacher for sure. Not only do I wish that he lived nearby so I could hire to fix a couple of my old guitars, I would just simply like to shake his hand, and thank him for these videos.

That was a pretty impressive repair that you kinda glossed over like you were changing the strings. I’d love to see a bit more of the process along the way. You do really nice work.

Another rare video showing the face of the perpetrator at 6:01!!!! Thank you for this video, uncle Ford.

Really impressive repair. I also wish you had stretched this to an hour or so, to show more of your work. Your craftsmanship is always amazing!

Kudos to you for showing respect even to the stickers by covering them with protective plastic. They were probably an important part of the sentimental value.

I have never ever repaired/modified/rebuilt/restored an instrument and felt, for a nanosecond "oh, heck, another mundane fix". There are no mundane fixes. Every single instrument that I have ever purchased/traded/sold/fixed required all of the intelligence/improv skill/ perseverance that I could muster and not one fix ever followed a formula. Every instrument taught me something new and tested me to and beyond my (heretofore) limits. Jerry Rosa inspired me to believe that I could restore that early sixties Sears Silvertone and by god she has aged beautifully and requested "no ninja neck refit, dude, I'm a slide guitar" and by gum the best slide guitar on the planet. Mister Rosa also inspired me to even modify and repair "cheap ol' tuners" that normally I would have thrown away - a little bending and a little lube and they're fine. It took me a while to check out twoodfrd because I anticipated lots of power tooling however Mister Twoo doesn't show a lot of that equipment in motion and I'm glad for that. I love watching impeccable hands utilizing hand tools on wood. Thanks.

Genuinely just laughed at the start of this. Brilliant.

Beautiful job my friend. My eyes glazed over when you said that you planned to remove the entire back, but you did it and the results are great.

Talent is not for sale. Most incredible luthier on YT !

My step dad has a 1965(66?) Gibson Hummingbird that he bought brand new, I believe that was the first year the Hummingbird came out? I hadn't seen it in probably 20 years and a few years ago I paid them a visit and went downstairs to look at his guitar collection. I saw the Hummingbird sitting on a guitar stand and the finish is all cracked now but she still sounds great! He has told my mother when he passes he wants her to take all of his guitars to the local guitar store and sell/give them to that store so they can be resold to other players. Yes, in case you hadn't figured it out he and I do not get along that well, we are cordial but that's it. He is the reason I play guitar and that guitar is my favorite one. My mother and I already discussed it and when he passes, if he goes before she does anyway, I will get his entire collection of guitars and amplifiers. She knows the sentimental value they have for me and oddly enough if he knew that, that knowledge would actually more provoke him to sell them off. Anyway, I was really curious how you were going to fix that mess and man you did a great job! Does it look brand new? Of course not! Then again, if it were my guitar I wouldn't want it to look brand new while the rest of the guitar looked to be 40 years old lol. I have a late 50's Silvertone archtop that needs some neck heel work done and I am scared to even attempt it. Do you have any videos showing how to repair such a thing? Is there a way to send you photos and get some advice from you?

@markopolo2224

4 жыл бұрын

damn man i hope you get the collection

@The411

4 жыл бұрын

Have you ever told him that he's the reason you play guitar? It could be the bridge you two need. Music heals.

Your videos are must see TV. Thanks

I mean how amazing is this shit right here?? He is able to totally fix something that most people would think is beyond repair. I love watching his vids

I would have liked to have seen this as a 30-40 minute video. Seems like a lot of work and i would have enjoyed watching all the steps in more detail 👍

You are an inspiration to anyone who does mastercraft level work. Keep journaling.

Man it’s a joy to watch you work. You sir are a true craftsman.

One of the best invinding luthiers on YT. He has great tools and machinery's and the most important thing you can't buy..the brains. 👍🏼 btw. I love the menthol smell of the old celluloid so much, because it's such facinating stuff. Great work again buddy👌🏼

@wmperry2790

5 жыл бұрын

invinding? I've no clue what you were going for with that. Inventive?

@wmperry2790

2 жыл бұрын

@Richard Aubergine Maybe "Invading". We welcome our new soft spoken overlord! Show us another!

@wmperry2790

2 жыл бұрын

​@Richard Aubergine Naww, I think he's transitioned to a ceremonial role now, like "Forefather" or "Beatus" Basically a sinecure position on the advisory board.

I love that you gave this the same respect and dedication as you would an expensive one

@TomasAWalker53

4 жыл бұрын

Yes. There are an awful lot of we Babyboomers who wooed girls that became our wives and then played songs for our kids on old laminate guitars. Can't put a price on that.

@richardsmalls7721

4 жыл бұрын

@@TomasAWalker53 Some of those old laminate guitars were nigh-indestructible. I have a mid 90s (much later, I know) Oscar Schmidt-branded acoustic guitar that's all laminate. It sounds, well, like a laminate guitar. However, I've kept it in all sorts of conditions in terms of humidity, temperature, etc and it's never needed adjustment, not even once. I've never even adjusted the trussrod on the old thing.

Nice repair & great job motivating the reason-- sentimental value has no price! Honestly, I would be afraid to remove the back, but I can see why you did. I'm doing a bridge replacement on a Washburn right now for my son because it's a good fit for him (dreadnought for a big guy). The loss of material is a problem. I'm looking for tips on how to add back some material. Some folks use "Bondo," but I'm squeamish about putting that "under the bridge." :-) I thought about routing out to level the plug needed and establish a simple perimeter shape and glue in a plate to match, but I'm not sure that's the best approach for sound quality. I am somewhat encouraged by the appearance of your finished plug, because it reminds me of the way molding can cover a variety of sins (little gaps and such). Thanks for the inspiration! (Nice bridge fab!)

Wow beautiful job! Like always your attention to detail is second to none!

I agree. Very nice work. I've got an old Takamine with this same problem of the bridge lifting off. I think it's a common enough problem that I would have liked to see more detail in repairing the foundation under the bridge.

Ted, thanks for another great video. I'm glad I found your channel.

Watching you work makes me up my game on stuff that are not guitars. Inspirational Aspirational

Nice work! Your versatility is unmatched.

Tough repairs. Wish you would have shown the spruce "plug" for under the bridge. It's like it never happened . Thanks again for your video's.

@ThomasHope73

2 жыл бұрын

Likewise!

Just discovered your channel. Pretty interesting. Please add more long videos and go more indepth of things/explanations and techniques used. Very interesting. Thanks for all!

@TomasAWalker53

4 жыл бұрын

I admit that I too wouldn't mind a bit more detail and time but not too much. I've been put to sleep by the minute details some guys go into. LOL>

Love your work, I’ve been watching a lot of your videos, learning lots.

That was another cool one, love the logical approach to catastrophic structural failure ;)

Mr. Woodford I aspire to take my repair work, to Your level of Craftsmanship. You are a Beast!!! I love the way You explain what You are doing, and why You are doing it.

I always watching this channel so Very Good Sir repairing Guitar god bless u Sir❤️🙏🎉

Mad skills my friend. Totally binging on your videos!!

Lovely work, well done.

Awesome video. I learned a lot! Thank you for sharing!!!

Very nice video. Thanks for sharing

Cripes!! It's like a different instrument at the end of the vid!! Superb work, A true master!

@douglasmorrison9098

5 жыл бұрын

Because he knows what he is doing

Great video! I really enjoy the way you approach a repair and how you explain them. I have a similar guitar and was thinking of getting rid of the adjustable bridge but I can’t find a bone blank big enough to fill the slot, and as somebody said below I’ve read somewhere against too thick saddles so I’ve been focusing on other guitars for a while

Always enjoy your video's, they are by far the best. I watch some other 'luthier's,' who have what seem to be respectable operations but I watch them work on some old Martins and such and they are WRECKING them! Scratching them up, using whatever finish they feel like and saying 'Oh well doesn't look too bad.' Your knowledge and expertise is outstanding, keep it up please.

Ted, speaking as just one of your viewers we would love to see a music video, a variety of songs on a selection of guitars played in each of their genres. These little tests are such a big tease

Great job my man! I really enjoy watching and learning from your videos! Happy New Year to ya! May 2022 be good for you!

Great work, as always.

Wow, I missed this one last year. My first steelstring guitar in1979 was a MiJ Ventura like this, but had an ABR style adjustable bridge inlaid into the rosewood.

Great vid. Well paced.

Very nicely done!

i live for stuff like this. fine work indeed! thanks so much.

Very informative video. Great job!

Watching from Calgary. I'm hooked. Subscribed.

Great work! Each time I replace a full assembly I wonder if I should start doing it this way when possible. The cost for complete assemblies has gone crazy, especially in Canada, so I'm going to try it this way and see if I can pull it off without too many issues. Thanks for sharing!

An artist at work!

Fantastic job!

Great way to start my day!

impressive work

I'm noticing more and more Japanese stuff, especially from the 70s/80s are usually very well crafted. They don't fuck around over there. To produce a substandard product is like a besmirchment of their familial lineage.

Enjoyed the video. I had a guitar in 1974 that looked like this one. I wish i had kept it.

Ouch! That is something you never want to see. and ohhh my, the sound when that failed would be something you can't unhear.

@AlexSmashX3

3 жыл бұрын

Good thing it's something he can make us unsee.

Just popped up in my feed. I enjoy watching a real craftsman think things through. There are a lot of things to consider before anyone just starts digging into a project. Looks to me that you have skills. I didn’t understand how you took out the belly with the clamping of the body. I would have liked to see you fitting the replacement wood between the bridge and the plate. Perhaps you just like short videos. I look forward to going through your back catalog because you are indeed a master craftsmen.

@TheVergile

3 жыл бұрын

The belly wasnt removed with the clamps, but by gluing in a new Bridge reinforcement. If there is a belly you need some clamping force to make sure it adheres properly. Once this is in place its stiffness and the adhesion of the glue keeps the top under tension and from deforming. If you have time you can try to work out deformations with clamping, heat and humidity - but its generally not worth the effort considering the result is unknown.

Awesome job bro

You sure made that look easy, but I know it’s wasn’t. Well done. Great work!

Nice repair 👏👏👏👍🇬🇧

Nice sustain for plywood.

Looks like my laramie by rosseti guitar bridge popped of mine but not like that tho poor guitar well its in best hands to repair it i love this guys work its truly a work of art his craft

Excellent

Amazing

You are one of only two luthiers on KZread who work at such a high level. After seeing your methodology and listening to your thoughtful narration I’ve unsubscribed from a guitar repair hack who also hails from Canada who I wouldn’t let within a mile of my guitars.

@jwukulele

Жыл бұрын

Who’s the other luthier you trust & who is the hack?

@jts3339

Жыл бұрын

@@jwukulele I don’t think it’s a good idea to reveal who these people are on someone’s channel, but others on KZread who agreed with my opinion already identified them on other video postings. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or business but I haven’t changed my mind about the skill level of these individuals. If you watch a few videos from other repairmen you’ll be able to see for yourself pretty quickly.

Well done sir

outstanding!!! i'm sure the owner was ecstatic!

Very good Sir

Beautiful and meticulously done!❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉😅😅😅

Nice saddle! I’m planning on making one line that for my gibson b-15

Had a Terada like that early '70's

Nice!

I love how amiable you seem, yeah, it isn't worth doing this to, but sentimental values are hard to price. .... oh and I had to router the back off, chop out the bridge plate and bend the crap out of the top but it sounds nice, looks a little wonky but entonates well. ...you are just so cool while chopping a guitar to pieces then making parts to put it together again. .

@toddbishop6198

3 жыл бұрын

A consummate pro at work

I had a bolt-on bridge that cracked every time I put the strings on so I ended up chipping off the paint, doing the sand fit thing like Woodford, and gluing it to the top. It's a fret saddle type bridge.

Quality counts ! nice.

Nice repair. I would’ve like to have seen a clearer shot of how the repair looked before the new bridge was reglued. Maybe next time…

Good vid

Nice to be part of the Gang.

I live in Tampa Florida, my yard is full of swamp oaks, anyway they drop limbs all the time and smell just like Vicks when you cut them up.

@fleadoggreen9062

Жыл бұрын

Hmm interesting!! That guitar maybe made of similar wood

Jerry Rosa, who I love and respect, would have made this a 2 part 180 min. video! You deserve maximum respect for a proper job and no BS. Thank you sir.

there is a spot opening at the comedy club by my house on Sunday, let me know if you want me to reserve it for you!!!!!! great video.

Those old cherry burst Hummingbird copies are ALWAYS someone's sentimental guitar. I nearly lost a very good friend over a hiccup after the repair was complete - only because it was his father's, not because it was in any kind of decent condition...

Great repair - I was curious to see how the fitted patch piece was glued in. I think there was bracing (while gluing it) from behind and top with glue around the edges. I got a glimpse when the saddle piece was being lowered on. I was curious if there might have been any thin woodstrips glued around the bottom perimeter to add additional strength to the repair. I assume this is not needed and the repair piece was glued in around the edges only. I need to patch a gouge hole on the bottom soundboard of my old Yamaha.

Vicks Vap-o-Rub huh? Haven't seen a reference to that stuff in years :D

what is the worth of an instrument of sentimental value ? in this case , $750.00 to $1,000.00 +/- [ ? ] repairs on a $200. guitar .. he walks us thru every step ... mr. woodford is a master luthier and fantastic teacher ! thank you !

really tempted now to try to make a acoustic guitar out of the poplar plywood i got. gonna need a fretboard tho...

I assume the clients get these videos? If I had a repair done that would be great to see and explain what happened. It would also make the client more comfortable with the cost

At no point did you show the headstock logo on this one, I'm curious if it said DANA. I own likely the exact same guitar, a copy of a Gibson Hummingbird in the same colour from the 70's. Mine has the same issue with the top being dished in / bellied out and now I know why. Had emailed you recently about getting it fixed but after seeing this perhaps its not worth it. Amazing repair!

Great job! Hey? I have a Jay Turser. it's not the most expensive guitar but its actually my first acoustic I ever purchased and learned how to play on. It has sentimental value to me and I'd like to restore the saddle cuz of stress fractures and cracks in between the peg holes PLEASE Help me?

Watch out for the 'other stuff'. It will get you every time!

Have you seen the bridge? I ain’t seen the bridge. Where’s that confounded bridge! LZ. Love those East Indian rosewood bridge plates.

Was the "Up Your Kilt" sticker also Grampa's?

@DeathracerXD

3 жыл бұрын

Lmao

👍👍😎

A bridge truss would work well here and keep the top from spring back into a belly.

I have a $100 70s Ibanez Hummingbird copy with a lifting bridge. I *really* need to fix it before this happens. I don’t know what glue was used, but should have a bash.

@fleadoggreen9062

Жыл бұрын

There are a lot of other videos on bridge replacement, some will mention the glue they used by name

@cameronwhite9959

Жыл бұрын

@@fleadoggreen9062 I got psyched up to heat the bridge and prise it up to find it was just being held on by the bolts, as the glue had totally failed! I did my cut-price Ted impression on it (I had to buy Titebond), and I’m pretty happy with the result ❤️

I'm not familiar with that brand of Tremolo, but it looks like maybe a spring broke? :) Thanks for another great video.

2 questions... how long did the repair take, and what was the cost?

Is this a Lyle guitar by chance? They were very nice Japanese copies.

The pick guard was easy to take off because it was held on with double sided tape..... I died......lol.

same condition of my guitar any tips to restore

more please

i have a morris w50 with a solid spruce top... i wonder if the bulge top was by design or resulting from the strings tension over time... anyway the bridge is still intact... is it possible to flatten (cold press) the top without removing the bridge?