633 RSW Repairing The First Guitar I Ever Built

Repairing the internal top braces. Enjoy!

[teddymuldoon]

That redwood-topped, sloped-shouldered guitar sounds very, very good! That’s impressive for a first build over 37 years ago. 👍👍

[markpell]

JERRY, they probably make fancy expensive expanders for this type of glue job that you can use instead of clamps reaching around and through and filling up the sound hole, blocking your sight lines and further access. But you can improvise your own fully adjustable screwjack expanders for use inside the guitar. This can be done very cheaply using female thread rod couplings and whatever length hex-head capscrews you need to fill the working gap. Several lengths would cover almost everything for standard construction and repair details such as for bracing or bridge plates. For bigger jobs with longer reaches you can use threaded rod of the needed length with a rod coupling on each end for adjustment. Glue soft pads on the ends to protect the work, and these will also help grip if you want to spread the load with cauls or blocks. If you use 3/8" hardware, the 9/16" hex head is big and grippy enough to tighten it by hand to get the amount of expansion force needed to close and set the glue joint for most guitar work. If you need more push you can always do that with a wrench, carefully. This works very well for the kind of work you were doing in today's video. Using this trick you can bring up several glue joints inside the body in one quicker procedure and still be able to work, inspect and clean up squeeze-out by reaching through the unobstructed sound hole. Now how 'bout that, brother?

[musicauthority]

Before it's accident that guitar looks like it was a way better guitar. than any of the guitars made by the big name guitar manufacturers. it just shows you're ability to build fantastic instruments.

[dfz]

Fun Video! Feels like hanging out doing my favorite stuff. My first guitar I made was a redwood as well. 1996. The planks i had were just splitcut 3/4 inch thick. Super rough. I didn't have a re-saw or thickness sander. All I had was a 1" stanley handplane. I put the planks on the garage floor and put my knees on the close end and planed those planks down by hand by the time i had it to around 3mm I was sweating bullets. Don't think i would ever wanna do tgat again. Also didn't have any calipers or thickness gauges. Just felt the wood and tapped on it. No science. just gut. Worked out just fine. Sounds quite nice even today. Lol

[BassfortheCure]

She's a real beauty! Brings a tear to the eye.

[tdkrei]

Nice sounding guitar Jerry. I have the same mirror with the lights and know exactly what you mean. Keep on smiling.

[kdnrh]

It takes a lot of getting used to, but those cheap borescope cameras on Amazon are great for stuff like this. Most have a built in light, so you can watch on a laptop while still having plenty of room to get your hand in there.

[jerrystevens]

One thought that might have been mentioned in the comments I missed.>Getting your hand in the sound hold to do a better glue job?? You might try a (budget priced) "bore scope camera'" and a cheap small LED flash light ducttaped into the right positions inside. Then you could easily observe your hand/fingers, syringe, proper amount of glue, etc etc, in living color. You will just have to easily share the sound hole with the small cable that goes from the camera to the color monitor...

[RattiDave]

Jerry - As many times as I have heard you say it does not exist, I am surprised you have never invented a "zipper" for guitars and other hollow-body stringed instruments. Some sort of quick release attachment device for the back, to allow easier access to the soundboard, braces, etc. It wouldn't be easy, but few worthwhile things are. Give it a thought while you are on 'sabbatical' this coming month.

Keep up the great work.

Dave Ratti

[dottiehildebrand]

I love watching you work. I can't do anything with a mirror.. I thoroughly enjoy your channel and look forward to watching your videos.. I have just started to watch all your older videos..God bless🇺🇸🌹❤️
.

[mitzioden]

Good job Jerry! Always love your videos.

[raystargazer]

Excellent sounding instrument! Not an advert, just an observation, give DR strings a shot. Mine last years (literally). The Veritas I have not changed in more than a year on my D28 and still sound great. No special chemicals, just hand wound strings. ;-)

[zapapnt]

Orders for two twelve strings, before you ever built a guitar.
Someone, obviously, had great confidence, in your abuildaties. 😁✌🖖

[colindamo]

That is such a sweet guitar Jerry! I like the design aesthetic and of course the sound is awesome! 👍

[that_thing_I_do]

Considering Taylor's with all their high falooting CNC are in for repairs in not even a 5 yr.period, your Rosa achieved excellent mileage

[shanerohane]

Wow, love that redwood sound! And the guitar looks beautiful ❤. I have a redwood guitar that's turning one year old in April 🙂 and I love the sound of it!!

[daganvickers]

Fair play to ye boy, sweet sounding instrument

[원숭이레요]

Hi there!
Do you also make and sell bridges?! We desperately need help from professionals like you..!👏🏻

[anthonywilson]

Could you get a fibre optic cable and attach it to a tube for the glue you guided by various bent tools to get to the area, you could then view it on a camera screen and use syringe to push glue down the tube.

[mfc]

Wow its a great guitar, plenty volume and super tone.