Guitar Repair : A Nightmare Neck Re-set!

Love the comment about collectors whose guitars are simply an asset hidden away from public eyes...never to be played. I truly believe guitars should be played and loved. They contain the DNA of their owners...present in the oils and skin cells deposited on them over the years. They have a soul. My younger brother recently passed and I have his 12 string. We used to play our guitars whenever we got together. When I hold his guitar it feels as if I can still feel his hand on the fret board.

Your videos are almost therapeutic . ...your the Bob Ross of guitar repair . ..well done my friend .

As someone who can't do any woodwork or DIY for sh*t, I really like watching these videos where real craftsmen are working. Thank you.

I love your attitude, Ted. Even when noticing a crack that could mean the heel of the neck is broken off, you never seem to get worried about it - the mark of someone so good at their craft that they know they can overcome anything. Cost/time notwithstanding, you can fix anything. Thank you for taking us with you.

Your videos are the real deal I miss my repairman to death ..R.I.P Mr Charlie Brewer.....fixed, repaired and set up all my guitars and basses from 1961-2004 when my dad bought me two before i was 3, Charlie you got em stacked outside your shop door and two blocks down Larkin and all the way up I-55 just about a mile or two on Broadway / up to 16th ave, All the way into music row, But every picker said i would rather die than to ever have anyone to fix my guitar so i'll just wait for Charlie and thats what we did and still do Really Miss you Charlie and just tell My daddy, Thank you once again for the 59 sunburst and the 61 Esquire Tele Thats the two that i'm gonna leave Cory Michael my son and Jaden your grandson want's the other one, Love you Daddy cause for first time yesterday, i missed your Birthday and i promise not to ever miss one again.....love your Cotton Jr.....

It’s refreshing to watch a real professional in comparison to some of the hacks on YouTube. I am a machinist by trade so I am accustomed to close tolerance work and I am encouraged when I see luthiers working in thousandths of an inch instead of hearing “that’s close enough” from poor practitioners who don’t know or don’t care enough to work in the tolerances required for a superior repair job. Another great job to your credit that distinguishes you from the hacks and amateurs.

i thought i was watching a doctor performing surgery while teaching med students--- i understood nothing but watched the whole thing out of amazement! 👏

Rarely have I come across someone who knows their stuff as well as you do. This was an absolute pleasure to watch!

it's a pleasure watching you work you are a fine craftsman. The worse the job is the more entertaining it is watching you solve problems. Thank you for making great content keep it up

I just started watching your videos and I am hooked. Haven't played guitar since college (now 68 years old) Your assets: 1) Master artisan/sculpter 2) Enormous body of knowledge in woodworking, electronics, chemistry and physics 3) Ability to explain, teach, relate to viewers 4) Excellent videograper Thank you

Beautiful work with commendable attention to detail. Bravo! It is wonderful that the guitar is now in excellent playable condition - these instruments were made to be played, not just admired as objects.

Every time I think it would be fun to own an acoustic, I just watch a video like this.

Rewatched this one a few times. Outstanding to see a 12 string play as easy as a six string. Thank you for sharing your superior techniques.

Love all the detail in this video, thanks for taking us along!

This is my therapy. After a stressful day it is most enjoyable to watch a guitar repair video. Good stuff we appreciate you.

Wow, what a beautiful looking and sounding guitar. At the end of the day, after all the grief that neck gave you, the end product is so worth it. That thing sounds beautiful. Amazing work

Remarkable craftsmanship. Somewhere between art and science. Remarkable!

Ted, this is the best no nonsense guitar repair video I have seen. You are a thoughtful teacher as well as a learned practitioner.

Your repairs are second to none. You certainly are a master at your profession. Learning from your demonstrations sure give me more knowledge and confidence in my repairs. Thanks for sharing your knowledge

I Have a Levin Guitar bought in the mid 1960's which needed a neck reset and also a refret. I managed to get the neck off using an old pressure cooker to deliver the steam and a football pump valve to get the steam into the neck slot. All went reasonably well but as you have indicated the lacquer took a hit. The fretboard also has a binding down the edge so the frets are slightly inset. I found the frets were very low so replaced them with a similar fret wire. Originally the guitar played very well and many people commented on how good was the action. Now unfortunately it isn't so good. I made many mistakes some of which you have covered in your excellent video; I think I will now have another go at it using your video as reference. Incidentally I have now made 2 guitars (from StewMac kits) so feeling a little more confident in taking on this task. Many thanks for your videos and I look forward to more in the future.