Thanks for all your hard work Jerry. To those that care for the history side, the guitar is a 1963 Gibson J-45 purchased in 1963 from the Harrison Music Store in Salem, MO by my dad and the original warranty card, not filled out, is still in the original Gibson case. Thanks again Jerry and we will see you tomorrow to pick it up.

Jerry I dare say you are a national treasure. Thanks for presenting your work and knowledge. Love watching a real craftsman at work.

I've seen these several times now and I'm convinced the plastic bridge really doesn't act like a bridge much at all in this design and it basically just holds the ceramic saddle in place.

That Gibson has way more resonance than it had before you changed the bridge. Way deeper tone. Great job.

Hello Jerry from Bonnie Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 This is my second year of being rejected from college stringed Instrument Making & Repair course, I've played Acoustic guitar on & off for 22 years, I am a scaffolder since 1999 mostly on ships & oil rigs so I have a decent amount of construction experience in high risk environment's, unfortunately I have been diagnosed with the dreaded Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis/Sacroillitis basically in my spine & pelvis so injuries & pain are becoming regular & lack of decent sleep is sending me crazy, magnifying every little thing that usually wouldn't irritate me! Since the pandemic I've bought an Acoustic guitar every month to restore from good will and charity shops even charity auctions I'm happy to say I have 30 guitars in total with 19 fully restored to the best of my ability & understanding, thanks to your videos I've basically got the basics down for setting up properly, upgrading plastic parts to bone & adjusting action & intonation, I've decided to go it alone to become a Luthier, I have the first 200 maybe 250 things mastered so just 750 things to go before I can do a 1000 things & make it look easy like you, I know there's no substitute for experience & trying these methods myself, all in all a long story to basically say thank you for taking the time to video & share your experience & knowledge with me doing this & watching & learning gave me hope & purpose during this chaos with the hope to become a Luthier & make my own Guitar using everything I've Learned & will Learn, thanks for all your hard work & effort to film what you do as I know it takes up so much of your time but you've helped this old dog realise some new tricks & the spark came back to connect me with music again only now I'm a lot more Connected & Confident because I know my instruments are ringing & sustaining better than I've ever heard so I can actually play & sound like it's supposed too 👍 ☝️ ♥️ 🌍 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🍀 🌈 🕊️ ♾️ 🙏 💪 🌞 😎

Wow! you can hear the volume and sustain after the proper bridge was installed! What a nice job!

Much warmer and richer tone now. Great work.

That new bridge ,etc. added depth and color to the sound of that guitar.

Huge improvement. It resonates much better.

I thought it sounded pretty good before but wow what an improvement!

That is a crazy bridge. When you showed the bottom, I was surprised that it was hollow except at the screw seats.

57:39 was thinking of Randy right when you mentioned the chrome polish. It really brightens the frets. Randy's channel is what brought me here. Always wondered if you and Randy ever collaborated on a project. That would make a nice video series.

The "after" tone was warmer than the "before"... nice job, I would feel comfortable playing fingerstyle with the new tone. Thanks for showing us your common sense technique and eliminating some of the complexed barriers that one doesn't need to do most repairs. I've made many attempts to set up and repair my own instruments, mostly with success minus the learning curve, but you have confirmed things that I thought were reasonable and set me straight on a few things too, Thank you

The depth of the tone is incredible !! Sounded a little brassy before !!! That is no doubt, impressive ! 😮

The new bridge is a huge improvement in looks and sound. Good work!

Well. It sounds like a proper guitar now..Thanks Jerry for the videos...Very informative . Greetings from Greece..

Sounds a 1000% better imo. Great Job

Nice job on that old Gibson! It was fun to watch the process!!

*This is extraordinary work mister Jerry !!! Shame on you Gibson !!!*

I’m so impressed by your patience and craftsmanship I always learn from watching

The rosewood bridge is noticeably mellower less harsh than the plastic & ceramic. Very nice tone. Cheers

Well done Jerry! Nice version of Panhandle Rag as well!

Great set up Jerry, your customer should love it.

That ceramic saddle was a common "feature" on mid '60s Gibsons & Epiphones. One thing you didn't mention is that the screws on either end of the saddle allowed the user to set the height of the saddle for the desired action. I have a '65 Epiphone Texan (bought it new in '65) that came with that adjustable ceramic saddle however the bridge itself is rosewood. Many years ago I had all that hardware mass removed and the saddle replaced with bone. The luthiers at Gryphon Strings carved a rosewood insert for the wide slot and routed it for a modern skinny saddle.

The sound is much richer fuller. Good job.

I love the color of that guitar. I was a great move to let us hear the before and after. Homerun.

I was actually surprised by how it sounded noticeably more resonant after. I wasn't actually expecting that much difference. Great job making a good guitar as nice as it could be.

That rosewood bridge sure looks much better on that ole Gibson.

That rosewood bridge you made is totally gorgeous! Thanks for the video!

that old guitar is in beautiful shape anyway. wow.

This guitar is much better than new. Looks great and sounds really good. Nice job.

More warmer and better sound with the wood bridge! 👍😀

I have a 1965 Gibson B25 with this exact issue in the same finish. Even with the plastic bridge and slight belly as this one, it sounds so great. I put silk and steel gypsy jazz strings on to lighten the tension for the time being. I'll get it to Joe Glaser for repair at some point. I'm sure you do not accept mail in repairs. Congrats on winning the lottery by the way.

Congrats on your retirement. "The hands have had it!" You have the knowledge, you have the tools, and certainly the passion. As a novice that does his own set-ups on my acoustics, I appreciate these videos very much.

It looks and sounds great, nice work. You put the "Rosa" on it big time. It sounds more solid now, like a fine instrument instead of a toy.

I have a 1966 Epiphone FT45N Cortez (original owner from new) which has the same plastic bridge and adjustable saddle. I'll be dropping it with my local luthier after the Christmas rush is over - mainly to repair some soundboard damage - but definitely will have him replace the plastic bridge and ceramic saddle with rosewood/bone. Thanks to this video, I'll be able to ask some questions about the process that will make it sound like I know what I'm talking about!

It's amazing to me how much of an improvement to the tone you've made by changing the bridge. You truly are an artist.

much clearer tone after..also more sustain..great

The sound difference is incredible. Honestly, that’s one of the biggest changes I’ve ever heard. I didn’t think that it would make that big of a difference. I knew it would make a difference, but that’s drastic. Great work!

Huge improvement. Warmer tone. 👍

I always look forward to your projects! What kind of guitar world would put a plastic bridge on a Gibson...🙄 Thank you Jerry! 🎶🎶🎶

Good grief , plastic. You fixed it real good.

A couple years ago I received a "harp Bandurria" which was weaponised in a bar fight, so 'cause the sound box was badly damaged, I glued in a brace crossways of the splitting under the bridge. Then tuned it: 6)f# octave,5)c# ww,4)g# ww,3)d#w w,2)a#pp,1)e#octave,7)b#octave. It gives me mandolin & upper third of mandola. Sweet sound &less stress on the my amateur repair.

I had a 64 cherry sunburst j 45 and i loved it. It had the smallest neck ever. I hated the cherry sunburst finish. I gave it to a aspiring young student.

As usual Jerry you've improved another guitar with your expertise. Great work Jerry. By the looks of the comments from the customer, their very happy as well.

Can't get enough of these videos. Keep 'em coming!

Another excellent repair video. Thanks Jerry !!!

Fantastic job as always Jerry !

Love your work and your sense of humor! Thank you!

Nice job and really liked the song at the end. Thanks.

Amazing. The wooden bridge obviously engages the top more fully, resulting in a fuller resonance. I'm learning a ton from you, Jerry!

I love this channel so much!!! I wish I could call you or just go over and pick/work on stuff!!! Becoming my favorite KZfaq channel

Nicely done Jerry. Thanks.

My old '64 J-50 had a ceramic saddle. I just never saw a need to replace it with bone or antler as I was told by many guitar pickers it was very punchy sounding. Everything was in original condition when I sold it to Elderly back maybe 32 years ago. I miss that old guitar.

Probably the best condition i have even seen one of these

I watched this from beginning to the end, great job, all the best from me here in England.

Totally noticeable tone improvement!

Intonation: I have the Panotuner on my cellphone, which displays the number of Hz in numbers. I play the twelfth harmonic and compare the number in Herz with the pressed string. Much easier to compare instead of the floating pointer. I stole your idea of ​​an extension to determine the intonation for classical guitar. Because there is no strap button, I made a kind of box, lined with cork, that you can slide over the bottom of the guitar and to which two strings can be attached. You can then tighten this over a floating bridge and thus determine the intonation. Works very well. Great work as always Jerry!

The ceramic saddle never did let me get my B string intonated properly. It was always a noticably flat in pitch. Now it's someone elses problem.

The sound opened up, it's more detailed. I think it's because the dead mass of the plastic bridge solution with all the metal parts and ceramic saddle was heavier than the rosewood bridge. Concerning the low frets, I first make sure that surrounding frets are well seated, in fact I check all frets by knocking them gently with a small screwdriver. Badly seated, loose frets will have a dull sound and usually they are high. All in all you made an exquisite job again! Thank you for posting.

Found it very educational. Thank you!

Ha Ha! I knew right away what was wrong. I had a 1963 Gibson B 25 with the same set up. It was my first "real" guitar. I bought it used in 1968 and I loved it. Years later it needed work so I took it to a good luthier I knew. he replaced the bridge & saddle with rosewood and bone and also replaced the plastic nut with a bone one. the difference was phenomenal! That "student" guitar turned pro!

Massive improvement to a beautiful instrument! Excellent workmanship!

You work miracles fixing these guitars! Amazing and entertaining. Best wishes.

I really like my Dremel with a felt polishing wheel to shine up the frets. A little red jeweler's rouge and you get shiny frets in seconds!

I laughed pretty hard when you found a antler saddle that fit perfectly. As a builder/repair guy myself, I know how rare that is. And having cut myself more times than I care to admit, I can relate. I’m always grateful that it was my fingers and not the guitar that was injured. I will heal in time. The guitar will not.

This is such a great video and your explanation of the critical importance of a quality bridge/saddle/top+bracing is perfect.

What a great video title, Jerry! So true!

I love what you did to this great guitar. Thank you for the lesson on the action on the first fret. I really appreciate that very very much. For years, I've been having trouble with the action on many a guitar I've ever owned, both acoustic and electric. I love you, Jerry. Thanks so much.

Panhandle rag has been one of my favorite songs since I was around 5 so 30 years now. Just a great tune

Awesome work 👏

The sound is sparkling. Good job ! b_b

Great job, Jerry. I had a Gibson L-00 with a plastic bridge a few years ago. I think it was a 1967 model. It disgusted me so bad that I got rid of it and used a piece of walnut my friend gave me to whittle out a new bridge. I had never tried anything like that before but I turned out fine and made that little guitar sing.

Excellent work as always and the rosewood bridge is a noticeable change for the better, mellow sounding was my first thought. Thank you, I'm going to get out there with my Martin if it kills me!!

I bought a Gibson B25 back in 1965 as a kickaround, beachparty guitar (I didn’t want to bring my D-18 or 00-28 into that environment). The Gibson had the plastic bridge, which I replaced with a rosewood unit. I also replaced the thick plastc pick guard with a thinner Martin style to try to brighten up the sound. The biggest problem was the plywood back and sides which just killed the resonance. Plastic and plywood... Just the thing for a nice playing guitar... Not!

PS...My man Rosa. '''Have a cake of soap on your bench at all times. When you fear that the wood is to dry and may split on you... ''Poke your little drill into the soap and you will find that the soap will stop the wood from splitting. ''Do it my friend. ''It works. ''My late uncle was a builder for over 40 years and he showed me that handy little trick. 👍🙂

It has a better timber after your bridge replacement. It sounds more organic and natural. It sounded okay previously, except is had an almost "plastic" tone before. :)

Excellent job upgrading the bridge on tnat guitar!! Sounds terrific after the setupyou completed.

Incredible job Jerry super interesting. I’ll have the nerve now to do pretty much things I need to on my guitar. Great job on “why you been gone so long” there at the end…..great singing!

Wow.. big improvement in resonance and overall sound after you were done.

Sweet!!!!! Your a champion i am a huge fan of the song at the end of your videos

Wonderful job. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

It's almost like a comic routine another nut and Another washer another nut thanks for sharing

You couldn't give me a new Gibson!!!

Hi Jerry Thx for all of your hard work and postings !! I had a Epiphone Masterbilt with a Satin finish. saw a you tube about taking off satin finish. so.. I got some macguires blue semi chrome and took off the satin on the back and front . then I waxxed it up. now Beautiful wood !! I cant believe they would cover it up and I swear it sounds so much better . anyways your the 1st Ive seen that puts wax on a finish. my friends wouldnt believe me when I told them I waxxed the guitar. Going to try on on my Yairi DY-62. it may be really beautiful. Stay Well !!!

I've been watching your videos for several years, and I'm frequently amazed at your solutions to some of the problems you encounter. You are a true artist. This video hit close to home for me. I never knew Gibson used a plastic bridge on the J-45/50. For my 18th birthday, I was given a 1966 J-50 with the adjustable ceramic saddle, but it has a rosewood bridge that matches the fret board . The neck is also thinner and narrower than the one on my hummingbird. I had the J-50 set up locally about 30 years ago when I started playing it again. The action and intonation are fine, and I have never owned a guitar that stays in tune as well.

If it is a 1963 model, I am impressed that the plastic lasted this long!!!

As a finish carpenter I am officially impressed!!

The plastic anj 5:54 bridges gave these acoustics a metalic sound to them. I used to have a 61 just like the one you are working on now. I just recently purchased a 64 gibson hummingbird from the same era that used to sport the same plastic adj bridge that also undoubtedly had the over sized bridge plate under the top that I would bet yours has as well. My 64 hummingbird had the plastic adj bridge replaced with a rosewood fixed bridge with a bone saddle and replaced bridge plate as well as a refinished top. It's one of the nicest sounding Hummingbird I have ever heard and it plays like butter. The catch, even though it plays and sounds better I was able to get this guitar for half as much as it would of cost if it was all original including the dreaded plastic adj bridge. So it may not be worth anything to a collector, but to a player like me I have a really sweet vintage gibson acoustic guitar I wouldn't have been able to afford to have bought. I love Gibson guitars. They have have had some strange ideas on & off over the years. Of course we won't even discuss their Norlin years lol

Beautiful LG1! A common problem, my 1964 pulled up at the backend of the bridge causing the top to warp. The spongy spruce bridge plate had warn to the point that the pegs didn't hold. My friend Pete 2ho iw no2 2orking on her, put on a new rosewood bridge and bone saddle, plus a koa bridge plate. Now she's getting new frets and tuning pegs, Sounds and plays like a dream.

Some of greatest songs from the 60s were written and played on Gibson acoustics that had those Ceramic saddles, and in the case of Paul McCartney 's "Yesterday". His 64 Epiphone FT79 Texan had the plastic bridge at the time of recording too.

Wow, it sounds much warmer and full after you worked your magic.

Love these videos

The idea behind them plastic bridges is that the saddle sits directly on the soundboard,and the plastic ‘surround’ was just to hold it in place…it would not be possible to make a wooden one as it would crack,it was a bit of a ‘stretch’ as a concept…

warm...like a bowl of homemade soup on a cold day. LOL what a surprise. a whole new guitar.

It has a warmer tone and doesn't sound harsh like before.

Fantastic job Jerry.....its night and day.....shame on Gibson for that bridge....unbelievable.

On the nut driver, a pair of pliers and a rag will grab it. Also, ratchet and extension would work. I have the same issue sometimes. And honestly that ax sounds a whole lot better after. It jumps out at you.

At Amazon you answered my question.👍

Jerry, I have a little arthritis in my thumbs as well and was thinking I'd use a 1/4 ratchet with a 3" extension on the socket to tighten the truss rod. You have better torque and less stress on your hands.