I love the fact that Dale took the time to label the inside of the guitar with the date and knowledge that he did repairs to this guitar. I think that could be a great practice for repair folks to implement in they're work. I think it's fair to let people know an instrument has been repaired. Anyone's thoughts ?

That mandolin looked really good compared to when you first started .

These videos are the highlight of my week. My only complaint is that there isn't more of them. Keep it up Ted!

Love the humor brother. Enjoying a few bowls and getting educated in the Luthier's individual creative artform. Cheers 💚

I think most of us would love to be able to achieve your 'good enough'. That touch up was really nice on the mandolin.

Bravo on the Jig explanation. I have learned so much over the many years, from making jigs and tools to improve my performance. If they need a plan to make that jig, they should maybe start with cabinet making, or custom closets for a few years to get the hang of things.

Ted. Thank you for another awesome entertaining and educational video. All I need to hear is “Oh hey there gang.” And I relax and tune in.

I have owned a Yairi/Alvarez 9-String guitar for 42 years. It was built as a 9-String and is still being played on stage. I think it will be buried with me.

I was pleasantly surprised by the sound of the 9-string! It was beautiful! Also, the break concealment on the headstock looks awesome. You should be happy with it!

The great Lonnie Johnson played a 9 string guitar. He had a 12 string built by a luthier in Mexico. (Or so I've read). He removed the octave strings from the E,A,D strings. Of course he recorded a lot of songs in Drop D tuning. (This was the 1920s).

“There’s always a bigger bridge” makes every guitar builder and civil engineer excited. Great video as always Ted!!!

"In a way that is more............. e v i d e n t" Hahahahah! Ted, you're a true gem. Your ability to find conciliatory, honest, yet still being able to skirt the line of a more back handed way of critiquing is so refreshing in a world hyper fixated with performing outrageous emotion. The calm, measured critique of a master craftsperson ❤️

I was surprised at how the 9 string sounded with a double G string. It still sounded 12 string like.

Three years ago I started watching KZfaq videos about guitar repairs. Ted your show is 10 ⭐️ your quality of presentation and your knowledge of your work makes you our choice as WINNER OF OUR AWARD FOR YOUR SERVICE! Thanks Ted for your dedication to your career!

The B-25 3/4 scale is one of my all time favorite guitar body shapes, just so curvy!

That 9-string actually sounds really good. I can see why the player would want it like that. Great work and video as always!

Lovely work on the mandolin! As you were playing it at the end, i closed my eyes and could almost see myself watching another episode from Townsends :D

Waylon Jennings played the Alvarez 9 string. The music store I worked at in 1981 had a 9 string and I loved playing it - I was a college student though and couldn’t afford it.

I’m learning so much watching you repair and upgrade instruments. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Back in the early 1980's, the music shop I worked for sold Alverez Yairi 9 string acoustic guitars. They were quite nice instruments. Of course, they were manufactured as 9-string from the first place.

I like your repair ethics. It was broken, fixed, made beautiful again, and life goes on . There"s no need to cover own tracks or hide the history of the instruments. In this case the fix is more than decent, especially the black parts. The repair is not obvious, even perhaps unnoticing if look at superficially, but may be spotted with some scrutiny.

First time I hear of a 9 string guitar. Your history page is really interesting. Another way to learn with pleasure. Thanks Ted.🎶🎶🎶

I actually love the 9 string! Cool idea.

That colour match *chef’s kiss*

I loved the swing you took at 'Jake' 😄 I outwardly chorkled, bravo, Sir.

Talking about the guy that was bugging you to draw him the plans for that routing jig, I've made numerous tools and jigs from just looking at the pictures. I just knew I could make it myself and I could make them tailored as close as I could but yet they are custom for my use. It saved me a lot of money plus I find some of these projects fun. A good luthier will learn to be ingenuitive. I probably didn't spell that right, but I think you understand. I love you videos. That helped me a lot. You have taken away some the thinking out of it. Now I don't always have to figure a plan in certain situations Sometimes I do but that's life of a luthier. Thanks again. Tim

The sound of the nine string I find very reminiscent of Keith's sound on "You can't always get you want". Interesting to see and hear.

Thanks for the video, always enjoy watching!

Thanks for playing them for us Ted.

That's the most beautiful mandolin I've ever seen, what an over the top design

Draw your own plan, dammit! I'm with you, Ted. Watching you fix a multitude of "problems" with stringed instruments that I would have never possibly conceived could occur, I see the whole idea of it is to THINK and figure out how to solve these problems. To just be served up the answer, is to take all of the fun (challenge) out of it.

I do love to be educated. I have put together a few jigs. It was fun and a great learning experience.

Really enjoy your videos and thanks for the 'tip' about the Gibson video, had to go and watch it. I saw what appeared to be a cherry sunburst B-25 being sprayed with clear lacquer and couldn't help but wonder if it was my guitar (passed down to me by my father who purchased it about that time from the Gibson Factory, which is only 25 minutes away). Some of that machinery is still there and being used by Heritage Guitar Inc. I had the opportunity to tour that facility a few years ago. It was time well spent.

My guess on the 9-string song is Theme for an Imaginary Western. 🙂

That looks like an eadtman md315. It is before the md3xx tailpiece upgrade, so it has a standard stamped tailpiece. Newer ones have cast tailpieces.

Was giddy to hear ted using an idea I had put in the comments previously. There's a good chance I was one of many to suggest it and he didn't even read my suggestion but it's still put a spring in my step!

Headstock repair turned out great Ted!

Can't believe the manufacturer carried on using the top after such a massive fook-up. I'm a total hack but even I would have thrown that top away and started again. Totally mind boggling.

Funny thing is, I seem to remember that amongst the many stringed instruments of the Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese traditions, there's quite a few that traditionally have one of the courses that's single strung, yet they always have the peg for the missing string. Which is funny since they're pre-industrial traditions

about the mandolin bridge, i've _read_ that the tricky sideways hook thing on the old-school stamped bridges was for the early strings to keep them from coming apart for whatever reason, and that with modern mando strings it's fine to just string them up all straight and ignore those extra back hooks i've strung mandos this way for years now (including my own) with no problem. also, i like to gently pinch the loops with smooth-jaw pliers after the strings are on to remove the curving and speed up the settling in process

Brilliant again Ted. Love the "Film Noir" bit, you and your single light source. I also follow Jake Wildwood, he gets some interesting instruments.

I love my buddys schecter 9 string

LOVE YOUR WORK TED! KEEP IT UP! Eastman have in the past few year's entered into the electric guitar market, I went away to Glasgow, with 1 in mind , a 59 in antique finish, some electrics are finished in that same finish on that mandolin, it's like a violin varnish, none in stock, they had 2 semi's, not my thing, but assistant went to computer, I can't find 1 anywhere, so it's ordered, but he said store down south has a junior P90 at the bridge a dog ear, you get it in a couple of days ok I said , wow its the same finish! and its PERFCT, NICE FULL NECK, EBONY BOARD, GORGEOUS PLAYER , SOUNDS AWESOME! The headstock design has been changed for the better and the hardshell case is a work of art in itself! but it's the finish I really like, no pore fill, slightly worn away in parts! I LOVE IT! Can't wait for the big brother too arrive!

Thanks for the tip on the Gibson factory tour. What I wouldn’t give for one of those customs all brandy new like that. The neck shaper machine with the open spindle looked TERRIFYING. Love your channel. I see you using a Pinewood Forge sloyd knife for carving. I saw the guy who makes that turn wood bowls, he was quite renowned, Del Stubbs. One suggestion for your pronunciation of the word “soldering” is to change it to a new word entirely, “slodering”, with a hard D, takes on whole new meaning. Thanks again.

I hope the man at Eastman sees what did to make his bridge more comfortable. Mandolin sound great!

Good advice on the jig scenario, when i was an apprentice we had to make a lot of our own tooling, it kind of personal then , i still have some of the gauges and small bevels i made they still work great,

1:44 There's that lable in the soundhole saying "Top replaced and Converted to 9-String by Dale Fenn" I guess Dale didn't have a wood for a top that was strong enough to support the tension of 12 Strings, maybe someday a different owner of this Guitar could have this converted back to a 12 String which may require both a stronger top & also putting on a new neck since the headstock on this one was modified.

Being an ex owner of a 70s Eko Ranger. They had humongous bridges (that's a technical term).

Brilliant concept of a 1/2 6 string and 1/2 12 string.

The break in the mandolin looks a thousand times better!

Like how you called out probably half the people in the world 😂 I think a lot of people in any field/interest/hobby etc.. think the way you described. Which was buy everything I see the “best” use and then I can figure it out from there. I’m more of the mindset of learning fundamentals of anything you are trying to do, then go from there and let what God blessed you with get sprinkled on top.

I'd call that mandolin repair better than "good enough". First class touch up man, well done

I take a marker and color some mahogany veneer then sand it, then add it to super glue and the dust into the crack of the repair area. and it blends well.

Fiebings leather dye is great for color matching and blending defects. etc..

Love the song at the end! Great work as always !

Excellent touch up on the mandolin, I’ve never seen a better job.

I have one of those. Small body 12 string Epi made in perhaps 1964. Top grain is like 1/4 inch apart. Sounds great to me as does your 9 string. Probably needs the bridge replaced but not today. Thanks for your clogs.

Wow , nice touch-up on the mandolin head stock.

Would not have considered making a new bridge with a curved extension at the back to cover the plugged holes and increase the surface tension distribution. I know it would be an unusual looking bridge but it would have hidden the mistake.

6:12 the gibson sj comes to mind when you say always a bigger bridge.

My first thought on seeing that repair on the mandolin was Gorilla glue. It almost looked like it had that stiff yellow foam look that's characteristic. Good job on making it less glaring! I get to do some touch-up work soon on a free piano my wife's arranged to have delivered, so that should be all sorts of fun. At least with a piano it's all big thick pieces of wood I can work on without too much concern regarding structural integrity, so long as I stick to the casing.

Nice work Ted. It's interesting to me that the G string course on the Epi is unison. I converted an Eastman E10D to a 7 string with a Steinberger gearless tuner in the middle of the peghead for an octave G. Like McGuinn's Martin 7 string, but symmetrical for my OCD. The magic of his sound was the octave runs on the G course.

I built and play a 9 string in open G with a slide. Cleaner sound on the bass tones with a chorus of sound from the double strings. Ry Cooder plays one on his recording of "Everybody Ought To Treat A Stranger Right".

You were right. The double G, B, and E strings on the 9 string instrument cause the bass strings to become less pronounced. I have never owned aa guitar with extra strings - like this or a 12 string. I found it interesting, though, that Martin Guitars made a special seven string guitar for Roger McGuinn of The Byrds. It had a double G string which is how he got the 'Jangly' sound . en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_McGuinn

I was taught to roll tape into a tube to get a soft edge but elevating the mask works about the same. Depends how much else needs to be masked really.

Don't sleep on Eastman instruments! I picked up a 605 Mando and I cannot believe the sound it produces. Bang for the buck they are a great instrument.

Didn't know Matt Pike played a acoustic 9 string instead of his electric First Act guitar 😉. Thanks for the great watch. Have a good one!

There are a few manufacturers making 9 strings, Furch is the first one coming to mind.

I first saw a 9 string acoustic Alvarez in a music store 40 years in So Cal. I built an electric 9 string three or four years ago. I couldn't agree more about people buying a whole shop full of Stew Mac tools to build their first guitar. If you don't have skill enough to build some tools or figure some things out on your own you will be hard pressed to build or repair guitars.

Pretty much restoration level on that second repair. Good work

theres always a bigger bridge out there thats a good one

BOOM !

I could swear I've seen that 9-string somewhere else on KZfaq. Just amazed at the cool wood grain on the back of the mandolin headstock, though.

Oh wow, that 9 string sound 💕

I played an Alvarez Yairi Dy-58 9 string once and loved it. The guy had two of them but wouldn't sell one.

Nice job and well done. I have an Eastman mandolin. Nice to hear it/they rate(s) with you. 😁

It's good to hear some recognition for Chinese craftsmanship. China has been making fine instruments since long before Columbus ever set sail, yet I see the work 'Chinese' prefaced with the word "cheap" far too often and without qualification of experience.

Big Joe Williams played a 9 string. I have a 12, reduced to 9 and I love it.

Wait so the guy took money to put a new top on the guitar, and gave it back with holes plugged after he put the bridge in the wrong place the first time? What a shame, a shame that still hurts even 40 years later.

Yeeesssss!! I just got an Eastman MD604, (A style, oval hole acoustic/electric) and the bass side of the bridge is *really* digging into my palm! Guess it’s going to take a trip to the luthier for a little “softening.” Thanks for the “permission”, Ted.

Wow great fix !!

Wonderful as usual. Thank you.

Love the video! One other option for strings is getting a custom set from Stringjoy. May be a tad more expensive though.

Excellent video.

I really like the sound of the 9 string. I never liked the octave sounds on the bass strings anyway. A heavier single string is a better choice.

Thank you sir

Matt Pike of High On Fire has a 9-string electric strung like this.

Super retouching job on that Eastman mandolin. Not bad demonstration playing either !

The 9 string makes sense , aquits itself nicely

fun fact: Matt Pike of High on Fire played an electric 9-string for quite a while

10:00 OK this Guitar is ready to go home.

Nice job on both instruments.

Great job my friend

consider the camera / film / exposure in regards to old films, along with the lighting. hollywood could always afford the latest, greatest technology / technicians ...not so much for just about anyone else.

Chinese workers are excellent craftsmanship and they are also dedicated to their work.

I string my Ovation 12 string like that as a 9 string.

New to your channel. Subbed. Amazed at your knowledge and ability to apply it.

As a musician, the three foot rule makes perfect sense to me. The main thing for me is to not have any noticeable dings in the neck. Have my thumb going over a ding or chip in the finish is very distracting to me. It can destroy my enjoyment with an otherwise good instrument.

So cool. I'm gunna try it.

It’s funny to me, since I’ve been watching these videos I’ve purchased all different types of Luther tools. Files, nut files, gauges etc. now whenever there’s a rough edge on anything I dress it for comfort. I recently bought a cheap spray gun for my airless sprayer for work and all the edges were sharp Because it’s a low end gun, it works really well but they cheaped out on the finish work. Not to worry tho. I used my StuMac fret end file on the trigger and trigger guard. Now it feels like a hundred dollar spray gun instead of a 30 dollar one. Thanks Ted! ;)