Repair and Restoration with Robert O'Brien
If you want to learn how to do setup and repair work, then this is the course for you! In it I cover everything from simple setups all the way to complete restorations on historical instruments.
Buy Now $232.10 117 Lessons 20:16:06
Free Videos
Introduction
About This Course
Welcome to the Robert O'Brien Online Repair and Restoration course.
Doing repair work requires a different skill set than building an instrument. I believe that building instruments doesn’t make you a repair person and vice versa. That is why I have put together this course that specifically addresses the skills needed to do quality repair and restoration work. Over the course of more than a year I documented several instruments that came across my bench for repair work. Some only needed a simple setup but others required a complete restoration.
In this course I show how to evaluate an instrument when it comes into the shop and decide what needs to be done, develop a plan of attack for the work needed and then how to execute the repair, be it structural or cosmetic. I am sure you will pick up a few tricks along the way as I show how I do repairs and setups on a variety of instruments.
Learn about:
- Evaluating an instrument that needs work. Do this in front of the client if possible!
- Developing a plan for needed work
- Crack repair – side, back and soundboard
- Finish repair
- Setups on a variety of instruments – One of the most common jobs in a shop
- How to repair loose braces inside an instrument
- Fretwork – replacing, crowning, leveling
- Making a new nut and saddle
- How to remove and re-glue a bridge
- Complete restorations – Yikes! The instrument is in pieces!!
- Re-finishing a soundboard and peghead
- Inlay repair
- The importance of humidity
- Pickup installation
- Neck removal
- Resonator guitar repair and setup
- Banjo repair and setup
- Floyd Rose style floating tremolo bridge setup
- Telecaster setup
- Diagnosing and fixing string buzz
Please read the FAQ page before beginning. To begin just register/login and purchase the video lessons. Due to the large files sizes, this is a stream only course. After purchasing you may view the video lessons as many times as you like.
. I am enjoying the videos very much - have already learned a ton. Mike
Feedback
×I love your videos and they are my go to on everything guitar repair! Kristeen
I loved your video on repairing and refinishing the 1860’s Martin. Beautiful job! I felt I was watching a real master accomplish miracles. Also was the first time I’ve heard you play. Very nice. Thanks for all the online info you provide so openly to the luthier community. Lorne - Vancouver Island
I like the Repair and Restoration Videos. Thanks for putting them together. Do you ever sleep ? Dermot
. I am enjoying the videos very much - have already learned a ton. Mike
Chapter 1 • Loose Back and Binding
Introduction
3:05
Lesson 1:
Evaluating the instrument
7:37
Lesson 2:
Developing a plan
9:47
Lesson 3:
Doing the repair
9:35
Lesson 4:
Scraping and sanding
8:39
Lesson 5:
Repairing the finish
9:50
Lesson 6:
Oh no! A loose brace
7:44
Chapter 2 • New Nut and Saddle - Classical Guitar
Lesson 1:
Fitting and shaping the nut blank
15:12
Lesson 2:
Slotting the nut
8:17
Lesson 3:
Making the saddle
7:25
Lesson 4:
Adjusting saddle height
5:38
Lesson 5:
The setup
13:10
Chapter 3 • Loose back braces
Lesson 1:
Why brace ends come unglued
2:15
Lesson 2:
Gluing the braces
10:15
Chapter 4 • Bad Intonation
Lesson 1:
Diagnosing the issue
12:52
Lesson 2:
Giving options to the client
3:56
Lesson 3:
Removing the bridge
11:12
Lesson 4:
Re-attaching the bridge
9:56
Lesson 5:
Removing frets
7:52
Lesson 6:
Dressing the fretboard
7:41
Lesson 7:
The slots
4:54
Lesson 8:
Preparing frets
7:54
Lesson 9:
Installing frets
21:24
Lesson 10:
Fretwork
13:48
Lesson 11:
Setup
15:40
Chapter 5 • Steel String Setup
Lesson 1:
Intro
4:32
Lesson 2:
Inspecting the instrument
7:33
Lesson 3:
Cleaning the fretboard
3:46
Lesson 4:
Neck relief
6:22
Lesson 5:
Action at the nut
8:09
Lesson 6:
Action at the 12th fret
4:55
Lesson 7:
Intonation
6:58
Lesson 8:
Cleaning the instrument
2:36
Chapter 6 • Bridge Removal and New Nut
Lesson 1:
Evaluation
1:59
Lesson 2:
Bridge removal
9:16
Lesson 3:
Re-attaching the Bridge
4:52
Lesson 4:
Making a new nut
9:35
Lesson 5:
Slotting the nut
4:37
Lesson 6:
The setup
12:21
Lesson 7:
The test drive
3:36
Chapter 7 • Soundboard Re-finish
Lesson 1:
Should I re-finish
3:51
Lesson 2:
Surface prep
12:58
Lesson 3:
Applying shellac
27:30
Chapter 8 • Lute Repair
Lesson 1:
Removing CA glue
6:02
Lesson 2:
Soundboard crack repair
11:33
Lesson 3:
Re-gluing a lute fret
6:43
Chapter 9 • Cedar Soundboard Crack Repair
Lesson 1:
Cedar soundboard crack repair
14:27
Chapter 10 • Spruce Soundboard Crack Repair
Lesson 1:
Spruce soundboard crack repair
17:45
Chapter 11 • Peghead Finish
Lesson 1:
Intro
3:04
Lesson 2:
Sanding
4:45
Lesson 3:
Just say no!
3:17
Lesson 4:
Inlay and peghead veneer replacement
8:53
Lesson 5:
Fretboard removal
8:14
Lesson 6:
Custom scale length
7:04
Lesson 7:
Attaching the fretboard
14:31
Lesson 8:
Leveling, radiusing, inlay
12:11
Lesson 9:
Fretwork
16:49
Lesson 10:
Pore filler
11:52
Lesson 11:
Lacquer
3:44
Lesson 12:
Rubbing out the finish
15:28
Lesson 13:
Drop fill leveling and buffing
4:23
Lesson 14:
Re-attaching the neck
4:18
Lesson 15:
FINALLY DONE!
0:48
Chapter 12 • Humidity
Lesson 1:
Humidify before during and after repair
5:54
Chapter 13 • Documenting Instruments
Lesson 1:
Documenting Instruments when receiving
5:18
Chapter 14 • Martin Clapton Model Repair
Lesson 1:
Crack repair
10:54
Lesson 2:
Bridge removal and re-glue
22:42
Lesson 3:
Binding repair
11:49
Chapter 15 • Resonator Guitar Pickup Install
Lesson 1:
Resonator guitar pickup install
13:45
Chapter 16 • 1931 Centerseam
Lesson 1:
1931 Centerseam repair
23:37
Chapter 17 • Neck Removal
Lesson 1:
Removing the neck
5:49
Lesson 2:
Adjusting
12:22
Lesson 3:
Re-attaching the neck
4:50
Lesson 4:
Gluing fret ends
11:07
Chapter 18 • Expect the Unexpected
Lesson 1:
Expect the unexpected - Gluing back braces
7:25
Chapter 19 • String Buzz
Lesson 1:
String Buzz - ARGH!!
47:42
Chapter 20 • Resonator Repair
Lesson 1:
Evaluation
3:42
Lesson 2:
Removing the fretboard
14:21
Lesson 3:
Side cracks
6:56
Lesson 4:
Making a new fretboard
23:30
Lesson 5:
Neck finish
4:42
Lesson 6:
Setup
24:50
Chapter 21 • Banjo Setup
Lesson 1:
Banjo Setup
16:55
Chapter 22 • Manuel Contreras Repair
Lesson 1:
Evaluation
2:09
Lesson 2:
Bridge removal
10:49
Lesson 3:
Side crack repair
11:16
Lesson 4:
Re-glue bridge
9:27
Lesson 5:
Side crack finish repair
5:16
Lesson 6:
Filing fret ends
11:55
Chapter 23 • Manuel Rodriguez
Lesson 1:
Evaluation
2:53
Lesson 2:
Removing the back
14:45
Lesson 3:
Repairing the back
25:49
Lesson 4:
Making bindings and purflings
8:00
Lesson 5:
Bending bindings
10:30
Lesson 6:
Cutting binding channels
6:22
Lesson 7:
Installing bindings and purflings
22:37
Lesson 8:
The fretboard
9:01
Lesson 9:
The finish
19:29
Lesson 10:
Conclusion
8:18
Chapter 24 • Floyd Rose Floating Tremolo Setup
Lesson 1:
Floyd Rose floating tremelo setup
14:23
Chapter 25 • Telecaster Setup
Lesson 1:
Telecaster setup
18:33
Chapter 26 • 1860 Martin Restoration
Lesson 1:
Evaluation
4:03
Lesson 2:
Removing the bridge
6:32
Lesson 3:
Removing the bridge patch
7:56
Lesson 4:
Removing more pieces
8:40
Lesson 5:
Adding structural integrity
12:24
Lesson 6:
Gluing top to kerfing
15:30
Lesson 7:
Adding a bridge patch
4:26
Lesson 8:
More crack and brace repair
13:10
Lesson 9:
Putting together the top pieces
21:50
Lesson 10:
Splicing in pieces of the top
18:36
Lesson 11:
Finishing the top
16:02
Lesson 12:
Attaching the bridge
14:24
Lesson 13:
The fretboard and finish
9:43
Lesson 14:
Strings!
12:02
Lesson 15:
Playing the 1860-ish Martin
4:21
Chapter 27 • String Buzz at First Fret
Lesson 1:
String buzz at first fret
9:50