October 7th, 2024

Homeskoolin’ Bonus, “Neck Set Saturday”

Chapters
00:00 - Greg Voros intro about neck setting
02:46 - Telecaster lookover


Notes
A little hodge podge fun to get you through a rainy Saturday afternoon

Firstly, the first Homeskoolin’ video in the history of the channel that I had absolutely nothing to do with ….but I think is fuggin awesome.
Greg Voros and Nathan Golliher performing the impossible on a ‘47 Martin

A neck set so good you don’t even need glue…wow

Followed by a look at this sweet old 53 blackguard that recently floated across Uncle Larry’s transom

And then lastly a few string bends that the kids who invented the term “boomer bends” can stick directly up their ass pipe…

Have a great weekend friends

September 14th, 2024

Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhn’s Episode 8

Chapters
00:00 - Discussing life along with instruments
01:34 - Dean Guitars / Golden years
13:00 - Dean bridge pickup
16:48 - Burst bridge pickup
19:22 - Dean neck pickup / Comparison
24:24 - Discussion
34:00 - ES-335
36:35 - Burst
37:19 - ES-335 discussion
38:00 - Burst neck pickup
38:34 - ES-335 neck pickup
39:30 - ES-335
40:00 - '64 Gibson Firebird 3
41:29 - Firebird
42:48 - Conclusion


Notes
Starring
George Gruhn
Cory Terrell
Greg Voros
Nathan Golliher
and Peter

August 20th, 2024

Homeskoolin’ Bonus, “Hamburgers With Legs”

Chapters
00:00 - Geckos
05:25 - Gruhn's secret way of pressing guitar guards /
10:15 - Bent/cupped guard
10:58 - Old Strat tilted pickup twisted



Notes
If you don’t consider yourself to be a TRUE homeskooler you might want to skip this one lads.

Long form TOTALLY random content…a little something for everyone here in this patchwork quilt of slice of life moments from your old pal Uncle Larry.

Starring:
Marshall
Leo
The Leopard Gecko gang (Drake and Dotters)
Bubba
Greg Voros
Drew
Joel
Corey

…and the rest of the Gruhn Guitars family

July 25th, 2024

Homeskoolin’ Volume 326, Tom Bukovac, “Junk Food Larry"

Chapters
00:00 - Nice calming vibrations
02:56 - What's up, friends! / Intro / Nashville guitar day / Fretboard Journal call
04:56 - "Insufferable" Larry in the studio / Visions
05:55 - Guthrie Trapp & Tom Bukovac - In Stereo vinyl final product
06:42 - Gruhn's, Guitar Magazine, Eric "Ebo" Borash
08:09 - Album thanks
08:28 - The Gear Page guy equates videos to "junk food"
09:57 - VCB (Viewer Comment Bin) / Cast of characters
12:21 - Les Paul measuring tool for the safe
12:34 - "Need to see curled lip"
13:05 - Guthrie Trapp New York trip and gigs in November
14:30 - Joe's Shanghai, Blue Ribbon Sushi / Drinking beer from glass
15:00 - "Guitar players mostly playing for other guitar players?"
16:12 - Musicians that constantly use the volume and tone / Nuances in tone
17:58 - Compression (compressor / 1176) / Darkening the tone
18:45 - Football season
19:23 - Sessionman get paid? / Never ask someone about finances / Unspoken bro code
20:33 -'57 Les Paul Gibson getting refretted at Gruhn's


Notes
Uncle Larry strums a little tune for ya' on a chunky old Gibson with “double grams" as they say in the biz...

can you play like this?.....yeah me neither...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zol09CeTzm0

so let's say you feel like you are indeed learning a lot from these silly videos i make...and maybe you are starting to feel a liiiiiiiiittttle bit guilty that you haven't thrown something in the tip jar to help with my personal one man crusade to bring chords back to music...well friends, you can fix that today....

my PayPal is tombukovac@gmail.com
venmo is @Tom-Bukovac-1

February 2nd, 2024

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “The Art Of Guitar Repair & Restoration”

Chapters
00:00 - Followup Episode to Goes to Gruhn's Volume 5 about a '59 Burst repair


Notes
As promised…a follow up video on a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard that had a very hard life…

I first showed you guys this guitar 4 months ago in a video called “Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhns Volume 5”

Sadly it was chopped to pieces by a previous owner.

Tony Nagy and Greg Voros give it to you straight about what separates the men from the boys when it comes to guitar repair and restoration.

Hope you enjoy

November 25th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhns Volume 7

Chapters
00:00 - Vince Gill Goes to Gruhn's


Notes
Starring
Vince Gill
George Gruhn
Greg Voros
Cory Terrell
and the posse

October 3rd, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhn’s Volume 5

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction / Tony Nagy shows a '59 Burst major repair
05:27 - Biggest pain in the ass repair?
06:59 - Woodwork is most important / Finish
09:38 - In depth look at Les Paul neck tenon
11:10 - Tools and other guitar tour ('53 Goldtop)
15:05 - '34 Martin 00-40H
16:45 - 1800s 7 string acoustic
17:00 - Larsen acoustic
19:00 - D'Angelico mandolin
20:26 - Gibson mandolin / Rebindings / '53 Goldtop
22:50 - '63 Gibson Explorer (verified)
24:50 - Strangest thing ever seen in repair?
25:29 - '58 Gibson Flying V and prototype together
26:45 - Fender mix matching bodies and necks
28:20 - Gibson TV
29:25 - Tremetone, Bigsby, Duesenberg, Cam Trem
32:09 - '53 acoustic / Separated neck
33:50 - What's the worst nightmare? / Pulling a neck / Neck resetting


Notes
“Oh yeah? Ask him if he does neck sets”

August 15th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhn’s Volume 4

Chapters
00:00 - Intro to Corey Terrell, Eric “Ebo” Borash, Greg Voros
02:47 - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son (John Forgerty)
04:27 - Fortunate Son tuning, playing, and son realizing playing incorrectly
05:48 - Tom's parts playing with John Fogerty
06:18 - Bad Moon Rising
07:11 - Discussing fucking cool guitars and P90s
12:40 - '56 Gibson Junior / '56 Gibson Junior Double Cut / Comparison
14:50 - Playing '56 Gibson Junior #1
15:45 - That acoustic guitar quality when turning it down
16:45 - Playing '56 Gibson Junior #2 / No one plays those frets
18:10 - Lower output of #2
18:46 - Back to #1 and brighter
19:05 - Gibson Double Cut with Music City Bridge
20:30 - Playing Double Cut
21:28 - Lesson: Mashing fingers bends / Playing
23:23 - Bending tip with vibrato / Playing
26:05 - Fucking awesome faux delay
27:05 - '56 Gibson Junior TV
28:25 - Led Zeppelin - Misty Moutain Hop / Playing
30:00 - Pickup height
35:00 - Bursts
46:00 - Repaired guitars, ethics, and price differences
57:00 - George Gruhn's wisdom enters the picture
65:00 - "Is there a change in the air?"


Notes
Starring the usual cast of characters

Special thanks to Heavy Duty for filming this mess.

June 30th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhns Volume 3

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
04:30 - Not point to video, but fine instruments
06:00 - Human interest story (Corey at 13yrs. and a strat)
13:45 - Greg and "metal" guitar
16:00 - Pet peeves / Stairway to Heaven
17:00 - Girl names for guitars
20:30 - Craigslist "Killer" / "Rare" / "Axe" / "Quiver"
23:35 - Newbie just learns and doesn't know they really don't know
29:00 - Pulling the strings out of tune and blaming it on guitar / White knuckle
34:00 - Songs not being played the way someone else plays it (Stone Temple Pilots, AC/DC)
38:50 - Pole pieces the same direction
40:00 - 3 humbuckers / Gibsons, 335, Les Pauls
62:00 - Ugliest guitar? / Most beautiful guitar?
75:00 - George enters
80:00 - Cheapest star / Guitar as art


Notes
A BIG SINCERE WELCOME ANY AND ALL VIEWERS:

UNLESS of course you happen to be one of THOSE guys….

oh, you know the ones i mean…the ones that love to complain about not being able to hear every single word of dialogue perfectly clearly in a totally free video….after 50 years of working with power tools with no hearing protection.

I simply cannot deal with any more of the dumb ass “biggest guitar store in North America and they can’t afford a microphone?” comments

Please keep in mind that these are extremely loose casual conversations that are recorded with a simple iPhone….just a few dudes who have spent their entire lives in the old guitar racket sharing a few laughs, and a couple brews (courtesy of dear Wayne Baswell) and the occasional “hot take” on a particularly touchy subject

Starring:
Greg “Old World” Voros
Eric “Ebo” Borash
Corey Terrell
George Gruhn
Geoffrey from Atlanta

and a very special thanks to sweet Tosa from Atlanta for holding her arms up for over an hour straight filming this video. (Try that sometime folks…after 15 minutes it starts becoming a real problem)

Like all Homeskoolin’ products…this video is meant to be taken in good fun.
it is not meant to offend anyone…

please people, if any of the views expressed here-in don’t align with your own….please do not take it personally.

I am pretty sure you guys would rather see some raw unedited real shit rather than some smoothed out corporate PC bullshit….am i right?

Besides there is already enough people out there who hate me for providing 600 free guitar lessons.

Thanks for watching kids…please visit this amazing store if you ever get to Nashville…it is really something special.
George has been the king of the vintage guitar mountain since 1970.

Editor’s note:
I meant to say “tremotone”, not “frequensator” when I was referring to a few of Gibson’s questionable moves during the golden age.

May 12th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “Friday On My Mind”

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:38 - Son, Marshall's new SG
01:00 - "Issues" on the newer Gibson guitars / Sticky neck
02:32 - Greg Voros shows us how to un-sticky a neck


Notes
Greg Voros gives us some idea how to reduce that sticky fly paper feeling on the back of the neck of your new Gibson.

May 11th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhn’s Volume 2

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
01:25 - Pet peeves when visiting Gruhn's / Playing guitars in house
04:18 - Hesitant repair vs. knowledgeable repair (Explaining and educating)
06:59 - Heirloom guitars that aren't expensive
08:00 - George Gruhn and his business
11:35 - '53 Telecaster / Cool factor vs collector's and playing guitars
14:40 - Back to the Tele
17:00 - Stickiness of a neck and lacquer
18:00 - Gibson ES-335 / "Electric Spanish" (ES) naming convention
19:25 - Playing Gibson
24:00 - 1931 OM Shade Top acoustic / Playing
27:40 - Checking on binding indicates refinish
29:31 - 1966 Epiphone Caiola / Playing
40:00 - 1965 Gibson Melody Maker D
42:20 - Gibson Melody Maker
43:30 - Joan Jett and I Love Rock 'N Roll cover (Arrows)
45:00 - 1963 Gibson Special (Lefty) / Playing upside down
49:00 - 1958 Fender Esquire (Lefty) / Playing upside down
54:10 - Back to the Gibson ES-335 / Prices
60:24 - Trivia: Pickup rings
62:25 - Closing statements too soon
67:12 - 1963 Gibson Firebird / Playing


Notes
The dynamic trio pulls 7 killer guitars from the current Gruhn’s inventory and takes them for a ride.

Starring:
Greg Voros
Corey Terrell
Uncle Larry

May 9th, 2023

Homeskoolin' Volume 214, Tom Bukovac, "The Viking Scale"

Chapters
00:00 - Jamming on some strings
01:13 - Demonstration of ashtray (faraday cage) on a guitar (with and without)
02:00 - Hello / Box of Rock rehousing / Greg Voros coffee
03:08 - Speed playing around
03:28 - Lesson: "The Viking Scale"
04:12 - "Original Ace Hendrix Strap"
04:35 - '54 Esquire / Playing
05:45 - Ashtray cover back on comparison
05:58 - Pedals (Simulate ashtray cover / Snare rattle)
06:44 - Joe Glaser & Music City Bridge cool idea
07:15 - Tele bridge pickup in guitar demo
08:16 - Steel guitar playing / Waylon Jennings
09:13 - "Learn how to fix a Wurlitzer"
09:30 - VCB (Viewer Comment Bin) / Ebo comedic timing
10:00 - Grammar helping a viewer / Session players humor and getting serious
11:45 - Bohemian Grove
13:22 - Double slide / Learning new tricks
14:17 - Lesson: New trick / Doubling track
16:37 - The Gear Page and the ODR-1 / Social Media is not cool


Notes
Uncle Larry filets and pan fries the VCB and plunks around on a nice old slab of golden age Fullerton Fender.

April 8th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Goes To Gruhn’s, Episode 1

Chapters
00:00 - Chatting with in-depth views at Gruhn's with Fender Stratocasters
03:00 - Introduction to Stratocasters
03:50 - Maple neck Strats opinions / Tom's opinion
06:00 - Corey's opinion
07:22 - Greg's opinion
09:00 - Fretboard repair standpoint
13:00 - Comparison of 4 Strats
13:50 - '57 Strat look / Tone control on bridge pickup
16:20 - '57 Strat playing
18:10 - Early '58 Strat playing
20:45 - Late '58 Strat playing
23:14 - '59 Strat playing / Activator switch
27:50 - Thoughts / Favorites
30:45 - Prices
31:45 - Favorites / COVID price effect / Left-handed
39:50 - '63 Strat with rosewood fretboard comparison with '57
40:57 - '63 Strat playing / Back and forth
45:40 - Thoughts?
50:20 - Pickup shootout
52:32 - Sounds - pickups about same / Neck sizes / Truss rod route
57:00 - Lead sounds
61:20 - George Gruhn and electric guitars


Notes

As promised, the first installment of what will hopefully be monthly collaboration videos between Uncle Larry and the legendary Gruhn Guitars store in downtown Nashville TN.
This amazing store has been around since 1970.

Filmed on Thursday April 6th 2023

Starring:
Greg Voros
Corey Terrell
George Gruhn
Uncle Larry

and five bitchin’ old Fender Stratocasters, all with “field replaceable necks”….just like the 50’s Fender catalogs claimed.

January 9th, 2023

Homeskoolin’ Volume 184, “Moving In Mono”

Chapters
00:00 - Reflective playing
04:50 - Morph into Sting - Bring on the Night / Howya doing?
06:00 - The greatest cover songs of all time
07:00 - Lesson: Bring on the Night / Vince Gill
08:20 - NFL cards
09:46 - '54 Esquire from Greg Voros / Playing / Top hat flying off
13:53 - Thanks
14:55 - Lesson: Harmonics
15:42 - Unknown riff from the '80s
16:36 - Lesson: Cars - Since I Held You / Solo
19:41 - The Cars solos story / Band person vs live improv / Test of time


Notes
Uncle Larry takes a ride on a slightly out of tune chopped 54 esquire and reflects on some childhood guitar store memories.....and childhood memories of watching Letterman.

Even the thumbnail pic shows Larry in a very "reflective type" mood.

In truth, sometimes (like tonight for example) i don't even bother to tune the guitar before i do these vids....because i usually spend all day at my "day job" caring WAY too much about tuning...so when i get home at night, and it's just me all alone with my deep Cleveland thoughts it can be very stimulating for me to be a bit out of tune.
It's very freeing, sonically speaking, it's kinda like the emotional equivalent of walking around the house in your underwear.

I hope you guys don't mind.

There is one guy that watches the show that can't help but make a comment every time he hears five seconds of something out of tune on my totally unedited free form stream of conscious videos.  I think he's one of those unfortunate dudes who has to tune/edit/pocket shitty vocals on pro tools all day for bad local bands.

He probably also has a hard time enjoying led zeppelin and beatles records.

I've noticed that some people seem to feel really special when they can point out things that are "out of tune"....sometimes i think they think they are the only people that can "hear" it.

At any rate, thanks for watching guys

If you feel led:
the PayPal tip jar is always there...lurking...
tombukovac@gmail.com

so is that venmo one...
@Tom-Bukovac-1

November 23rd, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Special Brew…”Greg Voros”

Chapters
00:00 - Greg Voros / Rex Brown bass / Pantera
03:10 - Covid and vintage guitar market
05:00 - YouTube and content
07:45 - Gruhns restructuring
11:10 - Greg Multiple Sclerosis health issues
16:32 - Coffee and non-profit
56:30 - Pantera Trivia Question


Notes
I know it’s a little long, but you’re gonna wanna watch this one all the way through kids….this one is special.

Pertinent links:
https://www.acoustic.coffee
https://guitars.com

August 25th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “The Boys In The Back Room”

Chapters
00:00 - Locking strings...just don't


Notes
Hey kids…the whole “right way to put strings on a guitar” thing has been a hot topic of debate on the Homeskoolin’ channel.

I thought i would run it by the boys in the back room of the repair department of the most venerable, respected vintage guitar shop in North America…Gruhn Guitars in Nashville tn….here's what they said…thought you guys might find it interesting. starring....

1) Greg Voros
2) Tony Nagy
3) Lin Crowson

May 30th, 2022

Homeskoolin Volume 148, Tom Bukovac, “A Queens Tale” Pt 3

Chapters
00:00 - Goulash story


Notes
Sid from Queens recalls the time when he ate goulash as a kid...also starring sweet Greggy Voros from Queens, making a fine Hungarian meal

March 19th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Bonus “The Last One Holdin’ It”

Chapters
00:00 - Gruhn Guitars Inc.
00:37 - Sprinkler system amp wrap
02:28 - George's overrated guitar? Gibson SG
08:36 - Greg's overrated guitar? Rickenbacker
09:46 - Les Paul and the SG
10:27 - Discovery of old guitars / Michael Bloomfield influence
13:24 - Tony Iommi's weren't Gibsons / Redesigning the SG
15:15 - Bloomfield influence cont.
16:56 - Les Paul
19:10 - Unbelievable guitars
25:10 - "Store's best customer" / Collection / Inspiration
28:41 - What guitar would you love to have?
31:39 - Guitar price "bubble"? / New generation of guitar buyers
36:05 - Heavy Metal / Women buyers / Inflation
38:18 - Guitar is a physical art you can feel, hear, and is alive
41:00 - Optimist vs. pessimist truth
42:42 - "Hot tip" of what is going to be valueable?
43:49 - 70's to present guitars
44:07 - 335 vs. Bursts prices
46:33 - "If there were a guitar...would be buying." / Guitars bought
47:49 - Not vintage guitar?
50:43 - Guitar to turn to crap? / Difficulty in supply / Bolt-on copies / Luthier
53:23 - New instruments from new builders and opinions
54:30 - 2 names of builders that are good?  Hugh Hansen, Paul Newson
57:19 - What are some of the things missing from builders who are missing the point?
61:52 - Best craftsmanship in guitar making?


Notes
Maaaaaaaaaany things to think about…..
Starring:
George Gruhn
Greggy Voros
Joel Watrous
David Kreisel
and some sweet woman who’s name we don’t know (Cheryl)

Filmed on 3/19/22 on location in the infamous break room of the greatest guitar store in the world.

January 28th, 2022

Homeskoolin’ Super Bonus “Passion”

Chapters
00:00 - Guitar setup expertise
00:38 - "3/64ths"
01:01 - "Raised the action"
02:05 - Step 1...
02:49 - Mathematics of frets
03:32 - Playing the Tele
03:58 - Nut slots and action
04:43 - "Choke"
05:25 - Nut and bridge height mathematics
06:18 - Choking, relief, radius
08:11 - Width / Height of frets
09:26 - Steps from here
11:03 - Fender go to steel? '54 / Trivia
14:34 - "Bend the piss out of the high E"
15:18 - Playing it again / Explanation
16:15 - Continue setup
17:25 - Creasing and stretching the strings
19:34 - '60 Tele Custom
20:45 - Tuning with fingers and playing position
23:00 - Playing it fully set up, acoustically / Tuning with chords
25:17 - Fret end dressing
29:45 - "Worst Nightmare?"
32:50 - Back to fret softening / Fret end jewelry
38:10 - Make your own glue
39:00 - Leather stropping block and chrome polish
42:50 - File and gouging the wood
44:09 - Playing it fully polished


Notes
This one is pretty inside friends….
it could be considered long and boring for some, i totally get that.

This one is actually aimed at those of you out there who REALLY wanna know the inside shit on how that last little one percentile of top tier professional guitar set up and guitar physics REALLY works.

Did you ever notice that any time you see a person doing anything at the highest level it could ever possibly be done at, there is one common denominator you will find every time…..PASSION…..

I mean TRUE passion and a deep love of the craft. There is also deep respect for doing things the RIGHT way.

Greg Voros, head of the repair department at Gruhn Guitars in Nashville…the boy is a true artist, and a dear dear friend of your drunk old uncle….i cannot tell you how much i respect this dude…this video should give you a real good idea why.

Greg is joined about halfway through this video by Lin Crowson….another Gruhns employee who has freakish expert level knowledge of authenticating and repairing old guitars.

Hope you enjoy folks.