R.M. Mottola

Liutaio Mottola Lutherie Information Website

Back when he had what his testy creditors so callously refer to as “a real job,” R.M. Mottola was an engineer. He now spends his time turning expensive wood into heaps of expensive sawdust, out of which emerges the occasional musical instrument.

▪ bio current as of 2002

By the same author:
  1. Review: The Caldersmith Papers
  2. Steel String Guitar Nut Slotting Using a Stick-On Template
  3. Letter: Response to: Seeking plans for Scaled-Down Classical Guitars
  4. Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal
  5. Drawing the Traditional Acoustic Guitar Pickguard
  6. Question: Consistent Impulses for Frequency Response Data
  7. Questions: Coating on Brass Hardware
  8. Letter to the Editor: Correction to Measuring Scale Length in AL 136
  9. Resurrection and Modification of an Inexpensive Old Factory Guitar
  10. Questions: Bradley Signal Generators
  11. Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal
  12. Questions: Positioning Quarter-Tone Frets
  13. Measuring Scale Length of Fretted Instruments
  14. Meet the Maker: Mark French
  15. Questions: Compensation Angle
  16. Letter to the Editor: Guitar Compensation Experiment at 2017 Convention
  17. The “Mysteries” of Panormo
  18. In Memoriam: Jim Mouradian
  19. In Memoriam: Peter Kyvelos
  20. Drawing Acoustic Guitar Body Outlines Using Traditional Techniques
  21. Questions: Where can I get my wood heat treated or torrified?
  22. Was the Rule of 18 Good Enough?
  23. Questions: Flattop Cases
  24. Aligning the Bolt-on Butt Neck Joint
  25. Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal
  26. Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal
  27. Questions: Threaded Inserts in #101 Mottola Article
  28. Product Reviews: Garrett Wade Versatile Vise
  29. Questions: Guitar Acoustics and Related Topics
  30. Recent Research: Simple Modeling of Acoustic Guitar Low Frequency Behavior
  31. Recent Research: A Geometric Approach to Drawing the Classical Guitar Body Outline
  32. That Fine, Fake-Old Finish
  33. Reviews: Guitar Making in Nineteenth Century London: Louis Panormo and his Contemporaries by James Westbrook
  34. Questions: Banjo-Style Guitar Neck
  35. Reviews: Technology of the Guitar
  36. Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal
  37. Questions: Gibson Manufacturing Molds
  38. Meet the Makers: Bruand School Class of 2011
  39. Questions: Phenolic Resin Fingerboards
  40. Fretboard, Top Plate Geometry of the Flattop Guitar
  41. Meet the Maker: R.M. Mottola
  42. Reviews: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build: by Trevor Gore with Gerard Gilet
  43. Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal
  44. Bridge Mask
  45. The Binding Frame
  46. Questions: Acoustic bass
  47. Letter to the Editor: announcing Savart Journal
  48. Questions: Everclear
  49. About Alcohols Used As Solvents In French Polishing
  50. A Method For the Design Of the Guitar Body Outline Part 3: Compound Radius Curves
  51. Testing Threaded Inserts
  52. Parametric Models of Guitar Cutaways
  53. Questions: String Tension and Pure Tone
  54. A Method for the Design of the Guitar Body Outline
  55. Questions: Jig for Oval Rosettes
  56. Fretboard Slotting with a CNC Router
  57. Blind Listening Evaluation of Classical Guitar Soundports
  58. Quick Cuts: Chris Pantazelos’ 7-String Classical Guitar
  59. Constructing the Middle Eastern Oud with Peter Kyvelos, Part Two
  60. Questions: Scale Length
  61. Constructing the Middle Eastern Oud with Peter Kyvelos, Part One
  62. Questions: Thickness Measuring Tool
  63. Questions: Radius Gauge
  64. Sustain and Electric Guitar Neck Joint Type
  65. Construction of the Colombian Tiple
  66. Optimizing Playing Surface Geometry
  67. Questions: Crownless Frets
  68. Rapid Prototypes of the Flattop Guitar
  69. Parametric Solid Modeling Software for Stringed Instrument Design
  70. Questions: 17″ Scale Length String
  71. Alternative Headstock Decoration and Truss Rod Adjustment Access
  72. Questions: Guitar Rib Depth
  73. Rib Depth of Guitars with Spherically Domed Plates
  74. Questions: Typical Instrument Dimensions
  75. The Helmholtz Resonance
  76. The Helmholtz Formula
  77. Review: Left-Brain Lutherie by David C. Hurd, PhD
  78. A Savart-Style Upright Bass
  79. GAL Instrument Plan #50 Savart-Style Upright Bass
  80. An Enhancement to the Outside Mold
  81. Desktop CNC Machines
  82. A Lightweight Electric Bass
  83. Questions: Fret Shape and Tonality
  84. Fingerboard Radius Gauges
  85. Product Review: Colorado Soft Cases
  86. A Cheapskate’s Sampler
  87. Questions: Glued Vs Floating Bridge
  88. Plywood
  89. Questions: Archtop Bass
  90. Dot Marker Position Gauges
  91. Product Reviews: Asturome ES/RV Detail Spray Gun
  92. Product Reviews: Grizzly Pneumatic drum Sander
  93. Audio Spectroscopy
  94. Another Method for Calculating the Area of a Plate
  95. Letter to the Editor: CAD Software
  96. A Method for Specifying Contours of an Arched Plate
  97. Constructing an Under-Saddle Transducer
  98. Product Reviews: Ameritage Cases
  99. Questions: Online Lutherie Info
  100. Review: Music, Cognition, and Computerized Sound; An Introduction to Psychoacoustics edited by Perry R. Cook
  101. The Bassola
  102. It Worked for Me: Adding Table Space