Author Archives: luthsearch

It Worked for Me: Add Binding to the Inside Edge of a Soundhole Utilizing PVC Pipe

2015
AL#121 p.65               
Clifford Wilkes                                                                                           

▪ Wilkes adds binding to the inside edge of a soundhole and avoids clamping damage by using a PVC pipe almost exactly the diameter of the soundhole.

Product Reviews: Gatco Edgemate Carbide Knife Sharpener

2015
AL#121 p.62               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin likes the Edgemate Carbide Knife Sharpener. It’s intended for pocket knives and the like, but it’s also useful for a number of lutherie tools.

Reviews: Short Reviews of a Few Interesting Books on the Ukulele and C.F. Martin

2015
AL#121 p.60               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin looks at several books on ukulele, guitar, and American history, and finds interesting connections.

Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal

2015
AL#121 p.58               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ RM Mottola works to build bridges between the dusty bustle of the lutherie shop and the bookish clutter of the egghead’s cubicle. (If the word “math” does not evoke a shuddering fear based on high-school humiliation, check out the Savart Journal, an online research publication hosted by the GAL.) RM describes, in plain English, the contents of two new articles of original research.

Why Build a Multiscale Guitar?

2015
AL#121 p.52               
Ralph Novak                                                                                           

▪ Ralph has built a lot of multiscale guitars under his “Fanned-Fret” trademark. Here he looks at the advantages and possibilities of the multiscale approach and gives solid technical advice on cutting accurate multiscale fretboards.

Holy Grail Guitar Show, Batman! (European Guitar Builders Take Berlin)

2015
AL#121 p.42               
Paul Schmidt                                                                                           

▪ Hey all you old hippie guitar makers in the first wave of the American Lutherie Boom: Guess what? Our crazy, beautiful, oh-wow-man dream came true. A generation of young Europeans took a look across the Atlantic and dug our lutherie love-fest. They started an organization to freely share info and encouragement. It only took them four decades, but they finally caught the true religion from us. And they are doing amazing, wild, and wonderful work. I told you this cooperation stuff would work.

Meet the Maker: Manuel Diaz

2015
AL#121 p.34               
Federico Sheppard   Manuel Diaz                                                                                       

▪ Manuel Diaz learned lutherie decades ago in a little shop in his hometown. Then he moved across the street and opened his own shop.But what a town, and what a street! This is the Cuesta Gomerez in Granada, Spain.

Contemporary Ukulele Making: Neck Joining Methods

2015
AL#121 p.28               
Woodley White                                                                                           

▪ At the 2014 GAL Convention, each of the four makers on our ukulele panel took the opportunity to present short workshops in which they brought the attendees up close to some of their workbench techniques. Our coverge starts here with Woodley White, who showed six different neck joints for ukes; Spanish, dovetail, spline, domino, barrel-nut, and threaded-insert. He made one of each, and explains the differences.

Meet the Maker: Arnold Schnitzer

2015
AL#121 p.16               
James Condino   Arnold Schnitzer                                                                                       

▪ Arnold Schnitzer was a young and successful working musician in the New York City area. When he found himself with the grown-up responsibilities of a wife and child, he decided to settle down and get a real job. Amusingly, that real job was hand-making string basses. But it has worked out well, so you never know. You’ll be glad you met him in this wide-ranging and lavishly illustrated interview.

The Creation of the American X Braced Guitar: A British Perspective

2015
AL#121 p.4               
James Westbrook                                                                                           

▪ The emergence of the X-braced steel string as the quintessential American guitar was the big pop-music story of the 20th century, as well as the cultural foundation for the American Lutherie Boom a few decades later. The Martin company made the first American X-braced guitars in the 1840s.

Questions: Slot Cutting

2014
AL#120 p.71               
Kevin Aram                                                                                           

▪ A foolproof method to cut the slots in the neck of a classical guitar to accept the ribs with no wedges.

Questions: Preventing Cloth Imprints During French Polish

2014
AL#120 p.70               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Preventing the impressing of a cloth weave pattern into the not-quite hard shellac following a French polish session.

Product Reviews: Generic Inexpensive Borescope

2014
AL#120 p.64               
Eron Harding                                                                                           

▪ Techy gizmos soon go from being cutting-edge miracles to being commodified trinkets, and that can bring the price down like crazy. Harding ordered a cheap borescope from Amazon. The crazy thing doesn’t even have a brand name on it. But the bang per buck is hard to beat.

Birth of the Tenor Lap Steel

2014
AL#120 p.62               
David Schneider                                                                                           

▪ Keep it simple. Sketch an outline on a piece of butcher paper. Go down to the Home Depot and get a few boards of that pink stuff that they call “mahogany.” Saw it up, bend it freehand, glue it onto blocks. Pretty soon you have a lap steel, no forms, jigs, or patterns needed.

Ukulele Neck Pocket Joints

2014
AL#120 p.54               
Jerry Hoffmann                                                                                           

▪ Hoffman’s ukes look like their necks have no heels. They do, he says, but the heels are just on the inside of the body. He gives us a detailed look at building two different styles.

GAL Instrument Plan #69: Tanbour

2014
AL#120 p.53               buy this plan
Nasser Shirazi                                                                                           

▪ This plan is for the Tanbour, a traditional Persian instrument which is a long-necked lute with three thin steel strings and tied gut frets.

Building the Tanbour

2014
AL#120 p.50               read this article
Nasser Shirazi                                                                                           

▪ Mr. Shirazi has given us articles and plans about other instruments used in Persian classical music in the past. He adds to the collection with GAL Instrument Plan #69, the Tanbour, a long-necked lute with three thin steel strings.

Making Matching Templates

2014
AL#120 p.48               read this article
Jayson Bowerman                                                                                           

▪ Bowerman steps us through the process of making an exactly-matching outside template from an existing inside template. The process is useful for making body molds and side-bending jigs from half-patterns.

Meet the Maker: Jayson Bowerman

2014
AL#120 p.40               
Tom Harper   Jayson Bowerman                                                                                       

▪ Many of us in the Lutherie Boom generation started as pre-teen modelmakers or would-be wood crafters. Not Jayson Bowerman. He was studying manufacturing processes in college when he did his first woodworking in a shop class. Soon he was doing R&D at Breedlove.

Eight Days to a Dream

2014
AL#120 p.30               
David Smith                                                                                           

▪ David Smith is a guitarist and lutenist who has wanted to make guitars and lutes for decades. But he was distracted by school, career, family, and stuff like that. His self-starting lutherie adventures never took off. Recently he signed up for an eight-day one-on-one session with lutherie teacher Robbie O’Brien, and finally got that guitar built.

The Business of Doing Business

2014
AL#120 p.21               
Evan Gluck                                                                                           

▪ Evan Gluck is doing just great as a one-man guitar repair operation, working out of his apartment in New York City. He has some simple and effective ideas about promotion and customer relations that really hit the spot with his audience at the recent 2014 GAL Convention.

Meet the Maker: Josep Melo

2014
AL#120 p.6               
Monica Esparza   Josep Melo                                                                                       

▪ Melo has been making guitars since the ’60s. In the ’90s he began to seek out and collaborate with the makers whose work he found the most inspiring. He published a gorgeous coffee-table book about it called Following the Masters. His deepest collaboration has been with fellow Spaniard Jose Romanillos. Ironically, they met at the 1995 GAL Convention in Tacoma.

In Memoriam: Steve Newberry

2014
AL#119 p.71               read this article
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Steve was a guitarist, luthier, scholar, author, and experimenter who was a GAL member for twenty years and a regular at our conventions. He will be missed. Steve Newberry (Jan 2, 1928 – Aug 8, 2014).

Questions: Writing a Book on Guitar Building

2014
AL#119 p.68               
Leo Lospennato   Mark French   John Bogdanovich                                                                                   

▪ Extensive advice on conceiving, structuring, and publishing a book on guitar building.

It Worked for Me: Neck Angle Accuracy

2014
AL#119 p.64               read this article
Kevin-B. Rielly                                                                                           

▪ Developing a cheap, easy to make neck and angle jig to build an instrument based on plans for a 1957 Gibson J-45 instrument.

Remembering Manuel

2014
AL#119 p.61               read this article
Paul Szmanda   Jeffrey R. Elliott   Eugene Clark   Armin Kelly   Robert Ruck   Cyndy Burton                                                                       

▪ Manuel Velazquez made a lot of friends and fans in his exceptionally long career as a maker of fine classical guitars. Here are a few remembrances a few folks who admired his work and his life.

Manuel Velazquez, In His Own Words

2014
AL#119 p.60               read this article
Manuel Velazquez   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ Manuel Velazquez made a lot of friends and fans in his exceptionally long career as a maker of fine classical guitars. Here are a few remembrances a few folks who admired his work and his life.

Reviews: The Fretboard Journal

2014
AL#119 p.58               
John Mello                                                                                           

▪ John Mello examines two favorite issues of The Fretboard Journal, #32 and #7, and relates the pleasure of the articles with his own mentorship experiences, in particular with Alvino Rey.

Product Reviews: Garrett Wade Versatile Vise

2014
AL#119 p.54               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Remember the good old Versa Vise? They don’t make it any more. Boo! But now Garrett Wade makes a similar unit. Yay! Is it any good? Mottola takes a close look and delivers his report.

Multiscale Fretboards and Fingerboards: The Long and Short of It

2014
AL#119 p.50               read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Multiscale fretboards have been around for centuries. Harry Fleishman has been around for decades. In that time he has built a lot of different permutations of the idea. Here he gives us some thoughts on how to do it accurately, elegantly, and efficiently.

Selecting Guitar Wood Based On Material Properties Part 2

2014
AL#119 p.43               read this article
Trevor Gore                                                                                           

▪ How do you pick wood for a guitar? If you stood up and shouted “Science!” this is the article for you. Also see Part 1 in AL #118. This is the second and final episode in the series.

2014 GAL Convention/Exhibition

2014
AL#119 p.34               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ Another wonderfully successful GAL Convention, packed with information, music, and camaraderie has now passed into the record books. You will be seeing many major articles drawn from its lectures and workshops over the next few years. In the mean time, take a look at a few photos of the fun we had.

The Sabionari Guitar of Antonio Stradivari (A New Neck for a New Career: The Choice of Materials and Techniques For its Restoration)

2014
AL#119 p.28               
D.-and-F. Sinier-de-Ridder                                                                                           

▪ A couple hundred years ago, this Stradivari guitar was not only old, it was old-fashioned. The owner had it modernized from a 5-course Baroque guitar to a 6-string Romantic guitar. That meant making a new neck, removing the rosette, and opening the body to make a lot of changes to the bracing and lining. Nowadays, those changes are not just outdated, they are anachronistic and kind of sacrilegious. Sinier and de Ridder got the job of making a new, original-style neck and returning the instrument to Baroque configuration.

Meet the Maker: Abel Garcia Lopez

2014
AL#119 p.18               read this article
Federico Sheppard   Abel-Garcia Lopez                                                                                       

▪ The town of Paracho is the center of guitar making in Mexico. As author Federico Sheppard says, they are known for making a lot of guitars, but not a lot of fine guitars. Well, here’s the guy who makes the good ones, like his father and grandfather before him. Take a close look at Abel’s workspace, tools, techniques, and family.

Rethinking the Semihollow Electric Guitar

2014
AL#119 p.6               read this article
Stephen Marchione                                                                                           

▪ Marchione offers a semihollow model that is a response to his professional touring clients’ desire for a smaller, tougher guitar with all the fine quality and detail of a full archtop. He steps us through his building process, which gets a little help from a CNC machine. From his 2011 GAL convention workshop.

In Memoriam: Manuel Velazquez

2014
AL#118 p.71               read this article
Beverly Maher                                                                                           

▪ New-York-City guitar dealer Beverly Maher remembers her old friend and colleague Manuel Velazquez who recently passed away at age 97.

Questions: Guitar Acoustics and Related Topics

2014
AL#118 p.68               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Reading up on the subjects of psychoacoustics, human sensory evaluation, music synthesis, audio electronics, and magic, in order to provide some insight on general guitar acoustics.

Multiscale Peg Head Scarf Joint

2014
AL#118 p.60               read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ So you are making a neck with a multiscale fretboard. The nut will be at an angle, not the normal perpendicular. How do you deal with that fact when grafting the peghead? Harry shows you a simple and elegant method of cutting a compound angle that matches the nut.

Selecting Guitar Wood Based On Material Properties Part 1

2014
AL#118 p.55               read this article
Trevor Gore                                                                                           

▪ How do you pick wood for a guitar? If you stood up and shouted “Science!” this is the article for you. Also see Part 2 in AL #119.

Meet the Maker: Wade Lowe

2014
AL#118 p.46               read this article
Kent Everett   Wade Lowe                                                                                       

▪ Luthier Kent Everett is a prolific guitar maker and teacher. So who was his early mentor? Wade Lowe, that’s who. Wade was a machinist who worked his way into lutherie and had a shop that became the Mecca of a generation of Georgia guitarists and guitar makers.

Construction Methods of Early Spanish Guitarreros

2014
AL#118 p.38               
James Westbrook                                                                                           

▪ So the “Spanish method” is to build a guitar face-down and put the back on last, right? Well, maybe not. Some older Spanish guitars appear to have had the tops put on last, based on clues like glue drips and the fitting of back braces. Also, tiny filled holes indicate that they may have been nailed into molds during construction.

How I build Forty Eight Guitars a Year- With Almost No Tooling- Part 2

2014
AL#118 p.18      ALA4 p.66         
John Greven                                                                                           

▪ John Greven is famous for making a lot of guitars in his basement, all by himself, with a very limited set of tools. Greven gives us the step-by-step rundown. Part One was in American Lutherie #117. Part Two is the final installment and takes us up through the binding, the construction of the neck, inlay, and finishing. From his 2011 GAL convention workshop.

Meet the Maker: Olivier Fanton d’Andon

2014
AL#118 p.8               
Woodley White   Olivier-Fanton d’Andon                                                                                       

▪ Early in his career, French luthier Olivier Fanton d’Andon was asked to restore a Romantic-era guitar for a museum. He was impressed with the guitar’s highly arched plates, and adapted the idea to a classical guitar. He has made a successful career with the resulting design.

Letter to the Editor: Successor to Gurian Instruments

2014
AL#118 p.6               
Michael Gurian                                                                                           

▪ Long-time maker of purfling and marquetry material Michael Gurian ponders retirement and invites contact regarding the future of his business.

Questions: Banjo-Style Guitar Neck

2014
AL#117 p.69               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Building a guitar in which the neck attaches to the body as a banjo neck attaches to it’s rim and a soundboard bracing to accommodate this.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2014
AL#117 p.65               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin ponders the phenomenon of how-to-book authors leaving out their most vital information. This may be due to the assumption of the knowledge of basic information often taken for granted.

Reviews: Guitar Making in Nineteenth Century London: Louis Panormo and his Contemporaries by James Westbrook

2014
AL#117 p.60               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Guitar-making in Nineteenth Century London by James Westbrook is reviewed by R.M. Mottola, who discusses research and techniques in his own building of 19th century instruments.

Elliptical Legacy

2014
AL#117 p.52               read this article
James Condino   John Monteleone                                                                                       

▪ A history of the ellipse soundhole cutter device in lutherie and it’s lineage from D’Angelico to D’Aquisto to John Monteleone.

Meet the Maker: Robbie O’Brien

2014
AL#117 p.40               
Brian Yarosh   Robbie O’Brien                                                                                       

▪ Luthier and teacher Robbie O’Brien on his career, from his stints as a chiropractor, jeweler, and acupuncturist, to his initial exposure to the guitar during his extended stay in Brazil, to his instruction from Antonio Tessarin and his teaching work in Colorado.

Finding Waldo: The First Family of American F-Hole Mandolins, Mandolas, and Mandocellos

2014
AL#117 p.24               
Paul Ruppa                                                                                           

▪ Paul Ruppa traces the largely unknown history of the American F-hole Mandolin, Mandola, and Mandocello to their roots in the Waldo brand; originating with the Barrows Music Company in Saginaw, Michigan.

Meet the Maker: Antonio Marin

2014
AL#117 p.16               
Federico Sheppard   Antonio Marin                                                                                       

▪ One of the masters of Spanish guitar, Antonio Marin answers questions from his humble shop in Granada, Spain, where he has lived and worked since 1979.

How I build Forty Eight Guitars a Year- With Almost No Tooling- Part 1

2014
AL#117 p.6      ALA4 p.66         
John Greven                                                                                           

▪ John Greven discusses the application of his 3 tiered system (rough assembly, finesse, finish) throughout his 50 year career, which involves building 6 to 8 guitars at a time. From his 2011 convention workshop. The second and final part of this series is in AL#118.

Letter to the Editor: passing of Raymond Elwood Tunquist

2014
AL#117 p.5               
Tom Bednark                                                                                           

▪ Raymond Tunquist, sawyer of Brazilian, Indian, Rosewood, Mahogany, and Ebony for many noted guitar makers, passed away on November 7th 2010 at age 93 in New York.

Reviews: Technology of the Guitar by Richard Mark French

2013
AL#116 p.63               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The second book on guitar technology from Mark French, Purdue mechanical engineering technology professor, presented in a more generally accessible, less math intensive manner than the previous volume.

The New England Luthiers OM Collaborative Build

2013
AL#116 p.34               
Don-P. Boivin                                                                                           

▪ New England Luthiers, an association of professionals and amateurs united by the common love of stringed instrument building, collaborate in a yearlong build project and public luthier showcase in Cambridge Massachusetts.

Battling Shop Dust

2013
AL#116 p.28               read this article
Robbie O’Brien                                                                                           

▪ Creative Solutions to an overlooked, yet pervasive danger in the lutherie shop: wood dust. Four fundamentals for dust collection in the shop setting.

Carl Samuels: Lutherie Before the Information Age Or The Pilot, the Brain Surgeon, and the Pole-Vaulting Banker

2013
AL#116 p.19               read this article
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ An appreciation of Carl Samuels and the inception of The Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie in Phoenix, Arizona.

Meet the Maker: William Eaton

2013
AL#116 p.16               
Tom Harper   William Eaton                                                                                       

▪ William Eaton (composer, performer, luthier, outdoorsman) on his life and career which has spanned many fields and subject, with particular attention to his work at The Roberto-Venn School.

Lions and Tigers and Math, Oh My!

2013
AL#116 p.9               
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ Mathematical equations describing vibrating string activity to compliment Gary Magliari and Don MacRostie’s convention lecture, ‘Beyond the Rule of 18’.

Beyond the Rule of 18: Intonation For the 21st Century

2013
AL#116 p.6               
Gary Magliari   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ Compensating fretted instruments to play equally tempered scales using orthodox and unorthodox methods. From GAL 2011 convention lecture.

Letter to the Editor: Wood Files

2013
AL#116 p.4               
Earl Bushey                                                                                           

▪ Praise for Todd Brotherton’s product review: 10″ Cabinetmaker’s rasp in AL#115 and exposure to similar tools in a Tokyo repair shop and other scenarios.

Product Reviews: Liogier 10 inch Cabinetmaker’s Rasp

2013
AL#115 p.62               
Todd Brotherton                                                                                           

▪ Todd Brotherton favorably reviews this delux handmade rasp and provides additional background and information on the tool.

What To Do When Your Head Falls Off: Instrument Repair Tips and Techniques

2013
AL#115 p.48               
Brian Michael   Alex Glasser                                                                                       

▪ Brian and Alex discuss details of various repair jobs, including split pegheads, a severed uke head, and guitar soundboard cracks. From their 2011 GAL convention lecture.

Meet the Maker: Roger Alan Skipper

2013
AL#115 p.38               
John Calkin   Roger-Alan Skipper                                                                                       

▪ Roger Alan Skipper has spent his entire career in Western Maryland where he was first introduced to lutherie through encountering a Mandolin maker at a bluegrass gathering. He is a one man lutherie shop and a writer of novels.

1930 Santos Hernandez Guitar With Segovia’s Autograph

2013
AL#115 p.30               read this article
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Jeff Elliott corrects a botched repair job of a 1930 Hernandez guitar, signed in ballpoint pen by Andres Segovia.

Archtop Guitars With Italian Flare

2013
AL#115 p.6               
Stephen Marchione                                                                                           

▪ Stephen Marchione takes us on a voyage through Lutherie history with an emphasis on the Italian experience and heritage. From his 2011 GAL convention lecture.

Letter to the Editor: Advice on Damaged Instruments

2013
AL#115 p.3               
Steven Pine                                                                                           

▪ Advice regarding water damaged instruments and steps to handle, stabilize, dry, reduce warping, dealing with varnish, and maintaining historical evidence.

Questions: Poplar Species

2013
AL#114 p.68               
Don Overstreet                                                                                           

▪ Poplar, a vague term in the lumber industry, generally referring to species in the two genera Liriodendron and Populus, is discussed in depth.

Reviews: The Caldwell Collection of Violas: A Life Together in the Pursuit of Beauty by Catharina Meints Caldwell

2013
AL#114 p.66               
Don Overstreet                                                                                           

▪ The first E-book review in American Lutherie: a comprehensive volume displaying collections of viols. Each instrument is given a thorough description and numerous photos.

Product Reviews: Kahler 2415-CX Tremolo Bass Bridge

2013
AL#114 p.64               
Eron Harding                                                                                           

▪ Eron Harding reviews one of Kahler’s latest bass bridge models, a 5 string trem for P-bass bodies; a solid and well made bridge.

Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal

2013
AL#114 p.62               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Short, not too technical summaries of selected research on violin arching curves, comparing violins to the human voice, and the initial behavior of nylon guitar strings.

An Automated Fret Slotting Machine

2013
AL#114 p.60               read this article
Jim Stratton   Mark French                                                                                       

▪ This fret slotting machine eliminates human error and accurately guarantees fret location.

Hunting the Elusive Guitar Wolf

2013
AL#114 p.42               read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Carruth examines the guitar wolf, (a ‘bad’ note linked to some feature of the resonant structure of the instrument or strings) where it lurks, and how to deal with it in an organized fashion.

Let’s Catch Up With Fabio Ragghianti

2013
AL#114 p.38               
Brian Yarosh   Fabio Ragghianti                                                                                       

▪ An update on Fabio Ragghianti’s activities since his Meet the Maker article in AL#61; most notably his travels in Vietnam.

The Mandolin Family: Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives

2013
AL#114 p.20               
David Cohen   Don MacRostie   Lawrence Smart   Jeffrey R. Elliott                                                                               

▪ Panelists discuss the mandolin family’s history and building practices. From 2011 GAL convention panel discussion moderated by Jeffrey R. Elliott.

Meet the Maker: Stephen Marchione

2013
AL#114 p.14               
James Condino   Stephen Marchione                                                                                       

▪ Stephen Marchione on his career in building solidbody electrics, acoustic guitars, mandolins, and violins.

A Summary of John Greven’s Voicing Method

2013
AL#114 p.10               read this article
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ Greven’s simple and direct methods for controlling the sound of his guitars are intuitive and experimental despite his roots in the scientific field.

Hearing Voices: A Recipe for Voicing the Steel String Guitar

2013
AL#114 p.6               read this article
John Greven                                                                                           

▪ John Greven on voicing steel string guitars based on the criteria: power, responsiveness, projection, articulation, depth of tone, and sustain. From his 2011 GAL convention workshop.

Letter to the Editor: Clarifying Details of D’Aquisto Wedge Bridge Article in AL#113

2013
AL#114 p.3               
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ John Monteleone clarifies the details of his D’Aquisto wedge bridge article in AL#113 by giving additional credit where credit is due.

In Memoriam: Frederick C. Lyman

2013
AL#113 p.71               read this article
Ken McKay   Tim Olsen                                                                                       

▪ Remembering Frederick C. Lyman (1925-2011) WWII veteran, art painter, bass builder, and free jazz musician.

Questions: Rift-Sawn Wood

2013
AL#113 p.68               
Tom Thiel                                                                                           

▪ Conflicting information around the term ‘rift-sawn’ and why grain orientation matters to luthiers.

Making a Truly Flat Sanding Bar

2013
AL#113 p.62               read this article
Mark French                                                                                           

▪ Precisely flat sanding bars are critical to the development of both science and manufacturing; thus the process of ‘lapping’ in necessary, as described by French.

Design Analysis of Torres Guitars: Based on the Catalog by Romanillos

2013
AL#113 p.56               
John Saucier                                                                                           

▪ Antonio De Torres, Guitar Maker: His Life and Work’ catalogs 88 Torres instruments and provides extensive dimensional and frequency data. Saugier attempts to interpret this data.

Three Flattop Acoustic Basses

2013
AL#113 p.54               read this article
Graham McDonald                                                                                           

▪ Gerard Gilet, Jim Williams, and Graham McDonald each built acoustic basses simultaneously in Sydney, Australia using the limited information that was readily available in the late 1980s.

Thoughts on 12-String Guitars

2013
AL#113 p.50               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   Dana Bourgeois   Frank Ford   Charles Freeborn   David Freeman   Evan Gluck   John Greven   George Gruhn   Arnold M.J. Hennig   Bruce Petros   Andy Powers   Tim Shaw   Marc Silber   Robert Steinegger                                       

▪ 13 builders discuss various aspects of 12-string guitars.

D’Aquisto’s Wedge Bridge

2013
AL#113 p.45               
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ D’Aquisto’s changes to his traditional New Yorker and Excel models in the late 1970s included the adjustable sliding wedge bridge design concept.

Meet the Maker: David Wren

2013
AL#113 p.38               
Steve Denvir   David Wren                                                                                       

▪ David Wren: guitarmaker, photographer, and historian, describes his career starting as Jean Larrivee’s assistant and becoming a builder in his own right.

Bog’s Way: An In-Depth, Hands-On Review of John Bogdanovich’s ‘Making a Concert Classical Guitar DVD Set’

2013
AL#113 p.20               read this article
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ Harper reviews this DVD set in which Bogdanovich uses a broad repertoire of skills, high end power tools, and a mixture of tightly controlled and freeform processes. DVD set also reviewed in AL#108.

Binding F-5 Mandolins

2013
AL#113 p.6               read this article
Andrew Mowry                                                                                           

▪ A number of special challenges during construction of F-5 mandolins is discussed; miters, binding gaps, black purfling lines, and kinks in the bends.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2012
AL#112 p.67               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin defines ‘juice’ as interest, enthusiasm, dedication, and drive and how it applies to lutherie.

It Worked for Me: Breathing Air Systems

2012
AL#112 p.64               read this article
Gary Hopkins                                                                                           

▪ Gary Hopkins sets up an inexpensive shop air system without air filters using knowledge gleaned from his time working as an engineer with the space shuttle program.

Reviews: Building an Electric Archtop Guitar: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own Electric Archtop Guitar by J.p.Laplante

2012
AL#112 p.61               
Michael DeLuca                                                                                           

▪ This extensively illustrated guide to building an electric archtop guitar lays out the process in a sequential progression over 15 chapters.

Reviews: Stauffer and Co. The Viennese Guitar of the 19th Century by Erik Pierre Hoffman, Pascal Mougin, and Stefan Hackl

2012
AL#112 p.60               
Pierre Audinet                                                                                           

▪ This book emphasizes those few decades of the 19th century in the city of Vienna which laid much of the foundations for contemporary guitar building standards.

American Mandobass History 101

2012
AL#112 p.54               
Paul Ruppa                                                                                           

▪ A basic history of the modern fretted 4-string bass, tuned like the last 4 strings of the guitar, which was developed in the early 1900s for use in American mandolin orchestras.

Mackintosh Inspired Inlay

2012
AL#112 p.48               read this article
Kathy Wingert                                                                                           

▪ Kathy Wingert constructs harp guitar inlays inspired by Modernist designs by the Scots couple of architect Charles Mackintosh and designer Margaret Mackintosh.

Meet the Maker: Alan Carruth

2012
AL#112 p.40               
Tom Harper   Alan Carruth                                                                                       

▪ The curious and driven mind of Alan Carruth and the application of this curiosity to all aspects of the musical instrument world for over 30 years.

Stahl Style 6 Guitar Built by Carl and August Larson, Serial # 81225 ‘Lisa’

2012
AL#112 p.28               read this article
January Williams                                                                                           

▪ An extensive profile and appraisal of this Stahl style 6 guitar, an authentic instrument built by the Larson brothers Carl and August in Chicago.

Meet the Makers: Bruand School Class of 2011

2012
AL#112 p.20               
R.M. Mottola   Antoine Coupal-Dalgleish   Gabriel Marcotte   Colin Prevost-Lemire   Pascal Scott   Vincent Cleroux                                                                       

▪ A profile of the entire Bruand School graduating class of 2011, a private lutherie school affiliated with L’Institut des Metiers d’Art of the college Du Vieux-Montreal, based in Montreal. All six graduates attended the 2011 convention exhibition.

Ultralight Cello and Other Heresies

2012
AL#112 p.6               read this article
James Ham                                                                                           

▪ Using a variety of unusual instruments, Ham attempts to debunk the myth in traditional violin making that the classical solution is the only good solution. From his 2011 GAL convention lecture.

In Memoriam: Joseph R. Johnson: Oct 24, 1954 – May 21, 2012

2012
AL#111 p.71               read this article
Deb Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Deb Olsen remembers Joe Johnson, (1954-2012) the first curator of the Shrine of Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota and the founding curator at Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon, Georgia.

Questions: Indian Rosewood Cracks

2012
AL#111 p.70               
Aaron Green                                                                                           

▪ Preventing cracks from opening up in Indian rosewood backs, which appear soon after the instrument is finished.

On the G.A.L.’s 40th Anniversary: How it All Began

2012
AL#111 p.48               
Deb Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Deb Olsen reflects on the humble beginnings of the Guild of American Luthiers, the non-profit group dedicated to sharing information in the field of string instrument building, featuring artifacts and reflections from the early days.

Meet the Maker: Don Bradley

2012
AL#111 p.42               
Tom Harper   Don Bradley                                                                                       

▪ Don Bradely, an active Guild member since the late 70s, is fascinated by the eclectic music and instrument makers of various world cultures, electrical engineering, and various other fields.

Meet the Maker: Robert Spear

2012
AL#111 p.20               
Roger-Alan Skipper   Robert-J. Spear                                                                                       

▪ Robert (Bob) Spear has been in lutherie more than 35 years and has been instrumental in the development and promotion of the new violin family of instruments.

Reviews: How To Build a Vihuela De Mano (45 Minute DVD With Jose Luis Romanillos and Jaume Bossier)

2012
AL#110 p.65               
Federico Sheppard   Monica Esparza                                                                                       

▪ A 45 minute DVD of a 2010 workshop with early music specialist Jaume Bosser on constructing an authentic period Vihuela de Mano.

Beginner Vs. The Fiddle Kit

2012
AL#110 p.62               
Dave Raley                                                                                           

▪ A beginner with limited tools builds the Stew-Mac fiddle kit and describes some typical errors.

The Happy Luthier

2012
AL#110 p.61               
Don-P. Boivin                                                                                           

▪ The joys of starting a first guitar and the opportunities for experimentation this affords.

Refining Factory Setups on Electric Guitars: Going the Extra Mile

2012
AL#110 p.22               
Erick Coleman   Evan Gluck                                                                                       

▪ Erik and Evan talk about fine-tuning brand new electric guitars; addressing typical problems. From their 2011 GAL convention workshop.

Production Techniques For the Custom Luthier

2012
AL#110 p.5               read this article
Charles Fox                                                                                           

▪ America’s number one lutherie teacher discusses a series of processes to make guitar building relatively easy, efficient, accurate, and consistent in a production situation.

Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal

2012
AL#109 p.64               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Short, not too technical summaries of topics including violin bowing direction, violin arching profiles, optimizing guitar vibration mode, and damping in wound guitar strings.

Reviews: Electric Guitar and Electric Bass Design by Leo Lospennato

2012
AL#109 p.62               
Melanie Heizer                                                                                           

▪ A book aimed at the musician, the hobbyist, and luthier who is open to new ideas; divided into 6 sections on beauty, playability, sound, parts, materials, finishes, and completion.

Reviews: Electric Guitar and Electric Bass Design by Leo Lospennato

2012
AL#109 p.61               
Veronica Merryfield                                                                                           

▪ A book aimed at the musician, the hobbyist, and luthier who is open to new ideas; divided into 6 sections on beauty, playability, sound, parts, materials, finishes, and completion.

Reviews: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build by Trevor Gore with Gerard Gilet

2012
AL#109 p.58               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A milestone in ‘how to’ lutherie publications on the construction of flattop guitars, packaged in two large volumes: one on design and one on construction.

Meet the Maker: R.M. Mottola

2012
AL#109 p.44               
John Calkin   R.M. Mottola                                                                                       

▪ Mottola is involved in various lutherie activities including electrical engineering, experimental instrument building, and technical writing and reporting for American Lutherie magazine.

Meet the Makers: David and Rob Rodgers

2012
AL#109 p.16               
Cyndy Burton   Jeffrey-R. Elliott   David Rodgers   Rob Rodgers                                                                               

▪ English father-son business partners David and Rob Rodgers on their precision tuning machines and family history in the field.

Steaming Hide Glue and Laminating Ribs

2012
AL#109 p.6               
James Ham                                                                                           

▪ Ham demonstrates his technique of activating hot hide glue with steam to glue top and back plates to ribs. From his 2011 GAL convention workshop.

In Memoriam: Joseph Wallo (1921-2009)

2011
AL#108 p.70               read this article
Mike Ashley   Robert England   R.E. Brune   David Laplante   Charles Vega                                                                           

▪ Remembering Joseph Wallo (1921-2009) Internationally known maker of the finest in concert guitars.

Reviews: The Conservation, Restoration, and Repair of Stringed Instruments and Their Bows- edited by Tom Wilder

2011
AL#108 p.63               
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ This 3-book set covers a wide range of topics beyond what the title specifies, in over 142 articles.

Reviews: Making Concert Classical Guitar with John S. Bogdanovich by John S. Bogdanovich (10 DVD set)

2011
AL#108 p.62               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Bogdonavich’s ultra specific guitar building method is professionally chronicled in this handsomely packaged 10-dvd set.

Product Reviews: Klumpar Neck Angle Jig and JSimpson Self Adjusting Neck Jig

2011
AL#108 p.58      ALA2 p.72         
Roger-Alan Skipper                                                                                           

▪ The plywood Simpson neck angle jig: simple, versatile and inexpensive, and the aluminum Klumper self adjusting neck jig: accurate, more complex, costly, and allowing for centerline adjustment. Both result in perfectly matched joints.

Bridge Mask

2011
AL#108 p.56      ALA2 p.76         
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A production technique using a bridge mask applied to the guitar top before finishing, which decreases screw-up potential.

Salvador Ibanez Guitar Restoration

2011
AL#108 p.48               
Sue Johnson                                                                                           

▪ Repairing this damaged instrument with previously botched repairs including color touch-up, outlandish replacement linings, thick varnish, and nail attached bindings.

When Jimmy Met Richard

2011
AL#108 p.35               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Jimmy D’Aquisto and Richard Schneider’s meeting at the 1978 GAL convention in Winfield Kansas and their resulting interactions.

Inside the Elderly Repair Shop

2011
AL#108 p.30               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   Joe Konkoly                                                                                       

▪ Konkoly describes his job as repair shop manager, supervising 8 repairmen and 3 on setup inside the Elderly repair shop.

Meet the Maker: Stan Werbin

2011
AL#108 p.24               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   Stan Werbin                                                                                       

▪ Stan Werbin, owner of Elderly Instruments in Lansing Michigan, on his career in business, the store’s extensive instrument inventory, and his relationship with luthiers in the repair shop.

Workshop Evolution

2011
AL#108 p.6               read this article
Kent Everett                                                                                           

▪ Everett lays out the configuration of his workshop and how it has evolved over the years to accommodate each unique location and his needs as a luthier. From his 2011 GAL convention workshop.

It Worked for Me: Portable Buffing Setup

2011
AL#107 p.67      ALA2 p.70         
Mark Roberts                                                                                           

▪ Bolting various jigs and benders to various work surfaces, including a new buffing setup.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Reviews: When Trees Sing: The Complete Guide To Violin Making by Peter Paul Prier

2011
AL#107 p.64               
David Wiebe                                                                                           

▪ This 15-dvd set presents 18 hours of video in which Peter Prier demonstrates the process of building a violin.

Reviews: Hand Made Hand Played: The Art and Craft of Contemporary Guitars by Robert Shaw

2011
AL#107 p.64               
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ This ambitious book catalogs the work of over 230 luthiers from 19 countries, providing a record of the current state of the art guitarmaking.

Product Reviews: Purflex and Zipflex

2011
AL#107 p.62               
Roger-Alan Skipper                                                                                           

▪ Experimentation with purflex, short segments of wood contained within a flexible u-shaped channel, and zipflex, short pieces of pearl mounted on a firm rubber strip.

Cheap Machines: Drill Press

2011
AL#107 p.56      ALA2 p.66         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The drill press is an indispensable tool in the lutherie shop, despite the advent of dedicated machines which have replaced some of it’s chores.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: George Gruhn

2011
AL#107 p.40               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   George Gruhn                                                                                       

▪ Gruhn on his career, starting in animal psychology before moving to vintage guitar collecting and the opening of Gruhn Guitars and his own instrument building.

Constructing a Double Bass Part 2- Inspired by a 1760 Giovanni Baptiste Gabrielli

2011
AL#107 p.22               
Geza Burghardt                                                                                           

▪ Exhaustive pictorial building of a double bass. From 2004 and 2006 GAL convention workshops.

Lutherie: Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow

2011
AL#107 p.12               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ R.E. Brune, founder of a lutherie family dynasty now in it’s third generation, traces modern lutherie to it’s earliest roots in what is modern day Bavaria Germany. From his 2011 GAL convention lecture.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2011
AL#106 p.69               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin illustrates life lessons with the Colin Hay song, ‘Waiting For My Real Life To Begin’.

Questions: Pin bridge

2011
AL#106 p.67               
Alain Bieber                                                                                           

▪ String questions regarding a German instrument pictured in the questions section of AL#102 pg.69.

Questions: Baritone guitar

2011
AL#106 p.65               
Tony Karol                                                                                           

▪ Making a baritone guitar roughly OM sized, tuned B-B with a 29″ scale and a strategy for top bracing and bridge reinforcement.

Questions: KTM-9 finish

2011
AL#106 p.64               
Jeff Jewitt                                                                                           

▪ Spraying KTM-9 finish with an affordable but good quality HVLP spray gun suitable for guitars and mandolins.

Questions: Gibson Uke-2

2011
AL#106 p.64               
Paul Poliski                                                                                           

▪ Resetting the neck of a Gibson uke-2 with a short fingerboard extension with no frets over the body.

The Binding Frame

2011
AL#106 p.54      ALA2 p.62         
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A new method for clamping the binding of a guitar into its recess while the glue dries, involving an MDF frame and rubber wedges.

Evolution Of An Archtop Brace Fitting Jig

2011
AL#106 p.44      ALA2 p.90         
Tom Ribbecke                                                                                           

▪ Ribbecke exhibits versions of more precise and efficient fitting braces, developed throughout his career. From his 2008 GAL convention workshop.

Lute Neck and Pegbox Inlay Patterns

2011
AL#106 p.35               
Michael Yeats                                                                                           

▪ Yeats developed these intricate inlay patterns for veneered lute necks and peg boxes while assisting Robert Lundberg. From a conversation by Jonathon Peterson.

Summers In Siguenza With Jose

2011
AL#106 p.31      ALA5 p.93         
Monica Esparza                                                                                           

▪ Esparza gives a glimpse of the intense experience of attending two week summer seminars in Spain under lutherie legend Jose Romanillos in 4 different years.

Meet the Maker: Monica Esparza

2011
AL#106 p.26      ALA5 p.88         
Kathy Wingert   Monica Esparza                                                                                       

▪ Monica Esparza entered lutherie later in life than most, and now divides her time building with her job as co-owner and operator of a soft drink company.

Constructing a Double Bass Inspired by a 1760 Giovanni Baptiste Gabrielli

2011
AL#106 p.16               
Geza Burghardt                                                                                           

▪ Burghardt shares his experience of fulfilling his dream of constructing a double bass. From his 2004 and 2006 GAL convention workshop.

Meet the Maker: Federico Sheppard

2011
AL#106 p.6               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   Federico Sheppard                                                                                       

▪ Federico Sheppard on his journey from Geology, to chiropractic medicine, to his study of Agustin Barrios, to his stint as a consultant for the national museums of Paraguay and El Salvador, and his instrument making.

Letter to the Editor: Robert Simons letter on soundport listening test

2011
AL#106 p.5               
James Blilie                                                                                           

▪ Blilie talks about Simon’s letter in AL#105, but more importantly about the statistical analysis of data in R.M.Mottola’s article on testing side ports in AL#96.

Letter to the Editor: announcing Savart Journal

2011
AL#106 p.5               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The Savart Journal is an open access online journal featuring research articles on all aspects of science and technology of musical instruments.

Letter to the Editor: endangered species act

2011
AL#106 p.4               
Chuck Erikson                                                                                           

▪ Fish and Wildlife pays an unexpected visit to the Duke of Pearl, causing him to learn more than he ever wanted to know about the Lacey Act.

In Memoriam: Jess Wells

2011
AL#105 p.69               read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Eric Meyer   Ed Geesman   David Kerr   Hiram Harris                                                                           

▪ Five luthiers remember Jess Wells, (1953-2010) builder of viols, lutes, fishing rods, and pipe organs.

Modern Meets Traditional In the Olympic Uke

2011
AL#105 p.42               
Thomas Johnson   Ray Cowell                                                                                       

▪ Cowell salvages wooden interior trim from Titanic sister ship Olympic for uke making, assisted by luthier Thomas Johnson.

About Alcohols Used As Solvents In French Polishing

2011
AL#105 p.38               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Mottola explains the water content, liquor taxes, sources, and denaturants of alcohols used as solvents in French polishing.

Meet the Maker: James Condino

2011
AL#105 p.16               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   James Condino                                                                                       

▪ James Condino maintains an adventurous approach to his instrument design and to life in general.

Nouveau Series Guitars

2011
AL#105 p.6               
Michael Spalt                                                                                           

▪ Viennese luthier Michael Spalt builds a series of 13 solidbody guitars based on the nouveau designs of Steve Klein.

Questions: Fret spacing

2010
AL#104 p.69               
Jon Sevy                                                                                           

▪ The relationship between the familiar 17.817 fret spacing constant and the 12th root of 2 is demonstrated.

Questions: Bowl-back mandolin

2010
AL#104 p.68               
David Cohen                                                                                           

▪ For resources to build a Neapolitan bowl back mandolin and mandola, visit www.iror.it/pubblicazioni/disegni/mandolino_embergher.htm.

Meet the Maker: Dan Kabanuck

2010
AL#104 p.61               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   Dan Kabanuck                                                                                       

▪ The Luthiers Mercantile service rep and heavy metal guitarist on how he became a luthier himself.

It’s All About the Core or How To Estimate Compensation

2010
AL#104 p.56               read this article
Sjaak Elmendorp                                                                                           

▪ Mathematics and parameters used to address the problem of string compensation estimation.

Mandolin Soundboards and Bracing

2010
AL#104 p.48               
Graham McDonald                                                                                           

▪ McDonald traces the evolution of the mandolin soundboard to it’s roots in the mandolino 250 years ago. From his 2008 GAL convention workshop.

Charles Fox Benders, Old and New

2010
AL#104 p.43      ALA2 p.52         
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Lutherie icon Charles Fox speaking at the 2008 GAL convention on the genesis of his universal side bender and a few subsequent thoughts from his shop.

1825 Pons Aine Guitar, Paris

2010
AL#104 p.35      ALA3 p.37         
James Buckland                                                                                           

▪ The Pons brothers (Joseph and Louis) were known for their many one-of-a-kind guitars with elaborate ornamentation and technical innovations. This guitar could be considered their standard model.

A Review of Three Old Lutherie Books With An Emphasis on Their Guitar Sections

2010
AL#104 p.26               read this article
Jan Tulacek   Alain Bieber   James Buckland                                                                                   

▪ An overview of three 19th century lutherie texts, by G.A. Wettengei in 1828, J.C. Maugin in 1834, and Paul Hasiuck in 1907.

Meet the Maker: Kevin Aram

2010
AL#104 p.8               
Cyndy Burton   Kevin Aram                                                                                       

▪ Kevin and Alison Aram discuss a life in lutherie from their farm in Devonshire, England where they collaborate to run the Aram Guitars business.

Letter to the Editor: isotropic plate

2010
AL#104 p.7               
Jack-E. Johnston                                                                                           

▪ Information on differential equations for harmonic motion can be found at www.luthiersforum.com which features in-depth discussion, photos, and math equations.

Questions: Lacey act amendment

2010
AL#103 p.68               read this article
Chuck Erikson   Anne Middleton   Michael Greenfield                                                                                   

▪ The effect of the Lacey Act on procuring raw materials needed to build musical instruments. Two FAQs on the Lacey Act can be found at www.eia-global.org/lacey and www.forestlegality.org.

Reviews: Stradivari: by Stewart Pollens

2010
AL#103 p.64               read this article
David Gusset                                                                                           

▪ “Stradivari” by Stewart Pollens recounts every aspect known about the legendary maker and includes over 1,000 black and white images of 16 violins, violas, and cellos.

A Method For the Design Of the Guitar Body Outline Part 3: Compound Radius Curves

2010
AL#103 p.60               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ An enhancement to the model for drawing guitar body outline halves presented in AL#97.

Fox Bender Upgrades and Bending Updates

2010
AL#103 p.56      ALA2 p.40         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Huss & Dalton bend more sides than the average luthier, but fewer than Taylor or Martin. They do it by maximizing the effectiveness of the familiar Fox-style bender. The latest tricks include spring-steel sheets, brown paper, aluminum foil, and “the magic juice.”

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Makers: Waldron Guitars

2010
AL#103 p.44               
Roger-Alan Skipper   Erick Waldron   Kevin Waldron   Jonathon Waldron   David Miller                                                                           

▪ Waldron, a family business, switched from general contracting to guitar building in 2009, and is now a thriving lutherie company.

Meet the Maker: Nicolo Alessi

2010
AL#103 p.41      ALA5 p.55         
Federico Sheppard   Nicolo Alessi                                                                                       

▪ Alessi crafts highly sought after tuning machines of artistic beauty and technical sophistication in Luino, Switzerland.

Violin Free Plate Mode Tuning Reprised

2010
AL#103 p.24               read this article
Edgar-B. Singleton                                                                                           

▪ Singleton gives simple, direct advice for getting the mode frequencies where you want them with the least cutting. This involves understanding how the node lines overlap.

19th Century Guitar Making Techniques

2010
AL#103 p.16      ALA3 p.28         
James Buckland                                                                                           

▪ Buckland on constructing replicas of 19th century guitars. From his 2008 GAL convention workshop. Includes good info on making flat-bottomed fret slots, like for bone frets or metal bar frets.

Anodizing Aluminum

2010
AL#103 p.15               
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ Anodizing aluminum using battery acid, a plastic tank, and aluminum rod, and an automotive battery charger.

Meet the Maker: Mike Doolin

2010
AL#103 p.6      ALA1 p.20         
Jonathon Peterson   Mike Doolin                                                                                       

▪ Mike Doolin’s innovative and distinctive double-cutaway steel string guitars have made a real impression over the last sixteen years. Doolin discusses his guitar playing, building, background in software developing and other subjects of interest.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2010
AL#102 p.67               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin on the question of giving instruments away, specifically for endorsement deals.

Reviews: The Responsive Guitar/Making the Responsive Guitar (box set) by Ervin Somogyi

2010
AL#102 p.64               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper                                                                                           

▪ This striking two-book set, ‘The Responsive Guitar’, about the physics, dynamics, acoustics, and construction of the guitar, and ‘Making the Responsive Guitar’, information on the workshop, tools, jigs, wood storage, etc, is a handsome tomb featuring hundreds of stunning color photographs.

A Reinterpretation Of Baroque Soundhole Rose

2010
AL#102 p.58               
Michael McCarten                                                                                           

▪ McCarten devises a style with characteristics of both the ‘paper rose’ and single layer soundhole rose, but with an aesthetic not typical of traditional work.

Comparing the Iranian Radif Musical Scale To the Western Scale

2010
AL#102 p.54               read this article
Nasser Shirazi                                                                                           

▪ The scale intervals of Iranian Radif (row, order, series) music are very different from the Western, more familiar, equal-tempered musical scale.

Meet the Maker: Gregg Miner

2010
AL#102 p.38      ALA6 p.88         
Kathy Wingert   Gregg Miner                                                                                       

▪ Gregg Miner is dedicated to collecting instruments and restoring them to playing condition and through his research has acquired a wide network of historians, repairmen, and luthiers.

Recreating the Vintage Martin Peghead Joint

2010
AL#102 p.28      ALA1 p.50         
John Greven   Charles Freeborn                                                                                       

▪ Greven and Freeborn demonstrate their methods for accomplishing the original complicated and elegant Martin head/neck joint.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Activating Hide Glue With Steam

2010
AL#102 p.26               
James Ham                                                                                           

▪ Ham’s technique involving the use of fresh hide glue in assembling basses which involves reactivating dried glue with a steamer after pieces have been aligned and clamped.

Meet the Maker: James Ham

2010
AL#102 p.18               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   James Ham                                                                                       

▪ Ham operates from a shop in Victoria, B.C. where he repairs and restores violin family instruments and constructs world class double basses.

Practical Acoustics

2010
AL#102 p.8               read this article
Michael Cone                                                                                           

▪ Cone describes his advanced acoustical testing apparatus and method. From his 2008 GAL convention lecture, plus new developments in his work since that time.

Letter to the Editor: John Calkin article in AL#99 on Spanish neck style

2010
AL#102 p.3               read this article
David Freeman                                                                                           

▪ Adding to the discussion of neck rake after reading Calkin’s article in AL#99.

In Memoriam: Taku Sakashta

2010
AL#101 p.71               read this article
Tom Ribbecke                                                                                           

▪ Tom Ribbecke mourns his friend and respected colleague Taku Sakashta, maker of world class guitars. (1966-2010).

Reviews: With Strings Attached: Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars by Jonathon Kellerman

2010
AL#101 p.66               read this article
Walter Carter                                                                                           

▪ This book showcases Kellerman’s vast instrument collection, presented alphabetically by maker, and each accompanied by information on the model, acquisition, and sound of each instrument.

Reviews: How To Make a Living By Doing Something Crazy Like Building Guitars by Kent Carlos Everett

2010
AL#101 p.66               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Everett’s book, based on a lecture given at Healdsburg Guitar Festival is a thoroughly researched look at self employment, backed up with experience and hard data.

Reducing Build Variation In Arched Plates

2010
AL#101 p.60               
Mark French   Eddie Efendy                                                                                       

▪ Imagine a CNC router carving an archtop guitar soundboard in an industrial situation. Quality control would check to confirm that parts are the same thickness. But really, we would like the tops made from stiffer material to be cut thinner. Efendy has an idea for making this happen automatically without any measurement or analysis needed.

Travel Lute

2010
AL#101 p.56               read this article
Ben Cohen                                                                                           

▪ An amateur luthier and lutenist designs a travel-friendly lute using a banjo approach.

Testing Threaded Inserts

2010
AL#101 p.54               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The author concludes that the inserts “for metal” are more effective for application when using threaded inserts to bolt necks onto flattop guitars.

Not Only Cones Make It- And Cylinders Almost Do

2010
AL#101 p.52               read this article
F.A. Jaen                                                                                           

▪ It seems reasonable that the strings of a guitar, not being parallel, could not properly lie on a fretboard that describes a cylinder, but the numbers say otherwise.

Making Mother-of-Pearl Nuts

2010
AL#101 p.43               
Ted Megas                                                                                           

▪ Megas walks us through his process of mother-of-pearl nut construction for 7-strings.

Meet the Maker: Ted Megas

2010
AL#101 p.38               read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Ted Megas                                                                                       

▪ Ted Megas makes gorgeous archtops, but lutherie wasn’t his first career choice. He also has a hankering for large machines.

Strings: The (Often) Forgotten Accessory

2010
AL#101 p.28               read this article
Fan Tao                                                                                           

▪ Fan Tao on understanding string issues in relation to custom instruments and customized tuning. From his 2008 GAL convention lecture.

Restoration of a Michelot Late Baroque Guitar

2010
AL#101 p.22               read this article
D.-and-F. Sinier-de-Ridder                                                                                           

▪ In the 19th century Baroque guitars were not treasured antiques, they were merely old-fashioned. One that was chopped into a “Spanish” guitar back is restored back to its original configuration by a Parisian lutherie team.

Meet the Maker: Ben Patron

2010
AL#101 p.14      ALA1 p.82         
Roger-Alan Skipper   Ben Patron                                                                                       

▪ Ben Patron has lots of great lutherie ideas. He makes very useful guitars out of gold pans, chicken ranch roofs, and sheets of stainless steel. He also makes reproductions of guitars by D’Angelico, Torres, and Panormo.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Low Stress Archtop Guitar Design

2010
AL#101 p.6               read this article
Steve Grimes                                                                                           

▪ Steve Grimes has been experimenting with making lighter-built soundboards for archtop guitars and decreasing the breakover angle. Here he describes his low stress archtop method, which produces a superior tone and another option for customers.

Letter to the Editor: Technical qualm with Jim Blilie’s article in AL#100

2010
AL#101 p.4               read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ More than minor disagreements with points in Blilie’s overall excellent article in AL#100, stiffness and density-relation among them.

Questions: Double Neck Acoustic Guitar Plans

2009
AL#100 p.67               read this article
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Some obvious design choices before building a double neck (6 and 12-string) acoustic guitar: neck, space, body size, design, and bracing.

Reviews: Violin Rehairing with Roger Foster, by Ronald Louis Fernandez

2009
AL#100 p.67               read this article
Ken Altman                                                                                           

▪ Violin Repairing With Roger Foster, a 53 minute DVD, shows how a professional violin and bowmaker rehairs a bow in his shop, with comments and explanations along the way.

It Worked for Me: Saw Magnets

2009
AL#100 p.64      ALA2 p.45         
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Keeping the saw dead straight and perfectly aligned when adding a slot to the fretboard.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Product Reviews: Knilling Perfection Planetary Pegs

2009
AL#100 p.58               read this article
Randy DeBey                                                                                           

▪ DeBey reviews a set of Knilling Perfection Planetary pegs (geared tuning pegs) designed by John Charles Herin.

Roped In

2009
AL#100 p.54               
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ Building a Weissenborn-style instrument with the rope binding and rosette that Weissenborn used on high end models.

Inharmonicity of Guitar Strings

2009
AL#100 p.48               read this article
Mark French                                                                                           

▪ Guitar strings need to be the “wrong” length in order to sound “right.” The gloriously simple math of Pythagoras doesn’t accomplish this. French uses lasers and spreadsheets, more numbers, and Greek letters to attempt to get closer.

Owning and Playing the “Marie Antoinette” Guitar

2009
AL#100 p.41      ALA5 p.69         
Kent LaRue                                                                                           

▪ Thoughts on the Marie Antoinette guitar from a balladeer for Colonial Williamsburg’ a provider of 18 century music for visitors to the colonial capital.

Crafting Marie’s Guitar

2009
AL#100 p.40      ALA5 p.68         
Christian Steinert                                                                                           

▪ Building an early period Baroque era guitar replica believed to be the onetime property of Marie Antoinette.

Total Flame Out, Retopping a Harp Guitar

2009
AL#100 p.38               read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Replacing the top on a complicated instrument with as little refinishing and other stress as possible.

The Guitar as a Structure and Some Practical Information on Bracing

2009
AL#100 p.30               read this article
James Blilie                                                                                           

▪ A structural engineer and guitar builder gives his two cents on the guitar as a structure.

Meet the Maker: John Gilbert

2009
AL#100 p.20      ALA3 p.80         
John Mello   John Gilbert                                                                                       

▪ Gilbert, born in 1922, made his first guitar in 1965 while a tool designer at Hewlett-Packard. He has 120 guitars to his credit.

Installing an Acoustic Pickup System in a Flattop Guitar

2009
AL#100 p.14               
Brian Michael   Alex Glasser                                                                                       

▪ Michael and Glasser on how to install a pickup system in an acoustic guitar using a Fishman Matrix blend. From their 2008 GAL convention workshop.

Historical Influences in a Modern Guitar Design

2009
AL#100 p.6      ALA5 p.60         
Gary Southwell                                                                                           

▪ Southwell on using historical influences in contemporary work and design. From his 2006 GAL convention lecture.

Letter to the Editor: Natural Shell Material Clearance

2009
AL#100 p.5               read this article
Chuck Erikson                                                                                           

▪ Avoiding confiscation of instruments containing natural shell material by U.S. customs agents and extra fees by including the proper details on customs forms.

In Memoriam: Rob Girdis

2009
AL#99 p.71               read this article
Rick Davis                                                                                           

▪ Remembering Rob Girdis (1953-2009) who studied with Anthony Huvard at Huvards Northwest School of Instrument Design. His guitars were notable for detail and artistry in color and form.

In Memoriam: Dennis Stevens

2009
AL#99 p.70               read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Remembering Dennis Stevens (1944-2009) who was revered in the jazz community and made fabulous steel string and classical guitars.

Questions: Preparation of Horn

2009
AL#99 p.68               
Chuck Erikson                                                                                           

▪ Notes on horn work from Tuning and Mechanical Manipulation Volume 1: Materials and Bone, Antler, Ivory, and Horn, plus ox/cow variety horn preparation procedures.

Questions: String Tension and Purity of Tone

2009
AL#99 p.68               read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Alan Carruth checks the relationship between higher tension and purer tone by mounting plain steel strings on a test rig.

Review: Lyre-guitar: Etoile charmante, between the 18th and 19th centuries by Eleonora Vulpiani

2009
AL#99 p.67               read this article
John Doan                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer admires this book that takes a serious look at the lyre-guitar, an instrument that most of us—even those with a bent for history—give short shrift.

Reviews: Engineering the Guitar: Theory and Practice by Richard Mark French

2009
AL#99 p.66               read this article
Bill Greenwood                                                                                           

▪ This book is aimed at “a niche audience of mathematically literate students who are relatively new to the details of guitar structure. . . .” The reviewer decides it is a successful effort.

It Worked for Me: Archtop Guitar Bridge

2009
AL#99 p.65               
Luis Mesquita                                                                                           

▪ In one bundle we are offered a new design in archtop guitar bridge construction, an adjustable neck (no details), and a cool way to hide pickup controls in a side sound port. Way cool!

Parametric Models of Guitar Cutaways

2009
AL#99 p.60               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Do you know why certain parts of our lives can’t be altered? Because smarter people than us are in control. If you are artistic enough, you can lay out a nice guitar shape with just a pencil and paper. If you are smart enough (not that being smart negates the possibility of artistic talent) you can use geometric forms and even a computer to shape a graceful guitar. If you are neither artistic nor smart you’ll have to copy something that’s already been done. This story is for smart people. With 12 drawings.

Make a Dished Workboard, Freehand

2009
AL#99 p.52               
Ryan Schultz                                                                                           

▪ There’s just enough math here to make our brains cloud over, so most folks should get along fine. It’s still not as easy to build as a spoke-built dish, but if you’re cheap and must have a one-piece dish it should work just fine. With 4 photos, a depth chart, and one drawing.

Electric Bass Design Considerations

2009
AL#99 p.38               read this article
Veronica Merryfield   David Minnieweather   Harry Fleishman                                                                                   

▪ As a panel discussion at the 2008 GAL convention this must have been the one not to miss. As an article it is engaging and intriguing. Why do electric bass makers get to have all this freedom and the rest of us have to make copies of stuff that appeared before we were born? Bass players seem to always have had more open minds than other musicians, and these three authors have certainly pushed the envelope. With 47 photos.

GAL Instrument Plan #61: 1986 Sullivan/Elliott 20 String Concert Harp Guitar

2009
AL#99 p.36      ALA6 p.84         buy this plan
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

Developing the Modern 20-String Concert Harp Guitar

2009
AL#99 p.30      ALA6 p.78         
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Even if you don’t care much about harp guitars you’ll enjoy the thought processes that went into the string of instruments documented in this article. If you are into harp guitars this is must reading. The initial harp guitar developed by John Sullivan, John Doan, and Jeffrey Elliott owed little to similar instruments of the past other than a basic shape, and the harp guitars that came after the first one have refined the new ideas. With 15 photos of complete and instruments progress, a string gauge and tuning chart, and a mini-plan of 1986 guitar that started the series. Full-size plans are available as GAL Plan #61.

Dana Hears Voices: Optimizing Steel String Soundboard Response

2009
AL#99 p.22      ALA1 p.36         
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ Taken from his 2008 GAL convention lecture, the author explains the basic functioning of a guitar top and how he manipulates the plates and braces to achieve the sound he’s after. Mostly, he says, he’s after the most different tap tones that the top and back can produce, but there are many other details given along the way. Bourgeois is often regarded as one of the champions of tap tuning. With 9 photos, 6 charts, and a bunch of diagrams.

Meet the Maker: David Cohen

2009
AL#99 p.14               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   David Cohen                                                                                       

▪ Cohen’s life followed an unusual progression—scientist, professor, mandolin maker, sort of in that order. He has a different take on instrument theory than some of us, but the work is the same as is the hard road most luthiers walk. Fortune and fame are elusive, regardless of ones background, but at least the work is satisfying. Cohen is also the author of several scientific papers concerning mandolins. His instruments look quite tasty. With 17 photos.

Understanding Neck Rake

2009
AL#99 p.11      ALA1 p.2         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ It sounds pretty high-falutin’ to talk about the geometry of the guitar, but in the lightest sense it’s a useable conceit. If the angles of the top design and neck joint aren’t right you won’t get an instrument that anybody wants to play, or can play. The author uses a mechanical, rather than mathematical, system to lay out the neck in relation to the body. You don’t have to know the angle involved, you just have to be intelligent. This, if you are a GAL member, is a given. With 6 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Building for Playability

2009
AL#99 p.7      ALA4 p.52         
David Freeman                                                                                           

▪ Some features of guitar construction make the instrument functional for normal humans and tuneful music making, and getting them wrong can/will destroy the guitars usefulness. Other features aren’t necessary but may make the instrument more comfortable to play or offer extended musical capabilities. Freeman addresses both aspects in this article taken from his 2008 GAL convention workshop. He’s not the least bit shy about reconfiguring the guitar’s shape or features to make musicians better and happier. Whether or not you wish to make such alterations, much of this stuff you better know if you wish to make musical instruments rather than guitar-shaped objects. With 5 photos, 3 charts, and a drawing.

Letter to the Editor: Clarification of DVD review in AL#97

2009
AL#99 p.3               read this article
Ronald-Louis Fernandez                                                                                           

▪ Fernandez offers corrections to Tom Harper’s review of his instruction DVD French Polishing for Guitarmakers 2.0.

Letter to the Editor: Ray Cowell Ukes

2009
AL#99 p.3               read this article
Thomas Johnson                                                                                           

▪ Johnson’s letter introduces us to English uke maker Ray Cowell, who began his career by making instruments from wood retrieved from the ocean liner RMS Olympic, sister ship to the ill-fated Titanic.

Questions: Charity Lutherie

2009
AL#98 p.68               read this article
Brian Flaherty                                                                                           

▪ Deducting the value of a donated instrument and or materials for tax purposes. Some hints can be found in ‘The Tax Law of Charitable Giving’.

Product Reviews: Witherby Gouge

2009
AL#98 p.65               
Andrew Mowry                                                                                           

▪ The author reviews the spoon plane and finds that it is more efficient at removing large quantities of wood when carving mandolin plates than the gouges he used to use, and it’s also easier on the carver, a not insignificant benefit. With 2 photos of the tool.

A Survey of Guitar Making Books

2009
AL#98 p.58               read this article
Graham McDonald                                                                                           

▪ The author rounds up a collection of acoustic guitar making manuals currently available to help us separate the wheat from the chaff. The serious student will no doubt end up with several of these books, but McDonald will help you decide which ones to buy first. Includes jacket photos of all the books discussed.

Using the Golden Section to Design a Kamanche

2009
AL#98 p.57               read this article
Ahanali Jahandideh   Mitra Jahandideh   Hadi Abbaszadeh   Samad Jahandideh                                                                               

▪ The Kamanche is a Persian bowed instrument with a skin head. The authors use a ratio of the value of phi to define its size, a trick violin makers have used for a long time. With one photo and 4 drawings.

Dulcimer 101

2009
AL#98 p.48               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin was inspired to write this by pleas from readers for more entry level stories. Dulcimers are needlessly maligned and in need of advocates, and the author is a strong one. Tools and jiggery are kept to a minimum to make construction as accessible as possible without hurting the integrity of the finished instrument. Beginning luthiers should stop complaining and get to work! With 31 photos.

Fretboard Slotting with a CNC Router

2009
AL#98 p.46               
John Svizzero   R.M. Mottola                                                                                       

▪ Both authors made their own CNC machines, which impresses the heck out of us. The coolest thing about CNC fret slotting, aside from the dead certain accuracy, is the ability to cut slots with blind ends. Unbound fretboards can look bound. All the machine specs you’ll need to duplicate their efforts are included, and even us dummies can grasp what they’re about. With 4 photos.

GAL Instrument Plan #60: Two Tuvan Instruments

2009
AL#98 p.44               buy this plan
Thomas Johnson                                                                                           

▪ The instruments are the igil and the morin khuur. Both are fretless and played with a bow. One is covered in goat or fish skin and one is not.

Two Tuvan Instruments

2009
AL#98 p.44               read this article
Thomas Johnson                                                                                           

▪ The instruments are the igil and the morin khuur. They may figure prominently on the top of the pops in Tuva, but we bet you’ve never heard of them. Obscure instruments are fun and exotic, just like foreign places (where the heck is Tuva, anyway?). Both are fretless and played with a bow. One is covered in goat or fish skin and one is not.

Meet the Maker: James Buckland

2009
AL#98 p.36      ALA3 p.18         
John Calkin   James Buckland                                                                                       

▪ Buckland is a classical performer and teacher who also builds guitars, not and unheard of combination but a rare one. He is especially knowledgeable about guitar history and the little known Terz guitar, of which he is an authority. If that sounds dull you should also know that he started as a Canadian lefty who was initially inspired by Jimi Hendrix, among other rockers. He’s still a lefty, but now we have him in America. Canada has probably been sulking ever since. With 10 photos.

Restoring a Church Bass

2009
AL#98 p.34               read this article
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.                                                                                           

▪ There’s not a lot of detail to this piece, but there’s nice story telling and some philosophy to live by. Lyman has been involved in the bass world since before the GAL, and whatever he has to say about it is important (and usually fun). With 3 photos.

Electric Guitar Setup

2009
AL#98 p.28               read this article
Erick Coleman   Elliot John-Conry                                                                                       

▪ Two disciples of Dan Erlewine explain the latest techniques of setting up the electric guitar. All the details and specs are there, as well as a bit of philosophy. OK, not too much philosophy, but this is a chunk of fun taken from their 2006 GAL convention presentation and they function well in front of a crowd. AL doesn’t get a lot of electric input, which makes this piece more important. With 10 photos.

Meet the Maker: Cyndy Burton

2009
AL#98 p.18      ALA3 p.58         
Tim Olsen   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ Burton has been tenacious in her pursuit of the classical guitar, traveling widely and learning from the likes of William Cumpiano, Eugene Clark, and Jeffrey Elliott, making a name for herself in what has largely been a man’s world. We’re all members of her fan club and rejoice at finally knowing more about her. With 17 photos.

The Archtop Guitar: Perspectives on the Present and Future

2009
AL#98 p.6      AL#151 p.72         
Steve Grimes   Ted Megas   Tom Ribbecke   Jeffrey R. Elliott                                                                               

▪ This article is taken from a 2008 GAL convention panel discussion. Seems like these discussions are getting livelier and more interesting, no matter what field of lutherie may draw you the most. The interaction makes the archtop guitar seem more vital and the personal disclosures add depth to the subject. Not that we’re talking about life and death. Well, to the panelists it may be more important than that, and we’ll bet you’ll be drawn in. Perhaps changes are in the air. Nylon strings? Chambered bodies? Oh, they won’t threaten the old jazz box too much, but it’s good to know that nothing remains forever unchanged. With 23 photos.

Letter to the Editor: Statistical Listening Test

2009
AL#98 p.3               read this article
Kenny Hill                                                                                           

▪ Hill’s letter is a response to R. M. Mottola’s article in AL #96 about sound ports, which found that they were ineffective in changing the volume or tone of a guitar to the player or listener. Hill maintains that the science and his personal experience are at odds, and that he is willing to stand by his personal experience. Well, we love a good argument, especially when both sides make their case so eloquently. To be continued. . . .

Questions: French Polish VS Olive Oil

2009
AL#97 p.68               read this article
Gary Southwell   Koen Padding                                                                                       

▪ An experiment involving two pieces of European Spruce, testing the effects of oil finish VS French polish and the use of olive oil in particular.

Questions: Jig for Oval Rosettes

2009
AL#97 p.68               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Information on oval rosette jigs appears in AL#41, pg. 34 and BRBAL#4, pg. 140, ‘Making Oval Mandolin Rosettes’ by Jonathon Peterson.

Questions: Double Bass External Linings

2009
AL#97 p.68               read this article
Arnold Schnitzer                                                                                           

▪ Strips of wood on the ribs at the top and bottom edges of a double bass are called ‘external linings’ and can be found on many commercial basses from Germany and China.

Reviews: French Polishing for Guitarmakers 2.0 by Dr. Ronald Louis Fernandez

2009
AL#97 p.65               read this article
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ Beginners often face the prospect of French polishing with some trepidation. As in many facets of lutherie, video is usually a better instructor than text. With only a few reservations the reviewer finds this DVD to be a clear and concise tutorial.

Reviews: The Mandolin Project by Graham McDonald

2009
AL#97 p.64               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer is very pleased with this manual that presents the construction of four different styles of mandolin. The instruction is concise and the illustrations well done.

Spherical Workboard Update

2009
AL#97 p.62      ALA2 p.36         
Brent Benfield                                                                                           

▪ the author has been working with spherical workboards for a while now. He shares his latest thoughts.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

A Method for the Design of the Guitar Body Outline

2009
AL#97 p.52               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ No, you won’t find plans for any particular instrument here, or even any plan in the conventional GAL sense. This article is about intelligently laying out the body shape of a guitar using 11 parameters. Don’t let your brain glaze over yet, this isn’t about geometry or classical design theory, it’s about using simple design elements to create graceful body shapes using several historical outlines guitars as examples and then moving on to shapes you might create to make the guitar more beautiful or efficient (to you, at least). There is some math (horrors!) but of a simple variety mostly embodying ratios. Have you ever built a guitar from a freehand drawing and found that it wasn’t quite the work of art you intended? Well, you don’t have to do that any more. With 16 drawings, a chart, and a photo.

Restoring a Battle Axe

2009
AL#97 p.48               
Roger-Alan Skipper                                                                                           

▪ Skipper decides to save the life of a Martin D-28 that most of us would use for spare parts and firewood. A new top is made and severely cracked sides and back are restored to usefulness by interesting techniques that offer strength and renewed life rather than cosmetic perfection. In other words, a repair that mere mortals can afford. Good job! With 12 photos.

Meet the Maker: Graham McDonald

2009
AL#97 p.42               read this article
John Calkin   Graham McDonald                                                                                       

▪ Aussie McDonald has built many sorts of instruments, though he has come to specialize in mandolins and bouzoukis and has written a pair of books about their construction. He has also contributed a number of articles to American Lutherie over the years. It becomes apparent that like is different in Australia. We should all take a field trip there. With 8 photos.

What is the Flamenco Guitar?

2009
AL#97 p.28               read this article
R.E. Brune   Eugene Clark   John Park   Jeffrey R. Elliott                                                                               

▪ This is a transcription of a 2006 GAL convention panel discussion. Put a tap plate on a classical guitar; now do you have a flamenco guitar? Differences between the two guitars have largely been accentuated by the modern need to specialize and categorize. But beyond that, this is a fascinating conversation between four of the leading builders in the field and you don’t have to be a maker of nylon strung guitars to enjoy the details they offer and their pleasure in each others company.

Meet the Maker: Michael Dunn

2009
AL#97 p.18      ALA4 p.42         
Jonathon Peterson   Michael Dunn                                                                                       

▪ Canadian Dunn studied guitar making in Spain but ended up specializing in Maccaferri-style guitars. He uses an internal soundbox similar to the original design. His use of wood inlay and marquetry, as well as his choice of body woods is original, playful, and stunning. He is also a lutherie teacher of note. Read this and have fun. Mentions Bill Lewis, George Bowden, Jose Orti, jose Pepe Ferrer, Shelley Park, Chuck Shifflet, Bill Rivere, Patrick Olmstead, Sonny Black, Ray Nurse, ted Turner, Tim Hobrough, Bob Brozman.

New Directions in Violin Making

2009
AL#97 p.4               read this article
Joseph Curtin                                                                                           

▪ It turns out that virtually every aspect of the violin can be altered to make it more playable, more visually interesting, and perhaps better sounding. What a relief! There’s life in the old girl yet. Are players brave enough to get on board?

Questions: Classical Guitars With Additional Bass Strings

2008
AL#96 p.70               
Greg Byers                                                                                           

▪ Figuring the placement of the nut and additional fret on extended range classical guitars with additional bass strings.

Questions: Nontropical Fingerboard Materials

2008
AL#96 p.68               read this article
Tom Thiel                                                                                           

▪ As high quality exotic woods become precious, domestic alternatives for fingerboards become more valuable. These alternatives must be as hard, abrasion, resistant, stable, and of similar pore structure, density, and color.

Reviews: Building the Selmer-Maccaferri Guitar by Michael Collins

2008
AL#96 p.66               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer enjoyed this 14-hour DVD set but advises that it’s not the last word in the construction of a fine guitar.

Reviews: The Guitar in America, Victorian Era to Jazz Age by Jeffrey J. Noonan

2008
AL#96 p.65               read this article
Don Overstreet                                                                                           

▪ The book is about the Banjo, Mandolin, and Guitar Movement that ended with the Great Depression. While the reviewer admits that there is little here for luthiers, there is a ton of interesting material for the musical history buff. This time is where many of the instrument icons we all copy came from.

Google Calculator and the Guitar’s Magic Number

2008
AL#96 p.62               read this article
William Leirer                                                                                           

▪ Did you know that the Google search engine has a calculator? This piece is a math lover’s dream. There’s lot of formulae. The goal is to lay out a fret pattern for any scale length, then find the perfect intonation point for it. You’ll need a pretty good guitar tuner to take advantage of the process. All you math challenged luthiers out there, just say “Duh. . . .”

Inlaid Splices

2008
AL#96 p.60               
John Thayer                                                                                           

▪ Don’t put a repair patch on top of the wood, put it in the wood! Probably for carved tops only, but a fine idea (and pretty, for you folks who like to peek inside of instruments. With 11 photos.

Peg Shapers That You Can Adjust

2008
AL#96 p.58               
David Golber                                                                                           

▪ The author got tired of hard-to-use commercial peg shapers, so he made a better one of his own. He describes it as a tool for actual human beings. With 6 photos and a drawing.

Blind Listening Evaluation of Classical Guitar Soundports

2008
AL#96 p.54      ALA3 p.25         
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Do you believe that soundports on the side of a guitar make a difference to the sound perception of the guitarist? Do you believe they don’t? Either way, you should consider the facts presented in this article. It may change the way you build guitars, but it won’t give you more faith in the hearing of humans, even of professional musicians. With 1 photo and 3 charts.

Uke Making for Guitar Makers

2008
AL#96 p.50               
Bob Gleason                                                                                           

▪ A low key (not to mention fun) description of how uke making varies from guitar making. Gleason also describes some of the varieties Hawaiian wood he likes to work with, a slick method for removing lacquer from the bridge foot print, and some of the construction tricks he has come up with. Owning a shop in Hawaii must surely take the lutherie life to another level. With 15 photos.

A Homemade Magnetic Thickness Gauge

2008
AL#96 p.49               
Alain Bieber                                                                                           

▪ You, too, can make a gauge for measuring the plate thickness of finished instrument, and Bieber’s tool comes in at 1/30th the cost of a commercial tool. With 2 photos and a drawing.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Ted Davis

2008
AL#96 p.42               read this article
James Condino   Ted Davis                                                                                       

▪ Davis’ lutherie exploits goes back to the ’70s. He was one of the first of the recent red spruce believers, and he harvested many trees to supply himself and a few others who were lucky enough to key into his business. He made guitars, mandolins, and dulcimers to support his hotrod automobile habit. He had strong opinions about wood that run counter to modern beliefs, and had the experience to back them up.Davis died before the interview was published. He will be missed. With 15 photos.

GAL Instrument Plan #59: Colombian Andean Bandola

2008
AL#96 p.36               buy this plan
Luis-Alberto Paredes-Rodriguez                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

The Colombian Andean Bandola

2008
AL#96 p.34               read this article
Luis-Alberto Paredes-Rodriguez   Manuel-Bernal Martinez                                                                                       

▪ The Andean bandola (isn’t that cool to say? Makes you want to have one) looks like a big 6-course flattop mandolin, though it stems just as much from the guitar. Bandola development went into over drive during the 1960s and continues today. In fact, the authors have developed a bandola family. One version owes a lot to the ever-influential Greg Smallman. With 25 photos, a string gauge chart, and a tuning chart. Includes reduced image of GAL Instrument Plan #59.

Curtate Cycloid Arching

2008
AL#96 p.26               
David Cohen                                                                                           

▪ There are reasons why you might wish to describe the arch of an instrument mathematically. You might also wish to create an arch template by using math. Here’s a way to go about it. This is not for the math challenged among us. With 4 photos and 9 charts/diagrams.

The Jimmi Inlay Experience

2008
AL#96 p.24               
Cyndy Burton   Jimmi Wingert                                                                                       

▪ Jimmi Wingert seems like a cool and talented young woman with a growing clientele for fine inlay work. Oh, to have the funds to travel the country to meet all these people. Mentions Harvey Leach and Larry Robinson. With 2 photos and a drawing.

Meet the Maker: Kathy Wingert

2008
AL#96 p.18      ALA1 p.60         
Cyndy Burton   Kathy Wingert                                                                                       

▪ Wingert has as extensive a lutherie background as anyone, and even does Chladni glitter tests on her guitars (which, by the way, look exquisite). Her daughter Jimmi has a growing reputation as an inlay artist. How rare is a mother/daughter team in lutherie? Mentions Bob Mattingly, Larry Robinson and Harvey Leach. With 12 photos.

A Life in Lutherie: A Discussion with Manuel Velazquez and His Son Alfredo

2008
AL#96 p.6      ALA3 p.68         
Robert Ruck   Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Manuel Velazquez   Alfredo Velazquez                                                                               

▪ Manuel Velazquez built his first guitar in 1929. Can you imagine that? His son Alfredo is carrying on the tradition, though Manuel has not retired. He has definite opinions about what woods make the best guitar and how they should be finished. He is a giant in the business and must be admired for his tenacity as much as his ability. And a fun interview to boot. Mentions Bobri, Andres Segovia, Torres, Santos Hernandez, and Hermann Hauser. With 36 photos.

Letter to the Editor: Instrument Resurrection Stories

2008
AL#96 p.3               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin’s letter is concerned with repair shop work ethics, customer relations, and job burnout. It’s really about an old-timer surveying modern society and finding it lacking in some ways.

In Memoriam: Thomas Humphrey

2008
AL#95 p.70               read this article
Stephan Connor                                                                                           

▪ Remembering Thomas Humphrey (1948-2008) renowned as an innovative contemporary creator of classical guitars. With one photo.

It Worked for Me: Surface Plates

2008
AL#95 p.68      ALA2 p.39         
Veronica Merryfield                                                                                           

▪ Wired plate glass, typesetter’s tables, granite kitchen countertops, and gravestone engraver tables as cheaper alternatives to commercial surface plates.

Questions: String Tension

2008
AL#95 p.67               read this article
Thomas Knatt                                                                                           

▪ Proportional deformation of an instrument in relation to the amount of time the instrument is under tension and the effect of strategic de-tuning on this.

Questions: Mandolin X Bracing

2008
AL#95 p.66               
David Cohen                                                                                           

▪ Reference to plans for mandolin X-bracing and general discussion on this topic in the article, The Modern Mandolin by Lawrence Smart in AL#56 and BRB5.

Reviews: Guitar Voicing Class with Ervin Somogyi

2008
AL#95 p.65               read this article
Joe Herrick                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer not only learned a lot about choosing tops and designing brace patterns, he had a very good time. The class took him beyond building generic guitars and into the realm of building the specific guitars that he andor his customers want to hear.

Reviews: Classical Guitar Making, A Modern Approach to Traditional Design, by John S. Bogdonovich

2008
AL#95 p.64               read this article
John Mello                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this book to be “an impressive achievement, a logical first choice of the available stand-alone methods for classical guitar construction.”

Product Reviews: Plasti-Dip and the Stewart-MacDonald Binding Laminator

2008
AL#95 p.62               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer gives a thumbs up to Plasti-Dip, a thick liquid used to apply a plastic coating to tools, and to the Stew-Mac Binding Laminator, used to lay up various combinations of plastic or celluloid bindings and purflings. With 4 photos.

Florida Gold

2008
AL#95 p.59               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Mike Brittain (see previous article) sent a set of Florida rosewood to the GAL office, and the office staff looked around for someone to build a guitar out of it. Calkin answered the call. Well, someone had to scarf up the free wood, didn’t they? That Mike Brittain’s a swell guy, isn’t he? So this is the story of one particular guitar. By the way, the Florida rosewood in question is Dalbergia sissoo, not the Dalbergia latifolia most often used for guitars. But it looks great, works great, and sounds great. With 5 photos.

Accidental Exotics

2008
AL#95 p.57               read this article
Mike Brittain                                                                                           

▪ Brittain is a Florida luthier obsessed with hunting down the tonewood trees that came to his home state either as infestations or introduced ornamentals. It turns out there’s lots of Indian rosewood growing in Florida, and many trees that have to be removed due to “progress” or storm damage. We can’t let them go to waste, can we Mike? With 5 photos.

Casting Custom Plastic Pickup Rings

2008
AL#95 p.55               
Daniel Fobert                                                                                           

▪ You can make your own plastic pickup rings. No kiddin’! And it doesn’t seem like a real big deal. A little thought should uncover many other uses for the materials mentioned here. With 4 photos.

Meet the Maker: Dan Fobert

2008
AL#95 p.50               
Andy Avera   Daniel Fobert                                                                                       

▪ Fobert is a Texas builder of archtop guitars who is unusually obsessed with making as many of the parts for his guitar as possible, not including (yet!) the tuners. There are luthiers who worship old guitars and work to reproduce them, and luthiers who can’t be bothered with something that’s already been done. Fobert is one of the latter. With 6 photos.

Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Three: The Scroll

2008
AL#95 p.44               read this article
Robert-J. Spear                                                                                           

▪ Did the Cremonese fiddle makers use geometry to plot the design of their violins? Can geometry explain the size relationships of violin parts and details? Spear thinks so. This is the third and final installment printed in sequential issues of AL. With 3 photos and 9 diagrams/charts.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

From Trash to Treasure

2008
AL#95 p.32      ALA5 p.76         
Tobias Braun                                                                                           

▪ Braun took on the job of restoring a massively injured Spanish factory guitar made approximately in 1900. This is not only a close look at how such work is done, but an examination of how these guitars were made. It’s not a Torres, but it’s pretty cool. With 41 photos and 4 catalog page reproductions.

Meet the Maker: Chuck Lee

2008
AL#95 p.26               read this article
Steve Kinnaird   Chuck Lee                                                                                       

▪ Lee is a prominent maker of old-time open-back banjos, ex-plumber, dedicated Christian, and Texas-style family man. Cool guy, and his banjos are interesting, too. With 20 photos.

Constructing the Middle Eastern Oud with Peter Kyvelos, Part Two

2008
AL#95 p.18               read this article
R.M. Mottola   Peter Kyvelos                                                                                       

▪ The oud is the Arabic ancestor of the lute, as well as being a popular contemporary instrument in many parts of the world. Part One of this two-part series was printed in AL#94. This part concerns the construction of the soundboard and neck of the instrument. With 33 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Norman Pickering

2008
AL#95 p.14               read this article
Barbara Goldowsky   Norman Pickering                                                                                       

▪ Pickering invented the phonograph cartridge named after him, but that’s just for starters. He’s spent a long lifetime researching and teaching acoustics, inventing clocks and aircraft instruments, working with medical ultrasonics, flying his own plane, researching bowed instruments, and playing viola in chamber ensembles. Just to name a few of his activities. A very interesting and intellectually restless man. With 8 photos.

The Al-Tho Design, an Experiment in Classical Guitar Bracing

2008
AL#95 p.8               
Alain Bieber                                                                                           

▪ Amateur luthier Bieber and his professional mentor pursue a new direction in classical guitar bracing that spans 10 guitars over the course of the article. Although Greg Smallman is quoted as an inspiration, the Al-Tho designs look nothing like the lattice system we’ve become familiar with. Nor do they look like anything else seen to date. Very interesting stuff. With 11 photos, 2 diagrams, and 2 charts.

1995 Convention photos

2008
AL#95 p.6               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ A couple pages of tiny B+W photos of our 2008 Convention. Full color, detailed coverage was available ont eh GAL website.

Letter to the Editor: Regarding Alex Willis book and fretboard tapering method

2008
AL#95 p.5               read this article
John Mello                                                                                           

▪ John reviewed a book by Alex Willis in AL#94. He criticised a certain technique reccomended in the book. Now he thinks Alex was right.

It Worked for Me: Custom Unique Hardware

2008
AL#94 p.67               
Daniel Fobert                                                                                           

▪ An illustrated method for assembling custom hitch pins without a lot of machining, for construction of a spruce top banjo on a bouzouki platform.

Questions: North American Wood

2008
AL#94 p.66               read this article
Mark French   Ned Steinberger   Alan Carruth                                                                                   

▪ Synthetic fretboard materials such as phenolic-impregnated kraft paper laminate as an alternative to tropical hardwoods.

Quick Cuts: Chris Pantazelos’ 7-String Classical Guitar

2008
AL#94 p.64               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The builder followed the work of Greg Smallman in this lattice-braced guitar, though he omitted the carbon fiber used in Smallman’s designs. He found the system to be so successful that he abandoned traditional brace patterns in subsequent guitars. With 4 photos.

Reviews: Step by Step Guitar Making by Alex Willis

2008
AL#94 p.63               read this article
John Mello                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this book to be a useful addition to the beginning luthier’s library, but that it falls short of being a stand alone teaching text.

The “Corker” Guitar: A Sideport Experiment

2008
AL#94 p.56               read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Carruth built a classical guitar with many ports cut in the side. By closing the ports with corks in various combinations he tested the usefulness of sideports and tried to establish the physics behind their use. Though this guitar did not make a believer out of him, he admits that his results are somewhat inconclusive. With one photo and a slew of charts and figures concerning the air modes of his guitar with various sideports open.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

The MacRostie Mandolin Deflection Jig

2008
AL#94 p.50               read this article
Don MacRostie                                                                                           

▪ MacRostie’s clever jig measures the top deflection of a carved mandolin under string load at any stage of its construction. It is a valuable tool within the reach of any luthier.

The Venezuelan Cuatro

2008
AL#94 p.42               read this article
Aquiles Torres                                                                                           

▪ This instrument is a small 4-string guitar with 14 frets clear of the body and no frets over the body, a flush fretboard, and a large veneer tap plate. Note: the Cuatro built for the article has 17 frets clear of the body. The story includes 38 photos and a shrunken version of GAL Plan #58.

Meet the Maker: Paul Fischer

2008
AL#94 p.36      ALA3 p.52         
Woodley White   Paul Fischer                                                                                       

▪ Fischer has been building guitars for 50 years and has completed over 1000 instruments. He apprenticed as a harpsichord maker, then learned guitar making from David Rubio. As with any good interview, it quickly becomes apparent that who we are is more fascinating than what we do. With 15 photos.

Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part Two: f-holes

2008
AL#94 p.30               read this article
Robert-J. Spear                                                                                           

▪ The second installment of how geometry might have been used to design the Cremonese violin. Part One was in AL#93. With 10 graphs and a photo.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Collectors: Forderer and Westbrook

2008
AL#94 p.18               
Cyndy Burton   Jim Forderer   James Westbrook                                                                                   

▪ As presented in this interview, Jim Forderer and Jim Westbrook are both collectors of guitars of the 19th century, a time period which included the development of the classical guitar. But most of their examples are about the evolution of that instrument and not about the finished post-Torres species. They are unique individuals with strange and wonderful tastes in guitars. With 17 photos and a dendrochronological analysis of the top of a very early Martin guitar.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Constructing the Middle Eastern Oud with Peter Kyvelos, Part One

2008
AL#94 p.8               read this article
R.M. Mottola   Peter Kyvelos                                                                                       

▪ The oud, of course, is the Arabic ancestor of the lute, as well as being a popular contemporary instrument in many parts of the world. Kyvelos has been building them since 1970. The story offers a bit of background on the oud, a few of its recent historical builders, and Kyvelos himself, though most emphasis is placed upon the construction of the instrument. This part mostly concerns the construction of the bowl of the instrument. With 33 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: Inches and Spanish pulgadas

2008
AL#94 p.7      ALA5 p.82         
Gerhard Oldiges                                                                                           

▪ Spanish guitar scale lengths before Torres. Pulgadas, Imperial inches, centimeters. It all gets pretty complicated.

Reviews: La Chitarra di Liuteria—Masterpieces of Guitar Making, by Stefano Grondona and Luca Waldner

2008
AL#93 p.70               read this article
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer much admires this book that attempts to supply the reader with an emotional appreciation of specific guitars made during the late 18th century to the mid-20th century.

Questions: Guild Logo Use

2008
AL#93 p.66               
Deb Olsen                                                                                           

▪ The use and rights of the Guild of American Luthiers name and trademark logo in advertising or as a seal of approval.

Questions: Morales Guitar

2008
AL#93 p.66               read this article
Tatsuo Miyachi                                                                                           

▪ A brief history of how Morales guitar brand relates to the Zen-On music company, a Japanese sheet music publisher which also sells a wide range of musical instruments. Zen-On goes back to the 1960s and the Hayashi Gakki company.

Quick Cuts: An Experimental Carbon-Reinforced Guitar

2008
AL#93 p.64               
Peter Vile                                                                                           

▪ The author gives us a quick look at his carbon fiber/balsa, lattice-braced guitars with wingless bridges, and what he achieved with them. He mentions Kasha/Schneider, Greg Smallman, Jurgen Meyer, and Gila Eban. With 3 photos and 6 sketches.

Product Reviews: Mandolin tuners

2008
AL#93 p.60               
James Condino                                                                                           

▪ Condino rates all the commonly available mandolin tuners and explains why spending $500 for the best set available might make good economic sense. He also likes the Stew-Mac mandolin peghead drill jig. With 12 photos.

Fabio’s Excellent Nicaraguan Adventure

2008
AL#93 p.56               read this article
Mike Moger                                                                                           

▪ Three luthiers travel to war-ravaged Nicaragua to teach a class in guitar making. Why? It’s an effort to aid job diversity and economic growth to an area often reduced to subsistence farming for a living. With 6 photos.

Geometric Design of the Stradivari Model G Violin, Part One: Mold and Template

2008
AL#93 p.46               read this article
Robert-J. Spear                                                                                           

▪ The author’s goal is to demonstrate that the Cremonese fiddle makers used geometry based on the Golden Mean to design their instruments. This installment concerns the body outline. With 2 photos and 9 graphs/drawings.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Forester: Andrea Florinett

2008
AL#93 p.38               read this article
Greg Hanson   Andrea Florinett                                                                                       

▪ Author Hanson spent two weeks in Switzerland harvesting and processing lumber and tonewood with the Florinett family, who supply the guitar business with 7000 quality spruce tops each year. Florinett is a certified forester who is as concerned with the healthy harvesting of tree stands as with making the most and best use of the wood. The morality of business is also his concern if he is to help his village, his country, as well as the future of his family business. This is a compelling look at an end of the lutherie business that few of us even think about. With 15 photos and a sketch of Picea abies subspecies.

A Mid-19th-Century Martin Guitar

2008
AL#93 p.35      ALA1 p.90         
Jeff Liverman                                                                                           

▪ No size designation is given to this Martin, and no dimensions are printed on the scaled down plans reproduced in the magazine. The author’s guess is that the guitar was made in the 1840-1850 period. Though we automatically assume that a flattop guitar uses steel strings, Martin guitars of this period invariably were intended for gut strings and reproductions intended for use with steel strings should use very light strings indeed. With 4 photos. Complete full-size plans for this guitar are available as GAL Instrument Plan #57.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Harp Guitars: Past, Present, and Future

2008
AL#93 p.20      ALA6 p.64         
Mike Doolin   Kerry Char   Gary Southwell   Fred Carlson                                                                               

▪ Harp guitars have undergone a renaissance of sorts, in construction alternatives as well as the music that is being invented for them. Players want banks of super treble strings as well as an extended bass range. Luthiers have responded with new designs and different string configurations that make newer harp guitars more user friendly, more graceful, and musically more pertinent. The four members of this panel discussion are among the leading small builders of these interesting mega-guitars. With 53 photos and 2 sketches.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Robert Ruck

2008
AL#93 p.10               read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Robert Ruck                                                                                       

▪ Ruck has been one of the bright lights among American classical guitar makers for a long time, and this lengthy interview not only shows him to be a fascinating individual with an interesting history, but dwells at some length on the development of his guitars and the bracing patterns and other features he has evolved. Among his influences are Juan Mercadal, John Shaw, Hart Huttig, Neil Ostberg, and Manuel Barrueco. With 24 photos and a bracing diagram.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: Lutherie Tips and Stories

2008
AL#93 p.8               read this article
Philippe Refig                                                                                           

▪ Refig recounds some stories of techniques used by traditional Spanish makers. Interestingly, some of these directly corroborate information given by Federico Sheppard and R.E.Brune in AL#125 about tools in the shop of Santos Hernandez.

In Memoriam: Victor Gardener

2007
AL#92 p.70               read this article
Chris Dungey                                                                                           

▪ Oregon violin maker Gardener was an influential luthier who lived a very long life. He is famous for mentoring younger luthiers in the skills of selecting and cutting trees (see “Logging Luthiers,” BRB2 p.446 AL#24 p.13). It always hurts when another member of the tribe passes on.

It Worked for Me: Stauffer-style Adjuster

2007
AL#92 p.68               
Allan Beardsell                                                                                           

▪ Adding a neck pitch adjustment (an innovation of the early romantic guitar era of 1800-1850) to a nylon string guitar (a 14-fret raised fingerboard model) already in line with European romantic era design concepts.

Questions: Thickness Measuring Tool

2007
AL#92 p.67               read this article
Tom Nelligan   R.M. Mottola                                                                                       

▪ Highly specialized low frequency ultrasonic instruments can be used to measure the thickness of the skin of the top on a fully assembled instrument without damaging the top.

Questions: Industry Pricing Standards

2007
AL#92 p.66               read this article
Dana Bourgeois   Mark Campellone   John Greven                                                                                   

▪ Pricing standards and retail price structure varies and is negotiable between builder and retailer. Figures are discussed.

Review: Building the Kamanche by Nasser Shirazi

2007
AL#92 p.64               read this article
Barbara Goldowsky                                                                                           

▪ Mr. Shirazi’s book give clear and precise direction for building all the parts of this Persian instruments, as well as information about building five different body types. This is perhaps the only AL book review that includes a nice interview with the author. With 1 photo.

Product Review: Samson Zoom H4 Recorder

2007
AL#92 p.62               read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Can you think of uses for a small CD-quality, digital recorder that interfaces with your computer? If not, skip this review. If you’d like to demo your latest guitar on your website, or analyze its tonal spectrum, then maybe this machine is for you. It’s fairly inexpensive, very portable, and Harry likes it. With 1 photo.

Grading and Curing Lumber

2007
AL#92 p.54               read this article
Bruce Creps                                                                                           

▪ Creps’ business is dealing wood to luthiers. He gives advice on dealing with the mills that process your log, how to store and dry the planks, and (in AL #91) how to resaw it into useful instrument wood. Perhaps most interesting is the number of ills that can befall wood, both as a tree and while curing. Laying out boards for the prettiest sets and the greatest yield is also covered. With 18 photos and a drawing.

Brave Shaver

2007
AL#92 p.52      ALA1 p.95         
Mark Swanson   John Calkin                                                                                       

▪ Mark Swanson brought a brand-new guitar to Harry Fleishman’s 2006 Convention workshop, and had the guts to recut the braces there under Harry’s tutelage with an audience of luthiers looking on. Everyone agreed the results were positive. With 2 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Brace Voicing Through the Access Panel

2007
AL#92 p.48      ALA1 p.92         
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ This is a transcript of Fleishman’s 2006 GAL Convention workshop.He demonstrated how he could tailor the sound of his guitar by adding, removing, and shaping braces. He also showed slide shows of a similar project by Mark Berry, and the process of cutting an access panel into a finished guitar by Darrel Adams. With 15 photos.

Meet the Maker: Stephen Sedgwick

2007
AL#92 p.40      ALA6 p.50         
Jonathon Peterson   Stephen Sedgwick                                                                                       

▪ Harp guitars fascinate a lot more people than actually play them, so it takes a brave luthier to jump into the field. Sedgwick comes off as a delightfully modest man who is determined to make harp guitars or bust. His guitars are smallish and choice. This is yet another interview that makes it clear that life is different in other countries (England, in this case), and understanding that is one of the best reasons to travel. A wonderful interview, with 9 photos. Mentions London College of Furniture, London Guildhall University, London Metropolitan University.

The Santur

2007
AL#92 p.35               read this article
Javad Naini                                                                                           

▪ The santur is the Persian version of the hammered dulcimer, often tuned to scales that would make it unplayable by Western musicians. With 9 photos and a 2-page version of GAL Plan #56.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Intonation in the Real World

2007
AL#92 p.26               read this article
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ The author begins with a lengthy introduction to explain why guitars can’t play exactly in tune in every key, all the way to the point where music theory clashes with physics. It’s pretty deep but it’s fun. The cure for wayward guitars is to find what music a guitarist plays the most, and then adjust the action and intonation at both the nut and the saddle to find the most satisfactory compromise for that player. This is the thinking luthier’s approach to intonation correction. With 4 charts and a drawing.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Scott Baxendale

2007
AL#92 p.20      ALA4 p.36         
Steve Wiencrot   Scott Baxendale                                                                                       

▪ Baxendale has lived a hyperactive life as a repairman and builder in several parts of America, including a stint working for Stuart Mossman and then as owner of the Mossman company, and repairman for the Hard Rock Cafe chain and Gruhn Guitars, before opening his own shops in Denver. Few luthiers live as hard or cover as much territory. With 14 photos.

Building with the Spanish Solera

2007
AL#92 p.8      ALA5 p.30         
Eugene Clark                                                                                           

▪ An American master of the classical guitar explains how he builds using the solera, a workboard with a radius scraped into the body area to provide a slightly arched top.Clark places a strong emphasis on proper layout and hand tools. With 25 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: Carbon Fiber for Guitar Tops and Braces

2007
AL#92 p.5               
Benz Tschannen                                                                                           

▪ Benz is doing some pretty sophisticated work with classical guitar tops stiffened with graphite threads and epoxy.

Questions: Cypress Spanish Guitar

2007
AL#91 p.69               
R.E. Brune   James Westbrook                                                                                       

▪ What does one do with a historical instrument that has been badly treated?, in this case a Cypress Spanish guitar made by Santos Hernandez in 1919, given a glossy paint job, then stripped and sanded in the 1970s.

Questions: Vintage Strings

2007
AL#91 p.68               
Fan Tao                                                                                           

▪ Obscure information on original string types as fitted to early Orville Gibson archtops.

Questions: Santuri

2007
AL#91 p.68               
Peter Kyvelos                                                                                           

▪ The Santuri is an instrument of the hammered dulcimer type, common in Greece, and related to the smaller Persian Santur.

It Worked for Me: Hide Glue

2007
AL#91 p.68               
James Condino                                                                                           

▪ A vintage 1970s aluminum West Bend 5-cup electric hot pot functions as a very good double boiling system for hide glue.

Bow Rehairing

2007
AL#91 p.56               read this article
Paul Hill                                                                                           

▪ There’s good money out there for the person who can nicely rehair violin-family bows, but it’s not easy to learn. Hill begins with laying out the work bench and methodically illuminates the rehairing process. With 27 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Sustain and Electric Guitar Neck Joint Type

2007
AL#91 p.52               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Using as-identical-as-possible mock guitars and scientific instruments the author concludes that bolt-on necks sustain longer than either neck-through or glued-in necks, but that there was no discernible difference in sustain perceptible to the humans used as test subjects — pretty surprising results. With 7 photos, 2 graphs, and three spectrographs.

Sharpening the Stellite Teeth on the 3″ Hitachi Blade

2007
AL#91 p.43               read this article
Bruce Creps                                                                                           

▪ With a shop made jig you can sharpen your blade in place in less time than it takes to remove and reinstall it.

Resawing Lutherie Wood

2007
AL#91 p.40               read this article
Bruce Creps                                                                                           

▪ Just about everything you’ll need to know about setting up a bandsaw for resawing and getting the most yield from your lumber. The emphasis is on the Hitachi CB75F resaw, but much of the info will translate to other bandsaws. Included is a good side bar on resharpening bandsaw blades. With 10 photos and 6 drawings.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

GAL Instrument Plan #55: Circa 1937 Gibson L-00 Guitar

2007
AL#91 p.36      ALA1 p.46         buy this plan
Kerry Char                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Gibson L-00 Flattop Guitar, Circa 1937

2007
AL#91 p.35      ALA1 p.46         
Kerry Char                                                                                           

▪ Char presents a hasty but interesting look at Gibson’s L-series guitar while zeroing in on the L-00, probably the most desirable member of the family. Learn how it was made, why they failed structurally, and examine the 2-page version of GAL Plan #55. With 8 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Merchant: Jay Hostetler

2007
AL#91 p.32               read this article
Jay Hargreaves   Jay Hostetler                                                                                       

▪ Not only is Hostetler a long-time employee/leader at Stewart-MacDonald, he’s a really nice guy. He sidesteps a lot of personal history to give us an entertaining inside look at Stew-Mac, a major supplier of tools, parts, and materials to the lutherie trade and the hideout of several interesting and talented luthiers and musicians. With 3 photos.

Grading on the Curves

2007
AL#91 p.24               read this article
Steve Andersen                                                                                           

▪ This is a very detailed look at how a notable builder of archtop guitars fits tone bars and bridges to his instruments. With 22 photos.

A Rare Glimpse Inside an Early Martin Guitar

2007
AL#91 p.19      ALA1 p.5         
Rob Hoffman                                                                                           

▪ This is a detailed examination of a parlor guitar by Martin that pre-dates the company’s famed X bracing. With 15 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: C.F. Martin IV

2007
AL#91 p.14               
C.F. Martin-IV                                                                                           

▪ The author is the current chief of the venerable family business. He provides a candid look at Martin Guitar company history as well as a short examination of alternative wood varieties. Highly entertaining, with 5 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Three Holes are Better than One

2007
AL#91 p.12               read this article
Robert Ruck                                                                                           

▪ Ruck has been adding sideports (holes in the sides, in addition to the front soundhole) to his classical and flamenco guitars for many years and is a strong advocate of their advantages. The incidents that led him to incorporate ports are very interesting. He mentions Roger Thurman and Augustino LoPrinzi. With 1 photo.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Herr Helmholtz’ Tube

2007
AL#91 p.11               read this article
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ The author found that a sideport (hole in the side, in addition to the front soundhole) in his guitar changed its voice in an undesirable way. Adding a bass reflex tube to the hole returned the guitar to a tonal range he liked. He remains luke warm to the benefits of side ports. With 5 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Sideways

2007
AL#91 p.8               read this article
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ Ace archtop builder Monteleone is an advocate of side soundports (holes in the sides, in addition to the front soundhole) and has employed them for over a decade. His article includes personal background, developmental work on his sideported instruments, and construction techniques. With 3 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

There’s a Hole in the Bucket

2007
AL#91 p.6               read this article
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Burton’s micro history of sideports (holes in the sides, in addition to the front soundhole) in stringed instruments serves as an introduction to the next three articles. Luthiers she mentions include John Monteleone, Robert Ruck, Alain Bieber, Gennero Fabricatore, Kenny Hill, Alan Carruth, Roger Thurman, and Augustino LoPrinzi. With 9 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: Public School Lutherie Class

2007
AL#91 p.5               read this article
Glen Friesen                                                                                           

▪ Friesen teaches lutherie in a public school shop course in Canada. We have heard from him a few teims over the years. He’s got his young students doing respectable work.

Letter to the Editor: Shop-Made Palm Plane

2007
AL#91 p.3               
Ric McCurdy                                                                                           

▪ Ric read about D’Aquisto’s plam planes in AL#37 and wanted one. Then he read about making brass planes in AL#89. So he just went ahead and made a snazzy little plane. See that? The GAL creates your desires, then fulfills them.

Questions: Radius Gauge

2007
AL#90 p.67      ALA2 p.35         
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A gauge that can measure any radius and be used to directly read the radius of any curve.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Product Reviews: Schatten Pickup Winder

2007
AL#90 p.62               
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer test drives the Shatten pickup winder as well as the Stewart-MacDonald pickup winding kits and finds the road a bit bumpy until the instructions are consulted, but in the end recommends all the equipment whole-heartedly. With 2 photos.

Partial Refrets

2007
AL#90 p.58               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Sometimes only a few frets need to be replaced. Here’s how and why to do it and an idea of how to charge for it. Another lesson from Instrument Repair 101. With 11 photos.

Woodchopper’s Ball

2007
AL#90 p.54               read this article
Bruce Harvie                                                                                           

▪ Specialty woodcutters must be the hardest working people in lutherie, but they also seem to have the most fun. Not just a woodcutter, Harvie is also a treasure hunter supplying luthiers in the trade with wooden jewels. This story is great fun. With 16 photos.

Cricket: A Reclaimed Salvage Recovery

2007
AL#90 p.52               read this article
James Condino                                                                                           

▪ Condino’s mandolin is made from recycled materials, mostly Douglas fir and katalox. It is unique and beautiful, and the story behind it is pretty cool, too. With 7 photos.

Kiaat

2007
AL#90 p.51               read this article
Rodney Stedall                                                                                           

▪ With all the wood varieties in the world it’s criminal that so few are accepted in lutherie. Have a look at kiaat, a wood used by South African luthiers. With 2 photos.

Meet the Maker: Mervyn Davis

2007
AL#90 p.46               read this article
Rodney Stedall   Mervyn Davis                                                                                       

▪ Davis’ South African upbringing inspires a wonderful decorative sense in his instruments. He’s built a ton of different stuff but may end up best known for his wildly unique modular guitars called Smooth Talkers. With 16 photos.

Construction of the Colombian Tiple

2007
AL#90 p.40               read this article
Anamaria Paredes-Garcia   R.M. Mottola                                                                                       

▪ Cross a 12-string flattop with a classical guitar and you get the Colombian tiple, only the tiple has four courses of three steel strings. Inside, though, it’s a classical. Follow the construction of the instrument in the shop of Alberto Paredes in this photo tour. With 41 photos. Sr. Paredes authored GAL Plan #51, Colombian Tiple. See AL #82.

Meet the Maker: Kenny Hill

2007
AL#90 p.32               read this article
Cyndy Burton   Kenny Hill                                                                                       

▪ Hill is an amazing man who has been a classical performer, a harvester of his own tonewood, a teacher of prisoners, an entrepreneur who has opened guitar factories in three countries, and a really nice guy. And more! Truly a fascinating individual. With 9 photos.

Build Variation in a Group of Acoustic Guitars

2007
AL#90 p.28      ALA1 p.78         
Mark French   Kendall Brubaker                                                                                       

▪ The authors measured frequency response of dozens of similar Taylor guitars using a hammer and a noncontacting laser displacement sensor. The big surprise was that guitars made of various woods didn’t differ very much. Well, some people were surprised. With 4 photos and 7 graphs.

Taylor Today

2007
AL#90 p.22      ALA1 p.72         
Mark French                                                                                           

▪ Taylor Guitars started out as the sort-of-goofy new kid on the block and has grown into the largest production steel string guitar facility in the country. Maybe you’ll learn something from this factory tour and maybe you won’t, but it’s always fascinating to see how the big guys do things. It’s the state of the art in large production. With 25 photos.

Meet the Maker: Douglas Martin

2007
AL#90 p.16               read this article
Barbara Goldowsky   Douglas Martin                                                                                       

▪ Martin is the guy who’s turning the violin world upside down with his balsa wood fiddles. They look pretty bizarre but critics and musicians seem to agree that he’s on to something. He’s also a very interesting guy. With 20 photos.

Mechanical Compliance for Soundboard Optimization

2007
AL#90 p.8               read this article
David Hurd                                                                                           

▪ Hurd believes that the fastest way to great instruments is science, and it’s hard to argue with such a rational man. His jigs measure the deflection of top plates while under tension, and once he carves the top and braces to the numbers he wants he’s done. Period. Sort of makes intuition obsolete. This could also be math heavy if he didn’t offer an Internet spread sheet to ease the pain. With 7 photos and 7 figures/charts.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

In Memoriam: John Sullivan

2007
AL#90 p.3               read this article
Bruce Harvie                                                                                           

▪ People die every day; that’s the way of the world. But it still hurts to see one of our lutherie family join the departed, especially one so young and talented. Sullivan was a Northwest builder known mainly for mandolins, but he made many other fine instruments as well.

Questions: Crownless Frets

2007
AL#89 p.67               read this article
James Westbrook   R.M. Mottola                                                                                       

▪ A source for fret wire in repairing an old guitar in which the frets are thin flat bars on their sides with barbs at the bottom.

Product Reviews: Luthiertool Binding Cutting Base

2007
AL#89 p.64      ALA2 p.22         
Alan Perlman   John Mello                                                                                       

▪ Both reviewers test fly the Luthiertool Binding Cutter Base, an attachment for a small router or laminate trimmer. Perlman is enthusiastic about the tool. Mello is a little less so but admits he’s glad he bought it. With 1 photo.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

The Chanlynn Deflection Machine

2007
AL#89 p.62      ALA1 p.26         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Gunsmith Mark Chanlynn built Calkin a machine to precisely measure the deflection of a guitar top under a constant weight. There are no plans here, but it’s pretty obvious how it works, and just as obvious how it might help you make better guitars. With 3 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Optimizing Playing Surface Geometry

2007
AL#89 p.56               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Most repair people know that on a fretboard with a tight radius the upper frets have to be milled flatter than the first frets if the player wants to bend strings without “fret-out.” Most just file several times until the get the results they are after. What they are really doing is trying to turn the playing surface into a conical section. Mottola’s method is more precise. Consider it the thinking man’s way to dress frets for the most optimum action. With 7 figures, 6 photos, and a chart.

Aluminum Sonatas

2007
AL#89 p.48               read this article
James Condino                                                                                           

▪ Musical instruments made of aluminum didn’t catch on. This doesn’t mean that a number of companies didn’t go into manufacture, or that the instruments weren’t good. Every luthier knows how fickle and finicky the market is, so it’s no wonder that metal stringed instruments weren’t welcomed by the playing public. Examined here are a violin, a mandolin, and a pair of bass viols. The bass viol stories are the most fun since the author has personal experience with them. Fun stuff! With 25 photos.

Jim Norris’ Lattice Bracing

2007
AL#89 p.42               read this article
Brent Benfield                                                                                           

▪ Lattice bracing in various forms seems here to stay. Norris’ construction method uses graphite fibers in epoxy, and is unique in that it allows the guitar to be strung before the body is officially closed, permitting tuning of the top while the braces are still completely accessible. With 18 photos and a diagram.

Meet the Maker: Dmitry Zhevlakov

2007
AL#89 p.38               read this article
Federico Sheppard   Dmitry Zhevlakov                                                                                       

▪ This is not only the story of a Russian luthier who also makes beautiful rosettes for other builders, but is another example of how the Internet has changed the world — in this case for better. With 9 photos.

The Trio Romantico and the Requinto

2007
AL#89 p.34               read this article
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ The requinto is a small classical guitar tuned a forth higher than standard tuning, and is the lead instrument in a form called Trio Romantico. Casey discusses the history of the instrument and offers a plan of one particular example. With 7 photos and a 2-page version of GAL Plan #54.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Mending a Bomber

2007
AL#89 p.30               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ A number of acoustic guitars built during the ’60s demonstrated peculiar design traits, and this smashed up Gibson B-25 is a fine example of such. The author returns it to playable good health while maintaining its quirkiness in all its glory. With 12 photos.

Making a Brass Plane

2007
AL#89 p.22      ALA2 p.26         
Ken Altman                                                                                           

▪ Watch Altman construct a 3″ plane from brass stock and steel for the blade — a very cool and elegant tool for lutherie that’s not too hard to make and requires few tools to construct. With 25 photos.

Meet the Maker: Chris Jenkins

2007
AL#89 p.18      ALA4 p.32         
Steve Kinnaird   Chris Jenkins                                                                                       

▪ Texas luthier Jenkins has become an inspiration to those who have seen his work, though he drew his own inspiration and instruction from Charles Fox, Harry Fleishman, Ervin Somogyi, and Fred Carlson. He’s a classic example of what can be accomplished by seeking out talented instruction rather than fiddling one’s own way up the learning curve. With 12 photos.

Low-Tech Prototyping Jigs and Methods

2007
AL#89 p.6      ALA1 p.10         
Tim Shaw                                                                                           

▪ Shaw has worked for large guitar companies for decades. Currently with Fender, he runs an independent shop that makes prototype instruments for all the factories that fall under the Fender banner. He also does repairs on discontinued models where the factory equipment has been dismantled. Accomplishing one-off projects or small runs of parts is no different for a big company than for an independent luthier, they just have the luxury of big-budget equipment. Shaw’s methods of jigging up for parts manufacture incorporating speed and safety can be used by many one-off shops to hustle production and instrument development. Good stuff from one of the aces in the business. With 34 photos.

Letter to the Editor: Circles in Classical Violin Design

2007
AL#89 p.5               read this article
James Blilie                                                                                           

▪ Blilie questions Michael Darnton’s concept of circles as the underlying structure of classical violin design.

It Worked for Me: Intonation

2006
AL#88 p.68               
Paul Hill                                                                                           

▪ Several physical factors that can be adjusted to address poor intonation if a guitar is properly intonated, and if not, what is at fault.

Lutherie Under Glass

2006
AL#88 p.64               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ The Northern California Association of Luthiers built a public display of how guitars are created. This is the story of how it came about. With one real long photo.

Review: The Century That Shaped the Guitar by James Westbrook

2006
AL#88 p.63               read this article
Bryan Johanson                                                                                           

▪ No, it wasn’t the 20th century, silly. It was the 19th century in which the classical guitar grew up.The reviewer calls this book wonderful, informative, and generous. There is also a CD available of 19th century guitar music played on restored instruments of the time.

Product Review: edge vise, combination slot head fixture, and rosette cutter by Luthiertool Co.

2006
AL#88 p.58      ALA2 p.10         
John Mello                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer (who bought these tools, by the way) finds that they were a good investment that saves him time and increases the accuracy of his work. With 7 photos.

A Different Way of Defining Body Shapes

2006
AL#88 p.52               read this article
Mark French                                                                                           

▪ The author discusses the curve fit, a mathematical method of describing a shape that a computer, and thus a CNC machine, can understand. Curve fits have other benefits, too, but computer illiteracy prevents them from being described here. Includes a plethora of charts and graphs.

Meet the Maker: Jose “Pepito” Reyes Zamora

2006
AL#88 p.48               read this article
C.F. Casey   Jose Zamora                                                                                       

▪ Reyes-Zamora is a proud Puerto Rican who made it his business to rescue portions of the country’s history from oblivion. He has specialized in resuscitating the Puerto Rican tiple, an instrument unlike others of the same name. With 6 photos.

Rapid Prototypes of the Flattop Guitar

2006
AL#88 p.42      ALA1 p.68         
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Have you got design ideas that are radical or just untried? Perhaps you should toss together a trial instrument before you risk squandering valuable time on a master work that doesn’t work. Here’s how, with an emphasis on building with plywood and even Formica. With 10 photos and a drawing.

Meet the Maker: Benoit Meulle-Stef

2006
AL#88 p.34      ALA6 p.56         
Jonathon Peterson   Benoit Meulle-Stef                                                                                       

▪ Meulle-Stef is a French harp guitar luthier who lives and works in Belgium. The harp guitar has deep roots in Europe and he is familiar with all of them. His own instruments have a grace that harp guitars often lack (and check out his fan-braced steel-string top!) This is another sign that lutherie has always been a global industry, even though American guitarmakers tend to forget or ignore it. With 22 photos and a drawing.

The Universal Vacuum Island

2006
AL#88 p.24      ALA2 p.14         
Charles Fox                                                                                           

▪ Vacuum clamping has come to the small shop in a big way, at least in Fox’s shop.Suddenly, all other ways of working seem backward. Vacuum has dozens of uses in the guitar shop and the universal vacuum island makes them compact and within the financial reach of all of us. Fox is still the guru. If you ain’t got vacuum you ain’t got nothin’! With 21 photos.

The Imperator

2006
AL#88 p.16               read this article
Alain Bieber                                                                                           

▪ The lyre guitar goes back centuries. Lyre instruments in general go back millennia. The author couldn’t resist resurrecting the harp guitar, bringing it up to current standards. His research covers a wide look at art history as well a guitar history. Fascinating! With 14 photos and 2 drawings.

Double-Top Guitars

2006
AL#88 p.8      ALA3 p.90         
Randy Reynolds                                                                                           

▪ Double-top guitars utilize a top made of two thin layers of spruce separated by a honey-comb material called Nomex. So few people have heard such guitars that the jury is still out (way out) concerning double-top benefits, but here’s how they are made and why. One thing seems sure—the guitar market is large enough to absorb every idea, so no facet of guitar evolution is likely to die out before its time. With 13 photos.

Letter to the Editor: Domino Guitar Article in AL#85

2006
AL#88 p.5               read this article
Scott van-Linge                                                                                           

▪ The writer takes exception to some of the brace work done by John Calkin in his AL #85 article, “Resurrecting the Family Guitar”. Van Linge is the current leading proponent of parabolic bracing. Parabolic and ramped bracing (to coin a term) vary significantly in shape and true believers have a large stake in one or the other. Their discussions are fascinating, and since only side-by-side comparison of similar guitars can offer distinctions the general public is usually left to make decisions based on no real evidence. Which is how lutherie mythology is maintained. There’s a truth somewhere, but how do we dig it out?

In Memoriam: Ted Beringer

2006
AL#88 p.3               read this article
Bruce Harvie                                                                                           

▪ Ted Berringer was a prolific and unfettered amateur builder with an impressive 55 years of experience in the art. He was a long-time GAL member and frequent attendee at GAL Conventions. Here’s and affectionate goodbye to a really likable guy.

It Worked for Me: Blackshear Bridge Shaping Jig

2006
AL#87 p.69      ALA2 p.13         
Ben Tortorici                                                                                           

▪ A prototype using the router sander from a Luthiers Mercantile purfling jig, based on Tom Blackshear’s fixture for making bridges.

It Worked for Me: Cutting Conical Shape on Fretboard

2006
AL#87 p.68      ALA2 p.24         
Brian Woods                                                                                           

▪ A simple and inexpensive way to cut a conical shape on an inlaid fretboard using a Ryobi belt/disk sander, and a Workmate.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Questions: Restoring Manzanero Guitar

2006
AL#87 p.67               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ Proper way to fix a Manzanero guitar with poorly repaired cracks on the top and back, a pulled up neck, and a poor refinish.

Questions: 17″ Scale Length String

2006
AL#87 p.65               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A string that can be put on a 17″ scale length instrument with an after length to the tailpiece of about 6″ that is strong enough to reach a mandolin E tuning without breaking.

Product Review: De-Glue Goo reviewed

2006
AL#87 p.58               
Mike Tagawa                                                                                           

▪ This product removes beaded and smeared dry glue from most any surface with damaging the underlayment. The reviewer says it works. With 11 photos.

Quick Cuts: The Making of a Maker

2006
AL#87 p.54               read this article
Tobias Berg                                                                                           

▪ A new category of article is born! Europeans often take a longer road to lutherie nirvana than Americans, finding several important stops along the way to opening their own shops. Berg was such a traveler and his story is very interesting. With 2 photos.

Sixty Seconds or Less

2006
AL#87 p.52      ALA2 p.8         
Daniel Fobert                                                                                           

▪ The author’s special workboard and clamps permit him to clamp a plate onto the rib assembly in a minute or less. With 6 photos.

Fabio’s Fabulously Simple Neck Joint

2006
AL#87 p.50               
Fabio Ragghianti                                                                                           

▪ The author’s joint uses a simple spline. Steel-string guys may be skeptical but Ragghianti says it works fine on his archtops, too. With 9 photos.

Fighting With Wolves

2006
AL#87 p.48      ALA5 p.58         
Alastair Fordyce                                                                                           

▪ The author hunts wolf notes with a lump of clay, and once he finds the spot that cures them he swaps out the clay for a bit of wood that weighs the same as the clay. Pretty ingenious, huh? And it ought to work as well for any other instrument. It may not be bracing in the strictest sense, but if it works, it works. With 4 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Rodney Stedall

2006
AL#87 p.44               
Tom Harper   Rodney Stedall                                                                                       

▪ Stedall is a South African optometrist/luthier and coordinator of the Guild of South African Luthiers. Are you surprised that South Africa has a guitar scene? Well, these days it can happen anywhere. With 6 photos.

Parametric Solid Modeling Software for Stringed Instrument Design

2006
AL#87 p.40               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Parametric solid modeling is a usable step between computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing. It permits a three-dimensional picture of a part to be made. A CNC machine doesn’t need it, but a designer might in order to better visualize what it is the machine is about to make. If this makes no sense to you, welcome aboard. But CAD/CAM/CNC-made instrument parts are here to stay, even for small shops. Understanding the process will give you an edge over the stick-in-the-muds who can’t be bothered. With 9 illustrations.

Meet the Maker: Tom Shinness

2006
AL#87 p.34      ALA6 p.46         
Jonathon Peterson   Tom Shinness                                                                                       

▪ Shinness is a harp guitarist who builds his guitars by cutting and pasting—using real instruments! Cool guy! With 4 photos.

The Power of Circles

2006
AL#87 p.26               read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ The author demonstrates that the design of classic instruments (of whatever type) is dictated by simple geometric forms, and that to ignore such shapes while designing new instruments is to invite ungainliness into your shop.With 9 photos and 7 drawings.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

18th GAL Convention Coverage

2006
AL#87 p.14               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ GAL conventions can wear you out physically while they build you up as a luthier and human being. If you’ve never been, you need to go. This coverage shows what you missed this time and what you might expect during the next. With a multitude of photos.

A Luthier’s Choices

2006
AL#87 p.6               read this article
Kenny Hill                                                                                           

▪ Hill has made guitars for eons, harvested his own wood, taught lutherie in a prison, and opened shops in Mexico and China. Not to mention that he’s a fine guitarist. The man has been around. This piece is part biography, part how-to, and all interesting. He’s led an interesting life, and he’s not that old. With 9 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Reviews: The Ukulele by Denis Gilbert, and Ukulele Design and Construction by D. Henry Wickham

2006
AL#86 p.68               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that neither of these books is that great but that Wickham’s is probably a better value than Gilbert’s.

Questions: Significance of Q

2006
AL#86 p.67               read this article
Brian Burns                                                                                           

▪ Q refers to one of the basic qualities of stringed instrument materials, tested generally through tap tones to measure sound diminishment time.

Product Review: SawStop Table Saws

2006
AL#86 p.62      ALA2 p.4         
James Condino                                                                                           

▪ Saw stop table saws are meant to screech to a halt before they can cut your skin. The reviewer finds that they really work. What are your fingers worth to you, anyway? With 8 photos.

A Review of Indoor Air Quality Health Issues

2006
AL#86 p.58               read this article
Robert-A. Edelstein                                                                                           

▪ We all know that wood dust can make a luthier’s life miserable, but there are other air pollutants common to any woodshop.You better learn about them, and most of all you better learn how to avoid them. “Stay healthy! Make more instruments!” It should be one of our battle cries. With one chart.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Fourth International Puerto Rican Tiple Conference

2006
AL#86 p.54               read this article
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ Luthiers probably believe that quality instruments made in the Western Hemisphere all come from North America because that’s all they hear about. Not so! The Puerto Rican lutherie scene may be small but the luthiers are just as intense about their craft as American and Canadian builders. So what’s a Puerto Rican tiple, anyway? You better read this to find out. Just don’t confuse it with the Martin or Colombian tiple—Puerto Rican luthiers have their pride, too! With 5 photos.

A Flattop Mandolin Resurrection

2006
AL#86 p.50               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This is another of the author’s attempts to save a ruined instrument without ruining the customer’s bank account. The subject this time is a WWI-era Gibson army-navy style mandolin. With 14 photos.

Seeking the Top

2006
AL#86 p.48               read this article
Michael Sanden                                                                                           

▪ The author is enthusiastic about the spruce he buys from Pacific Rim Tonewoods, and his tour of the facility provides some insight as to how trees become guitar tops. With 7 photos.

Alternative Headstock Decoration and Truss Rod Adjustment Access

2006
AL#86 p.42               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Strict traditions have hampered the evolution of musical instrument decoration, but the creativity of some luthiers will not be held back. Make your logos on your computer. Iron your labels right onto the wood. Engrave decorations with a desktop CNC. We haven’t begun to try what might be done, but this article might awaken you to the possibilities. With 21 photos.

The Catgut Acoustical Society and the New Violin Family Association

2006
AL#86 p.38               read this article
Robert-J. Spear                                                                                           

▪ Straight story on the relationship of the Catgut Acoustical Society, the New Violin Family Association,a nd the Violin Society of America.

Meet the Maker: Carleen Hutchins

2006
AL#86 p.32               read this article
Alan Carruth   Carleen Hutchins                                                                                       

▪ Even if you couldn’t care less about violins you will be fascinated by this woman’s life. She has built and studied bowed instruments for as long as anyone, and her contributions to the field may be beyond estimating. If everyone’s life was as busy and fulfilling as Hutchins’ the world would be a far different place than it is. With 4 photos and relative drawings of the 8 instruments in the new violin family.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Modern Approaches to Adjustable Neck Joints

2006
AL#86 p.24      ALA1 p.28         
Harry Fleishman   Mike Doolin                                                                                       

▪ This neck joint should eliminate neck resets. Its pretty complex but within the grasp of any guitarmaker. With 23 photos and a drawing.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Bernard Millant

2006
AL#86 p.18               read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Bernard Millant                                                                                       

▪ Millant is a violin maker, a bow maker, an appraiser, an author, and a man of high repute within the fiddle world. The depth of training behind many fiddle people will astonish most guitarmakers, and it makes for entrancing reading. With 9 photos.

Arched Plate Carving, Part Three, Barring the Top Plate, and Graduating the Back Plate

2006
AL#86 p.6               read this article
Chris Burt                                                                                           

▪ This segment wraps up Burt’s series on plate carving. Every luthier, but especially beginning luthiers, should read his “Word to the wise” paragraph, the best piece of advice you are ever likely to read. With 19 photos and a drawing.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: Ancient Simple Fiddle

2006
AL#86 p.3               read this article
Paul Butler                                                                                           

▪ Seems that Mottola’s simple bass in AL#80 resembles a certain type of baritone fiddle going aback about a thousand years. Butler makes a similar thing to play with kids.

Letter to the Editor: Facts Regarding Juan Serrano

2006
AL#86 p.3               read this article
David Macias                                                                                           

▪ Macias clears up some details about the life of Juan Serrano. R.E. Brune agrees that he got a few things wrong in his article in AL#84.

It Worked for Me: Fitting Braces Into Arched Plates

2006
AL#85 p.65               
John Hagen                                                                                           

▪ This fixture provides a means for fitting braces to arched plates that is fast, accurate, and fool proof. The brace is held stationary against the soundboard while a strip of sandpaper is moved under it.

DVD Review: In Search of the Harp Guitar, It’s History, Players, and Makers, hosted by John Doan

2006
AL#85 p.64               read this article
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer enjoyed this DVD, though she seems hesitant to recommend it to anyone seeking solid information about building a harp guitar. It’s a tour of the contemporary harp guitar scene important to anyone who wishes to be part of that society in any guise.

Questions: Stringed Instruments of the Middle Ages

2006
AL#85 p.62               read this article
Phil Neuman   Wes Brandt   Tim Olsen                                                                                   

▪ Plans for stringed instruments of the middle ages: citara (kithara) fidula, etc.

Product Review: Stewart-MacDonald Fret Scale Rules

2006
AL#85 p.59               
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman is at his humorous best here, hunting the past for how frets used to be laid out, why they were often wrong, and why the new Stew-Mac rules are tools worth having. Did you know there are at least three ways to calculate fret spacing? Did you know they vary in their results? Can musicians hear the difference? With 1 photo and a chart.

Gibson used Three Different 24¾” Scale Lengths

2006
AL#85 p.56      ALA1 p.44         
Dan Erlewine   Tim Shaw   Don MacRostie                                                                                   

▪ Every repair person who’s seen generations of Gibson guitars knows that the 24 3/4 inch scale ain’t necessarily so. If you measure from the nut to the 12th fret you get several magic numbers, and you deal with it. But here’s the low-down on why they may have changed and why the number has stayed the same. With 4 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

The Metaphysics of the Guitar

2006
AL#85 p.54               read this article
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ If a simple formulation of wooden parts was all it took to make a guitar there would be no small shops and no handbuilders. The factories would get it right and their efficiency would rule out the little guys. But the factories don’t, and the little guys haven’t been. Somogyi takes a shot at explaining why this is so.

The Never-Ending Barber Chair Workbench

2006
AL#85 p.52      ALA2 p.2         
Michael Sanden                                                                                           

▪ Sanden first related his barber chair workbench to GAL members in 1986, and he has never stopped updating it. His latest incarnation is a model of useful efficiency, and the chair has nearly disappeared beneath the cabinetry. Very compact cabinetry at that. With 6 photos.

Resurrecting the Family Guitar

2006
AL#85 p.46      AL#151 p.84         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Some instruments aren’t valuable enough to warrant extensive repair work but are too interesting to throw away. Enter the resurrectionist. In this case the subject is a ’30s tenor guitar by Regal. Cracks are fixed, braces are replaced, a new bridge is made, and the neck is refitted. With 21 photos.

Octet 2005: First Convention of the New Violin Family Association

2006
AL#85 p.44               read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ A few people have long struggled to expand the violin family from four members to perhaps eight. There isn’t airtight agreement here. But the family is growing. This description of the 2005 convention seems to explain how successful the new sprouts on the family tree might be,. With 1 photo,

Meet the Maker: Greg Byers

2006
AL#85 p.38      ALA3 p.40         
Woodley White   Greg Byers                                                                                       

▪ Byers has been around for a long time. He has an intuitive idea of what sound he is seeking in his guitars and a clinical approach to finding it. That’s quite a combination, and he is quite an interesting fellow. With 7 photos.

Controlling Classical Guitar Neck Angle

2006
AL#85 p.37               
Rodney Stedall                                                                                           

▪ Using the Spanish foot requires that the neck angle of a classical guitar be established before the back is glued to the instrument, which locks all the parts firmly (and hopefully permanently) together. Stedall’s method will further your understanding of this problem and help you achieve the results you seek. With 1 drawing and 1 photo of a jig used to stiffen the body while the ribs are sanded to receive the back.

Arched Plate Carving, Part Two, Graduating the Top Plate and Cutting the f-Holes

2006
AL#85 p.30               read this article
Chris Burt                                                                                           

▪ Burt’s in-depth examination of plate carving continues. His techniques are old-school, relying on tap tones to define plate stiffness and definite tonal relationships between the top and back plates. With 9 photos and a drawing.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: David King

2006
AL#85 p.20               
Jonathon Peterson   David King                                                                                       

▪ King is a perfectionist who even machines his own bridges. The finish he uses is a catalyzed polyurethane. He uses some interesting equipment to arch his fingerboards and install his frets. After reading this you may not be eager to set up next to him at an instrument show. With 15 photos.

The Irish Bouzouki: A Mandolin on Steroids

2006
AL#85 p.8               
Graham McDonald                                                                                           

▪ McDonald’s forte has become the oversized mandolin called the Irish Bouzouki. Here he unloads a ton of information about building them with flattops and carved tops with several forms of neck attachment and scale lengths, including pin bridge and tailpiece models. Zowie! With 25 photos and 5 drawings.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: Catalyzed Polyester Finish

2006
AL#85 p.3               read this article
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ Doolin was an early advocatre for waterborne finishes. But now he has switched to stinky and toxic catalyzed polyester. He explains why.

Review: Building an Acoustic Guitar by Dan Erlewine and Todd Sams

2005
AL#84 p.61   BRB7 p.537            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This 70 minute video demonstrates building an acoustic guitar from a Stew-Mac kit, and may be a bit misleading in it’s title.

Review: Build a Steel String Guitar with Robert O’Brien by Robert O’Brien

2005
AL#84 p.60   BRB7 p.536            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Though the reviewer found fault with this CD-ROM he decides that for the beginner it is better instruction than any book on the subject.

Review: Baxter’s Database of Violin and Bow Makers v3.0 by Edward D. Baxter

2005
AL#84 p.59   BRB7 p.535            read this article
Randy DeBey                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer seems ambivalent about the value of this software, claiming that it is frustrating to use and probably of most value to violinists who are searching for an older instrument and need information about the builders.

Review: The Setup and Repair of the Double Bass for Optimum Sound by Chuck Traeger

2005
AL#84 p.58   BRB7 p.534            read this article
James Condino                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this book to be a treasure well worth the high cost to anyone serious about the standup bass.

Apprenticeships: Great Opportunity for Mentors and Apprentices

2005
AL#84 p.54               read this article
Bill Beadie                                                                                           

▪ An apprenticeship, as described here, involves no transfer of cash, but the author lists a variety or reason why an apprenticeship might be a fine thing for apprentice and mentor alike.

Resurrecting the Family Banjo

2005
AL#84 p.50   BRB7 p.412            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Resurrection isn’t so much about true restoration as in making a dilapidated instrument function again in a manner that the owner can afford. Time-saving procedures are permitted that a restorationist wouldn’t dream of, but preserving the instrument as much as possible is still the goal. With 12 photos.

Arched Plate Carving, Part One: Establishing the Outside Surface

2005
AL#84 p.36               read this article
Chris Burt                                                                                           

▪ This is an in-depth look at the tools and procedures used in carving the plates of an archtop instrument. The first article in this series appeared in AL#83, and subsequent articles will follow.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

GAL Instrument Plan #53: 2003 Manuel Reyes Flamenco Guitar an Instrument Plan

2005
AL#84 p.34   BRB7 p.411            buy this plan
Tom Blackshear                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

2003 Manuel Reyes Flamenco Guitar

2005
AL#84 p.33   BRB7 p.410            
Tom Blackshear                                                                                           

▪ One page of notes plus a 2-page spread of GAL full-size plan #53 of a Reyes flamenco guitar.

Manuel Reyes: Guitarrero

2005
AL#84 p.28   BRB7 p.404            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ This Meet the Maker article focuses on a Spanish luthier who has been in the business since 1949. With 30 photos of four guitars.

Rib Depth of Guitars with Spherically Domed Plates

2005
AL#84 p.22   BRB7 p.386            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Instruments with domed plates must have the rib assembly altered to accept the topography of the plates. This can be done after assembly or before bending. The author offers an overview of how either can be accomplished.

Meet the Maker: Del Langejans

2005
AL#84 p.18   BRB7 p.402            
Mark Swanson   Del Langejans                                                                                       

▪ Langejans is a resourceful guitar maker with a big-time clientele. Many of his designs are unique, as is his finishing material and some of the wood he uses. He has strong opinions about how to get started and survive in the business, which have apparently worked for him very well. With 9 photos.

19th-Century Rosette Marquetry for 21st-Century Guitars

2005
AL#84 p.6   BRB7 p.392            
Greg Byers                                                                                           

▪ With tools you’ve probably already got in your shop you can make mosaic rosettes that look modern and yet somehow traditional. The techniques differ from the bricks and tiles made of old and are more akin to the processes of making fancy purflings. Cooler than anything, but not for the impatient among us. With 31 photos and a pair of diagrams.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: Elliott Torres Restoration Article

2005
AL#84 p.3   BRB7 p.545            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune comments on the restoration of the Torres guitar covered in AL #83. Brune worked on this guitar previous to Elliott’s restoration, and he offers two more photos of the instrument.

It Worked for Me: Hardanger Fiddle Pegs

2005
AL#83 p.61   BRB7 p.501            read this article
David Golber                                                                                           

▪ Restoring old decorated Hardanger fiddle pegs. You need to preserve the old carved button, so this method involves grafting it to a new shaft.

Questions: Guitar Top Grain Orientation

2005
AL#83 p.59   BRB7 p.479            read this article
Alain Bieber                                                                                           

▪ Bieber says there are old patents that show guitars with top grain orientation perpendicular to the strings. But were any of these ever built?

Questions: Canting Bass Side of Fretboard

2005
AL#83 p.58   BRB7 p.453            
Eugene Clark   David Hurd   Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                   

▪ Canting the bass side of the fretboard on classical guitars and resulting saddle and string compensation.

Review: Build Your Own Lap Steel Guitar by Martin Koch

2005
AL#83 p.55   BRB7 p.533            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer notes that luthiers with a modicum of experience may find this book and CD combination lacking in useful new information. However, he enjoyed the reading/viewing and decides that the beginning electric luthier could do much worse than starting with Koch’s work.

Review: The Guitar of Andres Segovia Hermann Hauser 1937

2005
AL#83 p.53   BRB7 p.533            read this article
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ This offering includes a pamphlet by R.E. Brune and Don Pilarz that includes 30 color photos of this guitar, a new full-size blueprint by Brune, a CD of music by Segovia, and a poster. The reviewer concludes that “as a builder of classical instruments I really can’t imagine passing up this compilation.” ‘Nuff said.

Review: Folk Harp Design and Construction by Jeremy H. Brown

2005
AL#83 p.52   BRB7 p.532            read this article
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer notes that this book is more about harp construction theory than about actual construction techniques, but decides that that is where the emphasis should be. He notes that the section of string length vs. string tension is especially useful, and that the book as a whole should have an important place on any harp makers’ reference shelf.

Meet the Maker: Jay Hargreaves

2005
AL#83 p.44   BRB7 p.380            
Todd Rose   Jay Hargreaves                                                                                       

▪ Bass maker Hargreaves is hardly a stranger to AL readers. Here he stands on the other end of the interview as he discusses his work as well as his affiliations with Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider.

Quick Cuts: The 13-string Chiavi-Miolin Guitar

2005
AL#83 p.42               read this article
Johannes Labusch   Ermanno Chiavi                                                                                       

▪ Few harp guitars are nylon strung. Fewer still have frets under all the strings. The Chiavi-Miolin is unique, weird, and strangely beautiful. Its goal is to play piano and lute literature without leaving out notes. With 4 photos.

Amplifying Acoustic Guitars Update

2005
AL#83 p.36               
Harry Fleishman   Mike Doolin                                                                                       

▪ Two experts in the field of acoustic amplification discuss available equipment as well as why few of them seem to work as well as we might wish. They do not dumb down the technical talk, so be prepared to expand your vocabulary and your mind. With 2 photos and 4 diagrams.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

GAL Instrument Plan #52: 1888 Antonio de Torres Classic Guitar

2005
AL#83 p.32   BRB7 p.378            buy this plan
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

Restoring Tarrega’s 1888 Torres

2005
AL#83 p.18   BRB7 p.364            read this article
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Restoring famous instruments is a tricky business. If they are also old, well-played, and abused by poor storage facilities the work becomes a cross between knowledge, craft, and art. Elliott goes where few of us would care to travel, explaining every step of restoration as he goes. Perhaps as important is what he doesn’t do. The ethics of restoration is a foundation of the story. With 42 photos as well as a 2-page spread of GAL full-size plan #52.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

The Cole Clark Guitar

2005
AL#83 p.14   BRB7 p.358            
Michael Finnerty   Bradley Clark                                                                                       

▪ Cole Clark Guitars is an Australian company specializing in computer designed and manufactured flattop and electric guitars. Rather than use CNC machines to duplicate old guitar styles of construction they have modified their designs to suit the potentials of the machinery, which in the end reduces expensive hand labor by as much as half. A sidebar mentions the lutherie uses of 3 Aussie wood varieties. With 10 photos.

Meet the Maker: Pierre-Yves Fuchs

2005
AL#83 p.10   BRB7 p.362            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Pierre-Yves Fuchs                                                                                       

▪ Fuchs went through cabinet making school and violin making school on his way to becoming a gold medal bow maker. He is traditional and opinionated, and will make you believe that there might be cosmic influences involved in making an excellent bow. Intuition, that is. Tradition, experience, and a good feeling about your work in progress. Science guys may pull their hair out, but most of us would rather have good intuition than a good grounding in physics. With 3 photos.

Measuring Archtop Musical Instruments

2005
AL#83 p.6               read this article
Chris Burt                                                                                           

▪ Do you own or have access to archtop instruments that you’d like to duplicate? Ever wonder why they sound so good, or why they don’t? Use this article to map out the plate thicknesses, arch heights, and neck angles. Measure everything you can get your hands on. Become an expert. Tell your friends how they’re going wrong. Be the hero of your lutherie group.With 6 photos.

It Worked for Me: Glue Syringes

2005
AL#82 p.69   BRB7 p.499            
Barry Irvin                                                                                           

▪ Filling oral-dosing syringes with leftover glue, using the supplied caps and putting them in the freezer for small doses in future jobs.

Questions: 1920 Gibson A-4 Mandolin Finish Repair

2005
AL#82 p.66   BRB7 p.437            
Don Overstreet   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ Cleaning a 1920 Gibson A-4 mandolin properly without hammering whatever finish is present and removing the wax layers.

Questions: Toxicity of Odorless Superglue

2005
AL#82 p.66   BRB7 p.431            read this article
Bill Hunter                                                                                           

▪ The toxicity of U.F.O. (user friendly odorless) cyanoacrylate glue made by Satellite City, makers of Hot Stuff.

Review: The Art of Modern Violin Making by Ricardo B. Flores

2005
AL#82 p.64   BRB7 p.531            read this article
Ken Goodwin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer enjoyed the CD-ROM format of this teaching unit, noting that the pictures are better than those of a typical book, though navigating around the CD can be irritating at first. Though he hints that there could be more instruction for the money he concludes that a beginning violin maker would find the CD a good investment.

Review: Aux origins de la guitare: vihuela de mano by Joel Dugot

2005
AL#82 p.63   BRB7 p.530            read this article
Bryan Johanson                                                                                           

▪ The author really, really likes this history of the vihuela. But you have to read it in the French.

Adjustable Saddles for Acoustic Guitars

2005
AL#82 p.58   BRB7 p.336            
Brian Yarosh                                                                                           

▪ Yarosh came up with a top-loaded (pinless) bridge with individual sliding bone saddles. You can build one yourself with his good description and 26 photos.

Quick Cuts: The Boujmaa Brothers’ Moroccan Lutherie Shop

2005
AL#82 p.54               read this article
Bruce Calder                                                                                           

▪ Take a 2-page, 6-photo journey to a lutherie shop around the world. The ouds and other instruments are vastly different from American Normal and their decoration is almost beyond description.

Diagnosis: Lutherie

2005
AL#82 p.51               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ So you’ve made a guitar but it’s not all you hoped for. You have the opportunity to discuss it with your peers and they all have a cure. Unhappily the methods of correction don’t jibe. Somogyi finally got a response he could live with. It saved his guitar and eventually turned into an unexpected sale. The whole trick is in lucking into the right guy to talk to.

Fitting Flamenco Pegs

2005
AL#82 p.44   BRB7 p.350            
Aaron Green                                                                                           

▪ As far as looks go, guitars with wooden tuning pegs are the cat’s patoot. Regarding long-term functioning, though… well, maybe you better read Green’s article. His method of installing hidden maple bushings in the headstock should put you way ahead of the game. With 21 photographs.

The Helmholtz Resonance

2005
AL#82 p.38   BRB7 p.344            read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ It’s not necessary to understand the physics of sound to be a great instrument maker, but it can’t hurt. Many of us would like to believe that we succeed using experience and strong intuition and don’t need science. Maybe an analytical mind just gets in the way, no? Or maybe the science guys are just smarter than the rest of us and we need an excuse not to stand in the same light that they do. Who knows? Anyhow, the Helmholtz resonance is the lowest vibratory mode of an instrument, though not necessarily the lowest note that instrument is capable of. All the rest of sound physics is built on top of the Helmholtz resonance, and Mottola devolves the science enough for the rest of us to understand. It’s fun but in the end it’s not clear that it really matters. For the few among us with operational math brains all the formulas are presented in a sidebar.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

GAL Instrument Plan #51: Colombian Tiple

2005
AL#82 p.36   BRB7 p.343            buy this plan
Luis-Alberto Paredes-Rodriguez                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

The Colombian Tiple

2005
AL#82 p.34   BRB7 p.341            read this article
Luis-Alberto Paredes-Rodriguez                                                                                           

▪ Tracking the evolution of Spanish-based South American instruments can be complicated. Fortunately luthiers don’t have to care about it since we live in the present, or at least many of us try to. The Colombian tiple is a four course, 12-string instrument a bit smaller than a classical guitar, and not like the Martin tiple at all. The heart of this article is the 2 page version of GAL plan #51. The text dabbles with instrument history and offers a string gauge chart as well as a family tree of the tiple, bandola, and guitar. The most intriguing text involves the author’s method in compensating the nut when different gauges of strings are used in the same course. With 1 photo.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Charles Beare

2005
AL#82 p.26   BRB7 p.312            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Charles Beare                                                                                       

▪ Beare is the captain of a violin restoration firm, a competition judge, and a man thoroughly versed in the intricacies of vintage violins. He has known all the experts of his life time, and he has formulated many strong opinions about old fiddles and the various fields that use them to do business. You’ll find him interesting even if you aren’t a violin person. With 9 photos.

Teaching the Dream to Sing

2005
AL#82 p.6   BRB7 p.320            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson makes some of the world’s coolest, most graceful, and weirdest stringed instruments. Focusing on a harp guitar he calls the Flying Dream he discusses at length how he designs and builds his creations. There is lots of detailed info here that will help you build the instruments you see in your mind, as opposed to the ones for which you can already buy a blueprint. Truly inspirational. With 42 photos and 10 drawings.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: NMM Opens Gudelsky Gallery

2005
AL#82 p.5               read this article
National-Music-Museum                                                                                           

▪ After his untimely death, Paul Gudelsky’s wonderful collection of archtop guitars by James D’Aquisto became the basis of a new collection permanent exhibit at the National Music Museum. Paul had previously shown this collection at the 1995 GAL Convention where luthiers were invited to examine and play the instruments.

It Worked for Me: Peghead Protectors

2005
AL#81 p.65   BRB7 p.498            
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ You know how you see new cars being shipped to the dealer’s lot with big sheets of protective film on them so the bug spalts will peel off? Similar thought here. Paper protectors are made for polished pegheads.

It Worked for Me: Replacing Bridge Plates in Dreadnoughts

2005
AL#81 p.64   BRB7 p.496            
Keith Davis                                                                                           

▪ Removing and replacing bridge plates in dreadnought guitars the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid) way.

Questions: Saddle Compensation for Octave Mandolin

2005
AL#81 p.63   BRB7 p.423            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Rule of thumb information on saddle compensation for an octave mandolin with a 560mm scale and fixed bridge.

Review: Left-Brain Lutherie by David C. Hurd, PhD

2005
AL#81 p.59   BRB7 p.528            read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The right side of the brain is creative and the left side is analytical. It’s nice when they can work together, but for most of us one side or the other is dominant. The reviewer (who is admittedly left-brained) would like even right-brained luthiers to read this book, though he admits that they may struggle. Intelligent people shouldn’t ignore any source of information that may improve their work. Those who become luthiers to escape from real work may not grasp this concept.

Review: El Tiple Puertorrqueno: Historia, Manual y Metodo by Jose Reyes-Zamora

2005
AL#81 p.58   BRB7 p.527            read this article
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer enjoyed this Spanish-only book about the Puerto Rican tiple, which includes the instrument’s history, how to build it, and how to play it.

Meet the Maker: Bob Jones

2005
AL#81 p.46   BRB7 p.306            
Bruce Calder   Bob Jones                                                                                       

▪ Jones is one of the “big guys” in the New York City instrument repair scene. He owns some very cool collectables. He’s worked for some of the biggest names in the industry. He has definite opinions about how to get into the business. How could you not read this? With 13 photos, including one of a double neck Selmer.

Adirondack Spruce Growth Rates and Accessibility

2005
AL#81 p.40   BRB7 p.302            read this article
Ralph Charles                                                                                           

▪ Man! How come red spruce is so expensive? And how come we can’t find a red spruce top as pretty as a piece of Sitka? Friends, if you look at enough old guitars you’ll realize that Adirondack spruce tops were rarely tight-grained, perfectly straight, and perfectly quartered all at the same time. The big stands of Eastern spruce may have been harvested 60 years ago, but forester Charles is here to say that the trees never grew with luthiers in mind. Man has had a random hand in growing red spruces for generations, and so have beavers. Conditions in the woods can change rapidly. It’s wild out there! To amateur naturalists this is exciting stuff. With 5 photos and a chart.

Neck and Bridge Geometry for Domed Guitar Tops

2005
AL#81 p.36   BRB7 p.296            
Jon Sevy                                                                                           

▪ All those cool pre-war Martins not withstanding, many luthiers believe that domed guitar tops are the way to go. But they can complicate construction in unforeseen ways. Sevy offers a mathematical cure, a set of formulas for predicting neck pitch and saddle height. Probably not for the math challenged, but give it a look before you abandon this path. With 4 charts and 5 diagrams.

Meet the Maker: Kevin La Due

2005
AL#81 p.26   BRB7 p.286            read this article
Cyndy Burton   Kevin La-Due                                                                                       

▪ A high school teacher coaches entire classes through guitar making. Think kids can’t do it? You’ll be surprised. Some well-made and easy-to-use jigs make the process faster and friendlier, and the use of local wood makes it affordable. Pretty inspirational, and with 21 photos.

Guitar Swap!

2005
AL#81 p.22               read this article
John Calkin   Steve Kinnaird                                                                                       

▪ Two luthiers decide to build guitars for each other, a straight across trade and with a minimum of rules. Its wonderful fun if the anxiety doesn’t kill you. With 5 photos.

Structuring Acoustics with Carbon Fiber

2005
AL#81 p.8   BRB7 p.274            
Steve Kauffman                                                                                           

▪ Kauffman and friend Steve Klein have used carbon fiber (graphite/epoxy) in as many guitar applications as anyone, stopping short (I think) of an entirely graphite instrument. If you’ve only dabbled with graphite truss rods and such you have no idea how hotly some others are pursuing synthetic materials to make wood guitars sound better and last longer. “All natural materials” has been a battle cry for decades, but perhaps the time is ripe for making natural materials better than nature had in mind. You be the judge. With 36 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: Patents and Acknowledgement

2005
AL#81 p.7               read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ The innovative and energetic luthier has a few thoughts on the nature of patents, original ideas, proper acknowledgement, and the damaging power of rumor.

Letter to the Editor: New Violin Family Octet

2005
AL#81 p.5               read this article
Robert-J. Spear                                                                                           

▪ Spear announces the division of the New Violin Family Association (NVFA) from the Catgut Acoustical Society. The CAS then merged with the Violin Society of America. Both the CAS and the NVFA were founded and based upon the work of Carleen Hutchins.

It Worked for Me: Tubing To Inject Glue

2004
AL#80 p.65   BRB7 p.496            
Dale Randall                                                                                           

▪ With this arrangement, fresh glue can be injected straight from the bottle through plastic tubing which terminates in a brass ink holder from a ballpoint pen which serves as an injection needle.

It Worked for Me: Wedges for Classical Sides

2004
AL#80 p.64   BRB7 p.495            
Brent Benfield                                                                                           

▪ Taking the lead from Jose Romanillos in fitting bent sides into slots cut in the sides of the Spanish heel to join the neck to the body.

Questions: Dished Soundboard

2004
AL#80 p.61   BRB7 p.349            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ A highly valued classical guitar from the 60s that has developed a dish between the bridge and the sound hole.

Questions: Side Sound Ports

2004
AL#80 p.61   BRB7 p.259            
Robert Ruck                                                                                           

▪ Sound ports in guitar sides near the neck to help boost the sound for the player, especially the hard of hearing, and even the audience.

Review: The Vihuela de Mano and The Spanish Guitar: A Dictionary of the Makers of Plucked and Bowed Musical Instruments of Spain by Jose L. Romanillos and Marian Harris Winspear

2004
AL#80 p.59   BRB7 p.526            read this article
Bryan Johanson                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer gushes about the detail and quality of research that went into the book, as well as the authors’ enthusiasm for their subjects.

Review: The Bouzouki Book, by Graham McDonald

2004
AL#80 p.58   BRB7 p.525            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer found this book about several ways of constructing the Irish bouzouki to be up-to-date, useful, and generally well written, though the huge number of typos bothered him.

Making Patterns for an Access Panel

2004
AL#80 p.56   BRB7 p.272            
Lloyd Marsden                                                                                           

▪ Gaining access to the inside of guitars through a door in the tail block seems to be catching on. The author’s method of construction saves the side material as part of the door to make the assembled instrument as normal looking as possible. With 8 photos.

Product Review: Stew-Mac Measuring Tools

2004
AL#80 p.52   BRB7 p.507            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Toolman Harry examines three new measuring devices from Stew-Mac and finds them all to be accurately made and useful. The tools are the Fret Rocker (for finding high frets), the String Action Gauge (for measuring string height), and the String Spacing Tool (for laying out nuts and perhaps saddles). With 3 photos and a diagram.

Experiments in Audio Spectroscopy

2004
AL#80 p.48   BRB7 p.260            
John-C. Moore                                                                                           

▪ Spectroscopy turns instrument noise into pictures, or graphs. As the author points out, the equipment for accomplishing this has now left the lab and is available to the home user. It may take some time to find out if these graphs are useful to the builder of instruments, but as Moore states, the only way to find out is to get started. With 12 graphs and 2 photos.

Essential Tools: Scratches and a Detail Knife

2004
AL#80 p.46   BRB7 p.270            
Eugene Clark   Jonathon Peterson                                                                                       

▪ Scratch tools are like one-tooth saws. One of Eugene’s has a chisel tip, the other a pointed tip.The detail knife has only one bevel and is intended to make right hand cuts only. Descriptions of their uses are included. With 7 photos.

Removable and Adjustable Necks for Classical Guitars

2004
AL#80 p.38   BRB7 p.262            
Alain Bieber                                                                                           

▪ The author offers a nice history of guitars built with adjustable and/or removable necks and states a variety of reasons why we should build our guitars with this feature today. The benefits of adjustability are pretty irrefutable, and modern adjustable systems are easier to incorporate than the dovetail joint so commonly seen. The effect upon instrument tone seems to be minor or nonexistent. This is a very convincing article. With 10 photos and 5 diagrams. Mentions Fabricatore, Staufer, Scherzer, Lacote, others.

Meet the Dealer: Armin Kelly

2004
AL#80 p.28   BRB7 p.254            read this article
Cyndy Burton   Armin Kelly                                                                                       

▪ Meet the dealer? Well, when a dealer has such a strong influence in the lives of the luthiers he represents, why not? If you build, and if you want to sell through a dealer, you need to read this interview. Besides, Kelly’s enthusiasm is so infectious it will send you right back to your workbench. Boutique guitar builders and shops are relatively new to the steel string, but it has always been the way among classical guitar people. This is why. With 3 photos.

A Savart-Style Upright Bass

2004
AL#80 p.22   BRB7 p.248            read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Savart built a simplified violin that apparently sounded very good. This was long ago. The author uses Savart’s general principles to build a much simplified upright bass that compares to the traditional design in sound. But the scale length is 34″, and it can use electric bass guitar strings if desired. An interesting concept and a cool looking instrument. With 14 photos. Included is a one-page version of GAL Plan #50 of Mottola’s bass.

Rebuilding a Rebuilt Headstock

2004
AL#80 p.15   BRB7 p.245            
Frank Ford                                                                                           

▪ Different repairpersons are willing to do jobs that others wouldn’t, and some repairs are socially acceptable at one time and not at another, so sometimes a repairman is faced with undoing another repair guy’s work. In this case it’s not as a restoration but to make the altered guitar more playable while keeping within the general style of the maker. This little Martin went from a slot-head, to friction pegs, to a solid head with contemporary tuners. Whew! Check out the use of the milling machine. With 19 photos.

Meet the Maker: Frank Ford

2004
AL#80 p.10   BRB7 p.236            
Jonathon Peterson   Frank Ford                                                                                       

▪ Sometimes an interviewer has to pry information out of a person. Not so with Frank Ford, who unleashes a wonderful account of his life as a repairman in the Bay area. Prominently mentioned are Richard Johnston, Jon Lundberg, Dan Erlewine, Gryphon Instruments, and Mario Martello. Inspirational stuff, including 14 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Carving the Lute Rose

2004
AL#80 p.4   BRB7 p.228            
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ The author not only explains how the traditional lute rose is carved, but demonstrates how the technique might be used other than as a rosette. With 17 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

It Worked for Me: Ultimate Palette Knife

2004
AL#79 p.64   BRB7 p.494            
Eugene Clark                                                                                           

▪ The ultimate palette knife is a grapefruit knife, a chef’s tool made by Dexter Russell Inc, which can be used for hot shellac and in routing.

It Worked for Me: Over-Radiused Edges

2004
AL#79 p.64   BRB7 p.494            
William-G. Snavely                                                                                           

▪ Using rectangular-section steel tubing rather than radiused sanding blocks to shape a fretboard which tends to over-radius the edges.

It Worked for Me: Eureka Steamer

2004
AL#79 p.64   BRB7 p.64            
Dennis Russell                                                                                           

▪ A Eureka Hotshot steamer purchased at Home Depot and rigged up for use on violins, cellos, and anything else that has hide glue joints.

Product Review: Stew-Mac Shaped Braces

2004
AL#79 p.60   BRB7 p.512            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer examines Stew-Mac’s top and back brace sets for flattop guitars and finds that they limit the luthiers design options, but he nonetheless is able to put them into one of his guitars with no qualms. With 4 photos.

An Enhancement to the Outside Mold

2004
AL#79 p.58   BRB7 p.234            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ An outside mold is one that the instrument under construction sits inside of. Weird, huh? The author has made changes to his molds that make them into side bending forms as well. Pretty cool. With 3 diagrams.

Product Reviews: Slotted-Head Tuners

2004
AL#79 p.48   BRB7 p.516            
Todd Rose                                                                                           

▪ Slot-heads have been standard on classical guitars since they evolved away from wooden friction pegs, but that elegant design has appeared only intermittently on steel string guitars. Noting a comeback in the steel string slot-head, the author examines and evaluates many of the various tuners available, from the basic to the sublime. With 19 photos and list of sources.

Bridge Shaping and Routing Jig

2004
AL#79 p.46   BRB7 p.224            
Paul Woolson                                                                                           

▪ If you’re going to need a bunch of identical parts you might as well jig up to do it. Besides, making jigs is fun. Here’s one method (of many, no doubt) to make bridges a whole lot faster than you can make guitars to put them on. You can do that by hand, too, it just doesn’t feel that way. With 7 photos and a diagram.

Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part Five

2004
AL#79 p.34   BRB7 p.416            
Peggy Stuart   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ The author attended a mandolin making class taught by Don MacRostie at the American School of Lutherie. The first four parts of her report appeared in the four previous issues of AL. Part Five concerns the application of a sunburst using stains, both by spraying and rubbing, as well as the application of lacquer and French polish finishes. With 37 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

2004 GAL Convention Coverage

2004
AL#79 p.22               
Bon Henderson                                                                                           

▪ If you were there you know how cool it was, and if you weren’t, you’ll have to make do with the 80 photos collected here.

Eight Concerns of Highly Successful Guitar Makers

2004
AL#79 p.6   BRB7 p.206            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ In a sense Brune is laying down the law for successful classical guitar making. Much of it will be useful to any builder, and all of it is interesting because Brune is an interesting man who has his thoughts together. Not to mention that he’s a heck of a luthier with a deep background in the history of his craft. With 30 photos and 8 diagrams. Mentions Santos Hernandez, Marcelo Barbaro, Ignacio Fleta, Hermann Hauser, Sr.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Questions: Dissolving and Storing Shellac

2004
AL#78 p.67               
Eugene Clark                                                                                           

▪ Making a viable batch of French polish and considering the variables: brands of flake and grain alcohol, dissolving or grinding flakes, and age of shellac flake.

Two-Step Cutaway Bending

2004
AL#78 p.64   BRB7 p.226            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The author maintains that the safest way to bend a radical cutaway is to do it in two steps, both using an electric blanket. With 9 photos.

Making Templates for Stew-Mac’s Fret-Slotting Miter Box

2004
AL#78 p.62   BRB7 p.172            
Robert Deacon                                                                                           

▪ Using templates to slot a fingerboard is the way to go, whether you use a miter box or a table saw. The author doesn’t mention it, but his templates should work as well for table saw people as for the miter box folks. Of course, this is for making templates for scale lengths not offered by the manufacturer of the templates. With 2 photos and 3 diagrams.

Stalking the Wild Pine Rosin

2004
AL#78 p.56               read this article
Dave Raley                                                                                           

▪ The pine woods are full of leaky trees that want you to make rosin varnish. The author tells how to harvest it and how to make an electric tin can kiln to melt rosin into a form that can be dissolved in alcohol. With 7 photos and 6 diagrams.

Fiber Optic Inspection Scope

2004
AL#78 p.54   BRB7 p.204            
Robert-A. Edelstein   Ben Edelstein                                                                                       

▪ How would you like an inspection tool that slides into any soundhole and gives you an electronic picture of what it sees? It’s here, it’s very cool, but it’s still pretty expensive. With 7 photos.

A Lightweight Electric Bass

2004
AL#78 p.51   BRB7 p.220            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A couple decades ago electric musicians believed that the only way to get good sustain and tone was by playing a heavy guitar or bass. Guitarists gave up on this a few years ago, but bass players have been slower to go light. The author specializes in bass instruments, and the design he includes here weighs less than six pounds while surrendering precious little to much heavier bass guitars With 4 photos and 2 diagrams.

Meet the Maker: Jeffrey Yong

2004
AL#78 p.46   BRB7 p.200            
John Calkin   Jeffrey Yong                                                                                       

▪ Yong hails from Malaysia, a country not often associated with fine lutherie. Nevertheless, he makes a lot of instruments that look very contemporary and tasty, and he has access to varieties of wood that would make many of us very envious. With 10 photos.

Tales of Topographic Arches

2004
AL#78 p.45   BRB7 p.199            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ By making a topo map of the spherical arch you wish your top or back to be (in 1/32″ intervals in this example) one only has to lay an outline of the guitar on the map and chart the contour of the sides. So easy. So elegant. So how come it wasn’t more obvious? With one photo and one diagram.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part Four

2004
AL#78 p.28   BRB7 p.416            
Peggy Stuart   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ Ms. Stuart’s epic continues with the making of the headstock cap, shaping of the neck, installing the neck and fingerboard, as well as setting up and stringing the finished (but in-the-white) instrument. The first three parts were in the three previous issues of AL. Don MacRostie taught Stuart’s class at the American School of Lutherie. With 74 photos, most of the step-by-step process.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Lester DeVoe

2004
AL#78 p.20   BRB7 p.192            
Cyndy Burton   Lester DeVoe                                                                                       

▪ A maker of flamenco guitars discusses guitarists and instruments. A good interview can be as inspiring as a good how-to, and this is a good interview. Mentions Santos Hernandez, Sabicas, Paco de Lucia.

The Dan and Frank Show: Through the Soundhole Repair Techniques

2004
AL#78 p.4   BRB7 p.174            
Dan Erlewine   Frank Ford                                                                                       

▪ A ton of guitar repairs can only be accomplished by reaching through the soundhole. Here, two masters of the genre describe some of their methods a working in the cramped darkness, some of the tools they’ve used and/or created, and the attitude you have to acquire when getting stumped and handing back an unrepaired guitar is not an option. With 32 photos.

Questions: Linings and Corner Blocks

2004
AL#77 p.68   BRB7 p.107            
John Greven   Eugene Clark   Charles Fox   Greg Byers   Gernot Wagner                                                                           

▪ A rationale, acoustic or structural, for single blocks VS solid linings VS kerfed linings between the sides and back and the sides and top when building a first guitar.

Review: Setar Construction, An Iranian Musical Instrument, by Masser Shirazi

2004
AL#77 p.64               read this article
Marc Connelly                                                                                           

▪ The setar is a “long-necked, fretted, 3-or 4-stringed instrument with a gourd-shaped soundbox,” (reviewer’s description). The reviewer loves this book about how to construct the setar, admires it for its detail and concision, and enjoys the fact that it is printed in both English and Persian script (in 2 sections, not both at once).

Review: Emasco Finger Planes

2004
AL#77 p.64   BRB7 p.524            
Don Overstreet                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes these brass finger planes made in Arizona and in the end decides that their price of $89 apiece is reasonable for any professional builder of archtop instruments.

Desktop CNC Machines

2004
AL#77 p.60   BRB7 p.169            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ If you are not fascinated by computers you probably don’t want a personal CNC machine of any size. If lutherie is your escape from modern technology, you are also excused. But if computers and robots and programming turn you on you may want to combine your hobbies by investing in and/or building a small CNC machine. (The word hobby seems to connote such a lack of seriousness that we use it hesitatingly, but you know what we mean.) Mottola finds that his little CNC has moved his work beyond what he might attempt without it, as well as speeding up and spiffing up stuff that he used to do by other means. This is not so much a how-to as a why-do, but if it doesn’t charge you up, then computer-aided manufacturing is not for you. With 8 photos.

Neck Template Duplicating Carver

2004
AL#77 p.54   BRB7 p.186            
Peter Hurney                                                                                           

▪ Hurney’s pantograph uses chain drive and a chainsaw carving attachment on an angle-grinder to shape ukulele necks. The scale of the machine can be adjusted for whatever size neck you wish to carve. There are 7 photos and a series of diagrams to help you along, but if you’re not already a mechanic you’d have to be pretty adventurous to build one of these without help.

Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part Three

2004
AL#77 p.38   BRB7 p.416            
Peggy Stuart   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ The epic continues! In this segment the neck is assembled, the body is closed up and bound, and the fingerboard is bound and fretted. All this is accomplished under the able tutelage of Don MacRostie at the American School of Lutherie. With 67 photos. Parts 1 and 2 were in the two previous issues of American Lutherie.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

An Authentic Hurdy-Gurdy

2004
AL#77 p.30   BRB7 p.162            read this article
Wilfried Ulrich                                                                                           

▪ Whether the hurdy-gurdy is a fascination or an abomination is up to each listener, but it has to be built right to be given a fair shot. Ulrich uses historical examples as a basis for his instruments, then modifies them to suit contemporary players. This article contains some hurdy-history, photos of a museum hurdy, and a magazine-size version of GAL Plan #49. Also included are photos and drawings of Ulrich’s hurdy-gurdy, a chart of dimensions for laying out the key box, and a series of drawings to help explain the inner workings of the beast. You, too, can enjoy a bit of history in all its hurdy-glory.

They Eat Linseed Oil, Don’t They?

2004
AL#77 p.28   BRB7 p.160            read this article
Stephen Frith                                                                                           

▪ Frith travels to Austria to mill spruce with Tobias Braun, and suggests that other luthiers might like to treat themselves to such a holiday. See the world, spend time in the outdoors, and collect some European spruce at a remarkable price! With 9 photos of sawmill mayhem to whet your appetite.

Shifting Gears on a Gretsch

2004
AL#77 p.22   BRB7 p.156            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Dealing with a store saves you the hassle of dealing with customers but includes the uncertainties of not having access to the customers. The pros and cons are examined. Meanwhile, a Gretsch electric guitar fingerboard is removed, the truss rod swapped out, and the instrument is restored, all in good detail. With 10 photos.

Meet the Makers: Sue and Ray Mooers of Dusty Strings

2004
AL#77 p.8   BRB7 p.142            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Sue Mooers   Ray Mooers                                                                                   

▪ This is a wonderful story of how a couple began a basement lutherie business and ended up employing 36 people in the creation of fine harps and hammered dulcimers. Everybody in the lutherie trades should be this nice and interesting (and the wonder of it is that so many are!). With 37 photos, including a bunch of the harp assembly shop.

CAD Notebook

2003
AL#76 p.60   BRB6 p.510            
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ This is an episode in the series that even digiphobes will enjoy, taking the file to the CNC man to actually make necks by computer-guided milling machine. This is not a machine that most of us will ever own, or even want to, but it’s obvious how effectively it might add to ones output. With 15 photos.

Product Review: Spot Check Thermometer

2003
AL#76 p.58   BRB7 p.510            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer tries out the Spot Check contact thermometer on his side-bending machine and makes some interesting discoveries. This tool is too cheap and useful to be without. With 3 photos.

Making an Access Panel

2003
AL#76 p.52   BRB7 p.132            
Larry Mills   Chris Jenkins                                                                                       

▪ Replacing the conventional guitar tail block with an access panel is an appealing idea whose time has come. Why you should use it and how it is made is the focus of this article. This may be the first article of its kind. Pretty humorous, too. With 15 photos.

Lacquer Details

2003
AL#76 p.46   BRB7 p.138            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ One man’s journey through the world of lacquer paint that includes safety equipment, varieties of paint both old and new, application equipment, and some preferences. With 7 photos.

Charles Fox’s Superglue Binding Method

2003
AL#76 p.42   BRB7 p.128            
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ The author went to the American School of Lutherie where he learned the Fox style of binding from Fox associate Cameron Carr. The binding is completely taped in place while dry, then glued in after everything fits just right. Just one more example of how modern materials have improved the quality of lutherie. With 9 photos.

Cutting a Fanned-Fret Fingerboard

2003
AL#76 p.41   BRB7 p.137            
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ Fanned-Fret fingerboards use those wacky, slanted frets you’ve probably seen on some “California” guitars. So how does one cut those slots accurately? Doolin has worked out a method—make the ‘board its own miter box. Pretty cool. With 5 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Classical Cremonese Violin Soundhole Placement

2003
AL#76 p.38   BRB7 p.126            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Certainly no instrument maker has been as studied and thought about as Stradivari. Not only would modern makers like to be as successful as he was, but his methods were poorly recorded and have to be rediscovered by examining his instruments. It’s a puzzle, and luthiers are by nature patient puzzle solvers. So, was there a Cremonese formula for laying out f-holes? Darnton thinks so, and believes he may be onto the answer. With a photo and one drawing.

Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part Two

2003
AL#76 p.28   BRB7 p.416            
Peggy Stuart   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ Stuart continues her tale of learning to make a mandolin under the tutelage of Don MacRostie. In this episode of the four-part series, jigs and power tools become more important as the instrument comes together. This isn’t about becoming Geppetto, plying one’s trade with a knife and a chisel. This is about making mandolins in the real world. Routers and tablesaws are staple items, as are several impressive jigs created by MacRostie. With 37 photos and 3 drawings.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: John Greven

2003
AL#76 p.16   BRB7 p.116            
Mike Doolin   John Greven                                                                                       

▪ This wonderful interview has the kind of depth that only happens when friends talk. It takes familiarity to know what to ask and how to answer. Humor permeates this discussion of alternative woods, business ploys, the Internet, and in general living the life of a successful luthier. Greven has been in the business as long as anyone and is generous with his advice and experience. With 22 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Is Guitar Design an Oxymoron?

2003
AL#76 p.8   BRB7 p.110            read this article
Steve Klein                                                                                           

▪ Klein delivers a lecture that asks as many questions as it attempt to answer. Why has guitar design seemed to stall when so many other fields are jumping into the future? What do musicians really want? How can we make musicians want what we want to build? Is there any more to improve on the steel string guitar? A thought-provoking piece, indeed. With 13 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Dedicated Binding and Purfling Routers

2003
AL#75 p.66   BRB7 p.108            
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ The author always uses the same binding/purfling scheme on his guitars, so he jigged up permanently set routers to use on his Ribbecke jig. Pretty cool if you never change your decoration scheme. With 5 photos.

Product Review: Colorado Soft Cases

2003
AL#75 p.64   BRB7 p.503            read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The author tries out soft cases (gig bags) by Colorado Case Co. and finds them to be satisfying though pricey. With 5 photos.

Fingerboard Radius Gauges

2003
AL#75 p.62   BRB7 p.106            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Cool beans! Radius gauges you can cut out of the magazine and use on your instruments. Jeez, I mean gauges that you can Xerox, then cut out and mount on a backer board and use on your instruments. What was I thinking?

Making Bridge Plates

2003
AL#75 p.60   BRB7 p.104            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The emphasis of this little article is a Jeff Huss jig for quickly producing bridge plates on the tablesaw. With 7 photos.

Decorative Guitar Heel Carving

2003
AL#75 p.56   BRB7 p.100            
John Greven                                                                                           

▪ Heel carving is one of the few decorative effects usually permitted on steel string guitars. Carved heels look cool and, according to Greven, aren’t that hard to do. The tools required are minimal and the impact on the instrument large, a really fine combination. With 11 photos.

Meet the Maker: Dake Traphagen

2003
AL#75 p.42   BRB7 p.76            
Jonathon Peterson   Dake Traphagen                                                                                       

▪ For those who really make an impact in lutherie complete immersion in the craft is the rule, not the exception. Long days, few breaks, and a lot of work. Traphagan is a good example. Floating to the top of the heap isn’t a simple matter. Still, one can get there while maintaining a sense of humor and a continuing appreciation for the mysteries of the craft, and Traphagan is also a good example of that, too. A really good interview with 10 photos and three diagrams of guitar tops.

Calculating Guitar Side Height

2003
AL#75 p.39   BRB7 p.96            read this article
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ Doolin enlists the aid of Jon Sevy to work out the math used in determining the side height of an instrument with a spherically-domed back. Knowing the side height will allow you to profile the sides to fit the guitar design before they are bent. With a photograph and three drawings.

From Russia, With Strings Attached

2003
AL#75 p.32   BRB7 p.92            read this article
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ Casey examines a Staufer-ish guitar made in Russia, a seven-string flattop with an adjustable neck feature. The guitar is parlor-size and with the old figure-eight body shape. Included are 12 photos as well as a small version of GAL Plan #48, a blueprint of the guitar with a list of all specs and materials.

Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part One

2003
AL#75 p.12   BRB7 p.416            
Peggy Stuart   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ The author describes her mandolin making class with Red Diamond mandolin builder Don MacRostie, giving us a photo-heavy series that should be of practical use to anyone in the mandolin field regardless of their experience. The emphasis is on hand tools, though power tools are used to add efficiency. With 68 photos and 4 drawings, this is the first in a four-part series.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Geza’s Precision Assembly Jig

2003
AL#75 p.6   BRB7 p.86            
Geza Burghardt   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ Geza Burghhardt builds classical guitars on a workboard rather than a mold, but it isn’t just any old workboard. Its carefully jigged up for accuracy and guitar-to-guitar consistency and his jigs are nearly as pretty as his guitars. Well, to another luthier, anyhow. With 17 photos.

Product Review: Fossil Ivory Bridge Pins

2003
AL#74 p.64   BRB7 p.505            read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Mr. Harry examines fossil ivory as a material for bridge pins, nuts, and end pins, and finds it exquisite. He also checks out the Stew-Mac Bridgesaver tool and finds it useful on a variety of fronts.

Questions: Custom CNC Orders

2003
AL#74 p.62   BRB7 p.33            read this article
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ A CNC machining company that takes custom CNC neck orders of as little as 30 in quantity / glued on VS bridges on flattop guitars.

Review: Getting a Bigger Sound: Pickups and Microphones for Your Musical Instrument by Bart Hopkin with Robert Cain and Jason Lollar

2003
AL#74 p.60   BRB7 p.523            read this article
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this book a lot. It is more concerned with explaining how instrument amplification works and how one might build hisher own gear than in reviewing the many commercial units that are available.

Opinion

2003
AL#74 p.58               read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Long-time AL contributor Fleishman takes to task contributing editor John Calkin for being a closed minded so-and-so, referring to statements made in Calkin’s “A Heretic’s Guide to Alternative Lutherie Woods” in AL#69. Fleishman’s plea for tolerance is well made.

Tracker Remote Switches

2003
AL#74 p.56   BRB7 p.74            
Bruce Petros                                                                                           

▪ Using old organ-building technology it’s possible to switch onoff the same machine from a number of workstations. Here’s how, with 4 photos and a pair of drawings.

Making Dished Workboards

2003
AL#74 p.55   BRB7 p.47            
Rodney Stedall                                                                                           

▪ The author includes a formula for creating radiused workboards as well as a method of making them with a router. With 2 photos.

Kit Review: LMI’s OM Guitar

2003
AL#74 p.48   BRB7 p.538            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The oversize nature of the parts in this kit offers the ability to build guitars that are wider and/or deeper than the standard Martin OM. The author builds one he calls the magnum, a normal OM shape that has the depth of a dreadnought. He finds it to be a thoroughly top-flight instrument. With 18 photos and a sidebar about the author’s Ferrari OM, an attempt to build the lightest possible instrument that will still thrive in the real world.

Van Eps Fretboard Slotting Jig

2003
AL#74 p.46   BRB7 p.72            
Jim DeCava                                                                                           

▪ A look at an old solution to a much older problem—how to accurately slot a fingerboard to receive the frets. Contains some interesting history of the Liberty Banjo Company. With 4 photos.

Get Bent! A Versatile Shopmade Side Bender

2003
AL#74 p.44   BRB7 p.70            
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ An evolution of the familiar Fox bender idea. Another example (two in one issue!) of Doolin’s genius for creating effective tools that any of us can build to fill a void in our shop routine. With 6 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Some Traditional Vietnamese Instruments

2003
AL#74 p.43   BRB7 p.69            read this article
Andy DePaule                                                                                           

▪ A short discussion that includes the Dan ty ba, Dan guyet, Dan bau, Dan tran, and Dan tam thap luc. With 5 photos.

Meet the Maker: Do Viet Dung

2003
AL#74 p.40   BRB7 p.66            read this article
Andy DePaule   Do Viet-Dung                                                                                       

▪ A common, if unspoken, theme that runs through AL is how different humans are around the world even though they may share the same work or obsessions. Vietnamese luthier Dung is a prime example. Things are different over there. May we keep sharing, but may we all remain different! With 9 photos.

A Cheapskate’s Sampler

2003
AL#74 p.36   BRB7 p.62            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A tight-fisted and humorous look at buying select tools, wood, and strings without draining your bank account. With 4 photos and a drawing.

Meet the Maker: George Morris

2003
AL#74 p.32   BRB7 p.58            
Ed Beaver   George Morris                                                                                       

▪ Morris has spent his life teaching others to build instruments. Teachers influence their fields in ways that rarely become apparent because it’s often their students who become prominent. It takes a special character to thrive under these conditions, and character seems to be something Morris has plenty of. With 7 photos.

Forces on Archtop Guitars

2003
AL#74 p.30   BRB7 p.56            
Franz Elferink                                                                                           

▪ A variety of forces begun by simple string tension not only make our instruments function but may eventually tear them apart. With a little math we can determine what those forces are and sort of decide if our archtops are beefy enough to withstand them. With 3 drawings.

Meet the Maker: Steve Grimes

2003
AL#74 p.20   BRB7 p.48            
Jonathon Peterson   Steve Grimes                                                                                       

▪ Grimes is one of the premier archtop builders of our times. His flattops aren’t bad, either. He worked for years in the Northwest before moving to Hawaii, where the slack-key guitar scene has impacted his flattop designs.

Motorized Dish Sander

2003
AL#74 p.19   BRB7 p.31            
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ No, this isn’t a machine for sanding dishes. You’d find that in Good Housekeeping. This is a motorized, dished workboard for sanding the contours of arched plates into your assembled instrument sides. It beats doing it by hand by miles, and Doolin’s clever design looks easier to build than others.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Guitar Tattoos: Inlay Harry’s Way

2003
AL#74 p.8   BRB7 p.36            read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman’s perspective on guitar design and construction is all his own, so it’s no surprise that his brand of inlay should also be unique. He has a philosophy of inlay (and of working, and living in general) that guides his pursuit of guitar decoration that is just as important as how the work is accomplished. This lecture is Harry at his best, shedding light on a deep subject while flooring us with laughter. Great stuff, with 30 cool photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Remembering Robert Bouchet

2003
AL#74 p.6   BRB7 p.32            
Philippe Refig                                                                                           

▪ Bouchet (1898-1986) was one of only a handful of guitar makers that kept the craft alive previous to the “lutherie boom” we are now enjoying. His small output belies the influence he had on the classical guitar. The author knew Bouchet and has written a charming, if too short, biography. With 1 photo.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.