Author Archives: luthsearch

Electric Lutherie Part 5

1979
GALQ Vol.7#3 p.33               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ The fifth in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

Frets and Fingerboard Care

1979
GALQ Vol.7#2 p.17   LW p.111            read this article
Randy Stockwell                                                                                           

▪ Once again finesse in refretting is used to match the shape of the fingerboard to the arc of the plucked strings. Stockwell’s method calls for experience rather than formulae, however. Compare this to the method on p.108.

Acoustic Variables in Fretted Dulcimer Construction

1979
GALQ Vol.7#2 p.8   BRB2 p.96            
Bonnie Carol                                                                                           

▪ Despite its simplicity, the lap dulcimer can be ruined by poor design as easily as any other stringed instrument. The author describes ways to deal with different varieties of wood and fingerboard design to achieve maximum tone and volume from a given shape and size dulcimer. With 3 photos and 2 drawings.

Western Forestry Show

1979
GALQ Vol.7#1 p.36               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Portland Oregon’s Western Forestry Center hosted over 2,000 paid visitors who came to view and inspect more than 30 instruments exhibited by 24 local area luthiers.

Carmel 1978

1979
GALQ Vol.7#1 p.34               read this article
David-Russell Young                                                                                           

▪ The Carmel Classic Guitar Festival (Nov. 3,4,5) provided a valuable opportunity to exhibit guitars to a large number of interested amateurs and accomplished professionals.

Electric Lutherie Part 4

1979
GALQ Vol.7#1 p.20               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ The fourth in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

Variables in Archtop Design

1979
DS#131   LW p.50            
Jimmy D’Aquisto                                                                                           

▪ D’Aquisto pioneered the maturation of the archtop guitar into a versatile instrument. Here he runs down a list of design factors and what they do for the sound.

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

Gluing a Cracked Back or Top

1979
DS#129   LW p.98            
Ted Davis                                                                                           

▪ This is a method for mending cracks in free, unbraced plates using only small nails and a workboard. Includes a drawing of the technique.

More Inlay Tricks

1979
DS#129   LW p.86            read this article
Tim Shaw                                                                                           

▪ Sometimes a little finesse in the way we work can be as important as the basic job. In fact, lutherie is all about finesse. If you glue your pearl pieces in place before tracing them Shaw’s bit of finesse may save you some broken shell.

Sandpaper Hints

1979
DS#127   LT p.84            
Boyd Butler                                                                                           

▪ A tool that aids in tearing sandpaper sheets into useful sizes, and a sanding board for close places.

Nuts and Bolts for Bridge Gluing

1979
DS#126   LW p.98            read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ How to use bolts and wing nuts to align a bridge through the pin holes and form part of the clamping force. With 1 drawing.

Copying Pearl Patterns

1979
DS#125   LW p.86            read this article
Robert Steinegger                                                                                           

▪ The author keeps a comprehensive file of all the cool patterns that cross his bench, and here’s how he does it. It’s not quite as easy and obvious as you might think.

Neck Relief

1979
DS#124   LW p.108            read this article
Phillip Mayes                                                                                           

▪ The arc of a plucked string can be calculated. Therefore, it stands to reason that that arc could be built into the neck relief, giving the lowest possible buzz-free action. Yup, but it’s tough to make such minute adjustments to a flexible stick like a guitar neck. Still, the concept is interesting, and on a graphite neck might be entirely practical. With 4 illustrations and a pair of charts.

Position Markers For Fretless Bass

1979
DS#123               
Leo Bidne                                                                                           

▪ The fretless bass, unlike the vertical standing double bass, is played horizontally and the long, slim neck is too wide for ‘sighting’ down the neck, thus a system of marking is necessary.

Discovering Guitar Resonances

1979
DS#121               
Warner-W. Schultz   Jack Frarey                                                                                       

▪ This study was undertaken in the hope of furnishing a simple and inexpensive method of following the resonance characteristics of guitars during the process of construction.

Deep Studding Top Cracks

1979
DS#116   LW p.95            
Al Leis                                                                                           

▪ So how does one reach w-a-y back there to reinforce top crack repairs? By making a special clamp, and by evolving a slick method of using it. Here’s how it’s done. Includes 2 photos.

Basic Sitar Repair

1979
DS#115   BRB1 p.94            
Thom Lipiczky                                                                                           

▪ Sitars are wonderful to look at, strange to hold, lovely to listen to, and peculiar to repair and set up.These days, when vintage instrument values make repair a high-risk endeavor, Lipiczky’s offbeat cures for broken gourds and loose frets are a breath of fresh air. Sitar repair has no doubt advanced since 1979, but we’ll have to take what we can get as far as instruction is concerned. The Indian words make for exotic reading, and the chart of string gauges may save your bacon one strange day.

Wood Dust: Beware

1979
DS#108   LW p.43            
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ If the dust in your shop is out of control, then so is your health.

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

Thumb Gloves

1979
DS#104   LT p.29            
David Newton                                                                                           

▪ Wear them while using a cabinet scraper.

String Spacing

1979
DS#103               read this article
Sylvan Wells                                                                                           

▪ An explanation of the method for proper spacing for cutting slots for strings in the nut and laying out centers in order to drill the holes for bridge pins, concluded with the mathematics already completed in an easy to use table.

Gold Leaf

1979
DS#102   LW p.87            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Traditional ways of decorating instruments follow a narrow path. The author uses gold leaf to enhance his inlays. The path grows a little bit wider. Includes 3 illustrations of the steps involved.

Electric Lutherie Part 3

1978
GALQ Vol.6#4 p.19               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ The third in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

An Interview with Richard Schneider

1978
GALQ Vol.6#4 p.10               
Michael Keller   Richard Schneider                                                                                       

▪ A brief interview with the renowned luthier, maestro Richard Shneider, known for his development of the radically innovative Kasha Design soundboard guitar.

Electric Lutherie Part 2

1978
GALQ Vol.6#3 p.18               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ The second in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

George Vogl, Toolmaker

1978
GALQ Vol.6#3 p.8   LT p.104            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ A tribute to the late George Vogl of Bubenreuth, Germany, maker of special luthier’s tools.

Manuel Davila: Renaissance Man

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.30   BRB2 p.61            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Hutting happens across Manuel Davila in Guatemala City, who builds guitars that are completely original and do not follow tradition in construction and decoration.

The Marlin Carver

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.25               
Rolfe Gerhardt                                                                                           

▪ The Marlin is a sign carving pantograph router with a lettering template clamped on one side and the sign board the other.

Electric Lutherie Part 1

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.20               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ The first in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

Guitar Evaluation at Carmel

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.19               read this article
David-Russell Young                                                                                           

▪ Many instruments, when compared together in a forum such as Carmel, provide a good basis for determining the strong and weak points of each individual instrument.

Business Ethics in Lutherie

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.14               read this article
Lawrence Lundy                                                                                           

▪ Warranties, delivery deadlines, return of instruments, care and feeding, payments and pricing, customer info, and happy transactions.

The Early and the ‘Modern Viol’

1978
GALQ Vol.6#1 p.35               read this article
Theron McClure                                                                                           

▪ All the viols made and played today are copied from those made during the final 75 years of the 3 century span of viol playing.

Six Un-invented Instruments

1978
GALQ Vol.6#1 p.16               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Olsen dreams up six new instruments. Decades later, he still has not built them. Admittedly,the teepee-gurdy would be a bit of a project.

Meet the Maker: Robert Lundberg

1978
GALQ Vol.6#1 p.10   BRB2 p.78            
Kent Rayman   Aggie Rayman   Robert Lundberg                                                                                   

▪ Lundberg is a classic example of a man who couldn’t fit into any of the slots society tried to force him into, yet who went on to become an important individual in his field. Lute players of the world couldn’t be happier about it. With 4 photos.

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

The Design Diamond

1978
DS#100               read this article
Dan-Neil McCrimmon                                                                                           

▪ The basic idea behind this geometry jazz is to have the elements of design organized in such a way as to give a sense of cohesion to the total design.

Top and Back Joints

1978
DS#99   LW p.101            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Build a simple shooting board to make plate joints with a plane, then use one of 3 tried-and-true forms of clamping workboards to glue them together.

Removing Side Ripples

1978
DS#95   LW p.90            
Don Musser                                                                                           

▪ Some wood ripples when it is wetted for bending. Musser describes how to remove the ripples, but you’ll have to have a metal bending form to use his method. With 2 photos.

Hide Glue

1978
DS#94               
Chuck Morrison                                                                                           

▪ Using watered down type hide glues, such as Franklin’s Liquid Hide Glue, will lead to trouble. Preparation of the real stuff is easier than you think.

Epoxy

1978
DS#90   BRB1 p.353            read this article
Paul Jacobson                                                                                           

▪ There is a small but vocal movement afoot to return lutherie to a “purer” state by (among other things) reverting to hide glue and French polish. Don’t be too quick to sign on until you’ve read this thought-provoking article. There is no such thing as “pure” lutherie, and you should understand what you’re surrendering before you relinquish modern techniques. Epoxies have advanced since this was written in 1978, but the reasons for using them remain the same.

Oil Varnish Techniques

1978
DS#89   BRB1 p.284            read this article
David Rolfe                                                                                           

▪ Violinmakers can (and do) talk at length about varnish formulas. Rolfe leaves that to others, and instead describes at length the process of getting the varnish onto the instrument with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of cleanliness. Included is a discussion of brushes, rags, rubbing down and polishing materials, drying boxes, and where in your shop to varnish.

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

Making Pointy Rosettes

1978
DS#88   LW p.78            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Are you tired of rosettes that are just rings around the soundhole? Here’s a jumping off point if you want to take the plunge. The next step is to get rid of the round soundhole. With 3 diagrams.

Vacuum Press

1978
DS#87   LT p.45            
Reagan Cole                                                                                           

▪ Old refrigerator compressor and a shower curtain.

Heat Pressing Necks

1978
DS#86   LW p.110            read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ No, you don’t press a neck to take the wrinkles out. Sometimes it’s necessary to heat a crooked neck, overbend it with clamps, then hope it cools and relaxes into some semblance of straightness. This sort of caveman lutherie is still called upon from time to time, and you probably won’t find a more detailed description of the operation than this one. With 5 illustrations.

Spray Finishing Setup

1978
DS#85   BRB1 p.41            
Rolfe Gerhardt                                                                                           

▪ That is, setting up the actual spray system from compressor to gun, with additional information about spray room accessories. It’s worth noting that in his update the author (a maker of top quality mandolins) mentions that he has abandoned lacquer in favor of waterborne products.

Razor Scrapers

1978
DS#84   LT p.29            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Regrind single-edged razor blades into good little scrapers.

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

Two Ancient Guitars

1978
DS#82               read this article
Don Alfieri                                                                                           

▪ Two photographs by Schuab photo: a German guitar from the early 1800s and an American guitar signed and dated Schmidt and Maul, 1844, New York.

Guitar Outline Formula

1978
DS#79               read this article
Leo Bidne                                                                                           

▪ The determining factors besides the obvious ones for making a guitar the shape that it is and a possible formula that produces an ideal outline.

Lining Strips

1978
DS#77   LT p.101            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Table saw jig to evenly cut kerfs in rectangular strips of lining.

Calfskin Banjo Head

1978
DS#76   BRB2 p.244            
Kirk Hogan                                                                                           

▪ Mounting a skin head on a banjo has become a lost art. Here’s how to do it. Includes 4 drawings.

French Polishing with Qualasole

1978
DS#73               
Paul Estenson                                                                                           

▪ While the traditional French polish method uses shellac and oil, with olive oil as a lubricant, qualasole is a relatively new finish material that is almost complete by itself and also seems more durable than shellac.

Routing Rosette Slots

1978
DS#69   LT p.61            
John Spence                                                                                           

▪ Spence uses sub-bases for his router to make rosette cavities. The sub-bases are drilled with holes that fit over a pin mounted in the center of what will be the soundhole.

Lining Cutting Jig

1978
DS#68   LT p.88            
William Spigelsky                                                                                           

▪ Use this bandsaw jig to cut rectangular stock into triangular unkerfed lining blanks. This tip is confusing until you realize that the box is a permanent part of the jig, and that the jig should be clamped to the saw table. The binding stock is fed through, and supported by, the box.

Bandsaw Dust Collector

1978
DS#65   LT p.88            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Machine manufacturers have become hip to the health problems that accompany the use of their equipment, and most incorporate dust collection ports into their new machines. This was hardly the case in the old days, and there are still tons of old machines in use. If you have one you are responsible for your own health, and thus the modification of your machine. The author’s ideas can be adapted to almost any bandsaw.

Spraying Lacquer With Nitrogen

1978
DS#64   BRB1 p.373            read this article
Harry Coleman                                                                                           

▪ If you’re hurting for space or can’t yet afford a compressor, you may find that spraying with a tank of nitrogen makes sense. You may find that it makes sense no matter what, depending on the volume of your finish work.

Foam Cases

1978
DS#62               read this article
Reagan Cole                                                                                           

▪ These paper-styrene laminates are very strong and make good forms for laminating forms in vacuum presses.

Harpsichords: Reconstructing an Era

1977
GALQ Vol.5#4 p.29               read this article
Byron Will                                                                                           

▪ The music of the renaissance and baroque has undergone a rebirth in the 20th century, with musicians and makers attempting to rediscover the high level of art that was reached.

Evolution of the Classic Guitar- A Tentative Outline

1977
GALQ Vol.5#4 p.12               
Wilfrid-M. Appleby                                                                                           

▪ Parts 4, 5, and 6 of this series from the old Guitar News magazine of England. You can find it at www.digitalguitararchive.com/2019/11/guitar-news

Novice Notes

1977
GALQ Vol.5#3 p.29               read this article
Donald Curry                                                                                           

▪ The final step in the making of an instrument is the finish, which includes preparation of the wood, applying material, and final polishing.

1977 Convention coverage

1977
GALQ Vol.5#3 p.16               
Staff                                                                                            

▪ Photos, lists, and captions about the GAL’s fourth national convention.

Evolution of the Classic Guitar- A Tentative Outline

1977
GALQ Vol.5#3 p.6               
Wilfrid-M. Appleby                                                                                           

▪ This lengthy article originally appeared in a six part version in Guitar News, which has long since ceased publication. But you can find it at www.digitalguitararchive.com/2019/11/guitar-news.

Joe Chromey on the Catgut Acoustical Society

1977
GALQ Vol.5#2 p.10               
Joe Chromey                                                                                           

▪ The Catgut Acoustical Society was founded in 1963 by the late Frederick A. Saunders, formerly professor of physics at Harvard University.

Novice Notes

1977
GALQ Vol.5#1 p.11               
Donald Curry                                                                                           

▪ The subject of molds is one which the novice might approach with some apprehension, but is an integral part of lutherie.

Repair Shop Survival

1977
GALQ Vol.5#1 p.5               
S.L. Mossman                                                                                           

▪ Problems in these areas are the main reasons for small shops having a difficult time making ends meet; location, personnel management, and dealing with professional people.

Potassium Dichromate, Oxalic Acid, and Carnauba Wax

1977
DS#55   BRB1 p.36            read this article
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Various chemicals have been used for centuries to color (or de-color) wood. Fiddle makers are hip to tons of these, but Elliott describes a couple that he finds useful on his guitars. He also advocates lubricating tools and work surfaces with carnauba wax, which will not contaminate your wood.

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

Beizes, Collies and Potassium Dichromate

1977
DS#52               read this article
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Potassium dichromate is the base of ‘beizes’ and ‘collies’ which are commonly used by European luthiers to give that nice brown ‘aged’ look to lighter woods.

A Laminated Neck Design

1977
DS#50   LW p.112            read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Necks fashioned from one hunk of wood are beautiful but wasteful. Laminated designs intended to conserve the most wood are often considered unsightly, so Olsen tackled the problem with a laminated design that offers the prettiest wood, the highest strength, and that makes the installation of a curved truss rod a snap.Pretty cool. With 7 drawings.

Balanced Steel Drum Variation

1977
DS#48   LT p.73            
Kent Rayman                                                                                           

▪ Again, this is a variation in the Ruck-Brune sander. You need to read all these articles before beginning construction of your sander in order to avoid mistakes that others have already made.

Flamenco Capo

1977
DS#46   BRB2 p.25            
Don Alfieri                                                                                           

▪ Flamenco guitars are very light in weight, and a conventional capo could unbalance them and even change their sustain. This all-wood capo should correct the problem.

Tuning the Guitar

1977
DS#45   BRB1 p.288            
Ian Noyce                                                                                           

▪ ‘Bet you thought you knew how to tune a guitar. Some are fussier than others, right? Noyce explains that fussiness, and by examining the fussiness it can in part be designed out of the guitar. On the other hand, part of the problem is psycho-fussiness, meaning that you have to tune to suit the peculiarities of human hearing. They say that horses have perfect pitch, so tuning up must be much less of a chore for them.

Guitar Sound Criteria

1977
DS#44   BRB2 p.200            
Thomas Knatt                                                                                           

▪ Knatt discusses the elements of classical guitar construction that help create the sound he is after, such as thinning the top, the characteristics of the action and saddle, accuracy of fret placement, and the effects of brace shaving. Mentions Carleen Hutchins.

Steam Injector

1977
DS#42               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Tim Olsen’s primitive steam injector was made from an oil can.

An Interview with Jeffrey R. Elliott

1976
GALQ Vol.4#3 p.6               
Kent Rayman   Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                       

▪ Elliott discusses his teacher Richard Schneider, opening his own shop in Michigan, and classical guitars.

Son of Scrutiny

1976
GALQ Vol.4#2 p.20               
John Roberts   Robert Venn   Scott Thompson                                                                                   

▪ Response to the article, ‘Scrutiny: Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie’, which may have presented a very unfair picture of school activities.

Alexander Illitch Eppler

1976
GALQ Vol.4#1 p.8               read this article
Kent Rayman   Alexander-I. Eppler                                                                                       

▪ Seattle-born Alexander Illitch Eppler is an established virtuoso, and a maker and player of balkan end-blown flutes.

Ruck-Brune Sanding Machine

1976
DS#37   LT p.70            
Derek Iverson                                                                                           

▪ Iverson’s was the first report on a truly useful shop-made thickness sander at a time when there were no inexpensive commercial units to be had.

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

A Harpsichord Primer

1976
DS#36               
E.O. Witt                                                                                           

▪ This comprehensive article first appeared in The Journal of the Audio Engineers Society, October 1975.

Intro To P.E.G.

1976
DS#35               read this article
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ PEG is a chemical that resembles Paraffin, is non-toxic, non-corrosive, colorless and odorless, and when applied to wood, greatly improves the dimensional stability and eliminates splitting and warp problems.

Bridge Plate Repair

1976
DS#34               
John Thierman                                                                                           

▪ The tops of many older flat-top steel string guitars will bulge up at the bridge due to the high tension of the steel strings.

Sheet Copper Oval

1976
DS#33   LT p.11            
Lawrence Lundy   W. Daum                                                                                       

▪ Roll up a thick tube of copper and shoot a propane torch into the back of it. that’s yet another way to make a bending iron.

Tool Steel

1976
DS#32   LT p.14            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Short history of steel and its principal alloys, plus a description of sharpening stones, and how to use and maintain them.

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

Neck Supporting Device

1976
DS#30               
Leo Bidne                                                                                           

▪ The function of this portable tool is to hold a guitar stationary and support the neck while fret leveling.

Pearl Inlay

1976
DS#29               read this article
John Thierman                                                                                           

▪ Inlay is the process by which one substance is inserted into a background, then sanded off flush, creating a pattern within the background substance.

Gibson Banjo

1976
DS#28               read this article
Tom Morgan                                                                                           

▪ Recent popularity of the banjo and need for dissemination of bits of info have prompted this writing, in which the topics, types of shell, wood rim construction, tone rings, adjustment of string height, and correcting neck wrap are discussed.

Fret Spacing Template

1976
DS#27   LT p.4            
Tom Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Lay out one fret scale accurately, then very quickly plot the fret positions for any larger scale length with no math or measuring tools.

Lead Filled Beer Can

1976
DS#25   LT p.11            
Dick DeNeve                                                                                           

▪ The best thing you can do with a beer can is empty it. The next best thing might be to put a heating element in the empty can and then fill it with lead to make a bending iron.

Torch and Pipe Bending Iron

1976
DS#25   LT p.10            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Four variations on the propane torch and water pipe.

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

Hangers for Spraying

1976
DS#24               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Utilizing 12 gauge plastic coated copper wire to hang an object for spraying with lacquer and other finishes.

FoMRHI is Born

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.33               
Jeremy Montagu                                                                                           

▪ The Fellowship of Makers and Researchers of Historic Instruments (FoMRHI) is a Brittish organization which formed shortly after the GAL. They are still in business as of 2016.

Luthiers Whimsy

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.30               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Three illustrated humorous poems that will only mean anything to luthiers.

Epitaph for a Luthier: Miguel Company

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.25   BRB2 p.23            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ A number of builders impacted the lutherie scene simply by keeping the craft alive during the dark days of the ’50s and early ’60s, even though they are all but forgotten today. Company fled Castro’s Cuba to Florida, where he made all manner of guitars and Latin instruments.

Museum Services for Luthiers

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.19   BRB2 p.48            
Laurence Libin                                                                                           

▪ Luthiers who deal in restoration and re-creation of old instruments may find that museums may harbor help that is otherwise unavailable, and you may not have to visit the museum to avail yourself of its services. Libin discusses what museums are usually prepared to do to help researchers, and how to deal with museums when you need their help.

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

Luthiers Library

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.17               read this article
Frederick Battershell                                                                                           

▪ The Successful Craftsman: Making Your Craft Your Business by Alex Bealer, is a book that promises a great deal and delivers nothing of lasting value, thus betraying its author’s profession, advertising.

Presses Roll at Vetus Pigmentum

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.3               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ The GAL purchased a very-used AB Dick offset press which they used for years to print the Guild’s publications.

1975 Convention coverage

1975
GALNL Vol.3#3               read this article
Staff                                                                                            

▪ The 1975 GAL Convention was a small event by any standard, but it set the pattern for the successful GAL Conventions which followed. It had embreonic forms of the features of a modern convention: exhibition, lectures, demos, concerts. R.E. Brune hosted it at Northwestern University.

Pilgrimage to Cheltenham

1975
GALNL Vol.3#2 p.10               
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ A visit to the Applebys in Cheltenham on the occasion of their publication, Guitar News, coming to an end. You can find Guitar News at www.digitalguitararchive.com/2019/11/guitar-news.

Manuel Davila: Renaissance Man

1975
GALNL Vol.3#2 p.1   BRB2 p.61            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Hutting happens across Manuel Davila in Guatemala City, who builds guitars that are completely original and do not follow tradition in construction and decoration.

1902 Martin

1975
DS#21               read this article
Anonymous                                                                                           

▪ This pair of informative pictures was contributed to the Guild by a repairman of long experience and excellent reputation.

Resophonic Guitars

1975
DS#20               
Robert-F. Gear                                                                                           

▪ Since the late 60s the national metal-bodied guitars and Dobros have become one of the hottest items among collectors, blues players, and bluegrass enthusiasts alike.

Tamburitzas

1975
DS#18               read this article
Nick Hayden                                                                                           

▪ A rundown on the Tamuritza family, which came first from Yugoslavia, from the smallest Prim (transposing instrument) to the Brach (alto member) to the Berda (bass member).

String Metals and Windings

1975
DS#17   BRB2 p.105            
Joseph Valentich                                                                                           

▪ The scale of instrument and string tension, string materials and string winding, core wire and wrapping wire size, and acoustic and electric strings for application to ethnic fretted instruments.

French Polish Part 3 (Conclusion)

1975
DS#16               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ After initial finish application, the surface of the instrument will appear rough and unrefined, therefore it is necessary to rub out the finish to produce a perfect surface, then apply the final polish.

Basic Guitar Electronics

1975
DS#15               
Bob Petrulis                                                                                           

▪ The first of a series of articles on basic instrument electronics, this time covering magnetic pickups, transducer pickups, contact mics, volume and tone controls, and soldering.

Splicing on a New Peghead

1975
DS#14   LW p.114            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Sometimes a peghead break is so traumatic that the best plan is just to toss the old one in the trash and start over. Here’s how (using mostly hand tools), and don’t be surprised if the rebuilt neck is better than the original. With 13 illustrations.

Charlie Christian Pickup

1975
DS#13   BRB2 p.19            
Doc Kauffman                                                                                           

▪ One of the pioneers of the solidbody guitar gives a brief description of one of the first successful pickups, complete with 3 full-scale drawings of the pickup and a sketch of its flux pattern compared to a more contemporary pickup.

French Polish Part 2

1975
DS#12               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ French polishing, after mixing and properly preparing the shellac as per the instructions in the last installment.

Electronic Aiding of Stringed Instrument Sound

1975
DS#10               read this article
R.W. Burhans                                                                                           

▪ Information and resources for string-sound transducers, low power audio, amplifiers, electronic filters, resonant boxes, and parts and supplies.

Soundboards

1975
DS#9   LW p.16            read this article
David Sturgill                                                                                           

▪ The function of the soundboard in any musical instrument is to convert the mechanical energy produced by the strings to sound waves in the atmosphere.

French Polish Part 1

1975
DS#8               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ An elaboration on the French polish portion of the finishes data sheet, by popular demand.

Spruce Patches

1975
DS#7               
Leo Bidne                                                                                           

▪ Quick and dirty patch for spruce.

Glue for Inlay

1975
DS#7               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Use fine wood dust and epoxy for inlay. Duh. But this was 1975, and the first time anybody said it in print.

Questionnaire Results

1975
DS#5               
Bob Petrulis                                                                                           

▪ Of the 68 responses to the luthier questionnaire, 13 claimed to be amateurs, 24 part time professionals, and 23 professionals.

A Few Notes on Luthier’s Schools

1974
GALNL Vol.2#2 p.5               
Harry Misuriello                                                                                           

▪ Anyone wishing a formal and traditional luthier education, and its attendant seriousness, should investigate the following utilities.

Calculating Fret Scales

1974
DS#4   LW p.104            read this article
Bob Petrulis                                                                                           

▪ The author gives you the math to lay out the frets for any scale length and demonstrates how to use a computer spread sheet to do the same operation a lot faster. With a drawing and two charts.

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

Finishes

1974
DS#3               read this article
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ As a hobby, Brune has collected many obscure and archaic recipies for varnishes and other potions, which he discusses here.

Review: The Modern Harpsichord by Wolfgang Joachim Zuckerman

1973
GALNL Vol.1#1 p.4               read this article
J.R. Beall                                                                                           

▪ The Modern Harpsichord by Wolfgang Joachim Zuckermann is a large, well illustrated, intelligently written and edited volume that lists and comments of most of the known makers of today.

Sketchy Diagram of the Amazing Ruck-ReBrune Sanding Machine

1973
GALNL Vol.1#1 p.3               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ The first mention of an abrasive planer in our literature. We eventually printed a lot of suggestions for different versions.

The American Luthier: A New Era

1973
GALNL Vol.1#1 p.1               read this article
J.R. Beall                                                                                           

▪ A growing number of intelligent people are looking for work that is individual, creative, challenging, and fulfilling in the stringed instrument world.