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Meet the Maker: George Gruhn

2011
AL#107 p.40               
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

Meet the Maker: Federico Sheppard

2011
AL#106 p.6               
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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

About Alcohols Used As Solvents In French Polishing

2011
AL#105 p.38               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It Worked for Me: Bridge Placement on Baritone Guitar

2010
AL#101 p.65               
Lennis Laviolette                                                                                           

▪ Temporary string anchor on the workbench helps to determine the bridge placement on a baritone guitar.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In Memoriam: David Minnieweather

2009
AL#100 p.71               read this article
Veronica Merryfield   David King                                                                                       

▪ Remembering David Minnieweather (1964-2009) a bass maker and player.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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. . . .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

GAL Instrument Plan #60: 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. Either would have looked right in place in “Conan the Barbarian”. That’s a compliment, not a slight. Full scale plans are available as GAL plan #60. With 4 photos and a mini-plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. . . .”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Questions: Vintage Strings

2007
AL#91 p.68               
Fan Tao                                                                                           

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

2007
AL#91 p.36      ALA1 p.46         
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

The New Violin Family

2006
AL#86 p.36               
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Specifications and diagrams for the members of the New Violin Octete developed by Carleen Hutchins and the Catgut Acoustical Society.

The Catgut Acoustical Society and the New Violin Family Association

2006
AL#86 p.38               
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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

The Metaphysics of the Guitar

2006
AL#85 p.54               
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

GAL Instrument Plan #53: 2003 Manuel Reyes Flamenco Guitar an Instrument Plan

2005
AL#84 p.34   BRB7 p.411            
Tom Blackshear                                                                                           

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Restoring Tarrega’s 1888 Torres

2005
AL#83 p.18   BRB7 p.364            
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.

GAL Instrument Plan #52: 1888 Antonio de Torres Classic Guitar

2005
AL#83 p.32   BRB7 p.378            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Product Review: The JLD Bridge System

2005
AL#81 p.56   BRB7 p.514            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this system of pulling down the bulging tops of flattop guitars. With 3 photos and a diagram.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Making Bridge Plates

2003
AL#75 p.60   BRB7 p.104            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The emphasis of this little article is a Jeff Huss jig for quickly producing bridge plates on the tablesaw. With 7 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?

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Plywood

2003
AL#73 p.57   BRB7 p.20            read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Does plywood have a place in the luthier’s bag of tricks? The author thinks it may, and gives us some examples to think about. With 2 photos.

Review: A History of the Lute from Antiquity to the Renaissance by Douglas Alton Smith

2003
AL#73 p.60   BRB7 p.522            read this article
Bryan Johanson                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer pronounces this book to be “a massive achievement to which the reader can return again and again for information, insights, and pleasure.” A pretty good indication that he found it useful and valuable.

Review: Shoptalk 6

2003
AL#73 p.61   BRB7 p.523            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This video is a collection of shop tips that the reviewer found to be valuable and entertaining, especially in view of the low price.

Bridge Positioning Fixture

2003
AL#73 p.62   BRB7 p.34            
Pete Barthell                                                                                           

▪ As the title indicates, a nice fixture for finding the proper location of the classical guitar bridge. With 6 photos and a set of diagrams.

Product Reviews: Tite-Mark Marking Gauge; Contour Plane; Veritas Apron Plane

2003
AL#73 p.64               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ Some tools have a value way beyond function. Elliott looks at three he especially likes, a low-angle plane, a marking gauge, and a small spokeshave which is called a contour plane.

Questions: Measuring Guitar Efficiency

2003
AL#73 p.66   BRB7 p.22            read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ A method of measuring an acoustic guitar’s efficiency that can be performed by the average luthier without the resources of a fully equipped lab.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

Questions: Restoration Labels

2002
AL#72 p.63   BRB6 p.374            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   R.E. Brune   Stewart Pollens   Byron Will   Michael Darnton   Frank Ford                                                                       

▪ Thoughts from various folks representing different instruments and approaches on restoration label do’s and don’ts for severely damaged guitars.

Preface

2002
   HLC p.ix            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Historical Lute Construction was published after the decease of its author Robert Lundberg. Preface also addresses issues of the Venetian inch and the rearrangment of some of the magazine article material when organizing the book.

Ancient Lute Makers

2002
   HLC p.245            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ A list of ancient lute makers giving their dates and locations. Aslo some thoughts on the inconsistant spellings of some names.

Catalog of Ancient European Lutes- September 1988

2002
   HLC p.249            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ A listing of over 300 ancient lutes personally observed and measured by Lundberg. Listed by museum collection. Also mentions their condition.

Bibliography

2002
   HLC p.261            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ A listing of the many information sources used by Lundberg in the preparation of his lute-making course.

In Memoriam: Francois Pistorius

2003
AL#73 p.3   BRB7 p.7            read this article
Rodney Stedall   Stuart Deutsch   Larry Baeder   Anne Ludwig                                                                               

▪ South African luthier Pistorius died way too young, but don’t we all. Here a few of his friends remember him.

Meet the Maker: Kathy Matsushita

2003
AL#73 p.8   BRB7 p.8            
Cyndy Burton   Kathy Matsushita                                                                                       

▪ Matsushita is a professional teacher and an adventurous luthier, which makes for a fine combination for an interview. Her story is one of the best examples of how the internet has impacted our lives, of how we can teach and learn by electron. Joy and information can be the same thing. With 14 photos.

Constructing the Spanish Rosette, Part 2

2003
AL#73 p.14   BRB6 p.368            
Eugene Clark   Jonathon Peterson                                                                                       

▪ Clark is one of the old American masters of lutherie. Building an original rosette in the Spanish tradition is way more complicated than routing a channel and poking in some abalone, as steel stringers are apt to do, but with Clark’s instruction you can do it. Includes 22 photos. Part 1 appeared in AL #71.

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

Waterborne Solutions

2003
AL#73 p.24               read this article
Mike Doolin   John Greven                                                                                       

▪ Finding good water-based instrument finishes becomes more important as luthiers (and various state and federal government agencies) become more health conscious. The authors are both Portland people, and by trying different materials and application techniques and then combining their discoveries they have made big leaps toward finding the perfect alternative to lacquer. With 9 photos.

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

A Contrabass for the Pugo Brothers

2003
AL#73 p.34               read this article
Juan-Carlos Morales   John-L. Walker                                                                                       

▪ The struggle toward lutherie can be really difficult in countries where the people honor the old ways and mistrust anything new. The Pugos in this little story the fought indifference and fear of their Ecuadorian countrymen to become makers of violins and other instruments.

What Happens If I Make It Bigger?

2003
AL#73 p.36   BRB7 p.14            
Jon Sevy                                                                                           

▪ This piece is aptly subtitled “Rules of thumb for approximating changes in the size of braces, tops, and strings,” which sums it up nicely. Our teachers promised us that math wouldn’t be irrelevant in our futures, and here their words come back to bite us. Sevy obviously believed them, and here presents some “easy” formulas for calculating the results of changes in size we might make in our instruments.

Stop Giving Your Guitar the Finger

2003
AL#73 p.40   BRB7 p.2            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Everyone develops little work habits or adopts minor tools that together make a big difference in their work and the pleasure they find in it. This is one man’s collection of odds and ends that changed the quality and quantity of his work. With 15 photos.

Ted’s Excellent Adventures

2003
AL#73 p.46   BRB7 p.18            
Steve Regimbal                                                                                           

▪ Take a quick look at three adventurous instruments by archtop builder Ted Berringer. They are a 12-string octave guitar, a 5-string mandolin, and a 6-string archtop made entirely of spruce. With 12 photos.

Meet the Maker: George Wunderlich

2003
AL#73 p.50   BRB7 p.24            read this article
Nathan Stinnette   George Wunderlich                                                                                       

▪ Wunderlich builds minstrel banjos, recreations of banjos made before the various factories turned them into standardized items that standardized the way we all think about the banjo. With 6 photos.

Pantograph Neck Shaft Duplicator

2003
AL#73 p.54   BRB7 p.28            
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ Perhaps you’d care to make all your necks look and feel the same, just as the big factories do. Perhaps you’d like to make them a lot faster while you’re at it. And do it all on a budget? Doolin’s machine may be just what you were looking for. With 8 photos and several diagrams.

Review: So You Want to Make a Double Bass; To Make a Double Bass; Double Bass Making

2002
AL#71 p.66   BRB6 p.540            read this article
David Riggs                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer turned his pages into a gathering of all the chief sources of useful bass making information, finding that in the end “there is a very deep well of information not in print.”

In Memoriam: George Majkowski

2002
AL#72 p.3   BRB6 p.397            read this article
Jay Hargreaves                                                                                           

▪ Remembering George Majkowski (1929-2002) who began his career at IBM, later turned his attention to building harpsichords and guitars, and served as one of Richard Shneider’s assistants.

Greven Images

2002
AL#72 p.8   BRB6 p.438            read this article
John Greven                                                                                           

▪ Greven’s inlay work specializes in large easily repeatable designs highlighted by engraving of a photographic quality. His pearl-cutting techniques are pretty strange, but no one can argue with the quality of the finished work. With 18 photos and a pair of drawings of graver types and angles.

Castles in Spain

2002
AL#72 p.18   BRB6 p.400            read this article
Stephen Frith                                                                                           

▪ How would you like to learn guitar making in a Spanish castle? How about under the tutelage of Jose Romanillos? Cool, huh? Frith explains what it’s like. Any organization with a staff member named Big Pep has to be pretty far out. With 19 photos.

The Case for KTM

2002
AL#72 p.22               read this article
Michael Turko                                                                                           

▪ A number of well-known luthiers have switched to this finish, including the speed-builder John Greven. In the author’s experience it’s quick, easy, rivals nitro lacquer in appearance, and is non-toxic, a winning combination for sure. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Edward Victor Dick

2002
AL#72 p.24   BRB6 p.404            
Ken Goodwin   Edward-Victor Dick                                                                                       

▪ A Canadian now living in Denver, Dick has a long and varied career as a builder, repairman, and teacher. He builds a wide array of instruments, including some fascinating sound sculptures. The 13 photos illustrate his versatility as a builder and artist.

Making Kerfed Lining

2002
AL#72 p.32   BRB6 p.417            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ A small shop can easily make all the nice instrument lining it needs if it already has a tablesaw and a thickness sander and invests in a few simple jigs. It isn’t hard, but it isn’t especially fun, either.

Tuning in Thirds

2002
AL#72 p.36   BRB6 p.410            
Jonathon Peterson   Saul Koll   Ralph Patt                                                                                   

▪ Jazz guitarist Ralph Patt and luthier Saul Koll have teamed up to make archtop 8-string electric guitars that are tuned in thirds rather than standard tuning. The guitars look a little strange because there is no taper to the fingerboards. You’ll have to read the article to understand the thinking behind them. Watching Patt play must confuse the heck out of other guitarists. With 14 photos.

Dot Marker Position Gauges

2002
AL#72 p.44   BRB6 p.436            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The author has devised a set of layout gauges for positioning the side markers and fretboard dots of his guitars, easily assuring himself that all dots will be nicely and quickly centered. A set of gauges for various scale lengths is included for photocopying.

Meet the Maker: Michihiro Matsuda

2002
AL#72 p.46   BRB6 p.433            
Michael Bashkin   Michihiro Matsuda                                                                                       

▪ Changing countries and cultures to enhance one’s skills must be a daunting and exhilarating experience. Matsuda came from Japan to learn lutherie in Arizona, then apprenticed in California. His designs are innovative and his guitars lovely to behold. With 9 photos.

The Right CAD Curve

2002
AL#72 p.50   BRB6 p.420            read this article
David Golber                                                                                           

▪ It’s the difference between a spline and a Bezier curve, but we’re not geeky (read smart) enough to understand it. Bezier curves are good and splines aren’t, but not all CAD software supports their use. Uses 8 plots to make the difference more understandable.

Review: Dan Erlewine Lutherie Videos

2002
AL#72 p.54   BRB6 p.541            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Eight new videos (with four already on DVD) from the inventor of video lutherie instruction. The reviewer obviously likes them and believes they will speed the learning curve for anyone interested in guitar repair and maintenance.

Product Reviews: Asturome ES/RV Detail Spray Gun

2002
AL#72 p.60   BRB6 p.486            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer examines the Asturmes ES/RV spray gun and finds that it’s the answer to the finish problems he’s found, and at a reasonable price. With one photo.

In Memoriam: Frederick Dickens

2002
AL#71 p.3   BRB6 p.348            read this article
Pauline Dickens   James Jones   Graham Caldersmith                                                                                   

▪ Dickens did R&D work at Bell Labs in his day job, and was among the first to look at the functioning of the guitar from a mathematical vantage point. He was known for his inquisitive mind and willingness to share his knowledge with others.

Constructing the Spanish Rosette, Part 1

2002
AL#71 p.8   BRB6 p.368            
Eugene Clark   Jonathon Peterson                                                                                       

▪ How deeply do you want to dive into the matter of making rosettes? Here Clark will submerge you until you gasp for air or make a fine rosette, whichever comes first. Designing the rosette and dying the sticks receive deepest treatment, though no words are spared when describing the cutting and sizing of the materials. Everything is here. With 33 photos. Part Two will appear in a future issue of AL.

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

Meet the Maker: Duane Heilman

2002
AL#71 p.24   BRB6 p.424            read this article
John Calkin   Duane Heilman                                                                                       

▪ Heilman builds quirky, imaginative ukes that he auctions on-line. He’s also made hundreds of exotic picks that he sells the same way. With 17 photos.

Thoughts on Violin Setup

2002
AL#71 p.30   BRB6 p.392            read this article
Don Overstreet                                                                                           

▪ Everything about the violin must be just so, since there are few details that an experienced musician is going to overlook. The instruments can be extremely expensive and the work standards are very high. Overstreet is an old hand at the game, and here gives the straight info on getting it right.

Getting Wired: Rick Turner at ASL

2002
AL#71 p.36   BRB6 p.429            
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ Turner is an inventor, guitarmaker, and a wireman extraordinaire. Harper attended Turner’s wiring workshop at the American School of Lutherie and reports back what he learned there. With 4 photos.

See No Evil: Super-Safe Binding Router Jig

2002
AL#71 p.42   BRB6 p.398            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Harry can rout his guitars for binding with his eyes closed. Honestly! The system he explains uses a laminate trimmer suspended by a swinging arm and you can build it in your shop.With a photo and 2 diagrams.

Kit Review: Musicmaker’s Irish Bouzouki

2002
AL#71 p.44   BRB6 p.507            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Irish ‘zooks are cool, though they don’t much resemble bouzoukis and very few of them come from Ireland. The author finds the kit to be easily assembled and a bargain. Though the nontraditional materials may turn off some, the instrument is playable and sounds decent. With 13 photos.

Sources: Schools and More

2002
AL#71 p.50               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ The interest in lutherie is growing so quickly that sources of information and instruction are hard to keep up with. This list includes schools, on-line instruction, organizations, periodicals, and publishers.

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

Product Reviews: Grizzly Pneumatic drum Sander

2002
AL#71 p.62   BRB6 p.485            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Mottola likes the Grizzly H2881 pump sander, a handheld drum sander he uses for sculpting neck heels and the like. He doesn’t however, much enjoy doing business with the Grizzly company. With 2 photos.

It Worked for Me: Cheap Spanish Guitar

2002
AL#71 p.65   BRB6 p.464            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Small adjustable-width angle gauges for a through-the-soundhole approach to repair a fractured top on a Spanish guitar.

Meet the Maker: Ralph Novak

2002
AL#70 p.4   BRB6 p.350            read this article
John Calkin   Ralph Novak                                                                                       

▪ Novak has been on the guitar scene since the late ’60s, specializing in the creation and repair of electric instruments, though his expertise doesn’t end there. His best-known invention is probably the Novax fanned fret system, though his work with multi-string guitars deserves note. Mentions Charles LoBue. With 17 photos.

Small Shop Production Techniques

2002
AL#70 p.12   BRB6 p.358            
Ralph Novak                                                                                           

▪ The author uses neck making in his example of how gearing up to make small runs of like parts can make the small shop more efficient and profitable. With a photo and 9 drawings.

1869 Francisco Gonzalez: A Restoration

2002
AL#70 p.16   BRB6 p.328            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Returning a historically important guitar to life is not only a painstaking project but also one that must be done with finesse and a respect for the instrument’s value as an historical document. This restoration took several months and much research and investigation, requiring the use of tools not normally associated with guitar repair. With 43 photos and a magazine-size version of GAL Plan #47 of the instrument under discussion.

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

GAL Instrument Plan #47: 1869 Francisco Gonzalez Guitar

2002
AL#70 p.34   BRB6 p.343            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

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

The Hidden Gem of Thickness Sanders

2002
AL#70 p.36   BRB6 p.324            
Bruce Petros                                                                                           

▪ The author finds that the General Model 15-250 M1, for $1600, may be the most sander for the money that the small shop can afford. With 7 photos.

Minotaur Guitars: An Experiment in the Staufer-Scherzer Tradition

2002
AL#70 p.40   BRB6 p.362            
Alain Bieber                                                                                           

▪ Bieber’s classical guitars feature removable, adjustable necks and slight double cutaways to increase fretboard access. They also look quite remarkable. With 8 photos.

Audio Spectroscopy

2002
AL#70 p.44   BRB6 p.365            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ With digital recording and spectrographic analysis software a computer can print out a diagram of an instrument’s tone spectrum, reducing the complicated issue of tone comparison to easy-to-read graphs. The scientifically inclined luthier may find that this helps him build better instruments, while others may decide that it’s another case of too much information. If you’ve found that intuition has carried you as far as it can you might check out the usefulness of “tone pictures”. With 5 bass guitar spectrographs.

Slotting Fretboards

2002
AL#70 p.48   BRB6 p.344            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Using templates and a tablesaw to slot fingerboards in minutes, and how to make your own templates. With 7 photos and 5 fret scales for off-beat scale lengths.

Calculating Soundbox Volume

2002
AL#70 p.52   BRB6 p.347            read this article
Dave Raley                                                                                           

▪ There are a number of reasons you might wish to know the volume of an instrument. Raley uses a spreadsheet program and some careful measuring to determine this figure.

Another Method for Calculating the Area of a Plate

2002
AL#70 p.53   BRB6 p.349            read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The author has simplified a computer technique for use with graph paper and pencil, and maintains that the system is accurate to about .5%. If you know the area of a plate you can figure out the volume of the soundbox, as in Raley’s article on p.52.

Product Reviews: Tusq Martin-Style Bridge Pins

2002
AL#70 p.54   BRB6 p.470            read this article
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson ventures into Plasticland hoping to find a useful substitute for animal parts on his guitars. An aversion to both plastic guitar parts and animal slaughter leaves hardly any useful material for bridge saddles, and he sort of settles on a material called Tusq. Partly tongue-in-cheek and generally philosophical, the review concludes that beef bone saddles will be around for awhile yet.

CAD Notebook

2002
AL#70 p.58   BRB6 p.510            
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ This segment begins instruction in drawing a neck using MasterCam Draft, Version 8. If you stumble onto the perfect neck and wish to have it machine reproduced you may have to know this stuff. With 3 drawings.

Questions: Top Woods

2001
AL#68 p.69   BRB6 p.205            
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ The differences in the characteristics of the top woods European spruce, Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce, and western red cedar.

Letter to the Editor: Fabio Lutherie Class

2002
AL#69 p.3               read this article
Steve Spodaryk                                                                                           

▪ Steve went to Italy to take a lutherie class from Fabio Ragghianti. He says the class and the hospitality were great.

Letter to the Editor: Remembering Robert Lundberg

2002
AL#69 p.7               read this article
Bryan Johanson                                                                                           

▪ Bryan gives a personal overview of the 2001 GAL Convention. In this context he recalls meeting Bob Lundberg.

Controlling Soundboard Development

2002
AL#69 p.8   BRB6 p.305            
Larry Mills                                                                                           

▪ An introduction to free plate and fixed plate voicing of the guitar top, the latter using a jig to fix the braced plate much as it will be on the guitar, though tapping is used as the driver, not strings. Interesting, and a good presentation of current bracing notions. With 8 photos.

The Heretic’s Guide to Alternative Lutherie Woods

2002
AL#69 p.13   BRB6 p.288            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This is an examination of 17 varieties of wood not usually associated with guitars, their bending characteristics, and how they look. Calkin’s opinions about tonewood have proven to be pretty controversial, but this article may help if you are tired of the same old look on your instruments. With 19 photos.

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

Battery-Powered Instrument Amplifiers

2002
AL#69 p.22   BRB6 p.296            read this article
Joseph Ennis                                                                                           

▪ Build an amp that matches the resonance of your acoustic instrument. Build it into the instrument if you like. Ennis offers some math, some circuitry, and some advice to beginners who want the most portable amps for their instruments. With 9 photos and a circuit diagram.

Meet the Maker: Kerry Char

2002
AL#69 p.28   BRB6 p.316            
Jonathon Peterson   Kerry Char                                                                                       

▪ Char is a guitar maker who also specializes in the restoration of old and odd instruments, particularly harp guitars by Knutsen and others. With 16 photos of vintage instruments.

The Search for the Lute Maker’s Donkey

2002
AL#69 p.36               
Andrew Atkinson                                                                                           

▪ The author’s focus is on recreating a lute maker’s shop, circa the late 16th century. Old paintings provide some of his most valuable research materials. He is not only interested in old tools, but in the old ways of making those tools. With 2 photos.

A Method for Specifying Contours of an Arched Plate

2002
AL#69 p.40   BRB6 p.301            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Not really a computer article, the author uses a CAD-like system of plotting the contours of an arched plate. The result is sort of a topo map of the plate that is used to rout the plate into terraces that are then faired into a finished plate. Mottola explains the drawing, not the machining. With 13 drawings.

Lutherie Trivia

2002
AL#69 p.46               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ The wry Somogyi presents some little-known information that may not improve your work but will nicely occupy your mind as you carve a neck for the 50th time, or whatever. The meaning of many words has drifted so far from the roots of those words that, in the strictest sense, we no longer know what we are talking about, even though we continue to communicate very nicely. Mostly. A fun piece.

Kit Review: Musicmaker’s Regency Harp

2002
AL#69 p.48   BRB6 p.500            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The author discovers that this kit provides a harp fit for a professional musician. The finished harp is a powerful instrument with a wide range, and though the kit is pricey it is easy to build. The process of lace finishing is described in detail. With 17 photos.

Product Reviews: Delta and Performax Abrasive Planers

2002
AL#69 p.56   BRB6 p.481            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Guitar maker and teacher Fleishman compares two thickness sanders, the Performax 22-44 and the Delta 31-250, finding that both are useful, have different peculiarities, and that you are better off with either one than without a thickness sander at all. With 2 photos.

It Worked for Me: Fingertip Glue Removal

2002
AL#69 p.62   BRB6 p.461            
Marc Connelly                                                                                           

▪ A little goofball finger strap flashlight to illuminate the Dremel bit, and a Trac II razor to shave dried glue off fingertips.

It Worked for Me: Spherically Arched Guitar Back

2002
AL#69 p.63   BRB6 p.463            
Peter Giolitto                                                                                           

▪ A way to plot the contours of the ribs and the back braces as alternative to buying or making a dished workboard for fitting a spherically-arched guitar back.

Letter to the Editor: Hurdy-Gurdy

2001
AL#68 p.6               read this article
Wilfried Ulrich                                                                                           

▪ Wilfried has made a lot of real hurdy-gurdies. He says Americans tend to have a cartoonish view of the venerable drehleir. They ought to educate themselves and have more respect for a highly developed classical instrument. He eventually authored Plan#49 for us.

Meet the Maker: Bob Benedetto

2001
AL#68 p.8   BRB6 p.242            
Jonathon Peterson   Bob Benedetto                                                                                       

▪ Benedetto has had as large an impact on the modern archtop guitar as anyone. He’s also a really nice guy, unpretentious and level-headed. You’re gonna like him. With 11 photos.

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

Archtop Guitars: It All Creates Music

2001
AL#68 p.16   BRB6 p.250            
Bob Benedetto                                                                                           

▪ For a builder of orthodox archtop guitars Benedetto certainly has some iconoclastic ideas. His opinions about bridges, tailpieces, guitar setup, and tonewood may turn your head around. With 9 photos.

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

Working with Water-based Finish

2001
AL#68 p.24   BRB6 p.280            read this article
John Kitakis                                                                                           

▪ Kitakis has a long history of jobs in wood finishing, so when he finally made the jump to water-based finish (in his case CrystaLac) he knew what he was doing. Working with CrystaLac isn’t quite the same as working with lacquer, but the author makes a good job of clearing the off-spray. With 5 photos.

Meet the Maker: Tom Blackshear

2001
AL#68 p.28   BRB6 p.274            
Cyndy Burton   Tom Blackshear                                                                                       

▪ Blackshear has been building classical guitars since the ’50s. He has been strongly influenced by the work of Miguel Rodriguez. With 15 photos.

An Introduction to Metal Engraving

2001
AL#68 p.40   BRB6 p.266            read this article
David Giulietti                                                                                           

▪ The pursuit of engraving skills demands just a small investment in tools but a large investment in determination and time. At least, for those not born to be artists. But the author makes it clear that there is hope for nearly all of us who truly wish to acquire this skill.

Constructing an Under-Saddle Transducer

2001
AL#68 p.50   BRB6 p.314            read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Yes, you can make your own transducer pickups and save big bucks. Here’s how. Including 6 photos and 2 diagrams.

Meet the Maker: Fernando Cardosa

2001
AL#68 p.54   BRB6 p.284            
Joao-Jose-de-Santana Borges   Fernando Cardosa                                                                                       

▪ AL has certainly included an international air this year, and this introduction to Brazilian luthier Cardosa adds to the festivities. With 8 photos.

It Worked for Me: Make a Toothed Plane Blade

2001
AL#68 p.58   BRB6 p.460            
Keith Davis                                                                                           

▪ Make a toothed blade for a block plane by annealing the blade, grinding a set of grooves, and re-tempering the blade. Also describes reducing the mouth with J.B. Weld.

CAD Notebook

2001
AL#68 p.62   BRB6 p.510            
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ Previous columns saw the creation of a 3D wireframe computer image of a dreadnought guitar body. In this installment a 2D profile of a side is extracted from the software, from which the side set can be cut to shape before bending. With 6 diagrams.

Questions: B-45-12 Guitar

2001
AL#68 p.66   BRB6 p.326            
Robert Steinegger   David Freeman                                                                                       

▪ Info on the B-45-12, the best Gibson 12 string ever built, according to chapter 9 of Gibson’s fabulous flat-top guitars, by Whitford, Vinopal, and Erlewine.

Letter to the Editor: Defending Larry Sandberg’s Book

2001
AL#67 p.3               read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Harry Fleishman leaps to the defense of Larry Sandberg. He feels that Ben Hoff was too harsh in his criticism of Larry’s book The Acoustic Guitar Guide.

Sitar Making in India

2001
AL#67 p.6   BRB6 p.222            read this article
Scott Hackleman                                                                                           

▪ Hackleman spent nearly a year in India learning one shop’s traditional ways of making sitars. The low state of technology in India, and the amazing work they do with so few tools, make this a fascinating read no matter what your interest in ethnic instruments. With 36 photos and 11 drawings.

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

Meet the Maker: David Minnieweather

2001
AL#67 p.34   BRB6 p.206            
Jonathon Peterson   David Minnieweather                                                                                       

▪ Minnieweather lives in Oregon and makes some fine-looking electric basses, including a stunning electric upright. With 9 photos.

Making a Scraper Plane

2001
AL#67 p.40   BRB6 p.260            
Peter Giolitto                                                                                           

▪ Scraper planes are good for dressing down figured wood without tearing them up or following the grain. Here’s how to make one. With a photo and 5 drawings.

Quick-and-Dirty Bridge and Brace Repair

2001
AL#67 p.42   BRB6 p.258            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Some instruments aren’t worth repairing because their value is less than the cost of the repair work. Unless, that is, you resort to superglue and a bit of trickery. On the cuatro used in the example a tailpiece is used along with the stock bridge to prevent steel strings from tearing the bridge off the top again. With 8 photos.

CAD Notebook

2001
AL#67 p.51   BRB6 p.510            
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ In the last installment we learned how to make a computerized outline of a guitar body using Mastercam software. In this installment we learn how to make a wireframe image that suggests three dimensions. With 5 diagrams.

Review: Dangerous Curves: The Art of the Guitar by Darcy Kuronen

2001
AL#67 p.60   BRB6 p.539            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This is a picture book of guitars that the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, included in a show of artfully conceived instruments. The reviewer loves the style of the photography but gives the project a so-so evaluation.

Review: Music, Cognition, and Computerized Sound; An Introduction to Psychoacoustics edited by Perry R. Cook

2001
AL#67 p.60   BRB6 p.539            read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The luthier who has no interest in how human beings hear and interpret sound hasn’t really come to terms with instrument making at all. The reviewer likes this textbook that takes in this subject, though it sounds like heavy going.

Letter to the Editor: Vacuum VS Screw Clamp

2001
AL#68 p.5               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin says that he has been told many times that he should use a vacuum clamp to glue top braces. He proceeds to make a good case for his screw-and-bar clamping system.

A Bridge for the 21st Century

2001
AL#66 p.16   BRB6 p.182            
Scott van-Linge                                                                                           

▪ The author has some unique ideas about how bridge and brace shape and weight effect the volume and tone of flattop guitars. His ultimate guitar bridge is going to make a lot of traditionalists nervous, but it is pretty in a minimalist fashion and should be a winner if it does what he claims. With 10 photos and a diagram.

Meet the Maker: Sebastian Stenzel

2001
AL#66 p.20   BRB6 p.216            
Greg Hanson   Sebastian Stenzel                                                                                       

▪ Stenzel is a German who specializes in classical guitars. He shares much information about his guitars as well as some opinions that may surprise you. With 5 photos.

Conical Fretboard Radiusing Jig

2001
AL#66 p.28               read this article
Mike Nealon                                                                                           

▪ The author offers plans for a jig that uses a router to shape the surface of a conical fretboard. With 11 photos and 5 diagrams.

Meet the Maker: Taku Sakashta

2001
AL#66 p.32   BRB6 p.238            
Jonathon Peterson   Taku Sakashta                                                                                       

▪ Sakashta left Japan to build both archtop and flattop guitars in California. He is definitely not afraid to design away from tradition. With 8 photos.

Wet Inlay

2001
AL#66 p.38   BRB6 p.194            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Inlay advice using epoxy and Inlace mixed with various substances to fill the routed holes, rather than a solid such as MOp.With 8 photos.

Vincente Tatay and His Guitars

2001
AL#66 p.47   BRB6 p.198            
Steve Newberry                                                                                           

▪ Tatay built guitars in the back room of a music store in WWII-era Manhattan. Newberry hung out then as a teenager. Not many of us have memories of our youth that are this cool. Alas. Or is it just that Newberry tells a really good tale? With 2 photos.

Kit Review: Musicmaker’s Hurdy-Gurdy

2001
AL#66 p.50   BRB6 p.496            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin barely knew what a hurdy-gurdy was when he began this kit, and afterwards he still wasn’t too sure. Not that it was the kit’s fault. The hurdy-gurdy (a mechanical fiddle) has nearly vanished from the musical scene and few details are to be found outside of museum blueprints. The kit turned out pretty good, though it makes no attempt at historical accuracy. Fun stuff, with 15 photos.

Review: Custom Guitars: A Complete Guide to Contemporary Handcrafted Guitars edited by Simone Solondz

2001
AL#66 p.55   BRB6 p.536            read this article
Benjamin Hoff                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this book too expensive and too incomplete to recommend on any level other than for the nice photography.

Review: Custom Knifemaking by Tim McCreight

2001
AL#66 p.57   BRB6 p.538            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer decides that if you want to make your first knife you just about can’t go wrong with this book.

Product Reviews: Stew-Mac Brown Tape

2001
AL#66 p.58   BRB6 p.480            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman spends an entire column talking about a particular brown masking tape, and darn if he doesn’t make it sound like a fine use of space.

CAD Notebook

2001
AL#66 p.60   BRB6 p.510            
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ In this segment the author instructs how to get Mastercam Draft software to draw the outline of a particular guitar body. The one you want, that is, not just any old outline.

Questions: Vinyl Gloves for French Polish

2001
AL#66 p.63               
John Park                                                                                           

▪ A painful swelling in the finger joints and a rash associated with epoxy sensitization as a result of wearing vinyl gloves for extended periods while French polishing.

It Worked for Me: Old Molds

2001
AL#66 p.64   BRB6 p.457            
Skip Helms                                                                                           

▪ 1″ rigid foam insulation is tough, accurately dimensioned, weighs almost nothing, and can be used to help freshly bent sides hold their shape.

It Worked for Me: Worn Fingerboards

2001
AL#66 p.64   BRB6 p.458            
Keith Davis                                                                                           

▪ Making fills in worn fingerboards using fitted wood chips; an ebony fingerboard with ebony fills, a rosewood fingerboard with rosewood fills, etc.

An American in Mirecourt, Part Two

2001
AL#65 p.10   BRB6 p.82            read this article
Paul Schuback                                                                                           

▪ Schuback learned violin making in a small shop in France during the ’60s. This segment of his 1995 convention workshop lecture covers completing the plates and fitting the neck, fingerboard, nut, and soundpost to the body. There’s lots of local French color, old tools, and old ways presented here, as well as a bit of how the violin has changed since the days of the first Italian masters. Part One appeared in AL#63. With 33 photos, a diagram, and a sequence chart for building a violin.

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

Evolving the Dished Workboard

2001
AL#65 p.22   BRB6 p.210            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The dished workboard can make it easier to make better guitars. Calkin reveals several ways to make them more versatile, more accurate, and more fun to use. With 13 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Eugene Clark

2001
AL#65 p.28   BRB6 p.174            
Jonathon Peterson   Eugene Clark                                                                                       

▪ Clark began his guitar building over 40 years ago, which makes him one of the true father figures of our craft. His life has been a crooked path, with interesting things at every jog in the road. You’ll like meeting him. With 12 photos.

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

Pre-finish Surface Preparation

2001
AL#65 p.39   BRB6 p.170            
Fred Campbell                                                                                           

▪ A large part of the secret to getting a fine gloss finish of any sort is the preparation of the wood before anything is even applied. Campbell has specialized in finish work for years and isn’t shy about sharing what he knows.

Meet the Maker: Sergio Huerta Chavez

2001
AL#65 p.44   BRB6 p.200            
Bruce Calder   Sergio Huerta-Chavez                                                                                       

▪ Chavez is a builder of guitars and violins from Mexico who has managed to find markets in the US. Lutherie-life south of the border is probably different than you think, especially if Paracho has been your only touchstone. With 5 photos.

CAD Notebook

2001
AL#65 p.48   BRB6 p.510            
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ No doubt many of us pursue lutherie as an escape from an ever-escalating technology that the rest of the world imposes upon us. If that’s you, skip this new column. If, however, you see yourself entering lutherie as a business you may find yourself shut out of future developments if you can’t speak CAD (Computer Aided Design). Bourgeois’ arguments for getting involved are strong, and you may even find a degree of fun in the pursuit. Working with Mastercam software to design guitars and parts will be the focus of future columns.

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

Sources: Schools

2001
AL#65 p.52               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Lots of folks want to teach you to build stringed instruments. Here’s a 5-page list of them.

Product Reviews: Fishman Voltage Doubler

2001
AL#65 p.59   BRB6 p.478            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ AL’s Tool Meister reviews a bunch of circuit accessories from Stewart-MacDonald. He rejects the Black Ice crunch-adder but likes the Voltage Doubler, ConducTool, Megaswitch, and Yamaha 5-way switch.

Review: Installing Transducer Pickup Systems by Dan Erlewine

2001
AL#65 p.63   BRB6 p.536            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer recommends this video about installing under-the-bridge flattop guitar pickups.

It Worked for Me: Profiling Heads

2001
AL#65 p.65   BRB6 p.456            
Peter Giolitto                                                                                           

▪ A method to profile the heads of classical guitars helps achieve a much more accurate shape more quickly than just drawing around a single template and working to the line; instead using shapes of workable metal.

It Worked for Me: Portable Amplification System

2001
AL#65 p.65   BRB6 p.456            
Francis Kosheleff                                                                                           

▪ A portable battery powered sound system featuring PA box cabinets designed to visually reflect the instruments played by the Balka quartet for a gig in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Letter to the Editor: Sloane Bass Tuners

2001
AL#66 p.3               read this article
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.                                                                                           

▪ Longtime GAL member Fred Lyman tells of the conversation that got Irving Sloane interested in making bass machines. Fred also gives a quick overview of his life in lutherie and wishes more lutherie info had been available to him in his youth.

Letter to the Editor: Guitar Dimensions and Harmonics

2001
AL#66 p.3               read this article
Joe-D. Franklin                                                                                           

▪ Joe Franklin believed that the secret to good sound in classical guitars was the exacting relationship between interior dimensions and the wavelengths of sound.

In Memoriam: Robert Lundberg

2001
AL#66 p.5   BRB6 p.165            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Jean Gilman   Lora Lundberg Schultz   Dorothy Bones   Ben Lundberg   Michael Yeats   Gunter Mark   Cyndy Burton   Jeffrey R. Elliott                                                           

▪ Lundberg was perhaps the foremost lute maker in America, a champion of building lutes in an historical manner, a longtime member and supporter of the GAL, and author of the landmark book Historical Lute Construction. Family and friends take a deep look at the significance of his life and work. With 10 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Harry Fleishman

2001
AL#66 p.6   BRB6 p.186            
Ken Goodwin   Harry Fleishman                                                                                       

▪ Fleishman has been a guitar and bass designer/builder, a teacher of lutherie and writing, a longtime member of the GAL, a frequent contributor to AL and its current product reviewer. Harry is as well-known for his outrageous sense of humor as for the outrageous instruments he creates. With 10 photos.

Opinion

2000
AL#63 p.64               read this article
Keith Hill                                                                                           

▪ Hill suspects that many luthiers pursue their craft to please the eye more than the ear because that is what they know how to do, and also that the road of pure science cannot lead them back to the straight path.

The Classic Guitar: Four Perspectives

2000
AL#64 p.6   BRB6 p.118            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Greg Byers   Eugene Clark   Gary Southwell                                                                               

▪ Four note-worthy builders of the classical guitar talk about their influences, their building philosophies, and some of the their construction techniques in a panel discussion that should inspire anyone interested in the instrument. With 26 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Rick Turner

2000
AL#64 p.20   BRB6 p.140            
Jonathon Peterson   Rick Turner                                                                                       

▪ Not frequently is one person so often in the right place at the right time with the skills to take advantage of the situation. Turner has “been there and done that” as an inventor and designer of instrument electronics as well as a repairman, designer, and manufacturer of Alembic guitars and basses and Turner-brand electric and acoustic guitars. His story is as colorful as it is informative. With 21 photos.

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

Clark Irish Harp Revisited

2000
AL#64 p.38   BRB6 p.160            read this article
Craig Pierpont                                                                                           

▪ American Lutherie #61 offered a plan and description of the Clark Irish harp.Here harp maker Pierpont gives a more technical explanation of the Clark’s anatomy and explains why it is a good starting point for any prospective harp builder. With 9 photos and a set of diagrams.

The Bassola

2000
AL#64 p.44   BRB6 p.136            read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The author’s invention is an attempt to create the tone of the upright bass in a more portable instrument. The Bassola is a carved-plate instrument very much like a huge F-model mandolin, though not as large as a bass mandolin. It utilizes standard bass guitar strings and “fits in any car.” With 9 photos.

From Firewood to Bracewood

2000
AL#64 p.50   BRB6 p.156            
Nathan Stinnette                                                                                           

▪ Stinnette is the Huss & Dalton Guitar Co. employee in charge of converting split red spruce trees into billets of brace wood, and then into guitar braces. The article describes how the rough chunks of wood are converted into quarter-sawn boards and then how the boards are made into braces. With 15 photos.

Review: Archtop Guitar Master Class Series Part 1: Focusing on Bridges and Tailpieces by Bob Benedetto

2000
AL#64 p.56   BRB6 p.534            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this video to be more opinion than explanation, and that the limited amount of information included doesn’t justify its purchase.

Review: The Art of Violin Making by Chris Johnson and Roy Courtnall

2000
AL#64 p.56   BRB6 p.534            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Though the reviewer finds that this book shares a few of the same limitations as all other violin construction books, in the end “this is a great book (that) for the most part completely eclipses every previous violin making text.”

Kit Review: Stew-Mac’s D-28 Guitar

2000
AL#64 p.58   BRB6 p.493            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The author enjoyed building this kit and decides that it is a fine value as well as a good way to enter guitar making. With 14 photos.

Product Reviews: Hipshot Ultralight Bass Tuners

2000
AL#64 p.61   BRB6 p.476            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman returns to this column after a long absence, and finds that he has a strong admiration for Hipshot Ultralight Bass Tuners. He also examines the Earvana intonated nut intended for Fender electric guitars and finds that they do improve intonation, though the installation is not a piece of cake. With 3 photos.

In Memoriam: David Rubio

2001
AL#65 p.5   BRB6 p.204            read this article
Paul Fischer                                                                                           

▪ Born David Joseph Spinks, Rubio was an Englishman who adopted his Spanish nickname. He became a well-known maker of classical guitars, early instruments, and violins.

Review: From Harp Guitars to the New Hawaiian Family: Chris J. Knutsen, History and Development of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar by George T. Noe and Daniel L. Most

2000
AL#62 p.62   BRB6 p.531            read this article
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer recommends this book that traces the history of harp and Hawaiian guitars, focusing sharply of the life and work of Knutsen.

Review: Taylor on Guitars: New Neck Designs by Bob Taylor, Taylor Guitars

2000
AL#62 p.63   BRB6 p.532            read this article
Woody Vernice                                                                                           

▪ This video is used to explain the design of the new Taylor neck. The reviewer likes it as more than the selling aid that Taylor envisioned, that for him it opened the discussion for the future role of the handbuilder.

Questions: Recycled/Reclaimed Wood

2000
AL#62 p.64   BRB6 p.11            read this article
Dave Maize                                                                                           

▪ Building demolition, street trees, blowdowns, flooding, and naturally killed trees as sources for recycled/reclaimed woods.

In Memoriam: Nicholas Von Robison

2000
AL#63 p.3   BRB6 p.88            read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Nick was a multi-faceted friend of the GAL and instrumental in its on-line existence. He was a frequent AL author, especially on the subject of botany.

Meet the Collector: Sheldon Urlik

2000
AL#63 p.10   BRB6 p.72            
Cyndy Burton   Sheldon Urlik                                                                                       

▪ When a collector becomes a historian his importance to lutherie takes on a new dimension. Urlik’s collection begins with Torres and extends to many important current, and can be examined by anyone in his book A Collection of Fine Classical Guitars, from Torres to the Present. With 19 photos.

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

An American in Mirecourt

2000
AL#63 p.20   BRB6 p.82            read this article
Paul Schuback                                                                                           

▪ This piece would be important just as an historical document of Schuback’s apprenticeship to a French violin maker in the early ’60s. The inclusion of his current shop practices and building methods makes it an article that everyone interested in the violin should read. With 33 photos and 5 diagrams.

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

Getting Fit

2000
AL#63 p.34   BRB6 p.108            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ OK, so you’ve got all the parts for your flattop guitar body prepped for construction. How do you get all the pieces to fit together? The author details the construction methods used at the Huss & Dalton Guitar Co, all of which should prove useful to any small shop.With 21 photos.

Meet the Maker: Clive Titmuss

2000
AL#63 p.40   BRB6 p.130            
Gordon Gray   Clive Titmuss                                                                                       

▪ Titmuss is a Canadian who builds and performs upon the lute. He’s also a lute historian and a musicologist. It takes an interesting person to make a mostly-forgotten piece of the past come alive, which is what Titmuss does. With 8 photos.

V Joint a la Geza

2000
AL#63 p.46   BRB6 p.114            
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ The V joint is an elegant, traditional method of adding a pitched headstock to a classical guitar. This 20-photo essay follows the able hands of Geza Burghardt as he completes the entire operation.

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

Nine Electric Guitar Construction References

2000
AL#63 p.50               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The best of these books and videos should put you well on the way to making professional quality electric instruments. You should know about the others, too, if only so you know to avoid them.

Product Reviews: Livos Oil Finish

2000
AL#63 p.56   BRB6 p.471            read this article
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Mr. Fred spins a tale about new finish products, then reviews the orange oil-based finish products from Livos.

Review: Sunburst Finishing by Dan Erlewine and Don MacRostie

2000
AL#63 p.61   BRB6 p.533            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer admires this video as a look at the real world of guitar finishing, where standards are high and problems are bound to arise.

Review: Guitar Finishing Step-by-Step by Dan Erlewine and Don MacRostie

2000
AL#61 p.62   BRB6 p.530            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer recommends this book to anyone who wishes to spray lacquer, but especially to those who wish to recreate many of the electric guitar finishes the factories have put out.

Review: The Player’s Guide to Guitar Maintenance by Dave Burrluck

2000
AL#61 p.62   BRB6 p.530            read this article
Dave Zogg                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer decides that this very pretty book should serve all but the tool-disabled to care for their guitars.

Review: Spray Finishing Basics by Dan Erlewine and Don MacRostie

2000
AL#61 p.63   BRB6 p.531            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this video for its good advice to luthiers who have no access to professional equipment. Those who already have a booth and good spray gear will also benefit from the instruction. The 2 jobs involved are both electric guitars finished in colors.

Questions: Flamenco Strings and Setup

2000
AL#61 p.64   BRB6 p.113            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Info on typical string clearances at the 1st and 12th frets on a flamenco guitar, based on GAL plan #42 (1951 M. Barbero) by R.E. Brune.

Letter to the Editor: Passing of Jim Norris

2000
AL#62 p.3   BRB6 p.81            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Mentions the death of Jim Norris, who “was instrumental in bringing the classical guitar to Chicago in the late 1950s and early 1960s…”

Designing the Archtop Guitar for Sound

2000
AL#62 p.6   BRB6 p.32            
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ No one in the field of archtop guitars is more respected than Monteleone. This article represents his full thoughts on the instrument as of 1998. With 12 photos and 4 drawings.

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

Meet the Maker: David Freeman

2000
AL#62 p.18   BRB6 p.42            
Jonathon Peterson   David Freeman                                                                                       

▪ Freeman is an independent thinker who builds a wide variety of instruments and runs his own lutherie school in Canada. He’s also outspoken and articulate. You’ll be glad you met him here. With 21 photos.

Development of the European Guitar 1780-1880 and its Relevance to Modern Guitar Design

2000
AL#62 p.26   BRB6 p.48            
Gary Southwell                                                                                           

▪ The evolution of the guitar was not a straight-line event. Though both the classical and the steelstring have been more or less fixed in form for over a hundred years the century before that has not been well-documented. Here Southwell has begun to repair that oversight. A luthier with a keen sense of history, he has used the guitars of this period to inform and guide his own creations. With 37 photos of historical and Southwell guitars.

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

Meet the Maker: Masaru Kohno

2000
AL#62 p.42   BRB6 p.62            
Andrea Tacchi   Masaru Kohno                                                                                       

▪ Kohno classicals are ranked with the best of 20th century guitars. His youth in pre-war Japan was an experience unfamiliar to most of us, though his path toward higher standards of craftsmanship is one that many luthiers have traveled. His life was not an ordinary one. With 5 photos.

Router Jig for Shaping a Neck

2000
AL#62 p.46               read this article
Mike Nealon                                                                                           

▪ Nealon’s jig allows a router to fully shape the neck behind the heel, including the diamond on the back of the headstock. With 15 photos and 6 diagrams.

Kit Review: The Riverboat Banjo from Musicmaker’s Kits

2000
AL#62 p.50   BRB6 p.490            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This is the first of a new semi-regular column. The Riverboat features massive amounts of wood to paint or carve, as well as a head adjustment system that eliminates all of the traditional banjo hardware. Calkin likes it. With 7 photos.

Product Reviews: Frets.com CD

2000
AL#62 p.54   BRB6 p.470            read this article
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson examines Frank Ford’s “Frets.Com, A Luthier’s Notebook”, an ongoing CD-ROM project taken from Ford’s website and finds that it offers more information than one reviewer can deal with. The reviewer also looks at the Fret Tang Expander and the Fret Tang Compressor, 2 tools invented by Ford, and finds them a good addition to his tool kit. With 4 photos.

It Worked for Me: Classical Bridge Gluing

2000
AL#62 p.58               
Peter Giolitto                                                                                           

▪ A method utilizing a go-bar deck as alternative to gluing on a classical bridge using clamps through the soundhole.

Meet the Maker: Henry Stocek

2000
AL#62 p.59   BRB6 p.66            read this article
John Calkin   Henry Stocek                                                                                       

▪ Stocek began a small business to supply the guitar trade with pickguard stock that resembles pre-war celluloid. He loves old Martins, bluegrass, and “the right look,” and all three have altered his life. With 2 photos.

Meet the Maker: Geza Burghardt

2000
AL#61 p.4   BRB6 p.2            
Cyndy Burton   Geza Burghardt                                                                                       

▪ Burghardt and his family emigrated to Canada from Hungary in 1988 with few worldly goods and little English and proceeded to carve out a niche in a fashion we have grown accustomed to hearing about in these pages. He seems to prefer classical guitars and hand tools. Included is an 8-picture description of the jig he uses to slot the sides into the necks of his guitars, and 7 other photos.

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

Reinventing the Celluloid Tortoise

2000
AL#61 p.17   BRB6 p.10            read this article
Henry Stocek                                                                                           

▪ Stocek loves vintage Martins, and resupplying the world with pre-war style pickguard and binding stock has become his passion. His story is proof that recreating the past can be much harder than simply getting along with the present. It’s also the story of how celluloid is made.

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

Meet the Maker: David Rivinus

2000
AL#61 p.20   BRB6 p.12            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   David Rivinus                                                                                       

▪ This luthier has redesigned the viola into a beast he calls the Pellegrina. Its ergonomic design can potentially extend the working life of violists while supplying the tone they need for the most exacting jobs. The price, however, is a way-cool new look for the instrument. Way-cool for some, at least. With 12 photos and 3 drawings of different viola bridges.

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

Still Voicing, Still Dreaming

2000
AL#61 p.28   BRB6 p.18            
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ Ten years after the GAL convention lecture that made him a guru to most of the steelstring clan, Bourgeois has new information to offer about the construction and voicing of the flattop guitar. With 2 photos.

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

Clark “Neo-Irish” Harp

2000
AL#61 p.34   BRB6 p.22            
David Riggs                                                                                           

▪ The Celtic harp has become something of a cult object. The author offers his plans as a place to begin creation and not as an idea frozen in stone. There are 7 photos of construction details, along with some suggestions of how to proceed. The plans are a shrunken version of GAL full-size blueprint #45.

The P-1 Guitar

2000
AL#61 p.38   BRB6 p.26            
Kevin-B. Rielly                                                                                           

▪ The P-1 is a funky plywood guitar intended for the lowest end of the handmade market. That’s a real tough slot to fill, but Rielly seems curious about the possibilities and not too concerned about staking his livelihood on the little devils. There’s a moral here, though: there is someone hungry for almost anything you can make. Finding that guy may be the hard part. With 5 photos.

Meet the Maker: Fabio Ragghianti

2000
AL#61 p.40   BRB6 p.28            
Harry Fleishman   Fabio Ragghianti                                                                                       

▪ Ragghianti is an Italian luthier. It’s interesting that luthiers from around the world seem to think of their instruments in the same terms. This easily allows them to immediately find a common ground regardless of their cultural background or language. Ragghianti came to America, then Fleishman went to Italy. The terrain didn’t seem to make a lot of difference. With 3 photos.

The Acoustical Characteristics of the Concert Cymbalom

2000
AL#61 p.46               read this article
Janos Pap                                                                                           

▪ The cymbalom is the mother of hammered dulcimers. It may also be the mother of the piano. It’s also a complex animal to build, though building it isn’t the focus here. What can be learned by rolling an instrument into an acoustics laboratory? We’re still not sure. With 17 charts, three drawings, and a photo of the beast in question.

Product Reviews: Stew-Mac Neck Jig

2000
AL#61 p.52   BRB6 p.468            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Good grades are given to the Stew-Mac neck jig, a fretting aid. The fret nippers intended for jumbo fret wire is greeted with mixed emotions. The Allen mandolin tailpiece is found to offer grace and dignity to any mando with a bridge high enough to allow its use.

Sources: Schools and More

2000
AL#61 p.55               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ This is a list of lutherie schools in the USA, Canada, and the British Isles, followed by a list of organizations, periodicals, and publishers of interest to luthiers.

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

It Worked for Me: Adding Table Space

2000
AL#61 p.61   BRB6 p.448            
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A way to quickly ‘add’ table space to a drill press, bandsaw, or spindle sander is with a couple of fret bar clamps, such as those made by True Grip.

Expanding Steel String Design

1999
AL#60 p.6   BRB5 p.422            
Fred Carlson   Harry Fleishman   William Eaton   Saul Koll                                                                               

▪ The market for flattop guitars probably isn’t evolving away from tried and true designs at all, but individual luthiers are working on instruments that would baffle (and hopefully intrigue) Orville and old C.F. These four groundbreaking guitarmakers got together to discuss their work in front of an audience at the 1998 GAL convention, and if their work and philosophies don’t show you anything you must be hopelessly lost in the nostalgic past. This article is a condensed version of that discussion. With 24 photos.

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

Arching and Voicing in Violin Plates

1999
AL#60 p.16   BRB5 p.399            
Graham Caldersmith                                                                                           

▪ Caldersmith offers this article as an aesthetic link with his more scientific treatise in AL#58. The shape of a fiddles sound can be explained technically, then interpreted into a wooden shape that must please the maker’s artistic eye. If you’ve been scratching your head over the meaning of all the technical gobbledygook, this may be the information you’ve been waiting for. With a drawing and 11 photos of the carving process.

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

On the Selection and Treatment of Bracewoods

1999
AL#60 p.19   BRB5 p.417            
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ How important is the grain orientation of your braces? Is quartersawn wood really the stiffest? Somogyi ran a small series of tests that suggest that information we all trust and take for granted may be little more than lutherie mythology. With 3 photos and a chart.

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

The Maalaea Special

1999
AL#60 p.22   BRB5 p.408            
Rich Mermer                                                                                           

▪ Are you familiar with the Weissenborn Hawaiian guitars of the ’20s? How ’bout the acoustic lap steel work of David Lindley? Well, Lindley often plays a Weissenborn, which is lap guitar with a sound chamber that includes a hollow neck (think of a guitar whose mother was frightened by a fretted dulcimer). Rich Mermer doesn’t build exact Weissenborn copies, but a very similar design. His good plan is a single-page diagram with a chart of measurements. With 12 photos.

Meet the Maker: Bob Gernandt

1999
AL#60 p.28   BRB5 p.420            
John Calkin   Bob Gernandt                                                                                       

▪ This North Carolina luthier likes to use native timber in the wide variety of instruments he builds. His particular interest is the Irish bouzouki and cittern.

Project Evia

1999
AL#60 p.30   BRB5 p.412            
Joseph Curtin                                                                                           

▪ Evia is Curtin’s shorthand for Experimental Viola, a design he has created in wood and which he hopes to transfer into graphite and foam. Perhaps the time for change is finally upon us. Many think they can see the end of first-quality tonewood, and if we’re going to alter a 500-year-old tradition by changing wood species, why not change all the way and leave wood behind? Curtin (a widely respected creator of bowed instruments) seems certain that synthetic instruments of tonal excellence are less than a decade away. With 19 photos.

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

Healdsburg 1999

1999
AL#60 p.36               
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Healdsburg has become a Mecca for makers and fans of custom guitars. If you weren’t there you don’t have to be square, these 15 photos and Peterson’s crisp text will clue you in on what you missed.

Refret With David Santo

1999
AL#60 p.39   BRB5 p.432            
Todd Novak                                                                                           

▪ Clear text and 19 photos explain how to do a fret job the old fashioned way—no fancy-shmansy new jiggery or expensive tools. Fret jobs have been done this way since the advent of barbed fret wire, and it’s good to be reminded that self-reliance and skill can still get the job done.

Product Reviews: Moto-Tool Bases; Neck-Making Tools: JAWS

1999
AL#60 p.44   BRB5 p.436            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Hi-Tone instrument cases are reviewed and not found wanting, “a contender for the handsomest case out there, and very solidly built.”

Review: Mandolin Magazine

1999
AL#60 p.48   BRB5 p.485            read this article
Randy Allen                                                                                           

▪ Mandolin magazines come and go. The small market must cramp their longevity. Then reviewer likes this latest contender, and if it’s as good as he says we all hope it will hang around for awhile.

Review: Assembling a Solidbody Electric Guitar by Dan Erlewine

1999
AL#60 p.48   BRB5 p.485            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ All it takes to slap together a parts guitar is a screwdriver and some common sense, right? Way wrong! The reviewer decides that this video should be figured into the budget of every first-time guitar assembler.