Tag Archives: ¸

It Worked for Me: Fret Slot Cutting Fixture

1999
AL#60 p.50   BRB5 p.505            
Stan Tucker                                                                                           

▪ A fixture to cut fret slots using an older 9″ DeWalt radial-arm saw to measure and cut accurate fret slots for odd scale lengths.

Sources

1999
AL#60 p.52               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ This column updates several source lists that have appeared in past issues. If you need it to build instruments, you should find a supplier here.

Gene Rhinehart: Northwest Resophonic Connection

1999
AL#59 p.50   BRB5 p.392            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Rhinehart has built Dobro-style guitars for years, and was among the first to furnish custom resonator cones to the industry. Includes a new plan format, a one-page diagram of a square neck guitar with a chart of dimensions. Different methods of seating the cone are discussed, and 8 photos show some of the details of Rhinehart’s work.

Product Reviews: Routing Jig; Router Base for Moto Tool; Fingerboard/Bridge Heating Iron

1999
AL#59 p.56   BRB5 p.452            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson checks out Iboney, a specially treated cow bone used for nuts and saddles. Also in this column is an examination of 3 Stew-Mac tools, a fingerboard and bridge heating iron, a purfling cutter attachment for the Dremel MultiPro, and a binding cutter for the Stew-Mac version of the MultiPro router base. Fred likes the Iboney, and decides that both Stew-Mac Dremel attachments are better made than the Dremels themselves. The heating iron passes inspection, too, but the GAL Tool Guy feels a bit luke-warm about it.

Questions: Crystalac

1999
AL#59 p.59               
Eric Aceto                                                                                           

▪ Inquiries on switching to water based lacquer after developing an allergy to low toxic lacquer, Crystalac in particular.

Review: Acquired of the Angels by Paul William Schmidt

1999
AL#59 p.62   BRB5 p.482            read this article
Linda Manzer                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this book about the life and work of John D’Angelico and James D’Aquisto “is a wonderful and carefully prepared book,” though perhaps not free of errors.

Review: Advanced Inlay Techniques by Larry Robinson

1999
AL#59 p.63   BRB5 p.478            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Robinson not only continues to widen the scope of instrument inlay, he invites others to come along and shows them how to do it. The reviewer is very enthusiastic about this video tape.

Review: Research Papers in Violin Acoustics, 1975-1993 edited by Carleen Hutchins and Virginia Benade

1999
AL#59 p.63   BRB5 p.483            read this article
David Hurd                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that the expense and daunting technical nature of this two-volume set should not prevent individuals from acquiring them and wading in. He admonishes that one never knows what will come out of such reading, but that nothing will come of it if it isn’t attempted.

Review: Shoptalk 5 by Todd Sams, Don MacRostie, Dan Erlewine

1999
AL#59 p.65   BRB5 p.484            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this instruction video that is ultimately intended to sell product, and finds that the instruction far outweighs the salesmanship angle of this Stew-Mac tape.

Letter to the Editor: Trip To Spain

1999
AL#60 p.4               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune’s letter gives us an update of the Spanish flamenco scene as he found it during a visit to Spain in May of 1999. With 3 photos.

The Squishy Subject of Restoration Ethics

1999
AL#59 p.6   BRB5 p.374            
Frank Ford                                                                                           

▪ A top repairman tackles the sticky subject of what repair and restoration work should be tackled in this age of vintage instrument mania, especially in the area of elective surgery. Even today’s utilitarian instruments may be tomorrow’s hot collectibles, so every instrument that passes over our bench has to be considered in this light. What work should we refuse, and what are our liabilities for the work we do? Includes 41 photos, mostly of vintage guitars and mandolins.

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

Meet the Maker: Steve Kauffman

1999
AL#59 p.18   BRB5 p.386            
David Melly   Steve Kauffman                                                                                       

▪ Kauffman had been a luthier for sometime before he apprenticed to Steve Klein. Today he builds Klein acoustics in his own shop as well as his personal line of guitars. He’s a thoughtful and thought-provoking man, and you’ll be glad you met him. With 6 photos.

Kasha Collaboration, Part 2

1999
AL#59 p.22   BRB5 p.332            
Jonathon Peterson   George Majkowski   Boaz Elkayam                                                                                   

▪ George Majkowski and Boaz Elkayam complete their work on 10 Kasha guitars to honor the memory of Richard Schneider and to keep his work alive. The hand tools involved, the strange method of fretting, and the cool vacuum clamps, as well as the design philosophy behind the guitars, make this a pair of articles not to be missed. The Old World meets the future here and they blend very nicely. With 58 photos.

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

A New Look at the Chromatic Dulcimer

1999
AL#59 p.36   BRB5 p.390            
Merv Rowley                                                                                           

▪ Rowley may have been the first to use metal rod for frets rather than fret wire, a technique often attributed to Richard Schneider. He has built dulcimers for many years and has been something of an innovator. Here he examines the chromatic, rather than the diatonic dulcimer, and decides that perhaps it’s time has come and how to make it most acceptable to those who already play the conventionally fretted instrument. With a photo and two charts.

Meet the Maker: Grit Laskin

1999
AL#59 p.39   BRB5 p.402            
Gordon Gray   Grit Laskin                                                                                       

▪ Laskin is a well-known maker of masterful guitars and a groundbreaking artist in inlay concept and design. He’s also a novelist and a recording artist. If the 9 photos of his guitars and inlay work don’t inspire you, you’re certainly from an old school of lutherie.

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

Making Compensated Saddles

1999
AL#59 p.46   BRB5 p.396            
Jeff Huss   Mark Dalton                                                                                       

▪ Hand carved and compensated bone saddles are a mark of finesse. Fine work is all about the details, and Huss and Dalton discuss a detail that is often overlooked but easy to make. With 8 photos.

Meet the Maker: Bonnie Carol

1999
AL#58 p.16   BRB5 p.358            
John Calkin   Bonnie Carol                                                                                       

▪ Bonnie Carol has been a mainstay on the dulcimer scene for three decades. She is alive and well in Colorado, still building and performing. With 9 photos of her shop, instruments, and construction process. Mentions Max Krimmel.

Kasha Collaboration, Part 1

1999
AL#58 p.20   BRB5 p.332            
Jonathon Peterson   George Majkowski   Boaz Elkayam                                                                                   

▪ Boaz Elkayam and George Majkowski extend the work of Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider in a project that entails the construction of 10 guitars. A wide variety of building techniques involving hand and power tools, as well as vacuum clamping, is necessary to make these complicated instruments. An unlikely pairing of craftsmen contributes to our understanding of one of the most controversial instrument designers of our times, and the memory of a respected luthier and teacher. With 26 photos.

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

Reconciling Structural and Acoustic Design in Violin Making

1999
AL#58 p.32   BRB5 p.362            
Graham Caldersmith                                                                                           

▪ Everyone knows that the most responsive instruments often teeter on the edge of self-destruction from string tension. Building fine-sounding instruments that will also have a reasonable lifespan is one of our general goals. Caldersmith takes a scientist’s view of the violin and decides that arching design is the key to longevity, while an understanding of free-plate tuning is needed to release the tonal qualities the luthier seeks. He furnishes 7 charts and diagrams to help make his case, as well as a photo of his Australian self. But what we all want to know is if a pursuit of science will eventually enhance our luthier’s intuition. Is it better to think or to feel? Do we really have to choose?

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

Meet the Maker: Gary Southwell

1999
AL#58 p.38   BRB5 p.366            
Cyndy Burton   Gary Southwell                                                                                       

▪ Southwell makes gut-strung guitars that may be strange or more-or-less conventional, but always elegant, and he makes them for some high-profile patrons. His specialty is pre-classical or “salon” guitars. He’s an eloquent Englishman whom you’ll be happy to meet. With 6 photos.

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

Calculating Arc Parameters

1999
AL#58 p.42   BRB5 p.355            
Jon Sevy                                                                                           

▪ If first-year college math pushed your left-brain functions to the limit (been there, done that) you may cringe at the sight of the simplest equation. If so, check out this article. Modern luthiers build arcs into many of their instruments, and if you don’t know how to create them to lay out your own jigs you’ll be forever at the mercy of tool suppliers. Worse yet, when someone asks what the radius of your back plate is you can shrug your shoulders and look like an idiot. Let Sevy solve your problem. You can do it!

About the Cello Tailpiece

1999
AL#58 p.46   BRB5 p.370            
Eric Fouilhe                                                                                           

▪ What affect does the tailpiece have on your latest fiddle? Bet you don’t even know! We’ll bet you haven’t even thought about it! The cello is the object of concern here, but is there a large difference? The cello tailpiece has evolved into an inelegant plastic lump, and Fouilhe maintains that it’s often a source of sonic foul play, sort of like a 200-pound jockey on a race horse. He makes his case with 3 photos and 2 drawings.

Why Lutherie?

1999
AL#58 p.49               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Why do you lutherize? Really, why? Luthiers may be more inclined to look inward than others, but they’re no more inclined to talk about what they find there than anyone else. Somogyi’s eloquent confession might spark the rest of us into talking more deeply about our art and craft.

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

Product Reviews: Chapin Insight Guitar Inspection Camera

1999
AL#58 p.52   BRB5 p.449            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ How would you like a video camera that can snoop inside your guitar? Carlson examines the Chapin Insight guitar inspection camera and finds that it’s loads of fun and probably very useful to a repairman who has the $350 to improve his inspection capabilities.

Review: Ring the Banjar! The Banjo in America from Folklore to Factory, by Robert Lloyd Web

1999
AL#58 p.55   BRB5 p.480            read this article
Woody Vernice                                                                                           

▪ In 1984 the MIT museum sponsored an exhibition of banjos built predominantly in and around Boston. This book is sort of the catalog of that show, complete with two essays about the history of the banjo and the Bostonians who built the factories. The reviewer decides that if you like the open-back banjo you’ll enjoy this book.

Review: Making and Playing Musical Instruments by Jack Botermans, Herman Dewit, and Hans Godefroy

1999
AL#58 p.55   BRB5 p.480            read this article
David Riggs                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this book about building assorted folk and flea market instruments, though he doesn’t expect serious luthiers to have much use for it. Not unless they like to kick back with a tin can banjo, that is. A fun book for unserious moments.

Review: Violin Making—Live! Watch Me Make a Cello, Step-by-Step by Henry Strobel

1999
AL#58 p.56   BRB5 p.481            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this set of three video tapes (about 6-hrs. worth) to be roughly made but perhaps invaluable to the learn-at-home crowd.

Review: Julian Bream, the Foundations of a Musical Career by Stuart W. Button

1999
AL#58 p.57   BRB5 p.481            
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Bream began when the classical guitar world was small, indeed. The reviewer finds this collection of letters about Bream’s early years to be small, expensive, and enjoyable.

It Worked for Me: Guitar Finishing Holder

1999
AL#58 p.58   BRB5 p.501            
Andrea Andalo                                                                                           

▪ A simple device to hold guitars during the finishing phase which consists of an upright which can be held in a vise and a workboard which the neck can be secured.

It Worked for Me: Mandolin Side Heights

1999
AL#58 p.58   BRB5 p.501            
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ A good method for finding the height of mandolin family sides using a violin soundpost height gauge.

Questions: Dovetail Joining Method

1999
AL#58 p.60               
Lawrence Smart                                                                                           

▪ Information on the dovetail method for joining the instrument neck to body including calculating the degree of neck angle, dimensions of the dovetail cuts, procedures for making the cuts, and adjusting any improper fit.

More Binding Tips and Tools

1999
AL#57 p.11   BRB5 p.297            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin was hired by Huss and Dalton to take over their guitar binding. His story includes a description of how to make wood binding, and covers the hand tools he uses during the binding procedure. With 6 photos.

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

Stick with Hide Glue

1999
AL#57 p.14   BRB5 p.302            
Frank Ford   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ The authors believe that hot hide glue is the best adhesive for virtually all construction and most repair jobs. Here’s why they think so and how they handle this ancient material. Includes diagrams of the customized glue pots used by both men, 15 photos, and a hide glue grading chart.

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

Meet the Maker: Joshia de Jonge

1999
AL#57 p.22   BRB5 p.300            
Cyndy Burton   Joshia de-Jonge                                                                                       

▪ Joshia’s classical won high praise during the listening session at the GAL’s 1998 convention, quite an achievement for a 19-year-old woman. But then, just about every member of her family builds guitars. Her free-spirited optimism may be as much a product of her upbringing as her youth. With 3 photos.

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

The Chainsaw Lutherie of Tom Ribbecke, Part 2

1999
AL#57 p.24   BRB5 p.262            
Jay Hargreaves                                                                                           

▪ In this installment the top plate is carved and braced. Ribbecke roughs out the plates in a unique vacuum cage that goes a long way toward keeping his shop clean. The chainsaw wheel he attaches to his grinder gives this series its name, and speeds the carving process dramatically. Tuning the top isn’t completed until the guitar is assembled in the next segment. Part 1 was in AL#56. Includes 20 photos.

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

Estimating an Initial Soundboard Thickness

1999
AL#57 p.32   BRB5 p.310            
David Hurd                                                                                           

▪ Uke maker Hurd was once a research scientist, and intuitive instrument construction is not his bag. Using his formula luthiers can compare known wood species with unknowns and learn what to expect of the new ones. He also offers some top dimensions for instruments of the ukulele family. With 5 charts and much math.

Tales of True Companionship

1999
AL#57 p.40   BRB5 p.317            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin builds a uniquely shaped travel guitar called the True Companion, and here explains its construction as well as the jigs he devised for production building. The plan is a mini-version of GAL Plan #44. With 14 photos, including one of the sternest luthier of the year. Ya’ll remember to smile when it’s your turn!

Adjustable Dished Workboard

1999
AL#57 p.46   BRB5 p.330            
Kevin-B. Rielly                                                                                           

▪ By now we all know about using dished workboards to create a radius on flat instrument plates. Rielly’s board is easier to make than most, and can be adjusted for either the top or back radius. With 6 photos.

A Few Realities About Runout

1999
AL#57 p.48   BRB5 p.322            
Don Musser                                                                                           

▪ Musser supplies wood to the trade, and his notions about grain runout may surprise you. Wood from split billets doesn’t guarantee a minimum of runout unless the billet itself has absolutely no runout. Does it matter? Musser thinks so. With 4 photos.

Domestic Tranquility

1999
AL#57 p.50   BRB5 p.324            
Paul McGill                                                                                           

▪ McGill’s lutherie shop is in his basement, and keeping his house free of fumes and dust involved lots of planning and not a little money. Here’s how he did it. With 3 photos and a drawing.

Meet the Maker: Steve Kinnaird

1999
AL#57 p.53   BRB5 p.327            
John Calkin   Steve Kinnaird                                                                                       

▪ Kinnaird is a minister, luthier, blues guitarist, and all-around nice guy. You’ll be glad you met him. With 4 photos.

Violin Views

1999
AL#57 p.56   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Good violins often come with a certificate of authenticity, but what does that mean? What are the legal ramifications of a certificate, and who writes them? Are they trustworthy? How does one gain the necessary expertise to write certificates? Cool stuff, even if you could care less about fiddles.

Product Reviews: Turbo Carver

1999
AL#57 p.58   BRB5 p.436            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson takes over the GAL test pilot seat for new tools. This time he flies the Turbo-carver, an ultra-speed carving tool similar to (but not as elaborate as) a dentist drill. Carlson likes the tool but can’t seem to find a lot of use for it in lutherie. And though the tool is fairly inexpensive, he also questions its lifespan.

Review: Acoustics of Wood by Voichita Buchur

1999
AL#57 p.62   BRB5 p.479            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this technical tome about how wood vibrates may have a lot of value to any luthier who wants to work out the math, but that its high price will make it unavailable to most.

Review: Tambura by Dusan Brankov

1999
AL#57 p.63   BRB5 p.480            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this book will guide any luthier through the construction of this instrument that is sort of a simple guitar from Yugoslavia.

Sources: Schools

1999
AL#57 p.64               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ If you’re looking for formal lutherie instruction in the UK, Canada, or US, this list of schools is your best place to start.

The Chainsaw Lutherie of Tom Ribbecke, Part 3

1999
AL#58 p.6   BRB5 p.262            
Jay Hargreaves                                                                                           

▪ The final installment in the series, parts 1 & 2 were in AL#56 and #57, respectively. In this segment the sides are bent, the body is assembled and bound, the neck is fitted to the body, and attention is given to tuning the plates. Special consideration is given to making the adjustable bridges as well as Tom’s elegant ebony/graphite tailpiece. With 36 photos and a drawing.

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

Letter to the Editor: Luthier Groups

1998
AL#56 p.5               
Brian Burns                                                                                           

▪ Burns is a member of the thriving Northern California Association of Luthiers, and he offers advice to others about how to start a successful lutherie organization.

The Modern Mandolin

1998
AL#56 p.6   BRB5 p.248            
Lawrence Smart                                                                                           

▪ The demands of contemporary players has forced many changes in the mandolin family since the fabled Loar family of Gibsons was created in the 1920s. Smart has built mandolins, mandolas, and mandocellos to work together as an ensemble as well as separately, and here he discusses the differences that might be desirable in the family as the setting is changed, as well as the changes that players have asked for in his instruments. Accompanied by charts of Smart’s instrument specs as well as those of Gibson. With 5 photos and 5 drawings.

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

Meet the Maker: Linda Manzer

1998
AL#56 p.16   BRB5 p.256            
Cyndy Burton   Linda Manzer                                                                                       

▪ Through her artistic merit, dogged determination, and sheer grit, Manzer has risen to the top ranks of her profession. This interview covers her background and training, work ethic, favorite woods, and other lutherie intimacies. With 10 photos.

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

Shaping the Sound: A Personal Approach to Building Classical Guitars

1998
AL#56 p.22   BRB5 p.230            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ In every craft the cream inevitably rises, and Elliott is known to make some of the creamiest classical guitars in the world. Though this article offers a complete recipe for building guitars with “allure,” it becomes obvious that the most important ingredient is the artistic sensitivity he has developed. Not to be overlooked if your goal is to cook up fine classicals. With 9 photos, 1 drawing, and a list for further reading.

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

Martin Tenor Ukulele

1998
AL#56 p.32   BRB5 p.240            
Peter Hurney                                                                                           

▪ Uke builder Hurney offers a description and plans for the Martin Tenor, as well as outlines of the Martin Soprano and Concert models. The plans are available as GAL full-scale Plan #43. With front and back photos of 3 sizes of Martin ukes.

The Chainsaw Lutherie of Tom Ribbecke, Part One: The Neck

1998
AL#56 p.36   BRB5 p.262            
Jay Hargreaves                                                                                           

▪ Ribbecke is a renowned maker of archtop guitars. He also opens his shop periodically to small classes that wish to learn his formula for successful and graceful guitars. Hargreaves attended one such week-long session and brought back the straight skinny for American Lutherie readers. Part 1 details the construction of a laminated maple neck and associated details. Part 2 follows in AL#57. With 29 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: David “Kawika” Hurd

1998
AL#56 p.44   BRB5 p.285            
John Calkin   David Hurd                                                                                       

▪ David Hurd’s classical guitar drew accolades at the ’98 convention’s listening session, but he’s better known for his ukes and his info-jammed ukulele website. He’s also had the opportunity to build instruments from species of Hawaiian wood that most of us have never even heard of. Life is different in Hawaii. Still. With 3 photos.

Searching for Blue Significance

1998
AL#56 p.50               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Scott Chinery had 22 luthiers build 22 archtop guitars, all of them blue. Why? And why did the Smithsonian Institute decide to display them? And then throw in a big shindig for luthiers and guitar nuts alike? Calkin treks to Washington D.C. in the name of the Guild to figure out what all the fuss is about and discovers that hardly anything is what it seems. With 3 photos.

Clearly Protective

1998
AL#56 p.54   BRB5 p.290            
Kent Everett                                                                                           

▪ So you hate the way pickguards look but like the job they do? Everett shows how to apply a clear pickguard without bubbles or fingerprints coming along for the ride.

Sources: Plans

1998
AL#56 p.56               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ This list of instrument plans probably isn’t world-inclusive, but it’s the biggest list we’ve put together so far. Collect them all and you could probably build for the rest of your life and never use the same plans twice.

Product Reviews: Fretless Bass Strings, Coconut Cup, Duct Tape Lutherie

1998
AL#56 p.58               
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ The Guild’s toolin’ fool bows out as a regular columnist by reviewing tools that could only exist in an Ideal World. Or Funnier World. Pure satire from a man who knows about purity. With 4 photos.

Violin Views

1998
AL#56 p.62   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Before you try to fix, buy, or sell a violin, you better know what you’re diving into. Darnton explains how to evaluate the condition of a fiddle and how to spot old repairs and perhaps even forgeries.

Questions: Playability Variables

1998
AL#56 p.64   BRB5 p.309            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ The variables that influence the ‘feel’ or playability of instruments with the same scale length, string gauge, and setup.

It Worked for Me: Cheap Fret Bender

1998
AL#56 p.65   BRB5 p.500            
Kevin-B. Rielly                                                                                           

▪ A simple $1 bender design as an alternative to bending frets with pliers or a variable fret bender which takes less than 30 minutes to assemble.

Letter to the Editor: Correction to AL#56 Article

1999
AL#57 p.3               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Elliott offers a correction to his top brace system as stated in his lecture printed in AL#56.

Binding Guitars

1999
AL#57 p.6   BRB5 p.292            
Jeff Huss   Mark Dalton                                                                                       

▪ The H&D Guitar Company builds about 100 guitars per year, the great majority of them bound in wood. Here’s how they do it. With 13 photos.

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

Length of Newt’s Tail by Width of Dragon’s Hair

1998
AL#55 p.45               read this article
Ken Sribnick                                                                                           

▪ Sribnick believes that consistent accuracy stems from shop standards. One set of measuring tools, one set of templates, one style of doing things. He makes a good case, too. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Paul Jacobson

1998
AL#55 p.48   BRB5 p.243            
Cyndy Burton   Paul Jacobson                                                                                       

▪ Jacobson is a widely respected builder of classical guitars who considers lutherie to be the equivalent of writing sonnets. They are both exercises in controlled creativity. And both can be beautiful.

It Worked for Me: Neck/Body Joint Jig

1998
AL#55 p.54   BRB5 p.497            
Filippo Avignonesi                                                                                           

▪ A jig to make joints for attaching necks to bodies; both heel and body are slotted and joined by a flat wooden spline.

Questions: Soundboard/Neck Relationship

1998
AL#55 p.60   BRB5 p.208            
Tom Blackshear                                                                                           

▪ The relationship of the soundboard to the neck on classical and flamenco guitars.

Violin Views

1998
AL#55 p.61   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Repair ethics updated. Centuries from now some of those “cheap” fiddles won’t be cheap any more, and the quick and dirty repairs we do to keep them functional today may be considered butchery in the future. Is it time to reconsider our impact on the violin scenes to come?

Questions: Bridge Finish

1998
AL#55 p.62   BRB5 p.208            
Frank-S. Hedi   Gavin Baird                                                                                       

▪ It is customary to glue on the bridge after finish is done on the guitar for a far easier cleanup job.

Review: Basic Pickup Winding and Complete Guide to Making Your Own Pickup Winder by Jason Lollar

1998
AL#55 p.63   BRB5 p.477            
Bishop Cochran                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this book is weak on pickup design considerations but that it will ultimately set the luthier free to customize his sound and escape the high cost of commercial pickups.

Review: Wood: The Best of Fine Woodworking

1998
AL#55 p.63   BRB5 p.477            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this collection of magazine articles will furnish new information to woodworkers of all experience levels. It should also encourage many to harvest their own wood supply and show them how to make it into a material worthy of their best work.

Review: Basic Inlay Techniques and Intermediate Inlay Techniques by Larry Robinson

1998
AL#55 p.64   BRB5 p.478            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that for anyone wishing to attempt intricate, carefully fitted inlays these two instruction videos should guide them through the craft phase and help to release whatever art they may be capable of.

Review: How to Repair Your Diatonic Accordion or Concertina by John Townley and Jehan Paul

1998
AL#55 p.65               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer enjoyed this video. It is iconoclastic and hip, and should help anyone keep their squeezebox wheezing healthily. Instruction should always be this fun.

Review: 1996 Luthier’s Art; 1997 Luthier’s Art

1998
AL#55 p.65               read this article
Woody Vernice                                                                                           

▪ These are two picture books of guitars made by luthiers who attended the Healdsburg Guitar Festivals in 1996 and 1997. The reviewer finds that the pictures are too little, but that luthiers looking for new ideas may browse through them endlessly.

Letter to the Editor: Building Spreadsheets

1998
AL#56 p.3               
Jon Sevy                                                                                           

▪ Sevy has developed a spreadsheet for calculating the over-all time spent building a lutherie project. He offers the spreadsheet to readers through his website.

Letter to the Editor: Oversize Bass

1998
AL#56 p.3               
Derrick McCandless                                                                                           

▪ McCandless built a functioning P/J bass that is 8′ long and otherwise to scale. With 1 photo of the finished instrument.

Letter to the Editor: Acacia

1998
AL#56 p.4               
Tim O’Dea                                                                                           

▪ Australian O’Dea gives an enthusiastic description of Australian blackwood and its use in lutherie Down Under. The wood is similar to koa, to which it is related. With 1 photo of 2 finished acoustic guitars.

Violin Views

1998
AL#54 p.52   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton dwells upon the value of violins (as opposed, at times, to their cost), and finds that customers drive the cost of violins even when they aren’t sure of the value. For non-fiddle people this may be the most interesting column he has written, and for violin folks it should prove quite enlightening.

Review: A Collection of Fine Spanish Guitars from Torres to the Present by Sheldon Urlik

1998
AL#54 p.54   BRB5 p.474            
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer urges the purchase of this pricey book ($119.95) by anyone seriously interested in the history or construction of the classical guitar.

Review: Easy Guitar Maintenance and Repair by Harvey Citron

1998
AL#54 p.55   BRB5 p.476            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this video is a good learning device for anyone wishing to learn how to set up their electric guitar or bass, perhaps less so for acoustic players.

Review: Archtop Guitar Design and Construction by Robert Benedetto

1998
AL#54 p.56   BRB5 p.476            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this set of 5 videos to be useful and complete for those who wish to build an archtop guitar, but that those who lack previous lutherie experience should also have the book by Benedetto.

Review: Spray Finishing by Andy Charron

1998
AL#54 p.57   BRB5 p.477            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer decides that the book should be of use to anyone who is about to purchase their first spray gear, but that other sources of information are more lutherie-specific.

Product Reviews: Wood Thickness Indicator, Nut Files, Fret Slot Cleaning Tool

1998
AL#54 p.58   BRB5 p.444            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman tries out a tool for puncturing archtop plates to establish depth of cut, likes it, but finds that the standard size tool is for violin makers and guitar makers must special order; the nut files of a lifetime come into his shop; a good tool that Everyman can afford turns out to be nice fret slot cleaning tool.

In Memoriam: Irving Sloane

1998
AL#55 p.3   BRB5 p.213            read this article
Roger Sadowsky                                                                                           

▪ Sadowsky remembers Irving Sloane as a Renaissance man, and surely just the work he did in the lutherie field would qualify him for that. He designed and produced tuning machines, a slew of hand tools, and three instruction books that no doubt continue to be the worthy introduction many of us have to the world of lutherie. He was also Sadowsky’s father-in-law. This small remembrance is as nice as any man has had.

Sabicas’ 1951 Marcelo Barbero

1998
AL#55 p.8   BRB5 p.217            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ The story of this astonishing flamenco guitar involves Barbero, Sabicas, Carlos Montoya, and Elektra records. It dropped from sight until showing up at Brune’s for repair. Brune drew up a complete set of plans while the guitar was in his possession. They are printed here, and are also available as a full-size GAL Plan #42. With 12 photos.

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

GAL Instrument Plan #42: 1951 Marcelo Barbero Flamenco Guitar

1998
AL#55 p.10   BRB5 p.219            buy this plan
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

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

Meet the Maker: Paul McGill

1998
AL#55 p.16   BRB5 p.214            
Mark Bass   Paul McGill                                                                                       

▪ McGill is a thinking-man’s guitar maker with some strong notions that run counter to current lutherie mythology. He also has a big-time clientele who believe he is right. With 6 photos.

1998 GAL Convention Coverage

1998
AL#55 p.20               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ If you weren’t there, too bad. But you can begin to imagine what it was like from this extensive coverage. With 66 photos.

Meet the Maker: David Gusset

1998
AL#55 p.32   BRB5 p.224            
Jonathon Peterson   David Gusset                                                                                       

▪ Gusset’s early work made him intimately familiar with many fine old Italian violins, and he has used their influence to make his mark in world violin making competitions. With one drawing and 9 photos, including wonderful violin close-ups.

The Frame Guitar

1998
AL#55 p.40   BRB5 p.209            
Sam Littlepage                                                                                           

▪ Suppose you made a stiff framework that resembled a guitar that was strong enough to resist most of the distortion to which the instrument is prone, and then built a guitar around the framework. Well, Littlepage has beat you to it. He reports that it not only works, but also improves the guitar in every way. With 14 photos and a pair of drawings.

Ten Fiddle Books

1998
AL#53 p.52   BRB5 p.486            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ A non-fiddle maker reviews 10 of the less expensive books about building violins. Are they useful? Interesting? Deadly dull? Worth the bread? There are far more expensive books in this category, but these are the ones most likely to be encountered by the beginner. This will give you a leg up before you order.

Product Reviews: Guitar Cradle, Mirror, Fret Tools, Go-Bars, Guitar Neck Removal Jig, Pro 7A Mike

1998
AL#53 p.56   BRB5 p.442            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Harry ‘fesses up: many luthiers are just too darn serious to grok good humor. But he, himself, is serious about testing new gear. In this issue he sort of likes a Bench Guitar Cradle, isn’t very enthusiastic about the Ultimate Guitar Mirror, is ambiguous about a fret slotting miter box and saw, finds a good mini-mic to combine with piezo pickups for not a lot of money, hates a commercial go-bar deck, and raves about a neck removal jig for dovetail joints. Whew!

Questions: Epoxy as Filler

1998
AL#53 p.59   BRB5 p.147            
Fred Campbell   Douglas Somervell                                                                                       

▪ Differing clarifications on using epoxy as filler on rosewood under nitrocellulose lacquer.

Questions: Guitar Making Graduated Projects

1998
AL#53 p.59               
John Calkin   Harry Fleishman                                                                                       

▪ A standard series of graduated projects that one can undertake to gain experience in instrument maker.

Violin Q & A: Violin Volume/Defective A String/High Gloss Oil Finish/Nicks

1998
AL#53 p.60   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Are there good alternative finishes for violins? What’s the best way to repair a nicked fiddle? Where is the best place to position the soundpost?

Sources: Wood

1998
AL#53 p.62               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Ms. Burton has rounded up almost two pages of wood suppliers. If you can’t find it here you may have to go cut it yourself.

Review: The Classical Guitar: A Complete History edited by John Morrish

1998
AL#53 p.64   BRB5 p.474            
Bryan Johanson                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds the book flawed in minor ways but says that it is well worth its price of $75, which is a pretty good recommendation.

French Polishing with Eugene Clark

1998
AL#54 p.6   BRB5 p.182            
Cyndy Burton   Eugene Clark                                                                                       

▪ Jeez, there’s a lot to know about French polishing. Changing lubricating oils can change the quality of the job, but there are reasons to change oils. The pad you rub with makes a difference. The longevity and toughness of the finish can be controlled by the materials you use. This work is deeper than meets the eye. Burton attended a class taught by Clark, and she brings home the straight skinny for American Lutherie. With 15 photos.

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

1997 Tokyo Musical Merchandise Trade Show

1998
AL#54 p.16               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Until the Asian market crisis many American luthiers thought that dealing their instruments in Japan would provide the best of living opportunities. Much of Somogyi’s production goes to Japan, and in 1997 he visited Japan at the invitation of his distributor to visit dealers and attend the “NAMM show” of the Orient. Here’s what business and lutherie in Japan is really like. With 10 photos.

Meet the Maker: Judy Threet

1998
AL#54 p.21   BRB5 p.204            
Cyndy Burton   Judy Threet                                                                                       

▪ Threet is a Canadian builder who specializes in fingerstyle guitars. Her guitars often display an artistic flair that few can match. This interview takes a decidedly philosophic turn, and appropriately so, since Threet used to be a professor of philosophy. With 4 photos.

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

It’s Called a What? Some Thoughts on the Irish Bouzouki

1998
AL#54 p.26   BRB5 p.198            
Graham McDonald                                                                                           

▪ Advice about building an Irish instrument with a Greek name from an Australian in an American magazine. You could get jet lag just thinking about it. McDonald covers the construction of the entire instrument (his neck joint is really slick) but the focal point is his top construction. He steams thick flat plates in the oven and bends them into an arch until they set. After joining there is a minimum of carving yet to be done. All this is in the name of saving time and timber. With 9 photos and a pair of drawings.

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

Meet the Maker: Joseph Curtin

1998
AL#54 p.34   BRB5 p.194            
Tim Olsen   Joseph Curtin                                                                                       

▪ The personal history of violin people is often the most interesting because so many of them realize that a formal approach to learning their craft is often the fastest way of being recognized in the business, even though they may invest many years in the process. And they frequently find themselves in exotic places as they learn. It must work, too. How many of us need an assistant and a business manager to help hold down the fort, as Curtin does? With 6 photos.

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

After the Fox: How Charles Changed my Lutherie Life

1998
AL#54 p.38   BRB5 p.127            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Inspired by his time spent at Fox’s American School of Lutherie, Calkin revamps his whole building procedure. Dished workboards turn out to be easy and cheap to make. Mando, uke, and dulcimer sides are bent with an electric silicone blanket. Molds are revamped. Speed and precision are in, drudgery is out (well, almost). Parts 1 and 2 were in American Lutherie #52 and #53, respectively. With 25 photos.

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

It Worked for Me: Rough Carving Device

1998
AL#54 p.50   BRB5 p.495            
Nathan-D. Missel                                                                                           

▪ Saving time carving the top and back plates of archtop guitars by power carving them into rough form before final graduation using this custom carver.

It Worked for Me: Clamping Loose Brace Ends

1998
AL#54 p.51   BRB5 p.495            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Clamping loose brace ends in the nether regions of a guitar box can be effectively accomplished by wedging sticks between the brace and opposite plate of the guitar.

Review: Tom Ribbecke’s Archtop Building Course

1997
AL#52 p.60   BRB5 p.473            
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer came away from Ribbecke’s seminar not only feeling that he now had the foundation needed to build archtops, but felt that his lutherie skills in general had been boosted by his experience.

Sources: Organizations and More

1997
AL#52 p.62               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ A short list of new books, videos and cyber-stuff, as well as a list of organizations and periodicals with a lutherie bias. Seems like no matter what instrument you want to build there are some official folks who want to help you. Hurrah!

It Worked for Me: Cave-In Correction

1997
AL#52 p.64               
Woody Vernice                                                                                           

▪ An addendum to a tip in AL#43 on installing two small braces between the bridge patch and the waist bar of a classic guitar in an effort to correct a slight caving in, using post-it notes as depth gauges.

D’Aquisto’s Design Development

1998
AL#53 p.8   BRB5 p.168            
Paul Gudelsky                                                                                           

▪ An overview of D’Aquisto’s career by a man who studied guitar construction with Jimmy and collected a number of his instruments. It becomes clear how complex an individual D’Aquisto really was. Lots of generalized talk about wood and archtop design, too, but nothing scientific. More of a tribute to a man who died way too soon. With 5 photos.

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

Remembering Jimmy

1998
AL#53 p.9   BRB5 p.172            
Paul Schmidt                                                                                           

▪ D’Aquisto’s biographer bids farewell to the man who was called by some the world’s greatest luthier of our time. A touching and very real-world story. With 2 photos.

Three Decades of Innovation captions

1998
AL#53 p.14   BRB5 p.172            
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ A photo-essay of 8 D’Aquisto archtops formerly owned by Paul Gudelsky, set up to show the progression of Jimmy’s designs. With 8 photos.

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

D’Aquisto’s Design Development: Another View

1998
AL#53 p.18   BRB5 p.176            
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ A world-renowned maker of archtops who knew D’Aquisto well offers a more technical examination of Jimmy’s design evolution. With 3 photos and a drawing.

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

Meet the Maker: Shelley Park

1998
AL#53 p.22   BRB5 p.164            
Cyndy Burton   Shelley Park                                                                                       

▪ Park plays jazz guitar and builds Selmer-style guitars like those designed by Mario Maccaferri and played by Django Reinhardt. She furnishes some interesting thoughts about alternative woods and different finishes. Are women luthiers who survive long enough to become professionals really more interesting than many of the men, or do they just give better interviews? You decide. With 9 photos.

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

A Tale of Two Schools

1998
AL#53 p.26               read this article
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson attended Charles Fox’s original guitar making school in 1975, and nearly a generation later reunited with Fox at his new facility, the American School of Lutherie. Basic to Fred’s story is the manner in which the times, two people, and guitar making have changed in 20-odd years. The times, indeed, are a’changin’.

Crazy Like Charles Fox: Guitar Making Jigs for the 21st Century, Part 2

1998
AL#53 p.32   BRB5 p.108            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ In AL#52 we looked at the tools and jigs Charles Fox uses to build acoustic guitars. In Part 2 we examine how that equipment is put to use as Fox takes us through the procedure of building a classical guitar at his American School of Lutherie. Most of this info will be just as useful to the steel string builder, as well. With 55 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: George Fortune, Jr.

1998
AL#53 p.44   BRB5 p.178            
John Calkin   George Fortune-Jr.   Stan Olah                                                                                   

▪ Fortune is a self-taught fiddle maker and instrument repairman in rural Virginia. To many of his neighbors he is known simply as the Fiddle Man. Perhaps Americans aren’t losing their independent spirit, but often it feels like it. Calkin pays tribute to a man who seems to represent a whole way of life. With 7 photos.

Semihemispherical Fret Ends

1998
AL#53 p.48   BRB5 p.192            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Who but Harry could design frets that look like half a hot-dog sliced lengthwise? Seriously, though, Fleishman’s method of shaping and installing frets should mark the end of player discomfort and fret end hang-up.Not to mention that his frets look seriously cool. With 1 photo and 4 drawings.

It Worked for Me: Strap Button

1997
AL#51 p.53               
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Contrary to Darrelle Anne Le Maitre’s comments in AL#50, using a cushy washer under a strap button will actually increase the load and leverage on a screw and increase the chance of repeat failure.

It Worked for Me: Gww Case Company

1997
AL#51 p.53               
Dave Maize                                                                                           

▪ The GWW Case Company takes around 8 weeks to deliver a prototype or an order of cases, is very businesslike and easy to work with.

Sources: Glues and Finishes

1997
AL#51 p.54               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Burton lists 2 pages of suppliers and manufacturers of finish and glue, and offers more than a page of useful tips gleaned from many luthiers.

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

Product Reviews: Crack Repair Set

1997
AL#51 p.58   BRB5 p.440            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ The Guild’s tool buster tames two new offerings and enjoys the ride. The first is a knife for opening cracks in guitar tops. The other is jig that thins and shapes the splints to be put into the slots cut by the knife. Along the way he examines the catalog of Luthiers Mercantile International.

Letter to the Editor: Wood Resonation

1997
AL#52 p.3               
Joe-D. Franklin                                                                                           

▪ Many builders maintain that a guitar top that varies in thickness offers better tone than a uniform top.Franklin offers technical reasons for why it is so.

The 1997 Healdsburg Guitar Festival

1997
AL#52 p.6               
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Though only 2 years old, the Healdsburg show has become culturally and commercially important, as well as a luthiers’ information exchange. Peterson interviews organizers and luthiers who set up displays. The spread of 19 photos is an even split of personalities and close-ups of interesting guitars.

Meet the Maker: Charles Fox

1997
AL#52 p.10               
Fred Carlson   Charles Fox                                                                                       

▪ Fox has made an impact on the guitar community as an influential teacher and a designer of tools. Carlson attended Fox schools in the ’70s and ’90s, and in this interview he asks Fox to contrast his schools and predict the future of lutherie in America.

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

Crazy Like Charles Fox: Guitar Making Jigs for the 21st Century, Part 1

1997
AL#52 p.12   BRB5 p.108            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The main thrust of Fox’s American School of Lutherie lies in teaching lone guitarmakers to make better instruments through more accurate tooling and in helping them become more commercially viable by increasing their production. Calkin attended one of Charles’ week-long Contemporary Guitar Making seminars and documented much of the hard info for American Lutherie readers. This segment concentrates on nearly 3 dozen jigs and fixtures that anyone can add to their lutherie arsenal, most of them adapted to power tools. With 57 photos. Parts 2 & 3 to follow.

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

Scroll Carving

1997
AL#52 p.28   BRB5 p.152            
Guy Rabut                                                                                           

▪ To non-fiddle people all violins look about the same. To the initiated, however, they are vastly different. Besides offering a thorough description of his scroll carving techniques, Rabut gives us a glimpse into the world of the violin in-crowd where an appreciation for subtlety is the stock-in-trade. Guy is a high-profile maker who has had the opportunity to examine many world-class violins. With 52 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: R.E. Brune

1997
AL#52 p.42   BRB5 p.144            
Tim Olsen   R.E. Brune                                                                                       

▪ Brune was an original founder of the Guild, has been a GAL convention lecturer, and an American Lutherie author. He’s also a world-renowned maker, dealer, and collector of classical guitars. In this interview he offers some personal background as well as what he thinks it will take to stay afloat in the lutherie world that’s coming. His insider’s view of high-buck instrument dealing is especially compelling. With 7 photos.

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

The Restoration of Agustin Barrios’ Francisco Simplicio

1997
AL#52 p.46   BRB5 p.148            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ What does it take to restore an important instrument? Skill, research, and a solid feel and appreciation for the time during which the piece was made and played. Skip any of these factors and you could easily screw up an irreplaceable piece. Brune describes his approach to one guitar while at the same time demonstrating the qualities necessary to enter this field.

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

Meet the Maker: Augustino LoPrinzi

1997
AL#52 p.50   BRB5 p.138            
Jonathon Peterson   Augustino LoPrinzi                                                                                       

▪ Augie LoPrinzi has made or overseen the construction of over 8000 guitars. He went from a one-man shop in the back of his barbershop to a factory that employed 30 people and made 80 flattops a month. Now back in a small-shop setting, his enthusiasm for the guitar is as high as ever. Come along for one of the wilder rides in the annals of lutherie.

Hangin’ with Augie

1997
AL#52 p.53   BRB5 p.141            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Augie LoPrinzi has been an accessible luthier who taught or influenced dozens of people as they entered the business. Calkin “knew him when,” back in the ’70s at a time his small shop churned out 25 guitars a month. This is a different look at a man who was also a barber, pool hustler, amateur magician, wannabe classical guitarist, and a storyteller deluxe. Fun.

Violin Q & A: Post Crack/Clear Varnish/Small Violin

1997
AL#52 p.56   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ The soundpost of a cello can push the hard grain of the spruce right through the varnish. So how does one fix the problem? Is your varnish not as clear as you’d like? Damn! What’s the best way to scale down a 4/4 violin to the smaller sizes? Darnton comes to the rescue again.

Product Reviews: Sewing Shop Finds; Cutting Burs; Spring Clamps

1997
AL#52 p.58   BRB5 p.441            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Ever thought to look in a fabric store for lutherie tools? I’ll bet’cha that Harry beat you to it. He found a deal on aprons, some good layout tools for design work, and bias tape for tying on bindings. Then he opened a Woodcraft catalog and discovered clamps and a carbide burr cutter he couldn’t live without. Just one more column demonstrating why the editorial staff has developed a fatherly concern for their toolman’s life on the edge of lutherie.

Scale Length and Tone

1997
AL#51 p.6   BRB5 p.86            
Ralph Novak                                                                                           

▪ Scale length is seldom used as a design criterion to achieve a given tone, but Novak shows that a given set of strings behaves differently according to the scale length it is stretched over. There are reasons to change other than player comfort. Impress your friends with your knowledge of the evil clang tone. With 6 graphs and 2 photos.

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

The Design and Construction of an Eccentric Guitar

1997
AL#51 p.13               
Kevin-B. Rielly                                                                                           

▪ One guitar, two necks, and two distinct functions: half solidbody with magnetic pickups, half hollow with a piezo pickup.Not to mention a look you haven’t seen before. With 6 photos.

Binding Router Jig

1997
AL#51 p.16               
David Grey                                                                                           

▪ Grey’s nifty jig uses a table router to bind guitar bodies. The classiest part is the micrometer adjustments built into the jig. With 2 photos and 5 good drawings.

Meet the Maker: Hermann Hauser III

1997
AL#51 p.20   BRB5 p.80            
Armin Kelly   Hermann Hauser-III                                                                                       

▪ The name Hermann Hauser needs no introduction in the classical guitar world. Here Hauser #3 talks about heritage, learning the craft, wood, and closing in on the perfect guitar. With 6 photos.

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

Rocky Mountain Tonewood Alternatives

1997
AL#51 p.24   BRB5 p.84            
Don Musser                                                                                           

▪ Musser offers a peek at varieties of top wood you may never have considered, and finds them promising. The varieties are white fir, sub-alpine fir, Colorado blue spruce, and one that may be a hybrid. Includes four photos of sectioned logs.

Meet the Maker: Boaz Elkayam

1997
AL#51 p.26   BRB5 p.92            
Jonathon Peterson   Boaz Elkayam                                                                                       

▪ Elkayam grew up as a luthier, built guitars as he traveled half the world on a motorcycle, never stopped learning, and seems never to have met a challenge he didn’t welcome. High-class lutherie skills don’t necessarily make a person interesting. If Boaz quit the trade today he’d still be someone you’d like to seek out. Check out his classical guitar with two fingerboards (but only one neck). With 24 photos of beautiful instruments, beautiful places, and beautiful women.

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

Finger Planes, the Cheap and Easy Way

1997
AL#51 p.36   BRB5 p.143            
Nathan-D. Missel                                                                                           

▪ You can build these little hollowing planes for a dollar or two and very little time. With 3 drawings to show you the way.

Of Sympitars and Suzalynes

1997
AL#51 p.38   BRB5 p.100            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Inspired by his fiddle-building partner, Suzy Norris, Carlson has created a guitar that utilizes a large number of sympathetic strings. The obstacles that had to be overcome were significant, but “angel voices” never come easy to us Earth folks. With 10 photos and a pair of drawings of how things work.

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

Meet the Makers: Jeffrey Huss and Mark Dalton

1997
AL#51 p.42   BRB5 p.104            
John Calkin   Jeff Huss   Mark Dalton                                                                                   

▪ Virginia luthiers Huss and Dalton show off their shop and talk about the business of going into business. They make 7 high-end acoustics per month, and they make it sound easy. With 11 photos.

Review: Musical Instrument Design by Bart Hopkin

1997
AL#51 p.46   BRB5 p.471            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this book about instrument creation. The book deals lightly with the physics of music and lightly with the concept of craft. Hopkin’s real message is that musical instruments are everywhere on the planet, not just in the guitar shop, and he happily guides the reader through the creation of dozens of them. Deals with wind and percussion instruments more than with strings, but the string section is useful.

Review: Things About the Guitar by Jose Ramirez III

1997
AL#51 p.46   BRB5 p.471            
Bryan Johanson                                                                                           

▪ Though taken aback by the ego of the author, the reviewer decides the book is invaluable to his enjoyment of the guitar. “If you care about the guitar, you should own this book.”

Review: Woodshop Dust Control by Sandor Nagyszalanczy

1997
AL#51 p.47   BRB5 p.471            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes the informal structure of this book about an important health consideration in any woodshop.Shop dust can be controlled on a low budget when necessary, and many collectors and aids can be made in the shop.

Review: Gibson’s Fabulous Flat-top Guitars by Eldon Whitford, David Vinopal, and Dan Erlewine

1997
AL#51 p.48   BRB5 p.472            
Woody Vernice                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer especially raves about the photography included in the book, though his assessment of its value to the working luthier is not so hot.

Review: The Ukulele, A Visual History by Jim Beloff

1997
AL#51 p.49   BRB5 p.472            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer enjoyed his time spent with this book, but decides its appeal will be to those who are already ukulele enthusiasts. If you aren’t one, it probably won’t make you one.

Review: Guitar Electronics with Lindy Fralin

1997
AL#51 p.49   BRB5 p.472            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This video is about designing, making, and repairing pickups, starting at the bottom. The reviewer enjoyed the tape and found that it taught him new material in a manner that didn’t frighten him off.

Violin Q & A: Quarter Sawn Wood/Thickening Alcohol Varnish Solution/Chin Rest/Lake Pigments

1997
AL#51 p.50   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Straight talk about why slab-sawn wood is a poor choice for violin necks, boiling down an alcohol solution, getting a chin rest to stay on a fiddle, and making lake pigments.

It Worked for Me: Dulcimer Fret Installation

1997
AL#51 p.52   BRB5 p.491            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ A portable fret to solve the installation problem of the infamous 6 and a half fret of a dulcimer.

It Worked for Me: Laminated Wood Tailpiece

1997
AL#51 p.52   BRB5 p.491            
Buzz Vineyard                                                                                           

▪ A laminated all wood tailpiece to gain more control over the dimensions, weight, and aesthetics of the tailpiece.

Meet the Maker: Arul Dominic Xavier

1997
AL#50 p.14   BRB5 p.56            
Jonathon Peterson   Arul-Dominic Xavier                                                                                       

▪ Xavier traveled all the way from India to attend the Healdsburg Guitarmakers Festival. This interview makes it obvious to what lengths some folks have to go to become luthiers. Think you’re on a budget? In India a GAL membership costs about one third of a month’s wages. With 6 photos.

A Feast for the Eye

1997
AL#50 p.20   BRB5 p.48            
Kalia Kliban                                                                                           

▪ Kliban reports on an inlay workshop led by Larry Robinson. Robinson has become a master of shell decoration and an important teacher in the field. This article covers everything from design to engraving, and amounts to a condensed version of Larry’s book on the subject. With 15 photos of the workshop and knockout inlay work.

The Concert Zither

1997
AL#50 p.30   BRB5 p.72            
John Roeder                                                                                           

▪ Roeder offers construction advice about the classic German zither, which has 5 strings over a fretboard and as many as 40 open strings used for chord and bass accompaniment. Included are 6 drawings and 14 photos, as well as a shrunken version of GAL full-size Plan #41. Mentions Franz Schwarzer.

Meet the Maker: Michael Hornick

1997
AL#50 p.40   BRB5 p.68            
Tim Olsen   Michael Hornick                                                                                       

▪ Hornick has become renown as the creator of Shanti guitars. In this interview he discusses the road to the top of the lutherie profession as well as tonewood and guitar design. With 3 photos.

Understanding Nitrocellulose Lacquer

1997
AL#50 p.44   BRB5 p.41            
Michael Hornick                                                                                           

▪ Good lacquer work isn’t mysterious, just a pain in the neck. Hornick has it down to an art and a science, and he offers up his recipe to the last detail.

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

Meet the Maker: Kent Everett

1997
AL#50 p.50   BRB5 p.38            
John Calkin   Kent Everett                                                                                       

▪ Everett is one of those monster craftsmen who can knock out 50 fine instruments a year, alone. This interview not only covers his lutherie background but also explains the shop schedule that keeps the guitar flowing at such a prodigious rate. Featuring five photos and one of Everett’s comic strips.

Product Reviews: Fret Tang Pliers, Bridge-Slotting Jig

1997
AL#50 p.54   BRB5 p.438            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman examines two tools used for changing the width of fret tangs and a Dremel tool jig for routing bridge slots after the bridge is glued to the guitar. He likes them all. With 3 photos.

Violin Q & A: Raised Bridges/Fitting New Pegs/Loose Bass Bar/Fingerboard Tan Streaks/Russian String Setup

1997
AL#50 p.56   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ This time the GAL’s fiddle guru talks about bridge shoes, fitting pegs, detecting a loose bass bar, streaky ebony, and “Russian” string setups.

It Worked for Me: Strap Button Screw Shank Removal

1997
AL#50 p.58   BRB5 p.502            
Darelle-Anne Le-Maitre                                                                                           

▪ Removing the shank of a strap button screw from the upper horn of a Stratocaster.

It Worked for Me: Four Tool Ideas

1997
AL#50 p.59   BRB5 p.490            
Dave Maize                                                                                           

▪ Four tool ideas; a small battery powered gooseneck lamp for a router, Bernard’s pliers for removing snug fitting bridge saddles, bamboo shish kebab skewers for glue spreading, and a scraper to clear glue along guitar braces.

Meet the Maker: Rene Baarslag

1997
AL#49 p.6   BRB5 p.2            
Woodley White   Rene Baarslag                                                                                       

▪ A Dutchman who moved to Spain and learned guitar making with the help of Antonio Marin, Baarslag has carved out a reputation as a fine luthier. The descriptions of his home will make you wonder why luthiers can’t live this well in America. Baarslag’s life must be very pleasant.

Passport to Spain

1997
AL#49 p.10   BRB4 p.4            
Woodley White                                                                                           

▪ Baarslag journeys to the American School of Lutherie to teach a week-long class about building classical guitars. White attended, and gives a full report. With 37 photos.

Stage Acoustic Guitars

1997
AL#49 p.20   BRB5 p.12            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ How to make thin-body guitars intended to be plugged in on stage. The bodies are hollowed from solid stock. Design considerations are emphasized. Production jigs are described, as are a set of jigs for making bridges. With 14 photos.

Meet the Maker: Fred Carlson

1997
AL#49 p.28   BRB5 p.18            
Tim Olsen   Fred Carlson                                                                                       

▪ Carlson grew up on a New England commune and never outgrew the philosophy of sharing. He would rather let his uniqueness bloom than give in to commercial considerations. You’ll be glad you met him here. With 16 photos.

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

Soundboard Doming

1997
AL#49 p.36   BRB5 p.34            
Brent Benfield                                                                                           

▪ So you bought a spherically dished form in which to build your guitars. But how do you go about it? Benfield describes a path notable for its lack of complication. This is a painless way to bring your guitars into the 21st century. Most of the ideas are applicable to flattop guitars as well. With 10 photos and 4 drawings.

Time is the Enemy

1997
AL#49 p.40   BRB5 p.26            
Richard Beck                                                                                           

▪ Beck’s theme is to keep the quality but cut the time involved in building acoustic guitars. He shares his jigs for shaping headstocks and arching braces using a router table and heavy aluminum jigs. You may have to get a machine shop in on this job. With 13 photos and a drawing.

Wood Identification for Luthiers

1997
AL#49 p.44   BRB5 p.30            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Robison describes wood identification as an adventure. You’ll need some reference books and a microscope, and a computer wouldn’t hurt. Ever see an instrument trimmed in smokewood? How do you know, Sherlock? Without a little scientific trickery your guess could be wrong either way. Get with the program. With 6 photomicrographs of softwoods.

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

Resetting a Neck with Jeff Traugot

1997
AL#49 p.50   BRB5 p.44            
Colin Kaminski   Jeff Traugott                                                                                       

▪ Neck resetting techniques have changed enormously in the last few years, and they continue to evolve. Traugot has been in the forefront of the evolution. Here’s his up-to-the-minute description of the procedure. With 12 photos.

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

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

1997
AL#49 p.54   BRB5 p.436            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman examines two retrofit bases for the Dremel mini-router, and likes them both for different reasons. He also test drives a set of micro-chisels and JAWS, a hand-powered fretting press, and recommends them. With 5 photos.

It Worked for Me: Tool Box

1997
AL#49 p.58   BRB5 p.504            
Glenn Uhler                                                                                           

▪ This plastic tool box made by Rubbermaid has two stacking trays that lift out together and plenty of room in the bottom for fretting hammers and larger tools.

It Worked for Me: Router Bit Blades

1997
AL#49 p.59   BRB5 p.488            
Nathan-D. Missel                                                                                           

▪ Using a pattern-following router bit made from a salvaged pencil sharpener mounted on a drill press when cutting pegheads, bridges, tops, or tail pieces. It is an extreme spiral, you see.

Violin Q & A: Arching Style Effects on Tone

1997
AL#49 p.60   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ The style and size of violins, like most everything else in noncommunist countries, is driven by the market place. Darnton responds to a query about which fiddle makers are best to copy, and how to arch the plates to please contemporary musicians.

Review: A Bow Making Course taught by Joseph Regh

1997
AL#49 p.62   BRB5 p.470            
Colin Kaminski                                                                                           

▪ This course, which saves years of learning on your own, is based on jigs and fixtures, and too brief for those who prefer to work by hand. Joseph is very forthcoming with his methods, ideas, and tricks.

How Frank Frets

1997
AL#50 p.4   BRB5 p.60            
Frank Ford                                                                                           

▪ Ford has been a preeminent repairman for years, but has recently emerged as a fine teacher of repair topics. Everyone’s refretting tricks are a little different. Even if you have a handle on the general principle you may find that Frank Ford has something to offer you. With 29 photos.

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

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

1997
   LW p.2            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Common tree names will usually get you by, but there’s nothing like knowing a few scientific names.

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

Glossary of Basic Wood Terms update

1997
   LW p.5            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Terminology of lumber biz.

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

Top 40 Wood List

1997
   LW p.10            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Range descriptions, scientific nomenclature, wood description, and uses in lutherie.

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

Wood Bibliography

1997
   LW p.23            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Where to look for objective information about trees and wood.

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

Cutting and Inlaying Pearl

1997
   LW p.80            
James-E. Patterson                                                                                           

▪ This article compresses into less than 6 pages everything you need to know about cutting and inlaying shell, except for how to make up original designs. Creativity is a tough thing to teach. Includes 5 diagrams and 6 photos.

Half-and-Half Tops

1997
   LW p.103            read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Perhaps Harry didn’t invent the guitar top made from two varieties of wood, but he has certainly made it a trademark of his instruments. The text explains the why of it, and the single photo offers a peek at one of Fleishman’s unique designs.

Learning Guitar Making

1997
   LW p.124            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Now that lutherie has boomed, is it best to attend a school to learn the trade? Or does self-education (and self-discovery) still make sense. It depends.

Apprenticeships

1997
   LW p.124            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ The author has been an apprentice and has trained apprentices. Before you face either situation you should read this to learn what you are getting into.

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

Lutherie Schools

1997
   LW p.128            
Staff                                                                                           

▪ A list of schools, organizations, and periodicals to help you find your way.

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

Sources of Supply

1997
   LW p.132            
Staff                                                                                           

▪ Where to buy your wood and tools.

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

List of Reviews

1997
   LW p.134            
Staff                                                                                           

▪ Abstracts of reviews of books, videos, and periodicals related to the themes of this book.

Further Reading in American Lutherie

1997
   LW p.142            
Staff                                                                                           

▪ The material in Lutherie Woods is mostly pre-American Lutherie. This list of related articles will help bring you up to date.

Violin Q & A: Dark Sounds/Violin Books

1996
AL#48 p.54   BRB4 p.442            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Look out for buzzy nuts. Why might violins sound too dark? What fiddle books should be purchased? The book discussion is especially worthy and entertaining.

It Worked for Me: Welding Supply Store Tools

1996
AL#48 p.57   BRB4 p.505            
Glenn Uhler                                                                                           

▪ Lutherie tools from a welding supply store, including an inspection light kit featuring an extension/mirror tool, and a nice pin vise.

Cranking Out Baroque Guitars

1996
AL#48 p.6   BRB4 p.378            
Lawrence-K. Brown                                                                                           

▪ Brown made the elaborate trim for 27 Baroque guitars, then spread the actual construction over a year and a half. All the details are included. He believes that too much patience stands in the way of making a living. This is an article with attitude. With 29 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Bishop Cochran

1996
AL#48 p.14   BRB4 p.386            
Jonathon Peterson   Bishop Cochran                                                                                       

▪ Cochran is a player/maker of electric and acoustic/electric guitars who uses machine shop equipment and supplies to create his instruments. The emphasis is on precision work, duplicable procedures, and practical designs. With 26 photos.

The Guitar Neck: Its Design and Physics

1996
AL#48 p.22   BRB4 p.394            
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ This 1995 convention lecture covers the physical nature of the neck. Not how to do the work, but how to make a neck for maximum playability and instrument performance. Both steel string and classical guitars are discussed. With 1 photo and a slough of diagrams.

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

Meet the Maker: John Mello

1996
AL#48 p.28   BRB4 p.408            
Cyndy Burton   John Mello                                                                                       

▪ Mello is a repairperson, guitarmaker, restorer, and instrument dealer. He apprenticed under Richard Schneider and worked with Jeffrey R. Elliott before opening his own shop.Much of the interview dwells upon the restoration of an 1862 Torres guitar. With 11 photos.

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

My Incredibly Accurate but Slightly Overengineered Dovetail Resetting Jig

1996
AL#48 p.36   BRB4 p.404            
Frank Ford                                                                                           

▪ Ford built an elaborate jig for resetting the necks of valuable and delicate guitars where a slip of the chisel can’t be risked. The contrary nature of guitars may dictate that some hand fitting is required after the jig is used, but much of the danger is removed. With 8 photos.

Two-Part Dovetail Jig

1996
AL#48 p.42   BRB4 p.400            
Phillip Murray                                                                                           

▪ Even in this age of the bolted on neck, there are plenty of guitarmakers who’d rather use a dovetail. Murray’s well thought out jigs cut both the male and female portions of the joint. With 14 photos and 7 diagrams.

Nineteen Stew-Mac How-to Videos 2

1996
AL#48 p.46   BRB4 p.474            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Reviewed here are six videos, one about violins setups, one about French polishing, and four about guitar repair. All are found worthy, though two of the repair tapes are for the inexperienced luthier.

Product Reviews: Cutting Tools

1996
AL#48 p.49   BRB4 p.440            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ The GAL’s Toolman/stand-up comic checks out a potpourri of rasps, a pair of small drawknives, and a specialized chisel, and suggests what you should do with your junky Model 3 or 4 Dremel tool.

Sources: Plans

1996
AL#48 p.52               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ A list of all the instrument plans that Burton could track down, and where to buy them.

Retro Voicing the Flattop Guitar

1996
AL#47 p.6   BRB4 p.332            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ So you’ve got a guitar that ought to sound better than it does. What can you do to it to perk up the punch? Experts Marc Silber, Scott van Linge, Robert Steinegger, Dana Bourgeois, Frank Ford, and T.J. Thompson describe how they shave braces, and show that brace shaving isn’t your only weapon.

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

The Jakaltek Maya Guitarria

1996
AL#47 p.20   BRB4 p.350            
Carol Ventura                                                                                           

▪ When these Guatemalans decide to build an instrument they begin by hacking a tree out of the jungle. Read this and you may never bad-mouth your suppliers or instruction books again. With 32 step-by-step photos of the birth of a guitarria.

California Meetin’, The 1996 Healdsburg Guitar Makers Festival

1996
AL#47 p.28               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ Healdsburg is quickly becoming Guitar Town, USA. This festival featured displays, lectures, and tours, not to mention fun. With 12 photos.

Meet the Maker: Geoff Stelling

1996
AL#47 p.30   BRB4 p.346            
John Calkin   Geoff Stelling                                                                                       

▪ A profile of one of the leaders in high-end banjos, featuring a tour of the shop, production techniques, construction methods, and banjo/motorcycle cross-pollination.

Classic Guitar Intonation

1996
AL#47 p.34   BRB4 p.368            
Greg Byers                                                                                           

▪ Finding perfect intonation through deep math and jiggling the string length at both ends. For some luthiers the quest for perfection knows no bounds. The rest of us are just jealous.

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

Meet the Maker: Marc Silber

1996
AL#47 p.46   BRB4 p.364            
Colin Kaminski   Marc Silber                                                                                       

▪ Silber is a musician, nomad, repairman, musical historian, guitar designer, dealer, collector, and all around keeper of the flame. How can a man have so much fun and make a living at the same time?

Amplifying Acoustic Instruments

1996
AL#47 p.50   BRB4 p.358            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman has worked with all the commercial piezo pickups and has made a bunch of his own. Shop-brewed pickups can be cheap, useful, and instructive, but finding the best use for any piezo can be complicated. Adding microphones or magnetic pickups to the mix can be more confusing than helpful. Fleishman takes a look at all the angles. From his 1995 convention lecture.

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

Review: Dobro Set Up & Maintenance by Paul Beard

1996
AL#47 p.60   BRB4 p.470            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer generally likes this video for the specific information it offers about Dobro hardware. He also finds that half the tape is too basic to be of real help to seasoned luthiers.

Review: Como Hacer una Guitarra by Hernan Rengifo Canas

1996
AL#47 p.60   BRB4 p.471            
Kenny Hill                                                                                           

▪ This book, printed only in Spanish, describes guitar making in Ecuador. The reviewer finds that the Ecuadorian guitar as described in this book is crudely fashioned, and that the text is incomplete. Nevertheless, he enjoys it as a look into another culture.

Sources: Tools and Hardware

1996
AL#47 p.62               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ A page of tools especially for the luthier, and a page and a half of tools and supplies of a more general nature. Where to get your tools. Or, at least, where to get your catalogs.

Letter to the Editor: News From Greece

1996
AL#48 p.3   BRB4 p.297            
George Diamesis                                                                                           

▪ Diamesis writes about the lutherie scene in Greece, and sends 2 photos of ethnic instruments he and his students have built.

It Worked for Me: Removing White Glue

1996
AL#45 p.57   BRB4 p.499            
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ An alternative method for removing white glue is the use of acetic acid, handy where the use of steam would be objectionable.

Review: The Rickenbacker Book: A Complete History of Rickenbacker Guitars by Tony Bacon and Paul Day

1996
AL#45 p.58   BRB4 p.468            
Richard Beck                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this is a “best value in a guitar history and identification book.”

Review: The Complete Guide to Sharpening by Leonard Lee

1996
AL#45 p.58   BRB4 p.468            
Jess Wells                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this book is “the one sharpening book on the market today which I find useful as a reference in my library.”

Review: Acoustic Guitars and Other Fretted Instruments: A Photographic History by George Gruhn and Walter Carter

1996
AL#45 p.59   BRB4 p.469            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ This is a thorough and glowing review of an important book, by a reviewer who is best known for his work in early instruments.

Letter to the Editor: Debbie Suran Article AL#45

1996
AL#46 p.3   BRB4 p.263            
Ronald-Louis Fernandez                                                                                           

▪ More information about South American instruments and tonewoods (and toneshells from armadillos). This refers to Suran’s article in AL#45.

The Luthiers Have Taken Over the Asylum

1996
AL#46 p.6   BRB4 p.298            
Bill Collings   Ren Ferguson   Richard Hoover   Jean Larrivee   Bob Taylor                                                                           

▪ Steel string company honchos Bill Collings, Ren Ferguson, Richard Hoover, Jean Larrivee, and Bob Taylor discuss the development of their guitars, current production techniques, tonewood, amplification, and the immediate future of the instrument. From the 1995 convention panel discussion moderated by Joseph R. Johnson.

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

The Neapolitan Mandolin

1996
AL#46 p.20   BRB4 p.316            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ An introduction to the structure and methods of construction of historical instruments, especially the belly. With 12 photos, 2 pages of notes and bibliography, and a family tree of Neapolitan luthiers from the 15th to the 20th centuries.

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

Your Most Important Machine

1996
AL#46 p.30               read this article
Teri Novak                                                                                           

▪ A chiropractor (and wife of a well-known luthier) describes how to prevent your shop life from harming your health. From her 1995 GAL convention lecture, with 18 photos and a number of drawings.

Meet the Merchant: Todd Taggart

1996
AL#46 p.38   BRB4 p.312            
Cyndy Burton   Todd Taggart                                                                                       

▪ The driving force behind Luthiers Mercantile International talks about building a business, supplying an industry, and helping to make a guitar town out of Healdsburg, California.

Alternative Archtop Considerations

1996
AL#46 p.42   BRB4 p.326            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Buzz Vineyard builds archtop guitars with pin bridges and strange bracing, and rosewood backs and sides. What’s the result? He tells all to Peterson.

Meet the Makers: Two Gentlemen From Auckland

1996
AL#46 p.47   BRB4 p.330            
Carl Kaufmann   Laurie Williams   Nicholas Emery                                                                                   

▪ New Zealanders Laurie Williams and Nicholas Emery build innovative instruments for the homelanders, though export may be in their futures. They have access to wood varieties that most of us have never even heard of.

Product Reviews: American School of Lutherie (Charles Fox)

1996
AL#46 p.50   BRB4 p.437            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman attends Charles Fox’s American School of Lutherie and sends back a very enthusiastic report of what he found there.

It Worked for Me: Repairs

1996
AL#46 p.58   BRB4 p.502            
John Jordan                                                                                           

▪ This repair is ideal for a cello pegbox that cracks in two through the G peghole or a bass that cracks in two through the A peghole.

Letter to the Editor: First Guitar

1996
AL#45 p.2               read this article
Gretchen-Weeks Brough                                                                                           

▪ Brough offers her services as a freelance computer drafter to members who would like instrument plans drawn in AutoCAD.

Ecuadorian Diary

1996
AL#45 p.4   BRB4 p.258            
Debbie Suran                                                                                           

▪ On the trail of S. American luthiers, strange instruments, and unusual wood varieties, in a land where travel is difficult but the people are friendly. Ask your tonewood supplier to start stocking armadillo shells. With 24 photos.

Decorative Techniques in Lutherie

1996
AL#45 p.10   BRB4 p.264            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ This 1995 lecture transcription investigates the history of art applied to lutherie in all its varied forms, and then translates many of them into illustrations of contemporary instruments. Topics include painting, gilding, carving, veneer, inlay, engraving, and varnish work. With 49 photos and illustrations.

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

Paradoxes in Guitar Acoustics

1996
AL#45 p.22   BRB4 p.285            
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ How is it that some makers build consistently superior guitars even though, scientifically speaking, they have no direct control over the thing that makes them superior (high frequency response)? Carruth is a long-time researcher and acoustician. This 1995 lecture transcription is about the design compromises that luthiers face while pursuing the ultimate guitar. With 6 drawings and 2 photos.

Talkin’ Repair

1996
AL#45 p.28   BRB4 p.276            
Dan Erlewine   Frank Ford                                                                                       

▪ This wide-ranging lecture transcription from the1995 GAL convention covers some specific repair techniques, professional ethics, customer relations, pursuing a profit, and vintage instrument repair. Strong advice from two of the best known men in the business.

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

Meet the Maker: Don Overstreet

1996
AL#45 p.36   BRB4 p.290            
Jonathon Peterson   Don Overstreet                                                                                       

▪ Overstreet took formal training in violin construction with Peter Prier in Salt Lake City, then ended up in the shop of Paul Schuback where he builds and repairs the instruments of the fiddle family. It seems that all who trod the same path make a unique journey (a strong theme in the GAL).

Quick and Cheap Peghead Splining Fixture

1996
AL#45 p.40   BRB4 p.294            
Richard Beck                                                                                           

▪ Beck is a repairman for some heavy hitters in the music biz. Here he offers a sound method of repairing shattered headstocks using a router. With 11 photos.

Questions: Making Bows

1996
AL#45 p.43   BRB4 p.79            
Michael Yeats                                                                                           

▪ Attending a seminar or short class is an excellent way to get started making bows.

Questions: Banjo-Lin

1996
AL#45 p.43   BRB4 p.123            
John Doan                                                                                           

▪ The history of the banjo-lin, 100 years old, manufactured by F.C. Heiser Company, Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Nineteen Stew-Mac How-to Videos 1

1996
AL#45 p.44   BRB4 p.474            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Some videos are worth the money, and some aren’t. It depends more on the depth of your experience and interest than on the quality of these videos, which is generally good. Take a look at a batch of tapes (and one book) from Stewart-MacDonald about building or repairing stringed instruments.

Product Reviews: LMI Adjustable-Radius Sanding Block

1996
AL#45 p.54   BRB4 p.436            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman test drives the adjustable fretboard arching planes from Luthiers Mercantile International, and finds that they handle the curves nicely. Also, an update on Highlander pickups.

It Worked for Me: Hollow Radius Forms

1996
AL#45 p.56   BRB4 p.500            
John Jordan                                                                                           

▪ A second set of hollow radius forms lined with sandpaper for fitting the sides to the top and back radii when binding acoustic instruments with tops and backs made in hollow-radiused forms.

NCAL Awards Concocted, Awarded, Reported

1995
AL#43 p.65               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Recognizing the accomplishments of the volunteer work of NCAL (Northern California Association of Luthiers) with a special award, the Swiss Army Banjo.

Manuel Velazquez: A Man Who Loves the Guitar

1995
AL#44 p.8   BRB4 p.222            
Robert Desmond                                                                                           

▪ This is a short biography of a luthier who entered the trade before many of us were born, and who has turned classical guitar making into a family business.

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

Meet the Maker: Michael Gurian

1995
AL#44 p.17   BRB4 p.236            
David Hill   Michael Gurian                                                                                       

▪ Gurian knows much more than he tells in this interview, but it’s good to know he’s still actively part of the guitar scene. He has worked alone, started an informal school of guitarmaking through the apprentices he has trained, owned guitar factories, invented tools, and is currently a supplier of parts and accessories.

Developing Models for Contemporary Violinmaking

1995
AL#44 p.20   BRB4 p.230            
Guy Rabut                                                                                           

▪ Apparently not every violinist is determined to have a fiddle that looks 300 years old. Rabut has made some interesting attempts to update the violin without sacrificing the tone that everyone demands. Can’t wait until these babies start showing up in symphonic orchestras. With 21 photos.

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

Designing and Tuning the Hammered Dulcimer

1995
AL#44 p.26   BRB4 p.238            
Chris Foss                                                                                           

▪ This is one of the most invigorating articles on the hammered dulcimer ever. Foss has made over 1000 instruments, has developed some hard opinions, and has tried a truckload of interesting experiments. Ever carpet the inside of a dulcimer? Foss has. Find out why.

Meet the Maker: Saul Koll

1995
AL#44 p.32   BRB4 p.242            
Jonathon Peterson   Saul Koll                                                                                       

▪ Koll has fashioned a living by creating unique, often bizarre, guitars, both acoustic and electric. For many, ideas often come easy, it’s selling them that’s hard. Koll has found a niche. With 23 photos.

That Fine Shine: Applying Nitrocellulose Lacquer

1995
AL#44 p.38   BRB4 p.248            
Fred Campbell                                                                                           

▪ Campbell finishes the guitars that other luthiers build. He has become an expert spray meister with the confidence to give away the tricks he has learned the hard way. This is perhaps the best piece on lacquering AL has ever printed. With 7 photos and a finishing schedule.

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

Product Reviews: More Stew-Mac Tools

1995
AL#44 p.52   BRB4 p.434            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ This time the GAL’s Toolman tests a Stewart-MacDonald diamond coated fret file, and the Hacklinger gauge for measuring the thickness of instrument tops and backs. He likes the file enough to recommend it. He likes the gauge, too, but its high price puts him off.

Violin Q & A: Pitch of the Neck/Elmers Glue/Poplar

1995
AL#44 p.54   BRB4 p.442            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ What is neck pitch, and what does it do to/for the violin? How does one deal with an Elmer’s glue repair? Why is poplar sometimes used for the cello and viola? Darnton tells all.

Opinion

1995
AL#44 p.56               
David Freeman                                                                                           

▪ Freeman tries to decide what musicians really want from an instrument. Well, he and we all know what they want, but how can we possibly give it to them?

Review: Making and Modifying Woodworking Tools by Jim Kingshott

1995
AL#44 p.57   BRB4 p.467            
Andres Sender                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this book is particularly useful for the plane maker, and ultimately decides that it is “. . .a remarkable deal if you can find it.”

It Worked for Me: Banjo Rim Binding Clamp

1995
AL#44 p.58   BRB4 p.500            
Norbert Pietsch                                                                                           

▪ Two rings, one for inside, one for outside, for use with rubber or rope for clamping binding to a banjo rim.

It Worked for Me: Fretted Dulcimer

1995
AL#44 p.59   BRB4 p.499            
Merv Rowley                                                                                           

▪ The dilemma of how to increase dulcimer fretboard width without reducing sound output level on an Appalachian mountain (or fretted) dulcimer.

Calculating Fret Intervals with Spreadsheet Software

1995
AL#43 p.46               read this article
Wayne Kelly                                                                                           

▪ If you have access to a PC (and you obviously do) you can use this article to set up your own fret slotting system. Not about how to cut slots, but where to cut them.

Product Reviews: Stew-Mac Tools

1995
AL#43 p.48   BRB4 p.432            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman examines and enjoys two tools from Stewart-MacDonald, the Bridge Saddle Routing Jig and the Adjustable Fret Slotting Saw.

Questions: Lute Rib Rebate Plane

1995
AL#43 p.54   BRB4 p.81            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The rebate plane used for fitting lute ribs and the modifications necessary to make the Lie-Nielson scraper plane fully functional.

It Worked for Me: Neapolitan Mandolin

1995
AL#43 p.57   BRB4 p.495            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Using an inspection light and mirror to locate the position of the old brace from leftover glue through the sound hole on a damaged American made Neapolitan mandolin.

It Worked for Me: Carving Machine Alternative

1995
AL#43 p.58   BRB4 p.495            
Andy DePaule                                                                                           

▪ Using a table saw with a dado blade to rough carve the edges of tops and backs for archtop guitars, mandolas, and violins for lack of a carving machine.

It Worked for Me: Glue Roller

1995
AL#43 p.58   BRB4 p.495            
Chris Foss                                                                                           

▪ A cobbled together glue roller to edge glue 6 hammered dulcimer tops at a time, each made up of 4 pieces.

It Worked for Me: Redwood Top Classical Guitar

1995
AL#43 p.59   BRB4 p.495            
Filippo Avignonesi                                                                                           

▪ Adding two fairly stiff but very light braces between the 3 center fan braces between the waist bar and the bridge patch to add a little more kick to a redwood topped classical guitar.

Review: Electric Guitar Setups by Hideo Kamimoto

1995
AL#43 p.60   BRB4 p.466            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this should be a useful book for any but the most experienced repairman.

Review: Checklist of Technical Drawings of Musical Instruments in the Public Collections of the World by Rob van Acht

1995
AL#43 p.61               read this article
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this book is too limited in its scope, and recommends against its purchase. However, he maintains that a sensibly revised edition would be an important and welcome resource, and that such a revised edition is in the works.

Product Reviews: Highlander Transducer

1995
AL#42 p.54   BRB4 p.431            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman examines the Highlander acoustic guitar pickup and decides it’s pretty good, but not perfect. He has never met the perfect pickup, so far.

Review: Electric Guitars and Basses, a Photographic History by George Gruhn and Walter Carter

1995
AL#42 p.56   BRB4 p.465            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer is enthusiastic about this picture book but decides that it may have no relevance to the life of a typical luthier.

Review: The Physics of Musical Instruments by Neville H. Fletcher and Tom Rossing

1995
AL#42 p.57   BRB4 p.466            
Don Bradley                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that the authors have made an invaluable reference for studying the vibration of all types of musical instruments.

Review: The Conservation and Technology of Musical Instruments, A Bibliographic Supplement to Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts, Vol. 28, edited by Cary Karp

1995
AL#42 p.57   BRB4 p.481            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that although the abstracts are clear and well written, the quality and usefulness of the abstracted material is not judged. The unwary may be sent on a long search for information of little, or dangerous, use.

Violin Q & A: Polish/Saddle Height/Seam Glue/Beginner Stylistic Mistakes/Spotty Oil Varnish

1995
AL#42 p.60   BRB4 p.442            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Why can’t I get the proper degree of polish from my varnish? How high should a saddle be? Why do my violins come apart during varnishing? What stylistic mistakes are most common? Why is oil varnish so nasty?

It Worked for Me: D’Aquisto Machine Sharpening Scrapers

1995
AL#42 p.64   BRB4 p.493            
Ric McCurdy                                                                                           

▪ Some tips gleaned from John Monteleone and company about Jimmy D’Aquisto’s scraper sharpening methods.

Meet the Maker: Jim Williams

1995
AL#43 p.8   BRB4 p.202            
Todd Brotherton   Jim Williams                                                                                       

▪ Australians continue to make a mark in the evolution of the guitar. Williams made his mark as an author, as well. He discusses his background and his instruments.

Lattice Bracing Guitar Tops

1995
AL#43 p.11   BRB4 p.206            
Jim Williams                                                                                           

▪ Williams discusses the building style he has borrowed from Greg Smallman for classical guitars. With 14 photos, plus drawings.

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

Ebony and African Blackwood: Rare Gifts of Nature

1995
AL#43 p.18   BRB4 p.198            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Both of these woods have recently become available as body wood for stringed instruments. Robison offers a technical look at two beautiful woods, and tries to predict their futures.

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

Meet the Maker: Jess Wells

1995
AL#43 p.24   BRB4 p.212            
Jonathon Peterson   Jess Wells                                                                                       

▪ Wells specializes in the creation of early stringed instruments. Here he discusses that particular market, his training, and the history of the viola da gamba. With 17 photos.

It Worked for Me: Miniature Bow Saw Tool

1995
AL#41 p.58   BRB4 p.490            
Antonio Masiello                                                                                           

▪ A tool much like a miniature bandsaw which uses a string of a given size to cut a slot for a string of the same size.

Tailoring Sound in Classic Guitars

1995
AL#42 p.12   BRB4 p.174            
Robert Ruck                                                                                           

▪ Ruck spends most of his time in this lecture talking about top design and finishing. With 13 photos and several drawings, plus a detailed list of his finish materials and procedures.

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

A Walk in the Suburban Woods

1995
AL#42 p.22   BRB4 p.184            
Keith Hill                                                                                           

▪ A maker of classical guitars harvests some strange local trees to try out as instruments.

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

Museum Collections as Resources for Musical Instrument Makers

1995
AL#42 p.26   BRB4 p.160            
John Koster                                                                                           

▪ Koster explains what you can hope to gain by examining museum instruments, how to approach a museum, and what to do when you get there. With 21 photos.

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

HD-28 Soundboard Replacement

1995
AL#42 p.40   BRB4 p.192            
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Carruth ran mode and frequency tests on the old top and the replacement top.The goal was to reproduce the quality of the old airlines-damaged top.

Meet the Makers: Klaus and Peppe Reischel

1995
AL#42 p.42   BRB4 p.188            
David Riggs   Klaus Reischel   Peppe Reischel                                                                                   

▪ The Reischels make Landstrofer tuners, high-quality German gears for classical guitars.

Dedicated Drill Press for Hammered Dulcimer Production

1995
AL#42 p.44   BRB4 p.190            
Chris Foss                                                                                           

▪ Foss describes his permanent setup for drilling tuning pin and hitch pin holes in dulcimer pin blocks.

Meet the Maker: Des Anthony

1995
AL#42 p.48   BRB4 p.194            
Cyndy Burton   Des Anthony                                                                                       

▪ An Australian guitarmaker talks about Australian wood, his instruments, and the Australian vacation system.

Electronic Answer Man

1995
AL#42 p.51   BRB4 p.416            
Rick Turner                                                                                           

▪ Turner’s system of tuning an acoustic guitar pickup is elaborate. He also talks about amps for the acoustic guitar.

The Guitar Family, Continued

1995
AL#41 p.10   BRB4 p.126            
Graham Caldersmith                                                                                           

▪ Caldersmith is working to expand the voice range of guitar ensembles, both classical and steel string. With 4 photos and frequency response graphs. The first installment of Caldersmith’s work with a classical guitar family came way back in AL#18.

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

A Practical Approach to Hammered Dulcimers

1995
AL#41 p.18   BRB4 p.154            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The goal is to make the lightest possible instrument that will stay in tune. Calkin examines bracing, bridge design, scale lengths, wood, and hammer design. With 9 photos and several drawings.

Meet the Maker: Debbie Suran

1995
AL#41 p.26   BRB4 p.134            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Debbie Suran                                                                                       

▪ Suran is a performer/builder of hammered dulcimers.

GAL Instrument Plan #39: Hammered Dulcimer

1995
AL#41 p.29   BRB4 p.137            buy this plan
Debbie Suran   Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                       

▪ Suran’s design allows for the least amount of tension over the side bridges, which contributes to instrument stability. A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

Making Oval Mandolin Rosettes

1995
AL#41 p.34   BRB4 p.140            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Seven luthiers explain how they cut that oval slot.

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

Meet the Maker: Lara Espley

1995
AL#41 p.38   BRB4 p.152            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Lara Espley                                                                                       

▪ Espley is a Canadian maker of wonderfully distinctive instruments. Here she talks about her favorite woods (purpleheart, koa), her training, and the gender gap.

Felix Manzanero and his Collection of Antique Guitars

1995
AL#41 p.40   BRB4 p.144            
Ronald-Louis Fernandez                                                                                           

▪ It’s untrue that all the old builders were stodgy old putzes locked into a cold tradition. Some of their guitars were pretty far out. With 21 photos.

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

Product Reviews: Sabine Stealth Tuner

1995
AL#41 p.48   BRB4 p.429            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman examines the battery-powered Stealth guitar tuners from Sabine, which are meant to be mounted on the guitar. He finds them useful but aesthetically hard to hide on the instrument.

Questions: Wood Toxicity

1995
AL#41 p.50   BRB4 p.22            
James Holst                                                                                           

▪ 3M’s gold free-cut A-weight open coat has no stearates or additives and lasts a very long time.

Review: Making an Archtop Guitar by Bob Benedetto

1995
AL#41 p.52   BRB4 p.463            
Tom Ribbecke                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this book sets a new standard for guitarmaking books in general, and that it should affect the evolution of the archtop guitar for many years to come.

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

Review: The Art of Inlay by Larry Robinson

1995
AL#41 p.53   BRB4 p.464            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that if you wish to push your inlay work beyond the traditional patterns you may find this book indispensable.

Opinion

1995
AL#41 p.54               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Somogyi believes that ethics is a cloudy but deep issue that all luthiers must contend with. Simply trying to do your best work is not the end of the issue.

Violin Q & A: Fingerboard Step/Rib Junction Angles/French Belgian Cello Bridges/Oil Varnish Zits/French Polish Cracks

1995
AL#41 p.56   BRB4 p.442            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Why is there a step in the neck behind the nut of my fiddle? What angle are the junctions of the ribs cut to at the corners? What’s the difference between French and Belgian cello bridges? Zits in the varnish? Why does my French polish crackle?

Doc and Leo and Me

1994
AL#40 p.8   BRB4 p.90            
Curt Carpenter                                                                                           

▪ Carpenter tells of his VA-sponsored apprenticeship to a legend of the electric guitar industry. A fine string of anecdotes. Carpenter actually moved in with Doc Kauffman and his wife, relived all the old stories, learned to build guitars, visited with Leo Fender, met Rudy Dopera, and made pickups. Carpenter left the army to enter the Guitar Wars.

Catguts and Glitter and Horsehair on Bowsticks

1994
AL#40 p.14   BRB4 p.86            
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Impressions of lectures given on the first day of the GAL 1992 convention in Vermillion South Dakota, held in conjunction with the Catgut Acoustical Society.

Segovia’s 1912 Manuel Ramirez

1994
AL#40 p.18   BRB4 p.96            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ There is an undying interest in the Segovia guitars. Brune offers good description as well as 10 photos and a complete set of plans. The plans are a reduced version of our full-scale Plan # 38.

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

Two Travel Guitars and Their Makers

1994
AL#40 p.24   BRB4 p.124            
Jonathon Peterson   Rossco Wright   Larry Roberts                                                                                   

▪ Classical guitarists are too fussy to simply travel with a shrunken guitar. These two luthiers offer instruments that suit the special needs of special guitarists.

Meet the Maker: Jim Roden

1994
AL#40 p.38   BRB4 p.114            
Jonathon Peterson   Jim Roden                                                                                       

▪ Roden is a dulcimer maker and a forester, so he understands that we need to preserve forests and we need to cut them, too. He freely addresses both sides of the coin.

Fretboard Materials: A Semiscientific Survey

1994
AL#40 p.40   BRB4 p.112            
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ Casey devised his own methods of testing fingerboard woods for strength and abrasion resistance. His results will probably surprise you.

Resetting a Dovetailed Guitar Neck

1994
AL#40 p.42   BRB4 p.116            
Bryan Galloup                                                                                           

▪ Detailed captions for 36 photos explain how to cook the neck out of a flattop and put it back on the way it ought to be.

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

Vreeble and Veneer

1994
AL#40 p.50   BRB4 p.82            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin’s pair of articles first takes a look at Vreeble, a form of lacquer-based crackle paint, and then at refinishing an electric bass with curly maple veneer.

Electronic Answer Man

1994
AL#40 p.54   BRB4 p.416            
Rick Turner                                                                                           

▪ Have you got a new idea about wiring a guitar or bass? Turner helps you decide if it may be worth the effort of trying it out. The fact that a new wiring system will work doesn’t mean anyone will want to hear it. Or buy it. Or care at all.

Product Reviews: Onboard Preamps

1994
AL#40 p.56   BRB4 p.427            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman tests the L.R. Baggs Micro Drive preamp and the MEQ-932 preamp available from Martin. Both units are for acoustic guitars, and the reviewer found them both to be a good value but not necessarily interchangeable.

The Tiple

1994
AL#39 p.30   BRB4 p.62            
Jorge Gonzalez                                                                                           

▪ Outwardly, the tiple resembles a biggish ukulele with 10 strings arranged in four courses. Tuning arrangements vary with geography. In America the Martin tiple is the best known.

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

The Anti-Murphy Concert

1994
AL#39 p.34               read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Fine musicians get together with acousticians and luthiers to try old against the new. No agreements are reached, but apparently a good time was had by all.

Just Beat It! Making a New Fender Neck Look Old

1994
AL#39 p.36   BRB4 p.72            
Dan Erlewine                                                                                           

▪ In the last issue Erlewine described how he made a new “old” Tele body. In this installment he attacks the neck, quite literally. With 40 photos.

Opinion

1994
AL#39 p.44               
Andrea Tacchi                                                                                           

▪ Tacchi opines that perhaps our attitude toward our work has too hard an edge, that we may be too eager to lose sight of the artist within us to produce the best work we are capable of.

Review: A Guide to Useful Woods of the World

1994
AL#39 p.46   BRB4 p.458            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds the book to be accurate and that the authors and editor did their best to escape the dry, technical aspects of wood science.

Review: Strobel Series for Violin Makers, books one through four and a preview of book five

1994
AL#39 p.46   BRB4 p.458            read this article
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that Strobel’s books are useful and accurate, and that the author has made a brave attempt to encourage luthiers to make their own violins, rather than strict copies of master instruments. Always look for the latest edition of each volume since changes and updates often accompany each new edition.

Review: Making Master Guitars by Roy Courtnall

1994
AL#39 p.49   BRB4 p.461            
Kevin Aram                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that his good first impression of the book is dimmed by six months spent in its company. He maintains that the information is inconsistent and not in the best interest of the beginning luthier, nor complete enough for the experienced builder.

Review: New Zealand Timbers by Norman C. Clifton

1994
AL#39 p.51   BRB4 p.463            
Marc Worsfold                                                                                           

▪ This book only concerns itself with wood varieties that grow large enough to harvest for lumber. In that light, the reviewer finds it to be an “excellent, well-researched book that gives a different view of New Zealand resources other than sheep.”

Product Reviews: Bob Smith Glues

1994
AL#39 p.54   BRB4 p.425            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ The GAL’s tool man examines Bob Smith Industries line of epoxies and CA glues and finds that they shoot down the competition.

Violin Q & A: E String Breakage/Neck Removal

1994
AL#39 p.58   BRB4 p.442            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton tells what to look for if a certain string breaks consistently, and how to remove a firmly attached violin neck.

Bridge and Bridge Patch Replacement

1994
AL#39 p.10   BRB4 p.52            
Bryan Galloup                                                                                           

▪ Here’s the whole story, with some tools for heat removal of the parts not seen in the magazine before. Pull those worn parts and make your own replacements. With 38 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Eric Meyer

1994
AL#39 p.18   BRB4 p.65            
Jonathon Peterson   Eric Myer                                                                                       

▪ Meyer’s current gig is the manufacture of violin fittings. He describes his peg making process in detail.

Making Pickguards

1994
AL#39 p.25   BRB4 p.70            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The focus here is electric guitar pickguards, both wood and plastic. Some tips carry over to acoustic pickguards.

Practicum Eighteen: Installing the Nut, Frets, and Strings

1994
AL#38 p.8   HLC p.226            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Lundberg makes the nut, ties on the frets, and strings up the lute. With a string tension formula and an explanation of the rule of 18 for locating frets. Contains 33 step-by-step photos, and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Fe, Fi, Faux Fender

1994
AL#38 p.18   BRB4 p.28            
Dan Erlewine                                                                                           

▪ How do you make a new electric guitar that looks like it spent forty years in the bar wars? Erlewine uses two finishes with incompatible shrink rates, rope, the concrete floor, you name it! Creativity can be harsh, but his Tele certainly looks vintage.

Segovia’s 1937 Hauser: Top and Back Thicknesses

1994
AL#38 p.24   BRB4 p.34            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune made a map of plate dimensions using a new (and expensive) gizzy called the Elcometer. Then he decides that plate thickness probably isn’t so big a deal. Well, at least you have a model to guide you.

A Look at Lutherie in Bubenreuth, Germany

1994
AL#38 p.26   BRB4 p.20            
David Riggs                                                                                           

▪ Sometimes German instruments can look downright, well, German! Not the ones that Riggs captured on film, though. Perhaps the whole world is now one big melting pot.

Meet the Makers: Nick Kukich and Jeanne Munro

1994
AL#38 p.30   BRB4 p.36            
Jonathon Peterson   Nick Kukich   Jeanne Munro                                                                                   

▪ The folks from Franklin Guitars are outspoken and articulate. Are steel string makers really the “bottom feeders” of the guitar world? Kukich was there at the rebirth of the OM guitar.

The Ukrainian Bandura: A Distant Relative of the Harp Guitar

1994
AL#38 p.34   BRB4 p.42            
Francis Kosheleff                                                                                           

▪ A typical bandura looks like a melted acoustic guitar with about a hundred extra strings spread across the body. OK, not that many. A lot, though. Kosheleff knows these Russians well.

Heed Herr Helmholtz (or How I Built My First Guitar Twice)

1994
AL#38 p.44   BRB4 p.48            
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ Anyone willing to dismantle their first guitar deserves a lot of credit, especially if it came out cosmetically pristine the first time. Doolin replaced the top of his first guitar to bring the bass response up to spec. With 9 photos and a lot to think about.

Making Flat Cases

1994
AL#38 p.48   BRB4 p.59            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ How to make hardshell, vinyl-covered, fur-lined cases for instruments that won’t fit into a stock case.

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

Product Reviews: Bourgeois Transducer/Mic Combo

1994
AL#38 p.52   BRB4 p.424            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman has made himself an expert in the field of amplifying the acoustic guitar. Here he examines the Transducer/Mic Combo, from Dana Bourgeois Guitars, and decides that it is a “real bargain.”

Meet the Maker: John Koster

1994
AL#37 p.22   BRB4 p.17            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison   John Koster                                                                                       

▪ How does a man become conservator to a famous collection of stringed instruments, and just exactly what does he do after he’s there? Koster maintains the collection at the Shrine to Music Museum.

Violin Setups, Part Two

1994
AL#37 p.26   BRB3 p.352            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ And you thought you knew all there was to know about making that fiddle play. Darnton continues his instruction from AL#35. This time he tunes and fits the bridge, strings, tailpiece, saddle, and end button. With 13 photos.

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

Practicum Seventeen: Finishing the Belly and Neck

1994
AL#37 p.32   HLC p.218            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Lundberg cleans, scrapes, waxes, and oils the various parts of the lute that will not receive shellac finishing. With 29 step-by-step photos, detailed captions, and two recipes for lute wax. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Cutting Michigan Maple

1994
AL#37 p.40               read this article
Elon Howe                                                                                           

▪ Another luthier turns woodcutter using a Wood Mizer portable bandsaw, and maple isn’t the half of it. With 4 photos and a diagram for sawing logs into “bastard cut” mandolin wood.

Floyd

1994
AL#37 p.42               read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Local color and good humor are key ingredients of this peek at an independent-minded violinmaker. Arizona rosewood? Manzinita tuning pegs?

Ash Varnish: A modern Alchemist’s Recipe

1994
AL#37 p.44   BRB4 p.23            
Keith Hill                                                                                           

▪ Hill cooks up a varnish that resembles the fiddles in the early paintings, not those same fiddles 300 years later. A hundred years from now he expects his violins to be prettier than anyone’s.

Questions: Plan List

1994
AL#37 p.49               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ A consolidated listing of available instrument plans and their sources.

Product Reviews: The Apprentice

1994
AL#37 p.52   BRB4 p.422            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman spent a month doing all his repair work on The Apprentice, an instrument holder from WidgetWorks, and declares that he can’t give it up.

Electronic Answer Man

1994
AL#37 p.56   BRB4 p.416            
Rick Turner                                                                                           

▪ Turner’s column is all about the essential electronic measuring instruments for the guitar shop.

Review: The History and Artistry of National Resonator Instruments by Bob Brozman

1994
AL#37 p.57   BRB4 p.458            
Ron Lira                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer says, “I’m so impressed with this book I could just bust!” Apparently America now has a National heaven.

It Worked for Me: Waterproof Hide Glue

1994
AL#37 p.59   BRB4 p.483            
Keith Hill                                                                                           

▪ A violin gluing method using waterproof hide glue to battle humidity and which renders the dried glue less susceptible to attack from mold and bacteria.

Finishing Techniques for Hiding Repair Work

1993
AL#36 p.6   BRB3 p.380            read this article
Dan Erlewine                                                                                           

▪ Erlewine hides his wooden patches under a field of colored French polish, then paints over it with simulated wood grain, and then might shoot a sunburst around everything. Old European craftsmen would smile in recognition of these tricks, but they are seldom applied to guitars.

Meet the Maker: Ervin Somogyi

1993
AL#36 p.12   BRB3 p.393            
Ervin Somogyi   Colin Kaminski                                                                                       

▪ Many of us suffer periods of lutherie burnout, but few as dramatically as Somogyi, whose house and shop were lost in a great California fire. This interview offers early background information and an update of how he has coped since the fire.

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

Principles of Guitar Dynamics and Design

1993
AL#36 p.16   BRB3 p.396            
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Somogyi delves into many of the technical considerations of guitar design and construction. With a large number of drawings.

What You Should Know About the Hardanger Fiddle

1993
AL#36 p.26   BRB3 p.410            read this article
David Golber                                                                                           

▪ The chief difference between the Hardanger and a normal violin is its use of sympathetic strings, though other differences abound. Ornate decoration is also usual. Golber offers a good description of a typical Hardanger and how to set it up.With 9 photos and a number of drawings.

Practicum Sixteen: Fitting the Pegs

1993
AL#36 p.32   HLC p.210            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Lundberg explains how to fit the many pegs of graduating length and diameter. With 26 step-by-step photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Meet the Maker: Scot Tremblay

1993
AL#36 p.40   BRB3 p.405            
Jonathon Peterson   Scott Tremblay                                                                                       

▪ Trembley is a Canadian luthier who specializes in the guitars of the 19th century, both as a maker and a restorationist. He has studied the subject deeply. With 12 photos and a scale drawing of an 1816 Salon Guitar by Jose Martinez. This plan is a reduced version of GAL full-scale Plan #36.

Sharpening Scrapers

1993
AL#36 p.46   BRB3 p.416            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Scrapers are wonderfully useful tools despite the difficulties they often pose to beginners. Lundberg explains how to tame them.

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

Jatoba

1993
AL#36 p.50   BRB3 p.420            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison   Debbie Suran                                                                                       

▪ Two luthiers examine an alternative wood and find that their samples do not match each other, and that their research texts don’t match descriptions, either. Two chunks of wood point to a common problem for those who are driven to be different.

At the Workbench of the Twelfth Fret

1993
AL#36 p.52   BRB3 p.422            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Four repairmen offer a variety of tips about altering mechanical archtop bridges, adding more “pop” to fretless bass necks, soldering and shielding electrics, carbide bandsaw blades, abrasive cord, superglue, cutting saddle slots, double-stick tape, bending plastic binding, beveling pickguard stock, replacing bar frets with T-frets, and restoring headstocks to look old.

Electronic Answer Man

1993
AL#36 p.56   BRB3 p.426            read this article
Rick Turner                                                                                           

▪ Turner warns repairmen not to get in over their heads with custom electronics work, and describes two elaborate jobs that came out right for all concerned.

Violin Q & A: String Recommendations/Purfling Grooves

1993
AL#36 p.58   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton discusses classical violin strings and a timesaving method of cutting the purfling slots.

Product Reviews: Trem-Setter and Tuning Gizmos

1993
AL#36 p.60   BRB3 p.441            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Toolman tries out the Hipshot Extender Key for guitars, and the Hipshot Trilogy bridge. He finds them to be useful products with specific uses.

CITES Paperwork Update

1994
AL#37 p.5               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ If you attempt to move across international borders any artifact containing wood from a CITES tree (which includes Brazilian rosewood) you may risk confiscation if first you don’t fill out the right forms and pay the proper fees. It’s a slow and expensive process, and Brune’s forecast for the future is even scarier.

James L. D’Aquisto: Building the Archtop Guitar. A Brief Overview

1994
AL#37 p.6   BRB4 p.2            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Nobody built a better archtop than D’Aquisto did. Olsen outlines the procedures and peculiarities of a famous luthier’s work.

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

James L. D’Aquisto: Building the Archtop Guitar. The Soundboard

1994
AL#37 p.10   BRB4 p.6            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Olsen travels from the general (in the preceding article) to the specific. He zeros in on D’Aquisto’s soundboard work for a detailed examination. With 47 photos.

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

GAL Instrument Plan #35: The Malagasy Kabosy

1993
AL#35 p.21   BRB3 p.392            buy this plan
Paul Hostetter                                                                                           

▪ Using these drawings and text you can make your own kabosy in a few days. A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

Meet the Maker: Tom Ribbecke

1993
AL#35 p.24   BRB3 p.370            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Tom Ribbecke                                                                                       

▪ As an adviser to the trade, a builder of high quality guitars, and teacher, Ribbecke has had a strong influence on the work of many luthiers. This interview sketches his beginnings in lutherie.

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

Some Alternative Lutherie Woods

1993
AL#35 p.26   BRB3 p.372            read this article
Tom Ribbecke                                                                                           

▪ Ribbecke gathered information from across the country for this talk, an introduction to the woods that may eventually—like it or not—change the look of the instruments we make and play.

Practicum Fourteen: Finishing the Bowl

1993
AL#35 p.34   HLC p.196            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The bowl is finished with shellac and rubbed out. With 38 step-by-step photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

In Memoriam: Arthur Overholtzer

1993
AL#35 p.44   BRB3 p.500            read this article
Bruce McGuire                                                                                           

▪ Overholtzer is cussed and discussed, but he had an undeniable influence on the American classical guitar scene. He built Spanish guitars in a very un-Spanish manner.

Another Look at Fretting

1993
AL#35 p.48   BRB3 p.368            
Ralph Novak                                                                                           

▪ Good fretwork is complicated, but practice makes it a staple in the repairman’s income. Novak offers advice garnered from twenty-odd years in the business.

Violin Q & A: Neck Thickness/Tightness/D String Reach/Tilt Of Fingerboard

1993
AL#35 p.52   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ What are the proper dimensions and shape of the neck? What is a “tight” fiddle? What is fingerboard tilt? What does a player mean when he says he “can’t reach” the D string? Darnton answers all.

Product Reviews: Sperzels and Waverlies

1993
AL#35 p.54   BRB3 p.441            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ The Guild’s resident tool and hardware tester takes a look at Waverly vintage-style tuners, Sperzel locking machine heads, and the Trem-Setter stabilizing device. All are given the nod of approval.

Electronic Answer Man

1993
AL#35 p.58   BRB3 p.426            read this article
Rick Turner                                                                                           

▪ Turner spends nearly 2 pages talking about electric guitar wiring harnesses, which wire to use, and what pot values to try.

Opinion: Classic Guitars Are Too Quiet

1993
AL#35 p.60               
Paul Hurley                                                                                           

▪ Hurley believes that classical guitars aren’t loud enough, and that if design changes can’t make improvements, perhaps concert halls should be changed or amplification used. He wishes to boost the popularity of guitar concerts.

In Memoriam: Mario Maccaferri

1993
AL#35 p.63   BRB3 p.503            read this article
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ Remembering Mario Maccaferri, creator of guitars made by Selmer of Paris and made famous by Django Reinhardt, major contributor to the field of injection molding plastic, and overall self made man.

Questions about Segovia’s 1937 Hauser

1993
AL#34 p.41   BRB3 p.351   ALA3 p.51         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Is the Met’s Segovia Hauser the famous Hauser? Probably, but maybe not. That such mysteries can remain about the most famous classical guitarist ever is quite heartening.

Violin Q & A: Instrument Tone/Reaming For Pegs/Yellow Cold Glue/Stains

1993
AL#34 p.54   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ What adjustments change the tone of a violin? Should new pegs be reshaped or should the pegbox holes be opened to fit them? Which glue for a top center seam? Are stains really useless?

Product Reviews: Dan Erlewine’s Don’t Fret video

1993
AL#34 p.56   BRB3 p.439            read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman examines a rash of Stew-Mac fretting tools and their fretting video. He gives the green light to the entire package after extensive testing.

It Worked for Me: Used Vacuum Pumps

1993
AL#34 p.58   BRB3 p.491            
Colin Kaminski                                                                                           

▪ A modified Blue Point K-1020 vacuum pump to recycle refrigerant from automotive air conditioners, per California state law.

It Worked for Me: Fingerboard Binding Clamp Jig

1993
AL#34 p.59   BRB3 p.494            
Colin Kaminski                                                                                           

▪ This jig used for clamping fingerboard bindings fixes the problem of clamping the binding against the fingerboard and keeping the white and black lines flush with the bottom edge of the fingerboard.

In Memoriam: Hammond Ashley

1993
AL#34 p.61   BRB3 p.499            read this article
David Wilson   Peggy Warren                                                                                       

▪ Remembering Hammond Ashley, aged 91, advocate of fine music and fine musical instrument making.

Violin Setups, Part One

1993
AL#35 p.6   BRB3 p.352            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ To the uninitiated, violin setup seems to have way too many steps for the small number of moveable parts involved. Taken one step at a time, the mystery falls away. Darnton explains the tools and procedures he uses to get the most out of a violin. This segment includes fitting pegs, correcting problems with the nut, making a fingerboard, and fitting a soundpost. Part Two is printed in AL#37. With 30 photos.

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

It’s a Kabosy

1993
AL#35 p.16   BRB3 p.386            read this article
Paul Hostetter                                                                                           

▪ The kabosy is a folk instrument from Madagascar. It comes in several body shapes, but always has a neck with the same layout of staggered frets, many of which don’t completely cross the fingerboard. It’s easy to build and fun to play once your eyes stop being baffled by the weird frets.

Product Reviews: Dean Markley SST

1993
AL#33 p.54   BRB3 p.437            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman tests the Dean Markley SST acoustic guitar pickup (saddle/transducer) and decides that it may fit certain needs but it doesn’t offer faithful reproduction of the guitar’s acoustic sound.

Review: Building a Herringbone-style Acoustic Guitar by Don MacRostie and Dan Erlewine

1993
AL#33 p.57   BRB3 p.471            read this article
Dave Maize                                                                                           

▪ Videos begin to get their due in the review department. The reviewer decides this tape is a valuable aid for the first-time builder.

Questions: Hurdy-Gurdies

1993
AL#33 p.59               read this article
Harry Schwab                                                                                           

▪ Obtaining technical details or blueprints on the inner workings of the Swedish nyckelharp and the chromatic keyboard of a hurdy gurdy.

Letter to the Editor: Lutherie Art

1993
AL#34 p.4               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Somogyi was burned out of house and shop during the Oakland Hills Firestorm. He describes his plight and how the Crafts Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) helped rescue him. If you need such help, or if you would like to contribute to CERF, Somogyi tells how.

CITES Tree List

1993
AL#34 p.5               
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Any artifact containing wood from a CITES tree might be impounded at any international border. This list may help you if you travel or do import/export.

A Timely Top Replacement

1993
AL#34 p.6   BRB3 p.316   ALA5 p.22         
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Elliott believes that top replacements might be far more common in the future than they are now. Instruments with tired tops might have them replaced rather than retire the rare/irreplaceable hardwoods that comprise the rest of the instrument. Anyhow, he tried it out. Here he presents a description of the operation and the ethics involved, with 23 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Bart Reiter

1993
AL#34 p.14   BRB3 p.324            read this article
Paul Hostetter   Bart Reiter                                                                                       

▪ Reiter is perhaps the best known current maker of open back banjos. He traces his beginnings and some specifics of the banjo market. With 3 photos.

Applications of the Silicone Heating Blanket in Violin Making

1993
AL#34 p.18   BRB3 p.328            read this article
George Borun                                                                                           

▪ Not many people make the mental leap from violins to the space age easily. Borun did, and found the connection useful. His list of uses extends far beyond bending the ribs.

Meet the Maker: Michael Sanden

1993
AL#34 p.20   BRB3 p.330   ALA6 p.24         
Jonathon Peterson   Michael Sanden                                                                                       

▪ A Swedish guitar maker comes to America for a round of twenty-questions. When non-Americans step out on Lutherie Road the trip isn’t necessarily the one we imagine. Sanden shares a lot of information about his mentor, Georg Bolin.

A New Look at Harp Guitars

1993
AL#34 p.24   BRB3 p.334   ALA6 p.30         
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ In AL#29 Peterson looked back at the harp guitar. This time he takes a forward look. A number of luthiers find fascination and a new potential in the big beast, and this is the best look at their results to date. With 28 photos and 8 detailed drawings. Also available is GAL full-scale Plan #34, the Klein solidbody electric harp guitar.

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

Meet the Maker: Roberto Gomes

1993
AL#33 p.6   BRB3 p.272            
Cyndy Burton   Roberto Gomes                                                                                       

▪ A Brazilian guitar maker comments upon his situation in Brazil and his first trip to America as a luthier.

Brazilian Tonewoods

1993
AL#33 p.9   BRB3 p.275            read this article
Roberto Gomes                                                                                           

▪ Straight from the horse’s mouth—a Brazilian guitar maker talks about Brazilian tonewood. Ever wonder what a living rosewood tree looks like? Well, wonder no more. With 6 photos and a range map.

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

Brazilian Guitar Makers

1993
AL#33 p.12   BRB3 p.278            read this article
Roberto Gomes                                                                                           

▪ Gomes offers a list and short description of some current Brazilian builders.

Torres Guitar Restoration

1993
AL#33 p.14   BRB3 p.280            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune describes a rare 11-string Torres guitar and the manner in which he restored it. With 11 photos and a half-page of drawings. Mentions Romanillos.

Building Hollow Radius Forms

1993
AL#33 p.23   BRB3 p.476            
Colin Kaminski                                                                                           

▪ Kaminski’s form uses two sheets of plywood of different thickness. They are stacked and screwed together down the center, and the thin sheet is curved by placing rows of wedges between them. A wood frame is built around the plywood, then polyester is poured between the sheets to make the radius permanent. It works, but it can be messy.

The Great White Sitka

1993
AL#33 p.26   BRB3 p.290            read this article
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ How does one hack a log that’s 11′ wide into 4000 guitar tops? Very carefully! With 9 photos detailing the decimation of Moby Spruce. By the way, this is a log that Steve McMinn rescued from the pulp mill.

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

Reproducing the Finish of the “Rawlins” Stradivari Guitar

1993
AL#33 p.30   BRB3 p.292            
Geary Baese                                                                                           

▪ When a violin guy gets on the trail of an old guitar it comes out sounding an awful lot like a violin article. And when Stradivari is involved what else can one expect? Baese makes an educated guess about the materials and techniques that finished a famous guitar. With 8 photos.

Micro-mesh

1993
AL#33 p.35   BRB3 p.308            
David Freeman                                                                                           

▪ Micro-mesh is the latest word in sandpaper. In fact, it’s not even paper and it doesn’t feel sandy. Freeman and his students use it for all wet-sanding chores, including the final gloss finish. It’s that fine.

At the Workbench

1993
AL#33 p.36   BRB3 p.303            
Wes Brandt                                                                                           

▪ A well-known repairman delivers eight tips, including an alternate way to bend a Venetian cutaway, tool tips, and a way to bend sides more accurately.

Big Blue Ladder

1993
AL#33 p.39   BRB3 p.309            read this article
Harold Turner                                                                                           

▪ Turner thinks you might like to try white pine as a tonewood. But you’ll have to harvest it yourself. Here are some suggestions about how to go about it.

Sustainability: An Issue Facing Luthiers

1993
AL#33 p.40   BRB3 p.298            read this article
John Curtis                                                                                           

▪ Curtis is a wood dealer and a founder of WARP (Woodworkers Alliance for Rainforest Protection). Here he examines international law, species extinction, conservation, and local economies in the Third World. Oh yeah, and the American luthier’s place in this scheme.

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

Shortening Schaller Shafts

1993
AL#33 p.46   BRB3 p.310            read this article
David Golber                                                                                           

▪ If stock tuners stick up too far from the top of your headstock you can fix them, but it requires a machinist’s lathe.

Carving Neck Facets

1993
AL#33 p.48   BRB3 p.306            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin offers a neck shaping method that gives preconceived notions a chance to be born. What you want in a neck is what you get, quickly and with straight lines.

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

Honor Roll

1992
AL#32 p.32               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ This is a salute to the Guild’s most loyal members.

Chemical Stains

1992
AL#32 p.44   BRB3 p.266            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Nothing is easy for fiddle people. When they aren’t tweaking and gluing wood they are stirring up a witch’s brew in their home chem labs. Darn if Darnton doesn’t sound like he likes it, though. Buy some fancy wood. Trick it into changing color.

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

Antonio Raya: Granada’s Rising Star

1992
AL#32 p.46   BRB3 p.265            
Lisa Hurlong                                                                                           

▪ An adopted daughter of Granada describes an up-and-coming Spanish guitar maker. Good local color. Mentions Antonio Marin.

Hellfire! or How Not To Build A Banjo

1992
AL#32 p.47   BRB3 p.257            read this article
Harold Turner                                                                                           

▪ Build a banjo and scare the congregation, and not with music. Luthier humor, and more good local color. Turner was there when the banjo bomb was invented. A shrinking calf skin head was the culprit.

Meet the Maker: Guy Rabut

1992
AL#32 p.52   BRB3 p.268            read this article
Tim Olsen   Guy Rabut                                                                                       

▪ A long-time Guild member makes it as a violinmaker in the Big Apple after a twenty-year run. Mentions Ed Campbell, Peter Prier, Rene Morel.

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

Repairing Catalyzed Finishes

1992
AL#32 p.58   BRB3 p.270            
Jim Grainger                                                                                           

▪ Grainger swears that this work is easy and profitable, and makes it seem so. The secret ingredient is called Final Coat, a Mohawk product.

Review: The Workbench Book by Scott Landis

1992
AL#32 p.62   BRB3 p.470            read this article
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ This marvelous book of workbenches will fill you with ideas of how to improve the ‘heart’ of your own shop.

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

Violin Q & A: Fingerboard Flatness/Leaning Bridge/Hide Glue

1992
AL#32 p.64   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ What should one expect from a purchased ebony fingerboard? Should a fiddle bridge lean back, and how far? Can you offer hints about using hide glue? Darnton’s wide experience rescues another page of readers.

It Worked for Me: Thinline Switch Fisher Line/Clay Dot Replacements/Fret Size Selector/Cloth Braided Wire/Tune-O-Matic Bridge Wire

1992
AL#32 p.68   BRB3 p.489            
Richard Echeverria                                                                                           

▪ Quickie tips on the thinline switch fisher-line, clay dot replacements, fret size selector, cloth braided wire, and tune-o-matic bridge wire.

Meet the Maker: Byron Will

1992
AL#31 p.58   BRB3 p.222            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Byron Will                                                                                       

▪ Will talks primarily about the business end of being a harpsichord maker.

Product Reviews: Waverly Fret Tang Nipper

1992
AL#31 p.60   BRB3 p.437            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman reviews the Waverly Fret Tang Nipper and finds that for the full-time builder it is an indispensable tool.

Electronic Answer Man

1992
AL#31 p.62   BRB3 p.426            read this article
Rick Turner                                                                                           

▪ Turner goes deep with information about the effect of wire insulation size on the character of a pickup, and explains the construction of guitar capacitors.

Violin Q & A: Violin Reconditioning/Bass Bar Springs/Neck Surface

1992
AL#31 p.64   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Why don’t the ribs of a broken fiddle fit the top any more? How much spring should be built into a bass bar? Why is there a step in the neck behind the nut on my fiddle. Darnton knows, now you will, too.

In Memoriam: Hart Huttig II

1992
AL#31 p.67   BRB3 p.501            read this article
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Remembering Hart Hutting II, an avid aficionado of flamenco and selfless contributor to the GAL since it’s inception.

Ivory Lute: Picture This

1992
AL#32 p.6   BRB3 p.240            read this article
Ken Sribnick   Gayle Miller                                                                                       

▪ The lute photographers relate a wonderful anecdote about their pilgrimage to the London shop of Charles Beare to shoot the unicorn, er, no, the great white lute. With 3 more photos.

Ivory Lute: Questions Remain

1992
AL#32 p.7   BRB3 p.241            read this article
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ It seems that there is real doubt about the authenticity of this very same lute. American Lutherie’s lute meister looks at the photos and thinks, “Hmm, maybe it is real.” With one more photo of Moby Lute.

Meet the Maker: Ren Ferguson

1992
AL#32 p.8   BRB3 p.242            
Jonathon Peterson   Ren Ferguson                                                                                       

▪ The shop honcho of Gibson West relates some personal background. Ferguson moved to Montana long before Gibson did. Did Gibson really build a factory there just for him? Probably not. Mentions Rob Ehlers, Steve Carlson, Henry Juszkiewicz.

A Walk Through Gibson West with Ren Ferguson

1992
AL#32 p.11   BRB3 p.244            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ As a maker of fine acoustic instruments Gibson was reborn in Montana. The man in charge of creativity and efficiency leads the GAL team through his domain. With 17 photos.

An Interview with H.E. Huttig

1992
AL#32 p.16   BRB3 p.250   ALA5 p.10         
R.E. Brune   H.E. Huttig                                                                                       

▪ Huttig began importing guitar parts and European tonewood in the 1950s, and was a hard-core enthusiast of the classical guitar even before that. As a businessman and a friend to musicians and luthiers his life had far-reaching fallout. Mentions Barbero, Bobri, Hauser II, Hernandez, Romanillos, Ramirez, Esteso, and so on.

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

The Amazing But True Story of the Guild’s Early Years

1992
AL#32 p.24               
Bon Henderson                                                                                           

▪ Read about how dreamy-but-enthusiastic-hippie-types built a strange little newsletter into an organization of international respect.

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

In the Beginning

1992
AL#32 p.25               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ A man who witnessed the very labor pains that preceded the birth of the GAL recaptures the details and makes a dire prophecy.

Meet the Maker (of the Guild): Tim Olsen

1992
AL#32 p.26   BRB3 p.258            
Todd Brotherton   Tim Olsen                                                                                       

▪ Olsen is the leader of the Guild, though he would strongly resist being called the boss. Sometimes it seems that people are led to where they can best serve, regardless of the path they might have chosen for themselves. Tim doesn’t make instruments any more, but through the GAL he shines a light upon all of us who do. This interview is proof that, often, people are even more interesting than you suspect. Mentions Deb Olsen, Bon Henderson, J.R. Beall, Bob Petrulis, Leo Bidne, Harvey Thomas.

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

Conventions Overview

1992
AL#32 p.30               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ This convention flashback offers 3 group photos and a description of all the conventions squeezed into a paragraph apiece.

Letter to the Editor: Harp Guitar Article AL#29

1992
AL#31 p.7   BRB3 p.203            
Jose Romanillos                                                                                           

▪ Romanillos co-authored the catalog for the Exhibition of Spanish Guitars in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and he asks that R. E. Brune elucidate upon his statement that the catalog contained inaccuracies (AL#29).

Segovia’s 1937 Hauser

1992
AL#31 p.8   BRB3 p.212   ALA3 p.44         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune visits with, measures, and draws Segovia’s most famous guitar. The plans offered are a reduced version of GAL full-scale Plan #33. Brune feels that the guitar misses the maestro. With 19 photos. This article accompnied the realease of the first edition of our Instrument Plan #33. The second edition of the plan was relaeased in 2016.

Thickness Sanding Disk for Drill Press

1992
AL#31 p.14   BRB3 p.218            
Gavin Baird                                                                                           

▪ You can thin all your guitar wood on the drill press. Baird’s sander is perhaps as accurate as any. He claims control of the wood to within .001″.

North American Softwoods

1992
AL#31 p.18   BRB3 p.226            read this article
Ted Davis   Bruce Harvie   Steve McMinn   Byron Will   David Wilson                                                                           

▪ As the large stands of old growth timber are harvested it is likely that quality tonewoods will come more and more from men who can take the time to harvest and pack out individual trees. Who are they, how do they work, and what’s their prognosis for the future? The discussion also introduces species that you probably never considered for top wood until now. With photos and range maps.

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

GAL Instrument Plan #33: 1937 Hermann Hauser Sr. Classic Guitar — see new edition

1992
AL#31 p.21   BRB3 p.9   ALA3 p.48         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. This version is out of date and not available as a full-scale plan. A new edition was released in 2016, and it is available.

Whence Tree Names?

1992
AL#31 p.27   BRB3 p.235            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Those Latin tongue twisters actually mean something. Scholars actually find joy and amusement in many of the scientific names. You might, too.

Commercial Graphite Acoustic Guitars

1992
AL#31 p.30   BRB3 p.224            read this article
John Decker                                                                                           

▪ This alternative to wood is outside the reach of most luthiers. It’s interesting to know how hard some are working to make graphite sound like wood. Graphite might have its own sound to offer, but once again inventors have to deal with what humans are used to, rather than with what they might have if they were more open minded. With 7 photos.

1992 Exhibitors List

1992
AL#31 p.41               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ The turnout at this convention was 65 builders and merchants.

The Bob Mattingly Memorial Fund

1992
AL#31 p.45               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ Mattingly was a super-supporter of the Guild and of free information exchange. Donations to the GAL can be earmarked for this fund, which has been used to bring specific speakers and exhibitions to Guild conventions.

Practicum Thirteen: Making the Pegs

1992
AL#31 p.50   HLC p.190            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Lundberg makes the pegs with a tiny machinist’s lathe. With 25 step-by-step photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Practicum Fifteen: Installing the Pegbox

1992
AL#31 p.46   HLC p.206            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The pegbox is attached to the neck. With 16 step-by-step photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

In Search of the Perfect Cone

1992
AL#30 p.44   BRB3 p.204            read this article
Tim Earls                                                                                           

▪ Multiple radius fingerboards revisited. Also called conical fretboards. Earls strives to put the design process into the hands of Joe Guitar maker using “barnyard” geometry. Seems to work. The article also contains a description of the Warmoth multiradius fretboard, which has become sort of the industry leader.

Taking the Guitar Beyond Equal Temperament

1992
AL#30 p.46   BRB3 p.210            read this article
Don Musser                                                                                           

▪ Musser tries to get the guitar to play in tune with itself by laying out the frets for just intonation, rather than equal temperament. Interchangeable fretboards allow the changing of keys and tunings. Pretty interesting, and the new fret pattern looks very bewildering and cool. Based on the work of Mark Rankin.

It Worked for Me: Laminated Binding Jig

1992
AL#30 p.48   BRB3 p.485            
Mark Tierney                                                                                           

▪ An easy to make jig with a wide jawed woodworkers vise to work down the edges of thin strips of veneer or laminated binding.

Electronic Answer Man

1992
AL#30 p.51   BRB3 p.426            read this article
Rick Turner                                                                                           

▪ Turner explains how to help quiet a buzzy Silvertone, quick-check pickup phase, and the different characteristics of high and low impedance pickups.

Product Reviews: Mini-Flex Microphone System

1992
AL#30 p.52   BRB3 p.435            
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Fleishman wrings out the line of Mini-flex guitar mikes and finds them wanting. He also tries out the Radio Shack electret condenser mike #33-1063 and likes it.

Violin Q & A: Ebony For Pegs/Italian, German, French Building/Violin Societies/Oil Varnish

1992
AL#30 p.54   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton examines the use of various woods for tuning pegs, discusses the differences among Italian, German, French, and English methods of building fiddles, runs down a list of violin societies, and dismisses the use of supplier-prepared violin varnishes.

Taking the Guitar Beyond Equal Temperament

1992
AL#30 p.56   BRB3 p.469            
Curt Carpenter                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer is disappointed in the chapters about pickup making. The rest of the book is hard to follow and perhaps too deep for beginning luthiers. The book does offer food for thought, but should be used in conjunction with other references.

Review: The Ultimate Guitar Book by Tony Bacon

1992
AL#30 p.56   BRB3 p.469            read this article
Lloyd Zsiros                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that although the book offers no information on playing or building guitars, it is otherwise an excellent resource and a pleasure to read. The photos are excellent and the book covers a lot of ground.

It Worked for Me: Clothespin Clamp

1992
AL#29 p.57   BRB3 p.484            
Tim Earls                                                                                           

▪ Variation on a modified clothespin clamp. The original was submitted in 1980 by Bruce Scotten and appears on page 26 of Lutherie Tools.

It Worked for Me: String Tension/Hand Pressure

1992
AL#29 p.57   BRB3 p.484            
Richard Echeverria                                                                                           

▪ Fixing the common problem encountered with the Gibson style ABR and Schaller Nashville tune-o-matic guitar bridge: they collapse.

It Worked for Me: Low Cost Emergency Lathe

1992
AL#29 p.57   BRB3 p.485            read this article
Gerhart Schmeltekopf                                                                                           

▪ Rigging up a temporary reciprocating or ‘pole’ lathe.

Review: The Luthier’s Mercantile Catalog for Stringed Instrument Makers

1992
AL#29 p.58   BRB3 p.467            read this article
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Seldom does a new catalog cause so much excitement. The reviewer especially likes it for bedtime reading.

Review: Identifying Wood: Accurate Results with Simple Tools by Bruce Hoadley

1992
AL#29 p.58   BRB3 p.467            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer decides this book isn’t perfect for the DIY wood analyzer, but it will do, especially since it’s the only game in town.

Review: Making Guitar 1 by Daniel Fort and Owen Riss

1992
AL#29 p.59   BRB3 p.468            read this article
Lloyd Zsiros                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this video at first, but after repeated viewing finds it comes up short. If you have all the books and still can’t get motivated, perhaps this tape will help.

Violin Q & A: Asymmetrical Graduation/Oil Varnish Natural Drying/Baroque Fiddles

1992
AL#29 p.60   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton sheds light on asymmetrically graduated violin tops, natural drying vs. UV drying of varnish, and the market in Baroque fiddles.

Builders Broadsided by Brazilian Ban

1992
AL#30 p.4               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ CITES restrictions on Brazilian rosewood include a ban on the import/export of objects that contain that wood. There are exceptions, however. Brune gives us the lowdown on the original agreement.

Travels in French Lutherie

1992
AL#30 p.6   BRB3 p.196   ALA4 p.20         
Paul Hostetter                                                                                           

▪ AL is one of the few available resources that examines the foreign instrument scene in any detail. Hostetter’s chief interest lies in the Selmer Django guitars designed by Maccaferri, but he peeks into every nook that offers a glimpse of strange instruments. Along the way he meets Francois Charle and Maurice Dupont. With 5 photos of Selmers.

Meet the Maker: Maurice Dupont

1992
AL#30 p.10   BRB3 p.200   ALA4 p.24         
Paul Hostetter   Maurice Dupont                                                                                       

▪ Meet a French guitar maker whose specialty is the recreation of Selmer guitars. Dupont even mills his own spruce. He is one of the more accessible foreign luthiers, and his guitars are available in the States. Mentions Maccaferri, Django Reinhardt.

Free Plate Tuning, Part Three: Guitars

1992
AL#30 p.16   BRB3 p.136            read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Accessibility and usefulness are the keys to this segment of Carruth’s study. He addresses the archtop, flattop, and classical guitars, and even builds a flattop out of oak to compare its tuning modes to conventional tonewoods. With many mode diagrams and plate graduation charts. Too many scientific studies leave the luthier asking, “So what do you want me to do?” Carruth offers some real-world suggestions. Parts One and Two were in AL#28 and AL#29.

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

Practicum Twelve: Making the Pegbox

1992
AL#30 p.28   HLC p.178            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Making and veneering the tapered pegbox. With 50 step-by-step photos and detailed captions.photos. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Meet the Maker: Richard Schneider

1992
AL#30 p.40   BRB3 p.206   ALA5 p.18         
Jonathon Peterson   Richard Schneider                                                                                       

▪ Many still have doubts about the merits of the Kasha versions of the classical guitar, but no one questions Schneider’s reputation as a masterful creator of instruments. This interview focuses on his time spent in Mexico learning the trade from Juan Pimentel.

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

Review: The Gibson Guitar (Volumes 1 & 2) by Ian C. Bishop

1991
AL#28 p.60   BRB3 p.466            read this article
Gary Frisbie                                                                                           

▪ Books from the 70s written by an Englishman and intended to provide a wealth of info on Gibson guitars built from 1950 to the end of the 70s. Book 1 covers all the major lines of solidbody and hollowbody electrics, jazz and flattop acoustics. Book 2 covers omissions and inaccuracies in book 1, plus Epiphones, Kalamazoos, and Dwight guitars

The Spanish Guitar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

1992
AL#29 p.6   BRB3 p.194   ALA3 p.2         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune outlines the first major exhibition of Spanish guitars ever mounted in America. With 8 photos, including one of Santos Hernandez. Also mentions Torres, M. Ramirez, Segovia, Simplicio, Barbero, Romanillos, and others.

Practicum Ten: Installing the Points and Fingerboard

1992
AL#29 p.10   HLC p.162            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The points are inlaid into the top, and the fingerboard is attached to the neck. The process is shown for both veneered necks and plain necks. With 40 step-by-step photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction. This article is listed twice due to differences between the magazine series and the final form of the book.

Practicum Eleven: Installing the Half Binding

1992
AL#29 p.15   HLC p.172            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The half binding is made and let into the soundboard edge. With 24 step-by-step photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Harp Guitar: That Extra-String Thing

1992
AL#29 p.20   BRB3 p.178   ALA6 p.10         
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Most people who even knew what one was thought of the harp guitar as a less-than-useless dinosaur. Then came Michael Hedges. Peterson looks back at a strange instrument whose best music might just lie in the future. With 49 photos and a number of good drawings. Mentions Torres, Hauser I, Scherzer, Staufer, Mozzani, Gibson, Knutsen, Martin, and so on.

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

GAL Instrument Plan #32: Dyer Harp Guitar

1992
AL#29 p.34   BRB3 p.192   ALA6 p.27         buy this plan
Todd Brotherton                                                                                           

▪ This is the guitar into which Michael Hedges breathed new life. A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

The Sawmill at Poussay

1992
AL#29 p.38   BRB3 p.174            
Gayle Miller   Ken Sribnick                                                                                       

▪ Visit a water-powered French sawmill that supplies tonewood to 350 luthiers. With 7 photos. Mentions George Miller.

Free Plate Tuning, Part Two: Violins

1992
AL#29 p.42   BRB3 p.136            read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Carruth tries to keep it light as he describes the glitter dances that should improve your violins, and even sheds light on cello plate tuning. If you feel threatened by the dryness of science just relax and give it a try. Carruth is on your side. Really. With a whole bunch of drawings. Part One was in AL#28. Part Three follows in AL#30. The entire series appears in BRB3.

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

Electronic Answer Man

1992
AL#29 p.54   BRB3 p.426            read this article
Rick Turner                                                                                           

▪ A new column is born. What is pickup phase and polarity? Why do positions 2 and 4 on a 5-way Strat switch sound funky? Turner knows and tells all.

It Worked for Me: Soaking Guitar Sides

1992
AL#29 p.56   BRB3 p.480            
Bill Garofalo                                                                                           

▪ Soaking guitars sides without resorting to vats and trays, using a piece of 4″ plastic pipe with a capped end, secured vertically to a wall or cabinet.

Violin Q & A: Removing Fingerboards/Sound Hole Size

1991
AL#27 p.56   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton explains how to disassemble a fiddle, and the effects of soundhole size on violin performance.

Review: The Modern Classical Guitar for Friend or Builder by Donald M. Sprenger

1991
AL#27 p.60   BRB3 p.465            read this article
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this book to be mostly a rehash of Irving Sloane’s Classic Guitar Construction.

Practicum Nine: Attaching the Belly

1991
AL#28 p.8   HLC p.156            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The top is glued to the bowl and trimmed. With 19 step-by-step photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Practicum Ten: Installing the Points and Fingerboard

1991
AL#28 p.15   HLC p.162            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The points are inlaid into the top, and the fingerboard is attached to the neck. The process is shown for both veneered necks and plain necks. With 40 step-by-step photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Free Plate Tuning, Part One: Theory

1991
AL#28 p.18   BRB3 p.136            read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Most acoustic scientists are not prepared to reduce their work to a plane-by-the-numbers chart of an instrument top.Neither is Carruth. It remains to be seen what improvements free plate tuning will offer to the average guitar, but there is every chance that luthiers who ignore the work as an inartistic invasion of their craft and art will be left in the dust. Carruth invites you to get on board right now. Parts Two and Three are in AL#29 and AL#30. The entire series apperas together in BRB3.

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

Entrepreneurs in Spite of Ourselves

1991
AL#28 p.32               read this article
Ralph Novak                                                                                           

▪ If you build instruments for money you should learn about running a business. Novak relates his good experiences at a college workshop for entrepreneurs.

A Talk with Bob Taylor

1991
AL#28 p.34   BRB3 p.126   ALA4 p.10         
Phillip Lea   Bob Taylor                                                                                       

▪ Few people in Guitarland are as outspoken and clear-headed as Bob Taylor. Others might say he’s just opinionated. He believes a good guitar is a good guitar, no matter if it was whittled by Gepeto or cranked out by a dozen computer-guided milling cutters. This article offers a peek into the Taylor factory and a guided tour through one man’s thoughts about the contemporary guitar. With 28 photos.

Meet the Maker: Michael Darnton

1991
AL#28 p.51   BRB3 p.124            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Michael Darnton                                                                                       

▪ Peterson gives us the biographical scoop on American Lutherie’s Violin Q&A man.

Violin Q & A: Bridge Cutting/Fiddle Points/Overhanging Fingerboard/Epoxy Superglue Repair Uses

1991
AL#28 p.56   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Why are bridges always made of maple? Why do fiddles have points? How does one tune a fingerboard? Do epoxy or superglue have any accepted uses on the violin? Darnton furnishes answers.

Meet the Maker: Donald Warnock

1991
AL#26 p.42   BRB3 p.32            read this article
Cyndy Burton   Donald Warnock                                                                                       

▪ It’s wonderful that this interview is in the same issue as interviews with Larrivee and Warmoth, since they are opposites. The first two are sort of factory moguls, and Warnock is the gentlemanly craftsman/artist. All have forged a successful life on their own terms, and the contrast is delicious.

Giveaway Dulcimers

1991
AL#26 p.47   BRB3 p.477            
Keith Davis                                                                                           

▪ Here’s the premise: build a boatload of one-string noisemakers and give them away. Inspire kids to make music. Take a tax break.

Let’s Get Busy: an interview with Chris Brandt

1991
AL#26 p.48   BRB3 p.56            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Brandt owns a luthiers co-op, and finds it makes more sense and money than four men running their own separate shops do. He’s got the lowdown on keeping records, using time efficiently, sharing labor, hiring a front man, and turning over work quickly. Lots of business hints and tips for any luthier, regardless of your position.

Violin Q & A: Wolf Note/Tone Longevity/Violin Finishes

1991
AL#26 p.52   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton discusses wolf tones, the life span of new fiddles, and why lacquer is never used on a violin.

Review: Guitar Player Repair Guide by Dan Erlewine

1991
AL#26 p.58   BRB3 p.463            read this article
Manny Bettencourt                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this book is an invaluable resource for the professional repairman and will let the amateur evaluate a potential repair and decide whether or not he has the skill to tackle it.

Review: Steel-String Guitar Construction by Irving R. Sloane

1991
AL#26 p.58   BRB3 p.463            read this article
David Riggs                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this book offers good, solid instruction to the person building their first guitar.

Review: Fine Woodworking Design Book Five

1991
AL#26 p.59   BRB3 p.464            read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer admires the beauty of the book’s photography, but seems hesitant to recommend it since so little of it is dedicated to musical instruments.

Review: Making Stringed Instruments — A Workshop Guide by George Buchanan

1991
AL#26 p.60   BRB3 p.464            read this article
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ This British D.I.Y. book offers alternative diction, syntax, and approach to the material.

Using Your Work Space from the 1990 GAL Convention panel

1991
AL#27 p.4   BRB3 p.80            
Chris Brandt   R.E. Brune   Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Richard Schneider   Ervin Somogyi   David Wilson                                                                       

▪ A look inside the shops of six professional luthiers, featuring floor plans, tooling descriptions, notes on lighting and specialized machinery, and ideas about how work space can help (or hurt) your lifestyle. With a good Q&A segment and 63 photos.

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

Building the Prima Gusli

1991
AL#27 p.26   BRB3 p.100            read this article
James Flynn                                                                                           

▪ This instrument is a unique and graceful-looking Russian folk psaltery, a sophisticated version of the lap harp grade schoolers play by sliding numbered sheet music under the strings.

The Portuguese Guitarra: A Modern Cittern

1991
AL#27 p.34   BRB3 p.108            read this article
Ronald-Louis Fernandez                                                                                           

▪ This instrument is a lovely looking cittern, sort of a big mandolin with 12 strings. The traditional tuners are unique, compact, and distinctly ungraceful, but they allow—indeed, encourage—the use of a wonderfully distinctive headstock. With 16 photos.

Meet the Maker: Hideo Kamimoto

1991
AL#27 p.46   BRB3 p.118            
Joseph-R. Johnson   Hideo Kamimoto                                                                                       

▪ The famous repairman/author discusses his book, his history as a luthier, and his expectations for his own future.

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

A Day on Lost Mountain

1991
AL#27 p.52   BRB3 p.122   ALA5 p.21         
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Richard Schneider discusses his current work at “the most beautifully situated guitar shop in the world.” The Kasha influence upon the classical guitar keeps evolving in the hands of this masterful builder/teacher.

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

Questions: Lutherie School List

1991
AL#27 p.54               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ A revised, verified, but by no means complete list of lutherie schools and a resource list of organizations and journals which have useful information for instrument makers.

Hidden Reinforced Peghead Repair

1991
AL#25 p.50   BRB3 p.29            
Jim Merrill   Bill Colgan                                                                                       

▪ This repair involves removing part of the fingerboard and sinking support splines from the top of the instrument, rather than from the back.

Bending Sides with Silicone Blankets

1991
AL#25 p.52   BRB3 p.30            read this article
Michael Keller                                                                                           

▪ Silicon heat blankets are good for more than bending sides. Keller touches upon other uses, but his instructions for making forms and putting them to use is the focus here, and they cover about all you need to know. Once you have the blanket, the forms are cheap to make.

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

Violin Q & A: Violin Pics/Aligning Ribs/Revarnishing Quality Instruments/Buzz

1991
AL#25 p.56   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton turns some pictures of a mystery fiddle into a thousand words. Or a few hundred, anyway. Then he moves on to discuss distorted ribs, retouching varnish, and tracking down a mystery buzz. He adds an update about his varnish formula.

Review: How to Make a Violin Bow by Frank V. Henderson

1991
AL#25 p.60   BRB3 p.462            read this article
David Riggs                                                                                           

▪ A useful how-to book with clear, concise directions on bow making and other lutherie practices.

Letter to the Editor: Bosch Laminate Trimmer and Cheap Mando Family

1991
AL#26 p.3               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ When his Dremel died, he got a Bosch laminate trimmer to replace it. He loves the Bosch and does not miss the Dremel.

Meet the Maker: Myles Gilmer

1991
AL#26 p.5   BRB3 p.42            read this article
Todd Brotherton   Myles Gilmer                                                                                       

▪ Gilmer buys wood from all over the globe and sells it to a number of special interests in the woodworking field. He’s been around, he’s concerned about the forests and ethical harvesting, and he’s articulate. Without the Gilmers of America there would be very few independent professional instrument makers.

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

Thoughts on Steel String Guitar Making

1991
AL#26 p.8   BRB3 p.37   ALA4 p.28         
Jean Larrivee                                                                                           

▪ Larrivee has overseen the creation of 15,000 acoustic guitars and 12,000 electrics. Much of what he has to say pertains as strongly to the one-off builder as it does to another industry giant, and he doesn’t hold back on anything.

Meet the Maker: Herb David

1991
AL#26 p.14   BRB3 p.46            
Dan Erlewine   Herb David                                                                                       

▪ It’s tough to be in business and stay successful. It’s really tough to stay in business and keep having fun, too. Herb David tells how he runs his business, builds a few instruments, stays in shape, has fun. Here’s the last line of his personal prayer: “Deliver me from temptation but keep me in touch.” You gotta love the guy. Mentions Sam Varjebedian and Terry Horvath.

Inside Warmoth Guitar Products

1991
AL#26 p.26   BRB3 p.60            
Ken Warmoth                                                                                           

▪ Most in-the-know electric guitar folks consider Warmoth necks and bodies to be the best going. Here’s how they’re made. With 22 photos.

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

Birth of the Strat-Compatible Parts Industry

1991
AL#26 p.33   BRB3 p.53            
Lynn Ellsworth   Ken Warmoth   Jay Hargreaves                                                                                   

▪ Hargreaves interviews two giants of the Strat compatible parts industry.

A Survey of Seventeen Luthiers

1990
   LT p.114            
Steve Andersen   Chris Brandt   R.E. Brune   Ted Davis   Jeffrey R. Elliott   James Flynn   Bob Gleason   Hideo Kamimoto   Robert Lundberg   Frederick C. Lyman Jr.   John Monteleone   Robert Ruck   Richard Schneider   Ervin Somogyi   Al Stancel   Robert Steinegger   Janet Toon                           

▪ Seventeen established luthiers were asked to list ten hand tools, five power tools, and five supplies used as tools. This info was used to determine the most essential tools, including specifics, model and size, source, and any special uses.

Looking at Lutherie Schools

1991
AL#25 p.6   BRB3 p.16            
Steve Banchero   David Freeman   Larry Kirmser   David Vincent   Donald Warnock                                                                           

▪ A panel of lutherie teachers talks it over at the 1990 GAL Convention.

A Low Cost Bass, Part 2

1991
AL#25 p.14   BRB2 p.430            
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.                                                                                           

▪ Lyman continues his crusade for a low-cost, high performance bass viol. Part 1 was printed in the previous issue.

Julian Bream’s 1973 Romanillos Guitar

1991
AL#25 p.22   BRB3 p.2            
Kevin Aram                                                                                           

▪ Aram offers an anecdotal history of one of the most influential classical guitars of our time. With 26 photos. Mentions Hauser I, Torres.

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

Meet the Maker: Dan Erlewine

1991
AL#25 p.36   BRB3 p.13            
Tim Olsen   Dan Erlewine                                                                                       

▪ Is there any doubt that Erlewine is the world’s best-known guitar fixer? He’s also a heck of a nice guy. Editor Olsen nailed Erlewine’s feet to the floor long enough to answer a few questions. With 4 neat snapshots. Mentions Herb David, Mike Bloomfield.

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

Attic Strads, and Why What’s Worth Something Is Worth What It’s Worth

1991
AL#25 p.42   BRB3 p.22            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Why are some fiddles worth so much? Which ones might you find that will provide good investments? Which sleepers should you look for if you want a really good inexpensive violin for playing? Darnton doesn’t offer the last word, but his advice is worth heeding. Mentions Stradivari, Guarnari.

Meet the Maker: George Gorodnitski

1991
AL#25 p.44   BRB3 p.26            
Jonathon Peterson   George Gorodnitsky                                                                                       

▪ A Russian luthier moves to L.A. and shows up in Tacoma. He was trained in violins and moved on to electric guitars. This is what it was like, rockin’ in the USSR.

First Impressions of America

1991
AL#25 p.47   BRB3 p.28            read this article
George Gorodnitsky                                                                                           

▪ Gorodnitski fled Russia for an unknown fate in the USA. This article is only one column long, but it’s pretty striking. You may never think the same way about the Rose Parade again.

Seth Summerfield, Luthier

1991
AL#25 p.48   BRB3 p.24            
Bill Colgan   Greg Bernd                                                                                       

▪ Like many of his generation, eighty-year-old Summerfield led a hard life. He didn’t turn to professional instrument making until he reached what many would call old age, but after that he didn’t waste any time. There’s quite a few Seth Summerfields out there, and their story is always a good one.

Questions: Electric Guitar Wiring

1990
AL#24 p.59   BRB2 p.485            
Bob Zatzman   Jim Morris   Ralph Novak   Matt Umanov   Ron Lira                                                                           

▪ Wiring information for electric guitars.

Japanese Water Stones

1990
   LT p.22            
Dale Brotherton                                                                                           

▪ Traditionally-trained woodworker offers an understanding of the stones and how they are used.

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

Lutherie in Romania

1990
AL#23 p.54   BRB2 p.420            
Gabriel Petric                                                                                           

▪ AL #23 takes its second glimpse at instrument making in a strange land and finds that the concerns of luthiers are the same the world over. With 7 photos.

Review: Constructing a Bluegrass Mandolin by Roger Siminoff

1990
AL#23 p.57   BRB2 p.503            
David Riggs                                                                                           

▪ Riggs used Siminoff’s F-model book to build an A-model mandolin. His review offers building tips from his own experiences, as well as recommendations for changes in the book.

Questions: Parchment Roses

1990
AL#23 p.60   BRB2 p.485            
Christopher Allworth   C.F. Casey                                                                                       

▪ The Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, England) has available working drawings of a 1641 guitar by Rene Voboam, including details of construction of the parchment rose.

Letter to the Editor: Start by Building a Dulcimer

1990
AL#24 p.5               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin warns about being too precious about making a first guitar from fine wood. He says grab any old wood and build a mountain dulcimer.

Talk about Archtops

1990
AL#24 p.6   BRB2 p.422            
Steve Andersen   Steve Grimes   Ted Beringer   Jonathon Peterson                                                                               

▪ This informal roundtable discussion delves deeply into the background, influences, and work of three builders at a time when the archtop guitar was just coming into its own for the second time. With 7 photos.

Voicing the Steel String Guitar

1990
AL#24 p.16   BRB2 p.470            
Dana Bourgeois                                                                                           

▪ This is perhaps the strongest article ever published in American Lutherie about voicing the top and bracing of the steel string guitar. The fallout from this piece has been very wide spread.

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

Graduation Marking Device

1990
AL#24 p.25   BRB2 p.449            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton’s contrivance marks the finished thickness on violin plates that have already been carved to within 1mm-2mm of final tolerances, and it is simple to make.

Meet the Maker: Ivo Pires

1990
AL#24 p.26   BRB2 p.465            
Jonathon Peterson   Ivo Pires                                                                                       

▪ America (and indeed, the world) is so deep with people who have had a meaningful life in some phase of lutherie that we should cease being surprised to discover an unknown person who has already racked up 30 or 40 years of experience. Pires is one of those folks, and his story is charming and illuminating. The cream seems to rise wherever it may be.

A Low Cost Bass

1990
AL#24 p.30   BRB2 p.430            
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.                                                                                           

▪ Lyman builds a bass with a lauan body and a top of quartersawn 2x4s, and is quite pleased with the outcome. There are only 2 photos, but a lot of text. Lyman’s conventional basses are in the hands of many well-known musicians. He certainly knows the difference between good and bad instruments. Part 2 follows in the next issue.

Working with Koa

1990
AL#24 p.38   BRB2 p.460            
Bob Gleason                                                                                           

▪ A Hawaiian guitar maker passes on some of his tricks for the successful use of an indigenous wood. With 4 photos of his sidebending procedure.

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

Practicum Eight: Shaping, Veneering, and Attaching the Neck

1990
AL#24 p.40   HLC p.142            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The neck blank has already been fitted to the bowl. Now it is shaped, veneered, and attached. With 49 photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Violin Q & A: Cooking Varnish/Fiddle Neck/Neck Finish Treatment/Peg Shaper

1990
AL#24 p.54   BRB2 p.486            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Details include cooking varnish, finishing necks, causes of neck cracks, and adjusting a peg shaper to match your peg reamer.

Try Cherry!

1990
AL#24 p.56   BRB2 p.469            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin encourages the use of alternative tonewoods. He offers advice about choosing cherry boards and methods of finishing cherry instruments that he has found attractive.

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

Meet the Maker: Hartley Peavey

1990
AL#22 p.34   BRB2 p.402            
George Manno   Hartley Peavey                                                                                       

▪ This is an interview with Hartley Peavey, whose manufacturing empire includes electric guitars, amplifiers, and other electronic gear for musicians. Topics include computerized manufacturing, offshore guitars, artist endorsements, and the Peavey business philosophy.

Violin Varnish

1990
AL#22 p.38   BRB2 p.376            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Violin people think about finishes in a way that guitar makers have difficulty grasping. It is an obsession. Darnton’s lengthy article discusses varnish types and components and offers a few recipes. It doesn’t seem fair that guitar folks don’t get to play with stuff called dragons blood, sandarac, and propolis, to name just a few. Such exotic incantations are bound to improve a finish, don’t you think?

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

Opinion

1990
AL#22 p.50               
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Carruth is a champion and practitioner of acoustic science. Here, he defends his field against artistic criticism.

Meet the Maker: Dana Bourgeois

1990
AL#23 p.8   BRB2 p.386            
Gila Eban   Dana Bourgeois                                                                                       

▪ This interview took place while Bourgeois was designing acoustic guitars for Paul Reed Smith, an enterprise that never came to fruition but which led to Bourgeois starting his own company in Maine. He talks about his early days as a luthier and his association with Eric Shoenberg.

Waterglass vs. Calcium Silicate

1990
AL#23 p.12   BRB2 p.393            
John Chipura                                                                                           

▪ This is a wood treatment shoot-out. Waterglass is a controversial ingredient in violin finishing. Chipura makes a case for using calcium silicate instead.

Windows in Time: An Interview with Collector and Harp Guitarist John Doan

1990
AL#23 p.14   BRB2 p.406            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Doan describes his collection of oddball zithers.

Meet the Maker: George Smith

1990
AL#23 p.20   BRB2 p.398            
Jonathon Peterson   George-A. Smith                                                                                       

▪ Smith is a veteran builder of many instruments who prefers to specialize in guitars and harpsichords.

Violin Q & A: Fingerboard Tearouts/Resharpen Peg Reamer/Tailpiece Saddle/Fingerboard Top/White Bridges

1990
AL#23 p.22   BRB2 p.486            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Topics include sharpening a peg reamer, dealing with fingerboard tearout, tailpiece setup, pitching the neck, and staining the bridges.

Meet the Maker: Jose Yacopi

1990
AL#23 p.24   BRB2 p.414            
Roberto Blinder   Jose Yacopi                                                                                       

▪ Blinder interviews an Argentine instrument maker about his career, his guitars, wood, and strings. With 4 photos.

GAL Instrument Plan #28: Swahili Kibangala (African Banjo)

1990
AL#23 p.28   BRB2 p.411            buy this plan
James Hillier                                                                                           

▪ The kibangala is a seven string, four-course instrument carved from solid wood that utilizes a skin head. The plan is a shrunken version of our full-scale Plan #28.

Practicum Six: Completing the Bowl and Fitting the Neck

1990
AL#23 p.42   HLC p.130            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ In this segment Lundberg prepares the bowl for removal from the mold, fits the neck and the countercap, reinforces the ribs, and fits the belly to the bowl. Contains 22 step-by-step photos and captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Practicum Seven: Fitting the Belly and Planing the Neck

1990
AL#23 p.48   HLC p.136            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Fitting the many brace ends to the sides of the bowl and ensuring that the subtle topography of the soundboard will be right.With 21 photos and detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

A New Mandolin Family

1990
AL#22 p.4   BRB2 p.368            
Otis-A. Tomas                                                                                           

▪ This Canadian luthier used the proportions of musical harmony to design his mando family. His instruments have carved tops and an arched back that utilizes five staves. Very pretty. With 3 photos and several drawings.

Andalusia and the Modern Guitar

1990
AL#22 p.10   BRB2 p.372            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune maintains that strict definitions separating the classical and flamenco guitars were not formulated until the 1950s, before which they often shared many of the characteristics that now separate them.

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

Guitar String Action

1990
AL#22 p.15   BRB2 p.389            
Don Teeter                                                                                           

▪ The guitar repair guru talks about setting up acoustic and electric guitars, installing truss rods in old instruments, superglues, saddle materials, and bridge designs.

Lutherie — The Hard Way

1990
AL#22 p.18               
John Larsen                                                                                           

▪ Larsen built his first guitar in 1950. His article describes the difficult road folks had to follow before the Information Age engulfed lutherie.

Practicum Five: Tuning the Belly

1990
AL#22 p.20   HLC p.122            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ In this episode Lundberg tunes the belly, or top, of the lute. The belly is already braced and the bridge is glued to it, but it is not yet attached to the bowl. Contains 21 photos, 3 diagrams, and detailed text. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Spruce Bridge Plate

1990
AL#22 p.28   BRB2 p.384            
Rion Dudley                                                                                           

▪ Dudley adds a 1/10″ layer of spruce between the instrument top and the bridge plate of a 12-string guitar, and under the bridge of a flattop mandolin. He likes the results, but is uncertain what the operation actually does to the performance of the top.

Meet the Maker: Nancy Conescu

1990
AL#22 p.29   BRB2 p.392            
Cyndy Burton   Nancy Conescu                                                                                       

▪ Conescu offers insight into the value of formal lutherie training. After violin making school she worked for years under the watchful eye of master repairmen and builders.

Violin Q & A: First Fiddle Reading List

1990
AL#22 p.32   BRB2 p.486            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton suggests the most basic reading list for those wishing to make their first violin.

Violin Q & A: Fiddle Fingerboard Contour

1990
AL#22 p.32   BRB2 p.488            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Does a fiddle’s fingerboard need relief? Yes, and doing it right has an ellement of elegance that would not be obvious to a guitar maker.

Violin Q & A: Cooking Varnish

1990
AL#24 p.54   BRB2 p.495            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ When you are cooking violin varnish, how much smoke is enough? And how much is too much? BTW, if it explodes in flames, you went too far.

On the Path of Utter Dedication

1990
AL#21 p.8   BRB2 p.346            
Jose Romanillos                                                                                           

▪ A dedicated person lives a life of joy and frustration. Finding a suitable balance is the tough part. Romanillos aims his thought at the guitar and strikes a much larger target.

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

Meet the Maker: Michael Yeats

1990
AL#21 p.12   BRB2 p.354            
Cyndy Burton   Michael Yeats                                                                                       

▪ Training, ethics, money—all luthiers face the same dilemmas, but it’s possible that those who face the field of professional classical musicians are tried a little harder. Yeats offers straight talk about all three issues.

The Multiple-Scale Fretboard

1990
AL#21 p.14   BRB2 p.364            
Ralph Novak                                                                                           

▪ Novak’s patented fretboard uses slanted frets that alter the scale length from string to string, growing longer toward the bass side. He lists a series of improvements over the normal fretboard.

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

Practicum Four: Making the Bridge

1990
AL#21 p.16   HLC p.110            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Lundberg makes the bridge and glues it to the braced top. Contains 49 step-by-step photos and detailed captions, plus 7 diagrams. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Ren-Shape Precision Molding Material

1990
AL#21 p.31               read this article
Ed Beylerian                                                                                           

▪ Luthiers try lute molds of a new synthetic material. Its stability is pleasing but its strength may make it of limited use for some.

Reflections on Segovia’s Guitars at the Metropolitan

1990
AL#21 p.32   BRB2 p.358            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ The authors make a cross-country pilgrimage to examine two world famous classical guitars, one by Manuel Ramirez and one by Hermann Hauser Sr. The wonder is that there are riddles there yet to be solved.

Heelblock Hank: His Story, Part Three

1990
AL#21 p.35   BRB2 p.311            
Louis-“Buddy” Hale   Michael-H. Price                                                                                       

▪ The GAL’s own comic book hero signs off. Parts One and Two were printed in AL #19 and AL#20.

Who Made Marie Antoinette’s Guitar?

1990
AL#21 p.36   BRB2 p.352            
Robert Lundberg   R.E. Brune                                                                                       

▪ Lundberg says that perhaps he’s tracked down Marie’s own luthier. Brune examines the evidence and decides he’s not prepared to jump on board. With 3 fine photos.

Wood Treatment and Sizing Materials

1990
AL#21 p.38   BRB2 p.362            
Rick Rubin                                                                                           

▪ The goal is to preserve instrument wood for centuries, or make it stiffer. Either or both will do. Rubin examines a list of wood additives and lets the reader decide what to do.

The Mandolin Orchestra in America, Part Three

1990
AL#21 p.44   BRB2 p.262            
Joseph-R. Johnson                                                                                           

▪ A number of non-mandolins were considered to be intrinsic parts of the mandolin orchestras. This installment of the series looks at all the boys in the band (and some girls, too). With 16 photos and a few drawings.

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

Opinion

1990
AL#21 p.56               
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Robison is concerned about the plight of the world’s tropical forests, but pleads that a boycott of rain forest wood will backfire on the would-be conservationists.

Questions: Finish Removal

1990
AL#21 p.58               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Refer to data sheet 280 for information on neutralizing the residues of paint strippers.

Three Legged Bridge

1989
AL#19 p.59   BRB2 p.479            
Francis Kosheleff                                                                                           

▪ Got a movable bridge instrument with ladder-style bracing? Want to try a bridge design that might offer an improvement in tone? Kosheleff has an idea you should look at.

Wonders of the Lutherie World: The Feral Balalaika

1989
AL#19 p.61               
Francis Kosheleff                                                                                           

▪ The well known fact that domestic animals abandoned in the forest will revert to their ancestral state, as applied to stringed instruments.

Letter to the Editor: Poplar in Dan Electro Necks

1989
AL#20 p.6               read this article
Ron Lira                                                                                           

▪ The “poplar” used in Danelectro necks is really the wood of the tulip tree. It’s not a proper poplar, but it is what they call “poplar” at the hardware store.

The Mandolin Orchestra in America, Part Two

1989
AL#20 p.8   BRB2 p.262            
Joseph-R. Johnson                                                                                           

▪ Johnson examines the mandolin orchestra at the turn of the century when an aggressive ad campaign by Gibson changed the look and sound of the American mandolin forever. With 13 photos. Part One is in AL#19. Part Three is in AL#21.

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

An Interview with Stewart Pollens

1989
AL#20 p.18   BRB2 p.316            
Cyndy Burton   Stewart Pollens                                                                                       

▪ Pollens is Associate Conservator of the Department of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. How does a major museum maintain its instruments? How do they view their responsibilities to their collections? How does one train to do the work? Here it is.

String Making: Old and New

1989
AL#20 p.22   BRB2 p.320            
James Rickard                                                                                           

▪ Life inside the D’Addario company. With 25 photos and 3 drawings.

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

Six Lutherie Tools

1989
AL#20 p.32   BRB2 p.330            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Jonathon Peterson                                                                                       

▪ The 6 tools are: a guitar cradle, a grimel (hand purfling cutter), a hand circle cutter, a shooting board, a circle cutting jig for the Dremel tool, and water stones for tool sharpening.

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

Practicum Three: Making the Belly

1989
AL#20 p.40   HLC p.94            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Lundberg makes a complete lute top including carving the rose and bracing the soundboard. Contains 57 photos and 6 diagrams with detailed captions. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Heelblock Hank: His Story, Part Two

1989
AL#20 p.55   BRB2 p.310            
Louis-“Buddy” Hale   Michael-H. Price                                                                                       

▪ The informational comic strip continues. Part One was in AL #19. The final part follows in AL#21.

Review: L’ELAN

1989
AL#20 p.56               read this article
Francis Kosheleff                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this little Canadian magazine put out by a lutherie school to be “interesting but not too deep.”

Questions: Cantos Guitars

1989
AL#20 p.58   BRB2 p.482            
J.G. Molnar   Marc Silber                                                                                       

▪ Cantos work was primitive but his materials good; the flamencos being of real Spanish cypress with fairly good spruce tops.

Questions: Blue Streaks

1989
AL#18 p.57   BRB2 p.481            
Myles Gilmer                                                                                           

▪ Getting rid of blue streaks caused by fungus, which if removed early enough, will leave no permanent damage or discoloration.

Letter to the Editor: Steel String Construction

1989
AL#19 p.5   BRB2 p.221            
Arnold-M.J. Hennig                                                                                           

▪ Hennig gives advice about removing guitar bridges with a sharpened putty knife. He also laments the fact that popular opinion believes that guitars, unlike violins, have a “shelf life,” and as a result are often eventually neglected rather than repaired.

Letter to the Editor: Gittler Guitar

1989
AL#19 p.5               read this article
Anthony-D. Blokzyi                                                                                           

▪ Blokzyi furnishes a description of the Gittler guitar, an all stainless steel, skeletonized instrument.

Practicum Two: Making the Bowl

1989
AL#19 p.6   HLC p.80            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ Construction of the lute bowl. Detailed captions to 57 step-by-step, how-to photos. This series ran for 19 installments in American Lutherie and has been collected into our hardback book Historical Lute Construction.

Violin Horror Stories

1989
AL#19 p.20   BRB2 p.239            
Al Stancel                                                                                           

▪ Even experts in the violin field get burned now and then, and once in a blue moon they end up better off than they thought from a fiddle deal. Stancel offers true tales from both sides of the coin. Exactly what kinds of worms eat fiddles?

A Baroque Guitar Restoration

1989
AL#19 p.24   BRB2 p.250            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ A guitar that may have belonged to Marie Antoinette is brought back to playing condition. This article gives a good picture of what goes into the restoration of a museum-quality instrument. With 13 photos.

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

The Mandolin Orchestra in America, Part One

1989
AL#19 p.34   BRB2 p.262            
Joseph-R. Johnson                                                                                           

▪ Mandolin mania in America was a social phenomenon that was inflated to the max by the Gibson Company advertising propaganda. This portion of the series details the rise of the mandolin orchestras and mandolin clubs. With 9 photos and a Gibson cartoon. Part Two and Part Three follow in AL#20 and AL#21.

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

Meet the Maker: Frank “Andy” Johnson

1989
AL#19 p.40   BRB2 p.294            
Jonathon Peterson   Frank-“Andy” Johnson                                                                                       

▪ Johnson is a banjo restorationist and tonewood supplier from Washington State. He specializes in selling spruce to the major piano manufacturers.

Meet the Maker: Ralph Rabin

1989
AL#19 p.44   BRB2 p.300            
Jonathon Peterson   Ralph Rabin                                                                                       

▪ Rabin learned to make violins in Cremona, Italy. His description makes it sound like a wonderful way to learn.

Amazon Timbers Update

1989
AL#19 p.46   BRB2 p.302            
Todd Taggart                                                                                           

▪ Taggart’s prognosis for the future of traditional tonewoods is gloomy, but his experiences with controlled wood harvesting in South America shine a ray of hope on the situation. He also mentions solar box cookers, which can substitute for firewood in many third world countries where firewood is the chief use of timber. Taggart emphasizes conservation rather than alternative woods.

Heelblock Hank: His Story Part One

1989
AL#19 p.51   BRB2 p.309            
Louis-“Buddy” Hale   Michael-H. Price                                                                                       

▪ American Lutherie tries an informational comic strip.Parts Two and Three follow in AL#20 and AL#21.

Resetting a Dovetailed Neck

1989
AL#19 p.52   BRB2 p.312            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Peterson uses a cappuccino machine to steam the neck out of its joint, and wood shavings to rebuild the dovetail. In-depth text and 5 photos.

Review: Antonio de Torres, Guitar Maker — His Life and Work by Jose Romanillos

1989
AL#19 p.56   BRB2 p.496            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ The reviewers find this book to be “a significant resource. . .densely packed with information both useful and interesting.” The evolution of the classical guitar, as described by Romanillos, should be of interest to all contemporary builders.

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

Questions: Cyanoacrylate Glue

1989
AL#19 p.58   BRB2 p.482            
Gary Fish                                                                                           

▪ Several techniques to accomplish a neat seam, trying to keep the glue off the surrounding finish.

Stalking Northwest Tonewoods

1989
AL#18 p.6   BRB2 p.210            
Bruce Harvie   Casey Wood                                                                                       

▪ This is a Q&A session from the S. Dakota convention. The answer folks not only harvest and sell a wide variety of “designer” tonewoods, they are well up on alternative woods for lutherie. Very informative, and fun.

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

Classic Italian Violin Varnish

1989
AL#18 p.12   BRB2 p.214            
Geary Baese                                                                                           

▪ Baese draws upon old literature and recent black light testing to draw his conclusions about the structure of old varnishes. The Q&A session reveals a high sophistication in the audience. With 5 photos and a few old print reproductions.

Toward a Classic Guitar Family

1989
AL#18 p.20   BRB2 p.222            
Graham Caldersmith                                                                                           

▪ Caldersmith and the Canberra Guitar Ensemble work toward developing a series of classical guitars to match the range of the violin family.

An Interview with Darryl Wolfe, F5 Expert

1989
AL#18 p.26   BRB2 p.228            
Ted Davis   Darryl Wolfe                                                                                       

▪ Both of these men love and revere the F-5 mandolin. Wolfe owned four Lloyd Loar mandos up to the time of the interview, studied and photographed 130 old F-5s, and published the F5 Journal. A lengthy interview with 12 photos. One man’s opinion can dispel, and perhaps create, instrument mythology.

GAL Instrument Plan #26: 1923 signed Lloyd Loar F-5 Gibson Mandolin

1989
AL#18 p.30   BRB2 p.235            buy this plan
Ted Davis                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview. The article also offers a plan of the Virzi Tone Producer, a map of top and back thickness, and a page of recommendations for building new F-5s to original Gibson specs.

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

An Experimental Tenor Violin

1989
AL#18 p.36               read this article
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.                                                                                           

▪ Lyman not only comes up with a new instrument, but also writes the article as a lesson in problem solving as he worked toward an uncertain goal.

Finite Element Simulation of Guitar Top Vibration

1989
AL#18 p.38               read this article
Phil Banks                                                                                           

▪ Banks, like many before him, attempts to display on paper the movements of an excited guitar top.He is uncertain of his results, but his illustrations are certainly foxier than a normal graph or oscilloscope printout.

Meet the Maker: Wes Brandt

1989
AL#18 p.42   BRB2 p.238            
Jonathon Peterson   Wes Brandt                                                                                       

▪ Peterson offers a short interview with a luthier who makes small-bodied steel string guitars from alternative woods.