Tag Archives: Clark¸ Eugene

Manuel Velazquez, In His Own Words / Remembering Manuel

2014
AL#119 p.60               
Manuel Velazquez   Cyndy Burton   Eugene Clark   Armin Kelly   Robert Ruck   Jeffrey R. Elliott   Paul Szmanda                                                                   

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

What is the Flamenco Guitar?

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

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

Building with the Spanish Solera

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

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

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

Questions: Canting Bass Side of Fretboard

2005
AL#83 p.58   BRB7 p.453            
Eugene Clark   David Hurd   Jeffrey R. Elliott                                                                                   

▪ Canting the bass side of the fretboard on classical guitars and resulting saddle and string compensation.

It Worked for Me: Ultimate Palette Knife

2004
AL#79 p.64   BRB7 p.494            
Eugene Clark                                                                                           

▪ The ultimate palette knife is a grapefruit knife, a chef’s tool made by Dexter Russell Inc, which can be used for hot shellac and in routing.

Essential Tools: Scratches and a Detail Knife

2004
AL#80 p.46   BRB7 p.270            
Eugene Clark   Jonathon Peterson                                                                                       

▪ Scratch tools are like one-tooth saws. One of Eugene’s has a chisel tip, the other a pointed tip.The detail knife has only one bevel and is intended to make right hand cuts only. Descriptions of their uses are included. With 7 photos.

Questions: Dissolving and Storing Shellac

2004
AL#78 p.67               
Eugene Clark                                                                                           

▪ Making a viable batch of French polish and considering the variables: brands of flake and grain alcohol, dissolving or grinding flakes, and age of shellac flake.

Questions: Linings and Corner Blocks

2004
AL#77 p.68   BRB7 p.107            
John Greven   Eugene Clark   Charles Fox   Greg Byers   Gernot Wagner                                                                           

▪ A rationale, acoustic or structural, for single blocks VS solid linings VS kerfed linings between the sides and back and the sides and top when building a first guitar.

Constructing the Spanish Rosette, Part 2

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

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

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

Constructing the Spanish Rosette, Part 1

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

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

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

Meet the Maker: Eugene Clark

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

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

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

The Classic Guitar: Four Perspectives

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

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

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

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.