Tom Harper is a thirteen-year Guild member, building primarily classic guitars. His past is riddled with quixotic pursuits that include bicycle-frame building, ski mountaineering guiding, and climbing instruction. He took a couple years off to build a house, but he’s back at the bench now.
▪ bio current as of 2011
2018
AL#133 p.69
Tom Harper
▪ Sharpening scalpels.
2017
AL#132 p.68
Tom Harper
▪ I have some old unlabeld hide glue; how can I tell if it is any good?
2014
AL#120 p.66
Tom Harper
▪ A small downdraft table for a sanding drum in a drillpress is a handy shop item that can be used for shaping and thicknessing.
2014
AL#120 p.40
Tom Harper Jayson Bowerman
▪ Many of us in the Lutherie Boom generation started as pre-teen modelmakers or would-be wood crafters. Not Jayson Bowerman. He was studying manufacturing processes in college when he did his first woodworking in a shop class. Soon he was doing R&D at Breedlove.
2013
AL#116 p.9
Tom Harper
▪ Mathematical equations describing vibrating string activity to compliment Gary Magliari and Don MacRostie’s convention lecture, ‘Beyond the Rule of 18’.
2013
AL#116 p.16
Tom Harper William Eaton
▪ William Eaton (composer, performer, luthier, outdoorsman) on his life and career which has spanned many fields and subject, with particular attention to his work at The Roberto-Venn School.
2013
AL#116 p.19
Tom Harper
▪ An appreciation of Carl Samuels and the inception of The Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie in Phoenix, Arizona.
2013
AL#114 p.51
Tom Harper
▪ Harper discusses his personal learning experiences with wood binding.
2013
AL#113 p.20
Tom Harper
▪ Harper reviews this DVD set in which Bogdanovich uses a broad repertoire of skills, high end power tools, and a mixture of tightly controlled and freeform processes. DVD set also reviewed in AL#108.
2012
AL#112 p.40
Tom Harper Alan Carruth
▪ The curious and driven mind of Alan Carruth and the application of this curiosity to all aspects of the musical instrument world for over 30 years.
2012
AL#111 p.42
Tom Harper Don Bradley
▪ Don Bradely, an active Guild member since the late 70s, is fascinated by the eclectic music and instrument makers of various world cultures, electrical engineering, and various other fields.
2011
AL#107 p.64
Tom Harper
▪ This ambitious book catalogs the work of over 230 luthiers from 19 countries, providing a record of the current state of the art guitarmaking.
2009
AL#97 p.65 read this article
Tom Harper
▪ Beginners often face the prospect of French polishing with some trepidation. As in many facets of lutherie, video is usually a better instructor than text. With only a few reservations the reviewer finds this DVD to be a clear and concise tutorial.
2008
AL#93 p.70 read this article
Tom Harper
▪ The reviewer much admires this book that attempts to supply the reader with an emotional appreciation of specific guitars made during the late 18th century to the mid-20th century.
2006
AL#87 p.44
Tom Harper Rodney Stedall
▪ Stedall is a South African optometrist/luthier and coordinator of the Guild of South African Luthiers. Are you surprised that South Africa has a guitar scene? Well, these days it can happen anywhere. With 6 photos.
2005
AL#83 p.53 BRB7 p.533 read this article
Tom Harper
▪ This offering includes a pamphlet by R.E. Brune and Don Pilarz that includes 30 color photos of this guitar, a new full-size blueprint by Brune, a CD of music by Segovia, and a poster. The reviewer concludes that “as a builder of classical instruments I really can’t imagine passing up this compilation.” ‘Nuff said.
2003
AL#76 p.42 BRB7 p.128
Tom Harper
▪ The author went to the American School of Lutherie where he learned the Fox style of binding from Fox associate Cameron Carr. The binding is completely taped in place while dry, then glued in after everything fits just right. Just one more example of how modern materials have improved the quality of lutherie. With 9 photos.
2002
AL#71 p.36 BRB6 p.429
Tom Harper
▪ Turner is an inventor, guitarmaker, and a wireman extraordinaire. Harper attended Turner’s wiring workshop at the American School of Lutherie and reports back what he learned there. With 4 photos.