Roger Alan Skipper is a native of the mountains of western Maryland, where he builds custom acoustic instruments, writes novels, picks the banjo, and hunts wild ginseng.
▪ bio current as of 2009
Tag Archives: Skipper¸ Roger Alan
Meet the Maker: Roger Alan Skipper
2013
AL#115 p.38
John Calkin Roger Alan Skipper
▪ Roger Alan Skipper has spent his entire career in Western Maryland where he was first introduced to lutherie through encountering a Mandolin maker at a bluegrass gathering. He is a one man lutherie shop and a writer of novels.
Thoughts on 12-String Guitars
2013
AL#113 p.50
Roger Alan Skipper Dana Bourgeois Frank Ford Charles Freeborn David Freeman Evan Gluck John Greven George Gruhn Arnold M.J. Hennig Bruce Petros Andy Powers Tim Shaw Marc Silber Robert Steinegger
▪ 13 builders discuss various aspects of 12-string guitars.
Meet the Maker: Robert Spear
2012
AL#111 p.20
Roger Alan Skipper Robert J. Spear
▪ Robert (Bob) Spear has been in lutherie more than 35 years and has been instrumental in the development and promotion of the new violin family of instruments.
Cheapo Bridge Plate Repair
2012
AL#109 p.56
Roger Alan Skipper
▪ Repairing a D-35 Martin bridge plate using among other tools, the Stew-Mac Bridge Saver.
It Worked for Me: Ski Boot Holster
2012
AL#109 p.66
Roger Alan Skipper
▪ Ski-boot-become-cordless-drill-holster.
Inside the Elderly Repair Shop
2011
AL#108 p.30
Roger Alan Skipper Joe Konkoly
▪ Konkoly describes his job as repair shop manager, supervising 8 repairmen and 3 on setup inside the Elderly repair shop.
Product Reviews: Klumpar Neck Angle Jig and JSimpson Self Adjusting Neck Jig
2011
AL#108 p.58 ALA2 p.72
Roger Alan Skipper
▪ The plywood Simpson neck angle jig: simple, versatile and inexpensive, and the aluminum Klumper self adjusting neck jig: accurate, more complex, costly, and allowing for centerline adjustment. Both result in perfectly matched joints.
Meet the Maker: Stan Werbin
2011
AL#108 p.24
Roger Alan Skipper Stan Werbin
▪ Stan Werbin, owner of Elderly Instruments in Lansing Michigan, on his career in business, the store’s extensive instrument inventory, and his relationship with luthiers in the repair shop.
Meet the Maker: George Gruhn
2011
AL#107 p.40
Roger Alan Skipper George Gruhn
▪ Gruhn on his career, starting in animal psychology before moving to vintage guitar collecting and the opening of Gruhn Guitars and his own instrument building.
Product Reviews: Purflex and Zipflex
2011
AL#107 p.62
Roger Alan Skipper
▪ Experimentation with purflex, short segments of wood contained within a flexible u-shaped channel, and zipflex, short pieces of pearl mounted on a firm rubber strip.
Quick And Dirty Fancy Rosette
2011
AL#106 p.60
Roger Alan Skipper
▪ Skipper makes a showy soundhole decoration for a guitar in record time with Abalam, Ebony, and dyed Veneer.
Meet the Maker: Federico Sheppard
2011
AL#106 p.6
Roger Alan Skipper Federico Sheppard
▪ Federico Sheppard on his journey from Geology, to chiropractic medicine, to his study of Agustin Barrios, to his stint as a consultant for the national museums of Paraguay and El Salvador, and his instrument making.
Meet the Maker: Dan Kabanuck
2010
AL#104 p.61 read this article
Roger Alan Skipper Dan Kabanuck
▪ The Luthiers Mercantile service rep and heavy metal guitarist on how he became a luthier himself.
Meet the Maker: James Condino
2011
AL#105 p.16
Roger Alan Skipper James Condino
▪ James Condino maintains an adventurous approach to his instrument design and to life in general.
Reviews: The Responsive Guitar/Making the Responsive Guitar (box set) by Ervin Somogyi
2010
AL#102 p.64 read this article
Roger Alan Skipper
▪ This striking two-book set, ‘The Responsive Guitar’, about the physics, dynamics, acoustics, and construction of the guitar, and ‘Making the Responsive Guitar’, information on the workshop, tools, jigs, wood storage, etc, is a handsome tomb featuring hundreds of stunning color photographs.
Meet the Makers: Waldron Guitars
2010
AL#103 p.44
Roger Alan Skipper Erick Waldron Kevin Waldron Jonathon Waldron David Miller
▪ Waldron, a family business, switched from general contracting to guitar building in 2009, and is now a thriving lutherie company.
Meet the Maker: James Ham
2010
AL#102 p.18
Roger Alan Skipper James Ham
▪ Ham operates from a shop in Victoria, B.C. where he repairs and restores violin family instruments and constructs world class double basses.
Meet the Maker: Ben Patron
2010
AL#101 p.14 ALA1 p.82
Roger Alan Skipper Ben Patron
▪ Ben Patron has lots of great lutherie ideas. He makes very useful guitars out of gold pans, chicken ranch roofs, and sheets of stainless steel. He also makes reproductions of guitars by D’Angelico, Torres, and Panormo.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
The Two-Storey Dulcimer
2010
AL#101 p.48 read this article
Roger Alan Skipper
▪ Building a high-end, aesthetically pleasing two storey dulcimer inspired by Calkin’s Dulcimer 101 article in AL#98.
Meet the Maker: David Cohen
2009
AL#99 p.14
Roger Alan Skipper David Cohen
▪ Cohen’s life followed an unusual progression—scientist, professor, mandolin maker, sort of in that order. He has a different take on instrument theory than some of us, but the work is the same as is the hard road most luthiers walk. Fortune and fame are elusive, regardless of ones background, but at least the work is satisfying. Cohen is also the author of several scientific papers concerning mandolins. His instruments look quite tasty. With 17 photos.
Restoring a Battle Axe
2009
AL#97 p.48
Roger Alan Skipper
▪ Skipper decides to save the life of a Martin D-28 that most of us would use for spare parts and firewood. A new top is made and severely cracked sides and back are restored to usefulness by interesting techniques that offer strength and renewed life rather than cosmetic perfection. In other words, a repair that mere mortals can afford. Good job! With 12 photos.