Author Archives: luthsearch

The Mandolin Family: Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives

2013
AL#114 p.20               
David Cohen   Don MacRostie   Lawrence Smart   Jeffrey R. Elliott                                                                               

▪ Panelists discuss the mandolin family’s history and building practices. From 2011 GAL convention panel discussion moderated by Jeffrey R. Elliott.

Meet the Maker: Stephen Marchione

2013
AL#114 p.14               
James Condino   Stephen Marchione                                                                                       

▪ Stephen Marchione on his career in building solidbody electrics, acoustic guitars, mandolins, and violins.

A Summary of John Greven’s Voicing Method

2013
AL#114 p.10               
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ Greven’s simple and direct methods for controlling the sound of his guitars are intuitive and experimental despite his roots in the scientific field.

Hearing Voices: A Recipe for Voicing the Steel String Guitar

2013
AL#114 p.6               
John Greven                                                                                           

▪ John Greven on voicing steel string guitars based on the criteria: power, responsiveness, projection, articulation, depth of tone, and sustain. From his 2011 GAL convention workshop.

Letter to the Editor: Clarifying Details of D’Aquisto Wedge Bridge Article in AL#113

2013
AL#114 p.3               
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ John Monteleone clarifies the details of his D’Aquisto wedge bridge article in AL#113 by giving additional credit where credit is due.

In Memoriam: Frederick C. Lyman

2013
AL#113 p.71               read this article
Ken McKay   Tim Olsen                                                                                       

▪ Remembering Frederick C. Lyman (1925-2011) WWII veteran, art painter, bass builder, and free jazz musician.

Questions: Rift-Sawn Wood

2013
AL#113 p.68               
Tom Thiel                                                                                           

▪ Conflicting information around the term ‘rift-sawn’ and why grain orientation matters to luthiers.

Making a Truly Flat Sanding Bar

2013
AL#113 p.62               
Mark French                                                                                           

▪ Precisely flat sanding bars are critical to the development of both science and manufacturing; thus the process of ‘lapping’ in necessary, as described by French.

Design Analysis of Torres Guitars: Based on the Catalog by Romanillos

2013
AL#113 p.56               
John Saucier                                                                                           

▪ Antonio De Torres, Guitar Maker: His Life and Work’ catalogs 88 Torres instruments and provides extensive dimensional and frequency data. Saugier attempts to interpret this data.

Three Flattop Acoustic Basses

2013
AL#113 p.54               
Graham McDonald                                                                                           

▪ Gerard Gilet, Jim Williams, and Graham McDonald each built acoustic basses simultaneously in Sydney, Australia using the limited information that was readily available in the late 1980s.

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.

D’Aquisto’s Wedge Bridge

2013
AL#113 p.45               
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ D’Aquisto’s changes to his traditional New Yorker and Excel models in the late 1970s included the adjustable sliding wedge bridge design concept.

Meet the Maker: David Wren

2013
AL#113 p.38               
Steve Denvir   David Wren                                                                                       

▪ David Wren: guitarmaker, photographer, and historian, describes his career starting as Jean Larrivee’s assistant and becoming a builder in his own right.

Bog’s Way: An In-Depth, Hands-On Review of John Bogdanovich’s ‘Making a Concert Classical Guitar DVD Set’

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.

Binding F-5 Mandolins

2013
AL#113 p.6               
Andrew Mowry                                                                                           

▪ A number of special challenges during construction of F-5 mandolins is discussed; miters, binding gaps, black purfling lines, and kinks in the bends.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2012
AL#112 p.67               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin defines ‘juice’ as interest, enthusiasm, dedication, and drive and how it applies to lutherie.

It Worked for Me: Breathing Air Systems

2012
AL#112 p.64               
Gary Hopkins                                                                                           

▪ Gary Hopkins sets up an inexpensive shop air system without air filters using knowledge gleaned from his time working as an engineer with the space shuttle program.

Reviews: Building an Electric Archtop Guitar: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own Electric Archtop Guitar by J.p.Laplante

2012
AL#112 p.61               
Michael DeLuca                                                                                           

▪ This extensively illustrated guide to building an electric archtop guitar lays out the process in a sequential progression over 15 chapters.

Reviews: Stauffer and Co. The Viennese Guitar of the 19th Century by Erik Pierre Hoffman, Pascal Mougin, and Stefan Hackl

2012
AL#112 p.60               
Pierre Audinet                                                                                           

▪ This book emphasizes those few decades of the 19th century in the city of Vienna which laid much of the foundations for contemporary guitar building standards.

American Mandobass History 101

2012
AL#112 p.54               
Paul Ruppa                                                                                           

▪ A basic history of the modern fretted 4-string bass, tuned like the last 4 strings of the guitar, which was developed in the early 1900s for use in American mandolin orchestras.

Mackintosh Inspired Inlay

2012
AL#112 p.48               
Kathy Wingert                                                                                           

▪ Kathy Wingert constructs harp guitar inlays inspired by Modernist designs by the Scots couple of architect Charles Mackintosh and designer Margaret Mackintosh.

Meet the Maker: Alan Carruth

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.

Stahl Style 6 Guitar Built by Carl and August Larson, Serial # 81225 ‘Lisa’

2012
AL#112 p.28               
January Williams                                                                                           

▪ An extensive profile and appraisal of this Stahl style 6 guitar, an authentic instrument built by the Larson brothers Carl and August in Chicago.

Meet the Makers: Bruand School Class of 2011

2012
AL#112 p.20               
R.M. Mottola   Antoine Coupal-Dalgleish   Gabriel Marcotte   Colin Prevost-Lemire   Pascal Scott   Vincent Cleroux                                                                       

▪ A profile of the entire Bruand School graduating class of 2011, a private lutherie school affiliated with L’Institut des Metiers d’Art of the college Du Vieux-Montreal, based in Montreal. All six graduates attended the 2011 convention exhibition.

Ultralight Cello and Other Heresies

2012
AL#112 p.6               
James Ham                                                                                           

▪ Using a variety of unusual instruments, Ham attempts to debunk the myth in traditional violin making that the classical solution is the only good solution. From his 2011 GAL convention lecture.

In Memoriam: Joseph R. Johnson: Oct 24, 1954 – May 21, 2012

2012
AL#111 p.71               read this article
Deb Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Deb Olsen remembers Joe Johnson, (1954-2012) the first curator of the Shrine of Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota and the founding curator at Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon, Georgia.

On the G.A.L.’s 40th Anniversary: How it All Began

2012
AL#111 p.48               
Deb Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Deb Olsen reflects on the humble beginnings of the Guild of American Luthiers, the non-profit group dedicated to sharing information in the field of string instrument building, featuring artifacts and reflections from the early days.

Meet the Maker: Don Bradley

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.

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.

Reviews: How To Build a Vihuela De Mano (45 Minute DVD With Jose Luis Romanillos and Jaume Bossier)

2012
AL#110 p.65               
Federico Sheppard   Monica Esparza                                                                                       

▪ A 45 minute DVD of a 2010 workshop with early music specialist Jaume Bosser on constructing an authentic period Vihuela de Mano.

Refining Factory Setups on Electric Guitars: Going the Extra Mile

2012
AL#110 p.22               
Erick Coleman   Evan Gluck                                                                                       

▪ Erik and Evan talk about fine-tuning brand new electric guitars; addressing typical problems. From their 2011 GAL convention workshop.

Production Techniques For the Custom Luthier

2012
AL#110 p.5               
Charles Fox                                                                                           

▪ America’s number one lutherie teacher discusses a series of processes to make guitar building relatively easy, efficient, accurate, and consistent in a production situation.

Recent Research: Short Summaries of Recent Scientific Research Articles from Savart Journal

2012
AL#109 p.64               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Short, not too technical summaries of topics including violin bowing direction, violin arching profiles, optimizing guitar vibration mode, and damping in wound guitar strings.

Reviews: Electric Guitar and Electric Bass Design by Leo Lospennato

2012
AL#109 p.62               
Melanie Heizer                                                                                           

▪ A book aimed at the musician, the hobbyist, and luthier who is open to new ideas; divided into 6 sections on beauty, playability, sound, parts, materials, finishes, and completion.

Reviews: Electric Guitar and Electric Bass Design by Leo Lospennato

2012
AL#109 p.61               
Veronica Merryfield                                                                                           

▪ A book aimed at the musician, the hobbyist, and luthier who is open to new ideas; divided into 6 sections on beauty, playability, sound, parts, materials, finishes, and completion.

Reviews: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build: by Trevor Gore with Gerard Gilet

2012
AL#109 p.58               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A milestone in ‘how to’ lutherie publications on the construction of flattop guitars, packaged in two large volumes: one on design and one on construction.

Meet the Maker: R.M. Mottola

2012
AL#109 p.44               
John Calkin   R.M. Mottola                                                                                       

▪ Mottola is involved in various lutherie activities including electrical engineering, experimental instrument building, and technical writing and reporting for American Lutherie magazine.

Meet the Makers: David and Rob Rodgers

2012
AL#109 p.16               
Cyndy Burton   Jeffrey-R. Elliott   David Rodgers   Rob Rodgers                                                                               

▪ English father-son business partners David and Rob Rodgers on their precision tuning machines and family history in the field.

Steaming Hide Glue and Laminating Ribs

2012
AL#109 p.6               
James Ham                                                                                           

▪ Ham demonstrates his technique of activating hot hide glue with steam to glue top and back plates to ribs. From his 2011 GAL convention workshop.

In Memoriam: Joseph Wallo (1921-2009)

2011
AL#108 p.70               read this article
Mike Ashley   Robert England   R.E. Brune   David Laplante   Charles Vega                                                                           

▪ Remembering Joseph Wallo (1921-2009) Internationally known maker of the finest in concert guitars.

Reviews: The Conservation, Restoration, and Repair of Stringed Instruments and Their Bows- edited by Tom Wilder

2011
AL#108 p.63               
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ This 3-book set covers a wide range of topics beyond what the title specifies, in over 142 articles.

Reviews: Making Concert Classical Guitar with John S. Bogdanovich by John S. Bogdanovich (10 DVD set)

2011
AL#108 p.62               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Bogdonavich’s ultra specific guitar building method is professionally chronicled in this handsomely packaged 10-dvd set.

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.

Bridge Mask

2011
AL#108 p.56      ALA2 p.76         
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A production technique using a bridge mask applied to the guitar top before finishing, which decreases screw-up potential.

Salvador Ibanez Guitar Restoration

2011
AL#108 p.48               
Sue Johnson                                                                                           

▪ Repairing this damaged instrument with previously botched repairs including color touch-up, outlandish replacement linings, thick varnish, and nail attached bindings.

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.

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.

Workshop Evolution

2011
AL#108 p.6               
Kent Everett                                                                                           

▪ Everett lays out the configuration of his workshop and how it has evolved over the years to accommodate each unique location and his needs as a luthier. From his 2011 GAL convention workshop.

It Worked for Me: Portable Buffing Setup

2011
AL#107 p.67      ALA2 p.70         
Mark Roberts                                                                                           

▪ Bolting various jigs and benders to various work surfaces, including a new buffing setup.

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

Reviews: When Trees Sing: The Complete Guide To Violin Making by Peter Paul Prier

2011
AL#107 p.64               
David Wiebe                                                                                           

▪ This 15-dvd set presents 18 hours of video in which Peter Prier demonstrates the process of building a violin.

Reviews: Hand Made Hand Played: The Art and Craft of Contemporary Guitars by Robert Shaw

2011
AL#107 p.64               
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ This ambitious book catalogs the work of over 230 luthiers from 19 countries, providing a record of the current state of the art guitarmaking.

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.

Cheap Machines: Drill Press

2011
AL#107 p.56      ALA2 p.66         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The drill press is an indispensable tool in the lutherie shop, despite the advent of dedicated machines which have replaced some of it’s chores.

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

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.

Constructing a Double Bass Part 2- Inspired by a 1760 Giovanni Baptiste Gabrielli

2011
AL#107 p.22               
Geza Burghardt                                                                                           

▪ Exhaustive pictorial building of a double bass. From 2004 and 2006 GAL convention workshops.

Lutherie: Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow

2011
AL#107 p.12               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ R.E. Brune, founder of a lutherie family dynasty now in it’s third generation, traces modern lutherie to it’s earliest roots in what is modern day Bavaria Germany. From his 2011 GAL convention lecture.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2011
AL#106 p.69               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin illustrates life lessons with the Colin Hay song, ‘Waiting For My Real Life To Begin’.

Questions: Baritone guitar

2011
AL#106 p.65               
Tony Karol                                                                                           

▪ Making a baritone guitar roughly OM sized, tuned B-B with a 29″ scale and a strategy for top bracing and bridge reinforcement.

Questions: KTM-9 finish

2011
AL#106 p.64               
Jeff Jewitt                                                                                           

▪ Spraying KTM-9 finish with an affordable but good quality HVLP spray gun suitable for guitars and mandolins.

Questions: Gibson Uke-2

2011
AL#106 p.64               
Paul Poliski                                                                                           

▪ Resetting the neck of a Gibson uke-2 with a short fingerboard extension with no frets over the body.

The Binding Frame

2011
AL#106 p.54      ALA2 p.62         
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ A new method for clamping the binding of a guitar into its recess while the glue dries, involving an MDF frame and rubber wedges.

Evolution Of An Archtop Brace Fitting Jig

2011
AL#106 p.44      ALA2 p.90         
Tom Ribbecke                                                                                           

▪ Ribbecke exhibits versions of more precise and efficient fitting braces, developed throughout his career. From his 2008 GAL convention workshop.

Lute Neck and Pegbox Inlay Patterns

2011
AL#106 p.35               
Michael Yeats                                                                                           

▪ Yeats developed these intricate inlay patterns for veneered lute necks and peg boxes while assisting Robert Lundberg. From a conversation by Jonathon Peterson.

Summers In Siguenza With Jose

2011
AL#106 p.31      ALA5 p.93         
Monica Esparza                                                                                           

▪ Esparza gives a glimpse of the intense experience of attending two week summer seminars in Spain under lutherie legend Jose Romanillos in 4 different years.

Meet the Maker: Monica Esparza

2011
AL#106 p.26      ALA5 p.88         
Kathy Wingert   Monica Esparza                                                                                       

▪ Monica Esparza entered lutherie later in life than most, and now divides her time building with her job as co-owner and operator of a soft drink company.

Constructing a Double Bass Inspired by a 1760 Giovanni Baptiste Gabrielli

2011
AL#106 p.16               
Geza Burghardt                                                                                           

▪ Burghardt shares his experience of fulfilling his dream of constructing a double bass. From his 2004 and 2006 GAL convention workshop.

Meet the Maker: 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.

Letter to the Editor: Robert Simons letter on soundport listening test

2011
AL#106 p.5               
James Blilie                                                                                           

▪ Blilie talks about Simon’s letter in AL#105, but more importantly about the statistical analysis of data in R.M.Mottola’s article on testing side ports in AL#96.

Letter to the Editor: announcing Savart Journal

2011
AL#106 p.5               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The Savart Journal is an open access online journal featuring research articles on all aspects of science and technology of musical instruments.

Letter to the Editor: endangered species act

2011
AL#106 p.4               
Chuck Erickson                                                                                           

▪ Fish and Wildlife pays an unexpected visit to the Duke of Pearl, causing him to learn more than he ever wanted to know about the Lacey Act.

In Memoriam: Jess Wells

2011
AL#105 p.69               read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Eric Meyer   Ed Geesman   David Kerr   Hiram Harris                                                                           

▪ Five luthiers remember Jess Wells, (1953-2010) builder of viols, lutes, fishing rods, and pipe organs.

Modern Meets Traditional In the Olympic Uke

2011
AL#105 p.42               
Thomas Johnson   Ray Cowell                                                                                       

▪ Cowell salvages wooden interior trim from Titanic sister ship Olympic for uke making, assisted by luthier Thomas Johnson.

About Alcohols Used As Solvents In French Polishing

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

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

Nouveau Series Guitars

2011
AL#105 p.6               
Michael Spalt                                                                                           

▪ Viennese luthier Michael Spalt builds a series of 13 solidbody guitars based on the nouveau designs of Steve Klein.

Questions: Fret spacing

2010
AL#104 p.69               
Jon Sevy                                                                                           

▪ The relationship between the familiar 17.817 fret spacing constant and the 12th root of 2 is demonstrated.

Questions: Bowl-back mandolin

2010
AL#104 p.68               
David Cohen                                                                                           

▪ For resources to build a Neapolitan bowl back mandolin and mandola, visit www.iror.it/pubblicazioni/disegni/mandolino_embergher.htm.

Mandolin Soundboards and Bracing

2010
AL#104 p.48               
Graham McDonald                                                                                           

▪ McDonald traces the evolution of the mandolin soundboard to it’s roots in the mandolino 250 years ago. From his 2008 GAL convention workshop.

Charles Fox Benders, Old and New

2010
AL#104 p.43      ALA2 p.52         
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Lutherie icon Charles Fox speaking at the 2008 GAL convention on the genesis of his universal side bender and a few subsequent thoughts from his shop.

1825 Pons Aine Guitar, Paris

2010
AL#104 p.35      ALA3 p.37         
James Buckland                                                                                           

▪ The Pons brothers (Joseph and Louis) were known for their many one-of-a-kind guitars with elaborate ornamentation and technical innovations. This guitar could be considered their standard model.

A Review of Three Old Lutherie Books With An Emphasis on Their Guitar Sections

2010
AL#104 p.26               read this article
Jan Tulacek   Alain Bieber   James Buckland                                                                                   

▪ An overview of three 19th century lutherie texts, by G.A. Wettengei in 1828, J.C. Maugin in 1834, and Paul Hasiuck in 1907.

Meet the Maker: Kevin Aram

2010
AL#104 p.8               
Cyndy Burton   Kevin Aram                                                                                       

▪ Kevin and Alison Aram discuss a life in lutherie from their farm in Devonshire, England where they collaborate to run the Aram Guitars business.

Letter to the Editor: isotropic plate

2010
AL#104 p.7               
Jack-E. Johnston                                                                                           

▪ Information on differential equations for harmonic motion can be found at www.luthiersforum.com which features in-depth discussion, photos, and math equations.

Questions: Lacey act amendment

2010
AL#103 p.68               read this article
Chuck Erickson   Anne Middleton   Michael Greenfield                                                                                   

▪ The effect of the Lacey Act on procuring raw materials needed to build musical instruments. Two FAQs on the Lacey Act can be found at www.eia-global.org/lacey and www.forestlegality.org.

Reviews: Stradivari: by Stewart Pollens

2010
AL#103 p.64               read this article
David Gusset                                                                                           

▪ “Stradivari” by Stewart Pollens recounts every aspect known about the legendary maker and includes over 1,000 black and white images of 16 violins, violas, and cellos.

A Method For the Design Of the Guitar Body Outline Part 3: Compound Radius Curves

2010
AL#103 p.60               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ An enhancement to the model for drawing guitar body outline halves presented in AL#97.

Fox Bender Upgrades and Bending Updates

2010
AL#103 p.56      ALA2 p.40         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Huss & Dalton bend more sides than the average luthier, but fewer than Taylor or Martin. They do it by maximizing the effectiveness of the familiar Fox-style bender. The latest tricks include spring-steel sheets, brown paper, aluminum foil, and “the magic juice.”

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

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: Nicolo Alessi

2010
AL#103 p.41      ALA5 p.55         
Federico Sheppard   Nicolo Alessi                                                                                       

▪ Alessi crafts highly sought after tuning machines of artistic beauty and technical sophistication in Luino, Switzerland.

Violin Free Plate Mode Tuning Reprised

2010
AL#103 p.24               read this article
Edgar-B. Singleton                                                                                           

▪ Singleton gives simple, direct advice for getting the mode frequencies where you want them with the least cutting. This involves understanding how the node lines overlap.

19th Century Guitar Making Techniques

2010
AL#103 p.16      ALA3 p.28         
James Buckland                                                                                           

▪ Buckland on constructing replicas of 19th century guitars. From his 2008 GAL convention workshop. Includes good info on making flat-bottomed fret slots, like for bone frets or metal bar frets.

Anodizing Aluminum

2010
AL#103 p.15               
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

▪ Anodizing aluminum using battery acid, a plastic tank, and aluminum rod, and an automotive battery charger.

Meet the Maker: Mike Doolin

2010
AL#103 p.6      ALA1 p.20         
Jonathon Peterson   Mike Doolin                                                                                       

▪ Mike Doolin’s innovative and distinctive double-cutaway steel string guitars have made a real impression over the last sixteen years. Doolin discusses his guitar playing, building, background in software developing and other subjects of interest.

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

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.

A Reinterpretation Of Baroque Soundhole Rose

2010
AL#102 p.58               
Michael McCarten                                                                                           

▪ McCarten devises a style with characteristics of both the ‘paper rose’ and single layer soundhole rose, but with an aesthetic not typical of traditional work.

Comparing the Iranian Radif Musical Scale To the Western Scale

2010
AL#102 p.54               
Nasser Shirazi                                                                                           

▪ The scale intervals of Iranian Radif (row, order, series) music are very different from the Western, more familiar, equal-tempered musical scale.

Meet the Maker: Gregg Miner

2010
AL#102 p.38      ALA6 p.88         
Kathy Wingert   Gregg Miner                                                                                       

▪ Gregg Miner is dedicated to collecting instruments and restoring them to playing condition and through his research has acquired a wide network of historians, repairmen, and luthiers.

Recreating the Vintage Martin Peghead Joint

2010
AL#102 p.28      ALA1 p.50         
John Greven   Charles Freeborn                                                                                       

▪ Greven and Freeborn demonstrate their methods for accomplishing the original complicated and elegant Martin head/neck joint.

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

Activating Hide Glue With Steam

2010
AL#102 p.26               
James Ham                                                                                           

▪ Ham’s technique involving the use of fresh hide glue in assembling basses which involves reactivating dried glue with a steamer after pieces have been aligned and clamped.

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.

Practical Acoustics

2010
AL#102 p.8               
Michael Cone                                                                                           

▪ Cone describes his advanced acoustical testing apparatus and method. From his 2008 GAL convention lecture, plus new developments in his work since that time.

In Memoriam: Taku Sakashta

2010
AL#101 p.71               read this article
Tom Ribbecke                                                                                           

▪ Tom Ribbecke mourns his friend and respected colleague Taku Sakashta, maker of world class guitars. (1966-2010).

Reviews: With Strings Attached: Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars by Jonathon Kellerman

2010
AL#101 p.66               read this article
Walter Carter                                                                                           

▪ This book showcases Kellerman’s vast instrument collection, presented alphabetically by maker, and each accompanied by information on the model, acquisition, and sound of each instrument.

Reviews: How To Make a Living By Doing Something Crazy Like Building Guitars by Kent Carlos Everett

2010
AL#101 p.66               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Everett’s book, based on a lecture given at Healdsburg Guitar Festival is a thoroughly researched look at self employment, backed up with experience and hard data.

Reducing Build Variation In Arched Plates

2010
AL#101 p.60               
Mark French   Eddie Efendy                                                                                       

▪ Imagine a CNC router carving an archtop guitar soundboard in an industrial situation. Quality control would check to confirm that parts are the same thickness. But really, we would like the tops made from stiffer material to be cut thinner. Efendy has an idea for making this happen automatically without any measurement or analysis needed.

Travel Lute

2010
AL#101 p.56               read this article
Ben Cohen                                                                                           

▪ An amateur luthier and lutenist designs a travel-friendly lute using a banjo approach.

Testing Threaded Inserts

2010
AL#101 p.54               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ The author concludes that the inserts “for metal” are more effective for application when using threaded inserts to bolt necks onto flattop guitars.

Not Only Cones Make It- And Cylinders Almost Do

2010
AL#101 p.52               read this article
F.A. Jaen                                                                                           

▪ It seems reasonable that the strings of a guitar, not being parallel, could not properly lie on a fretboard that describes a cylinder, but the numbers say otherwise.

Restoration of a Michelot Late Baroque Guitar

2010
AL#101 p.22               
D.-and-F. Sinier-de-Ridder                                                                                           

▪ In the 19th century Baroque guitars were not treasured antiques, they were merely old-fashioned. One that was chopped into a “Spanish” guitar back is restored back to its original configuration by a Parisian lutherie team.

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.