2010
AL#101 p.6
Steve Grimes
▪ Steve Grimes has been experimenting with making lighter-built soundboards for archtop guitars and decreasing the breakover angle. Here he describes his low stress archtop method, which produces a superior tone and another option for customers.
2010
AL#101 p.5 read this article
Bill Garofalo
▪ Visiting a Chinese violin factory and the humble shop of one of its employees.
2010
AL#101 p.4 read this article
Alan Carruth
▪ More than minor disagreements with points in Blilie’s overall excellent article in AL#100, stiffness and density-relation among them.
2010
AL#101 p.3 read this article
Bob Gleason
▪ Several repair stories from an experienced repairman.
2010
AL#101 p.3
Mark French
▪ Caption correction in AL#100 p.49.
2010
AL#101 p.3
James Blilie
▪ Math correction in AL#100 p.31.
2009
AL#100 p.71 read this article
Veronica Merryfield David King
▪ Remembering David Minnieweather (1964-2009) a bass maker and player.
2009
AL#100 p.67
John Calkin
▪ A 12-fret parlor guitar with a sharp B-string.
2009
AL#100 p.67 read this article
Fred Carlson
▪ Some obvious design choices before building a double neck (6 and 12-string) acoustic guitar: neck, space, body size, design, and bracing.
2009
AL#100 p.67 read this article
James Buckland
▪ A historical probing on the first use of metal wire strings, which were probably adopted from keyboard instruments.
2009
AL#100 p.67 read this article
Ken Altman
▪ Violin Repairing With Roger Foster, a 53 minute DVD, shows how a professional violin and bowmaker rehairs a bow in his shop, with comments and explanations along the way.
2009
AL#100 p.64
Peter True
▪ Placing pickups into cavities where there are predrilled holes.
2009
AL#100 p.64 ALA2 p.45
Harry Fleishman
▪ Keeping the saw dead straight and perfectly aligned when adding a slot to the fretboard.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2009
AL#100 p.64 ALA2 p.7
John Calkin
▪ A dust collection system for a bandsaw and the effects on shop life.
2009
AL#100 p.64 ALA2 p.38
Jeffrey-R. Elliott
▪ An uncommon but not rare repair of a 1913 Manuel Ramirez guitar.
2009
AL#100 p.58 read this article
Randy DeBey
▪ DeBey reviews a set of Knilling Perfection Planetary pegs (geared tuning pegs) designed by John Charles Herin.
2009
AL#100 p.54
C.F. Casey
▪ Building a Weissenborn-style instrument with the rope binding and rosette that Weissenborn used on high end models.
2009
AL#100 p.48 read this article
Mark French
▪ Guitar strings need to be the “wrong” length in order to sound “right.” The gloriously simple math of Pythagoras doesn’t accomplish this. French uses lasers and spreadsheets, more numbers, and Greek letters to attempt to get closer.
2009
AL#100 p.41 ALA5 p.69
Kent LaRue
▪ Thoughts on the Marie Antoinette guitar from a balladeer for Colonial Williamsburg’ a provider of 18 century music for visitors to the colonial capital.
2009
AL#100 p.40 ALA5 p.68
Christian Steinert
▪ Building an early period Baroque era guitar replica believed to be the onetime property of Marie Antoinette.
2009
AL#100 p.38
Harry Fleishman
▪ Replacing the top on a complicated instrument with as little refinishing and other stress as possible.
2009
AL#100 p.30
James Blilie
▪ A structural engineer and guitar builder gives his two cents on the guitar as a structure.
2009
AL#100 p.20 ALA3 p.80
John Mello John Gilbert
▪ Gilbert, born in 1922, made his first guitar in 1965 while a tool designer at Hewlett-Packard. He has 120 guitars to his credit.
2009
AL#100 p.14
Brian Michael Alex Glasser
▪ Michael and Glasser on how to install a pickup system in an acoustic guitar using a Fishman Matrix blend. From their 2008 GAL convention workshop.
2009
AL#100 p.6 ALA5 p.60
Gary Southwell
▪ Southwell on using historical influences in contemporary work and design. From his 2006 GAL convention lecture.
2009
AL#100 p.5 read this article
Chuck Erickson
▪ Avoiding confiscation of instruments containing natural shell material by U.S. customs agents and extra fees by including the proper details on customs forms.
2009
AL#100 p.5 read this article
Aaron Green
▪ The passing of Carleen Hutchins and remembrances.
2009
AL#100 p.4
Alan Carruth
▪ Comments on Kenny Hill’s response in AL#98 to Mottola’s study of ports in AL#96.
2009
AL#99 p.71 read this article
Rick Davis
▪ Remembering Rob Girdis (1953-2009) who studied with Anthony Huvard at Huvards Northwest School of Instrument Design. His guitars were notable for detail and artistry in color and form.
2009
AL#99 p.70 read this article
Harry Fleishman
▪ Remembering Dennis Stevens (1944-2009) who was revered in the jazz community and made fabulous steel string and classical guitars.
2009
AL#99 p.68
Walter Carter
▪ Mystery parlor guitar is from Regal of Chicago, a usual suspect for inexpensive unlabeled instruments of the 20s and 30s.
2009
AL#99 p.68
Chuck Erickson
▪ Notes on horn work from Tuning and Mechanical Manipulation Volume 1: Materials and Bone, Antler, Ivory, and Horn, plus ox/cow variety horn preparation procedures.
2009
AL#99 p.68 read this article
Alan Carruth
▪ Alan Carruth checks the relationship between higher tension and purer tone by mounting plain steel strings on a test rig.
2009
AL#99 p.67 read this article
John Doan
▪ The reviewer admires this book that takes a serious look at the lyre-guitar, an instrument that most of us—even those with a bent for history—give short shrift.
2009
AL#99 p.66 read this article
Bill Greenwood
▪ This book is aimed at “a niche audience of mathematically literate students who are relatively new to the details of guitar structure. . . .” The reviewer decides it is a successful effort.
2009
AL#99 p.65
Luis Mesquita
▪ In one bundle we are offered a new design in archtop guitar bridge construction, an adjustable neck (no details), and a cool way to hide pickup controls in a side sound port. Way cool!
2009
AL#99 p.60 read this article
R.M. Mottola
▪ Do you know why certain parts of our lives can’t be altered? Because smarter people than us are in control. If you are artistic enough, you can lay out a nice guitar shape with just a pencil and paper. If you are smart enough (not that being smart negates the possibility of artistic talent) you can use geometric forms and even a computer to shape a graceful guitar. If you are neither artistic nor smart you’ll have to copy something that’s already been done. This story is for smart people. With 12 drawings.
2009
AL#99 p.54
Lamar Scomp John Calkin
▪ A long-time contributor to American Lutherie exposes himself. With 8 photos.
2009
AL#99 p.52
Ryan Schultz
▪ There’s just enough math here to make our brains cloud over, so most folks should get along fine. It’s still not as easy to build as a spoke-built dish, but if you’re cheap and must have a one-piece dish it should work just fine. With 4 photos, a depth chart, and one drawing.
2009
AL#99 p.38
Veronica Merryfield David Minnieweather Harry Fleishman
▪ As a panel discussion at the 2008 GAL convention this must have been the one not to miss. As an article it is engaging and intriguing. Why do electric bass makers get to have all this freedom and the rest of us have to make copies of stuff that appeared before we were born? Bass players seem to always have had more open minds than other musicians, and these three authors have certainly pushed the envelope. With 47 photos.
2009
AL#99 p.36 ALA6 p.84
Jeffrey-R. Elliott
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
2009
AL#99 p.30 ALA6 p.78
Jeffrey-R. Elliott
▪ Even if you don’t care much about harp guitars you’ll enjoy the thought processes that went into the string of instruments documented in this article. If you are into harp guitars this is must reading. The initial harp guitar developed by John Sullivan, John Doan, and Jeffrey Elliott owed little to similar instruments of the past other than a basic shape, and the harp guitars that came after the first one have refined the new ideas. With 15 photos of complete and instruments progress, a string gauge and tuning chart, and a mini-plan of 1986 guitar that started the series. Full-size plans are available as GAL Plan #61.
2009
AL#99 p.22 ALA1 p.36
Dana Bourgeois
▪ Taken from his 2008 GAL convention lecture, the author explains the basic functioning of a guitar top and how he manipulates the plates and braces to achieve the sound he’s after. Mostly, he says, he’s after the most different tap tones that the top and back can produce, but there are many other details given along the way. Bourgeois is often regarded as one of the champions of tap tuning. With 9 photos, 6 charts, and a bunch of diagrams.
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.
2009
AL#99 p.11 ALA1 p.2
John Calkin
▪ It sounds pretty high-falutin’ to talk about the geometry of the guitar, but in the lightest sense it’s a useable conceit. If the angles of the top design and neck joint aren’t right you won’t get an instrument that anybody wants to play, or can play. The author uses a mechanical, rather than mathematical, system to lay out the neck in relation to the body. You don’t have to know the angle involved, you just have to be intelligent. This, if you are a GAL member, is a given. With 6 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2009
AL#99 p.7 ALA4 p.52
David Freeman
▪ Some features of guitar construction make the instrument functional for normal humans and tuneful music making, and getting them wrong can/will destroy the guitars usefulness. Other features aren’t necessary but may make the instrument more comfortable to play or offer extended musical capabilities. Freeman addresses both aspects in this article taken from his 2008 GAL convention workshop. He’s not the least bit shy about reconfiguring the guitar’s shape or features to make musicians better and happier. Whether or not you wish to make such alterations, much of this stuff you better know if you wish to make musical instruments rather than guitar-shaped objects. With 5 photos, 3 charts, and a drawing.
2009
AL#99 p.5
Mary Monteiro
▪ Monteiro tells of the death of her friend luthier Ivo Pires.
2009
AL#99 p.3
Ronald-Louis Fernandez
▪ Fernandez offers corrections to Tom Harper’s review of his instruction DVD French Polishing for Guitarmakers 2.0.
2009
AL#99 p.3
Thomas Johnson
▪ Johnson’s letter introduces us to English uke maker Ray Cowell, who began his career by making instruments from wood retrieved from the ocean liner RMS Olympic, sister ship to the ill-fated Titanic.
2009
AL#98 p.71 read this article
Harvey Leach
▪ Remembering Lance McCollum (1958-2009) builder of guitars and specializing in those with piano-like tone.
2009
AL#98 p.70 read this article
R.M. Mottola
▪ A generally accepted yet arguable assertion is that the higher the string tension, the more pure the tone.
2009
AL#98 p.70
Art Robb
▪ Finding blueprint plans for a regular triangular shaped 15-string lap harp (or plucked psaltery) but not the hognose style.
2009
AL#98 p.70
Bruce Hammond
▪ A researcher discovers dozens of cast iron instrument molds in upstate Illinois.
2009
AL#98 p.68 ALA2 p.42
John Calkin Bob Taylor
▪ Possible differences in side bending in various wood families when using silicone heating blankets.
2009
AL#98 p.68
Brian Flaherty
▪ Deducting the value of a donated instrument and or materials for tax purposes. Some hints can be found in ‘The Tax Law of Charitable Giving’.
2009
AL#98 p.66
Patrick Flanning
▪ Building a less traditional second guitar; a large steel string with a ‘wedgie’ body.
2009
AL#98 p.66
Kenny Hill
▪ Kenny Hill presents an illustrated demonstration of retrofitting a finished guitar with soundports.
2009
AL#98 p.65
Andrew Mowry
▪ The author reviews the spoon plane and finds that it is more efficient at removing large quantities of wood when carving mandolin plates than the gouges he used to use, and it’s also easier on the carver, a not insignificant benefit. With 2 photos of the tool.
2009
AL#98 p.58 read this article
Graham McDonald
▪ The author rounds up a collection of acoustic guitar making manuals currently available to help us separate the wheat from the chaff. The serious student will no doubt end up with several of these books, but McDonald will help you decide which ones to buy first. Includes jacket photos of all the books discussed.
2009
AL#98 p.57 read this article
Ahanali Jahandideh Mitra Jahandideh Hadi Abbaszadeh Samad Jahandideh
▪ The Kamanche is a Persian bowed instrument with a skin head. The authors use a ratio of the value of phi to define its size, a trick violin makers have used for a long time. With one photo and 4 drawings.
2009
AL#98 p.48
John Calkin
▪ Calkin was inspired to write this by pleas from readers for more entry level stories. Dulcimers are needlessly maligned and in need of advocates, and the author is a strong one. Tools and jiggery are kept to a minimum to make construction as accessible as possible without hurting the integrity of the finished instrument. Beginning luthiers should stop complaining and get to work! With 31 photos.
2009
AL#98 p.46
John Svizzero R.M. Mottola
▪ Both authors made their own CNC machines, which impresses the heck out of us. The coolest thing about CNC fret slotting, aside from the dead certain accuracy, is the ability to cut slots with blind ends. Unbound fretboards can look bound. All the machine specs you’ll need to duplicate their efforts are included, and even us dummies can grasp what they’re about. With 4 photos.
2009
AL#98 p.44 read this article
Thomas Johnson
▪ The instruments are the igil and the morin khuur. They may figure prominently on the top of the pops in Tuva, but we bet you’ve never heard of them. Obscure instruments are fun and exotic, just like foreign places (where the heck is Tuva, anyway?). Both are fretless and played with a bow. One is covered in goat or fish skin and one is not. Either would have looked right in place in “Conan the Barbarian”. That’s a compliment, not a slight. Full scale plans are available as GAL plan #60. With 4 photos and a mini-plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
2009
AL#98 p.36 ALA3 p.18
John Calkin James Buckland
▪ Buckland is a classical performer and teacher who also builds guitars, not and unheard of combination but a rare one. He is especially knowledgeable about guitar history and the little known Terz guitar, of which he is an authority. If that sounds dull you should also know that he started as a Canadian lefty who was initially inspired by Jimi Hendrix, among other rockers. He’s still a lefty, but now we have him in America. Canada has probably been sulking ever since. With 10 photos.
2009
AL#98 p.34
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.
▪ There’s not a lot of detail to this piece, but there’s nice story telling and some philosophy to live by. Lyman has been involved in the bass world since before the GAL, and whatever he has to say about it is important (and usually fun). With 3 photos.
2009
AL#98 p.28
Erick Coleman Elliot John-Conry
▪ Two disciples of Dan Erlewine explain the latest techniques of setting up the electric guitar. All the details and specs are there, as well as a bit of philosophy. OK, not too much philosophy, but this is a chunk of fun taken from their 2006 GAL convention presentation and they function well in front of a crowd. AL doesn’t get a lot of electric input, which makes this piece more important. With 10 photos.
2009
AL#98 p.18 ALA3 p.58
Tim Olsen Cyndy Burton
▪ Burton has been tenacious in her pursuit of the classical guitar, traveling widely and learning from the likes of William Cumpiano, Eugene Clark, and Jeffrey Elliott, making a name for herself in what has largely been a man’s world. We’re all members of her fan club and rejoice at finally knowing more about her. With 17 photos.
2009
AL#98 p.6
Steve Grimes Ted Megas Tom Ribbecke Jeffrey R. Elliott
▪ This article is taken from a 2008 GAL convention panel discussion. Seems like these discussions are getting livelier and more interesting, no matter what field of lutherie may draw you the most. The interaction makes the archtop guitar seem more vital and the personal disclosures add depth to the subject. Not that we’re talking about life and death. Well, to the panelists it may be more important than that, and we’ll bet you’ll be drawn in. Perhaps changes are in the air. Nylon strings? Chambered bodies? Oh, they won’t threaten the old jazz box too much, but it’s good to know that nothing remains forever unchanged. With 23 photos.
2009
AL#98 p.3 read this article
Kenny Hill
▪ Hill’s letter is a response to R. M. Mottola’s article in AL #96 about sound ports, which found that they were ineffective in changing the volume or tone of a guitar to the player or listener. Hill maintains that the science and his personal experience are at odds, and that he is willing to stand by his personal experience. Well, we love a good argument, especially when both sides make their case so eloquently. To be continued. . . .
2009
AL#97 p.68
Gary Southwell Koen Padding
▪ An experiment involving two pieces of European Spruce, testing the effects of oil finish VS French polish and the use of olive oil in particular.
2009
AL#97 p.68 read this article
Sjaak Elmendorp
▪ Tips on building a guitar with a vaulted back, such as the Baroque guitar in Plan #27.
2009
AL#97 p.68
Cammie Mills
▪ The building plans for a Rebec are available from Paul Butler’s website, where other information on the instrument can be found.
2009
AL#97 p.68
R.M. Mottola
▪ Information on oval rosette jigs appears in AL#41, pg. 34 and BRBAL#4, pg. 140, ‘Making Oval Mandolin Rosettes’ by Jonathon Peterson.
2009
AL#97 p.68 read this article
Arnold Schnitzer
▪ Strips of wood on the ribs at the top and bottom edges of a double bass are called ‘external linings’ and can be found on many commercial basses from Germany and China.
2009
AL#97 p.68
Tim Olsen
▪ Describing Jimmy D’Aquisto’s spray setup, now on display at the national music museum, Vermillion South Dakota.
2009
AL#97 p.67 ALA2 p.34
Charles Fox
▪ A drill press is rebuilt to make the depth stop adjustment accurate to .001″.
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.
2009
AL#97 p.64 read this article
John Calkin
▪ The reviewer is very pleased with this manual that presents the construction of four different styles of mandolin. The instruction is concise and the illustrations well done.
2009
AL#97 p.62 ALA2 p.36
Brent Benfield
▪ the author has been working with spherical workboards for a while now. He shares his latest thoughts.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
2009
AL#97 p.52 read this article
R.M. Mottola
▪ No, you won’t find plans for any particular instrument here, or even any plan in the conventional GAL sense. This article is about intelligently laying out the body shape of a guitar using 11 parameters. Don’t let your brain glaze over yet, this isn’t about geometry or classical design theory, it’s about using simple design elements to create graceful body shapes using several historical outlines guitars as examples and then moving on to shapes you might create to make the guitar more beautiful or efficient (to you, at least). There is some math (horrors!) but of a simple variety mostly embodying ratios. Have you ever built a guitar from a freehand drawing and found that it wasn’t quite the work of art you intended? Well, you don’t have to do that any more. With 16 drawings, a chart, and a photo.
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.
2009
AL#97 p.42
John Calkin Graham McDonald
▪ Aussie McDonald has built many sorts of instruments, though he has come to specialize in mandolins and bouzoukis and has written a pair of books about their construction. He has also contributed a number of articles to American Lutherie over the years. It becomes apparent that like is different in Australia. We should all take a field trip there. With 8 photos.
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.
2009
AL#97 p.18 ALA4 p.42
Jonathon Peterson Michael Dunn
▪ Canadian Dunn studied guitar making in Spain but ended up specializing in Maccaferri-style guitars. He uses an internal soundbox similar to the original design. His use of wood inlay and marquetry, as well as his choice of body woods is original, playful, and stunning. He is also a lutherie teacher of note. Read this and have fun. Mentions Bill Lewis, George Bowden, Jose Orti, jose Pepe Ferrer, Shelley Park, Chuck Shifflet, Bill Rivere, Patrick Olmstead, Sonny Black, Ray Nurse, ted Turner, Tim Hobrough, Bob Brozman.
2009
AL#97 p.4 read this article
Joseph Curtin
▪ It turns out that virtually every aspect of the violin can be altered to make it more playable, more visually interesting, and perhaps better sounding. What a relief! There’s life in the old girl yet. Are players brave enough to get on board?
2008
AL#96 p.70
Greg Byers
▪ Figuring the placement of the nut and additional fret on extended range classical guitars with additional bass strings.
2008
AL#96 p.68
Linda Manzer John Monteleone
▪ Tracing the origins of elusive James D’Aquisto planes and other D’Aquisto factoids.
2008
AL#96 p.68
Tom Thiel
▪ As high quality exotic woods become precious, domestic alternatives for fingerboards become more valuable. These alternatives must be as hard, abrasion, resistant, stable, and of similar pore structure, density, and color.
2008
AL#96 p.68
Gordon Pritchard
▪ A jazz guitar by Craig Pederson, purchased by guitarist Steve Katz.
2008
AL#96 p.66 read this article
John Calkin
▪ The reviewer enjoyed this 14-hour DVD set but advises that it’s not the last word in the construction of a fine guitar.
2008
AL#96 p.65 read this article
Don Overstreet
▪ The book is about the Banjo, Mandolin, and Guitar Movement that ended with the Great Depression. While the reviewer admits that there is little here for luthiers, there is a ton of interesting material for the musical history buff. This time is where many of the instrument icons we all copy came from.
2008
AL#96 p.62
William Leirer
▪ Did you know that the Google search engine has a calculator? This piece is a math lover’s dream. There’s lot of formulae. The goal is to lay out a fret pattern for any scale length, then find the perfect intonation point for it. You’ll need a pretty good guitar tuner to take advantage of the process. All you math challenged luthiers out there, just say “Duh. . . .”
2008
AL#96 p.60
John Thayer
▪ Don’t put a repair patch on top of the wood, put it in the wood! Probably for carved tops only, but a fine idea (and pretty, for you folks who like to peek inside of instruments. With 11 photos.
2008
AL#96 p.58
David Golber
▪ The author got tired of hard-to-use commercial peg shapers, so he made a better one of his own. He describes it as a tool for actual human beings. With 6 photos and a drawing.
2008
AL#96 p.54 ALA3 p.25
R.M. Mottola
▪ Do you believe that soundports on the side of a guitar make a difference to the sound perception of the guitarist? Do you believe they don’t? Either way, you should consider the facts presented in this article. It may change the way you build guitars, but it won’t give you more faith in the hearing of humans, even of professional musicians. With 1 photo and 3 charts.
2008
AL#96 p.50
Bob Gleason
▪ A low key (not to mention fun) description of how uke making varies from guitar making. Gleason also describes some of the varieties Hawaiian wood he likes to work with, a slick method for removing lacquer from the bridge foot print, and some of the construction tricks he has come up with. Owning a shop in Hawaii must surely take the lutherie life to another level. With 15 photos.
2008
AL#96 p.49
Alain Bieber
▪ You, too, can make a gauge for measuring the plate thickness of finished instrument, and Bieber’s tool comes in at 1/30th the cost of a commercial tool. With 2 photos and a drawing.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#96 p.42
James Condino Ted Davis
▪ Davis’ lutherie exploits goes back to the ’70s. He was one of the first of the recent red spruce believers, and he harvested many trees to supply himself and a few others who were lucky enough to key into his business. He made guitars, mandolins, and dulcimers to support his hotrod automobile habit. He had strong opinions about wood that run counter to modern beliefs, and had the experience to back them up.Davis died before the interview was published. He will be missed. With 15 photos.
2008
AL#96 p.36
Luis-Alberto Paredes-Rodriguez
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
2008
AL#96 p.34 read this article
Luis-Alberto Paredes-Rodriguez Manuel-Bernal Martinez
▪ The Andean bandola (isn’t that cool to say? Makes you want to have one) looks like a big 6-course flattop mandolin, though it stems just as much from the guitar. Bandola development went into over drive during the 1960s and continues today. In fact, the authors have developed a bandola family. One version owes a lot to the ever-influential Greg Smallman. With 25 photos, a string gauge chart, and a tuning chart. Includes reduced image of GAL Instrument Plan #59.
2008
AL#96 p.26
David Cohen
▪ There are reasons why you might wish to describe the arch of an instrument mathematically. You might also wish to create an arch template by using math. Here’s a way to go about it. This is not for the math challenged among us. With 4 photos and 9 charts/diagrams.
2008
AL#96 p.24
Cyndy Burton Jimmi Wingert
▪ Jimmi Wingert seems like a cool and talented young woman with a growing clientele for fine inlay work. Oh, to have the funds to travel the country to meet all these people. Mentions Harvey Leach and Larry Robinson. With 2 photos and a drawing.
2008
AL#96 p.18 ALA1 p.60
Cyndy Burton Kathy Wingert
▪ Wingert has as extensive a lutherie background as anyone, and even does Chladni glitter tests on her guitars (which, by the way, look exquisite). Her daughter Jimmi has a growing reputation as an inlay artist. How rare is a mother/daughter team in lutherie? Mentions Bob Mattingly, Larry Robinson and Harvey Leach. With 12 photos.
2008
AL#96 p.6 ALA3 p.68
Robert Ruck Jeffrey-R. Elliott Manuel Velazquez Alfredo Velazquez
▪ Manuel Velazquez built his first guitar in 1929. Can you imagine that? His son Alfredo is carrying on the tradition, though Manuel has not retired. He has definite opinions about what woods make the best guitar and how they should be finished. He is a giant in the business and must be admired for his tenacity as much as his ability. And a fun interview to boot. Mentions Bobri, Andres Segovia, Torres, Santos Hernandez, and Hermann Hauser. With 36 photos.
2008
AL#96 p.3 read this article
John Calkin
▪ Calkin’s letter is concerned with repair shop work ethics, customer relations, and job burnout. It’s really about an old-timer surveying modern society and finding it lacking in some ways.
2008
AL#95 p.70 read this article
Stephan Connor
▪ Remembering Thomas Humphrey (1948-2008) renowned as an innovative contemporary creator of classical guitars. With one photo.
2008
AL#95 p.69
Scott van-Linge
▪ The Dynabrade Dynabug quarter-sheet finishing sander has clips on the pad to allow the use of any sandpaper.
2008
AL#95 p.69
Luca Milani
▪ Designing a new bridge and testing the results.
2008
AL#95 p.68 ALA2 p.39
Veronica Merryfield
▪ Wired plate glass, typesetter’s tables, granite kitchen countertops, and gravestone engraver tables as cheaper alternatives to commercial surface plates.
2008
AL#95 p.68
Peter Hurney
▪ Using a laser level, available at Micro-Mark, to align necks to their bodies.
2008
AL#95 p.67
Laurie Williams
▪ Kauri, the local name of Agathis Australis, is a wood endemic to New Zealand and is purchased mainly there.
2008
AL#95 p.67
Thomas Knatt
▪ Proportional deformation of an instrument in relation to the amount of time the instrument is under tension and the effect of strategic de-tuning on this.
2008
AL#95 p.66
David Cohen
▪ Reference to plans for mandolin X-bracing and general discussion on this topic in the article, The Modern Mandolin by Lawrence Smart in AL#56 and BRB5.
2008
AL#95 p.66
Paul Bordeaux
▪ Pattern booklets specific to instrument inlay from First Quality Music (www.firstqualitymusic.com).
2008
AL#95 p.66
Rick Rubin
▪ Reference to article in BRB2 pg.362 on the use of sodium silicate, aka water glass, for ossifying wood.
2008
AL#95 p.65 read this article
Joe Herrick
▪ The reviewer not only learned a lot about choosing tops and designing brace patterns, he had a very good time. The class took him beyond building generic guitars and into the realm of building the specific guitars that he andor his customers want to hear.
2008
AL#95 p.64 read this article
John Mello
▪ The reviewer finds this book to be “an impressive achievement, a logical first choice of the available stand-alone methods for classical guitar construction.”
2008
AL#95 p.62
John Calkin
▪ The reviewer gives a thumbs up to Plasti-Dip, a thick liquid used to apply a plastic coating to tools, and to the Stew-Mac Binding Laminator, used to lay up various combinations of plastic or celluloid bindings and purflings. With 4 photos.
2008
AL#95 p.59
John Calkin
▪ Mike Brittain (see previous article) sent a set of Florida rosewood to the GAL office, and the office staff looked around for someone to build a guitar out of it. Calkin answered the call. Well, someone had to scarf up the free wood, didn’t they? That Mike Brittain’s a swell guy, isn’t he? So this is the story of one particular guitar. By the way, the Florida rosewood in question is Dalbergia sissoo, not the Dalbergia latifolia most often used for guitars. But it looks great, works great, and sounds great. With 5 photos.
2008
AL#95 p.57 read this article
Mike Brittain
▪ Brittain is a Florida luthier obsessed with hunting down the tonewood trees that came to his home state either as infestations or introduced ornamentals. It turns out there’s lots of Indian rosewood growing in Florida, and many trees that have to be removed due to “progress” or storm damage. We can’t let them go to waste, can we Mike? With 5 photos.
2008
AL#95 p.55
Daniel Fobert
▪ You can make your own plastic pickup rings. No kiddin’! And it doesn’t seem like a real big deal. A little thought should uncover many other uses for the materials mentioned here. With 4 photos.
2008
AL#95 p.50
Andy Avera Daniel Fobert
▪ Fobert is a Texas builder of archtop guitars who is unusually obsessed with making as many of the parts for his guitar as possible, not including (yet!) the tuners. There are luthiers who worship old guitars and work to reproduce them, and luthiers who can’t be bothered with something that’s already been done. Fobert is one of the latter. With 6 photos.
2008
AL#95 p.44 read this article
Robert-J. Spear
▪ Did the Cremonese fiddle makers use geometry to plot the design of their violins? Can geometry explain the size relationships of violin parts and details? Spear thinks so. This is the third and final installment printed in sequential issues of AL. With 3 photos and 9 diagrams/charts.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#95 p.32 ALA5 p.76
Tobias Braun
▪ Braun took on the job of restoring a massively injured Spanish factory guitar made approximately in 1900. This is not only a close look at how such work is done, but an examination of how these guitars were made. It’s not a Torres, but it’s pretty cool. With 41 photos and 4 catalog page reproductions.
2008
AL#95 p.26 read this article
Steve Kinnaird Chuck Lee
▪ Lee is a prominent maker of old-time open-back banjos, ex-plumber, dedicated Christian, and Texas-style family man. Cool guy, and his banjos are interesting, too. With 20 photos.
2008
AL#95 p.18 read this article
R.M. Mottola Peter Kyvelos
▪ The oud is the Arabic ancestor of the lute, as well as being a popular contemporary instrument in many parts of the world. Part One of this two-part series was printed in AL#94. This part concerns the construction of the soundboard and neck of the instrument. With 33 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#95 p.14 read this article
Barbara Goldowsky Norman Pickering
▪ Pickering invented the phonograph cartridge named after him, but that’s just for starters. He’s spent a long lifetime researching and teaching acoustics, inventing clocks and aircraft instruments, working with medical ultrasonics, flying his own plane, researching bowed instruments, and playing viola in chamber ensembles. Just to name a few of his activities. A very interesting and intellectually restless man. With 8 photos.
2008
AL#95 p.8
Alain Bieber
▪ Amateur luthier Bieber and his professional mentor pursue a new direction in classical guitar bracing that spans 10 guitars over the course of the article. Although Greg Smallman is quoted as an inspiration, the Al-Tho designs look nothing like the lattice system we’ve become familiar with. Nor do they look like anything else seen to date. Very interesting stuff. With 11 photos, 2 diagrams, and 2 charts.
2008
AL#95 p.6
Staff
▪ A couple pages of tiny B+W photos of our 2008 Convention. Full color, detailed coverage was available ont eh GAL website.
2008
AL#95 p.5
Neil Ostberg
▪ The plane shown on the back cover of AL#93 should have had a horn.
2008
AL#95 p.5
Staff
▪ Fixing a typo from AL#93.
2008
AL#95 p.5
John Mello
▪ John reviewed a book by Alex Willis in AL#94. He criticised a certain technique reccomended in the book. Now he thinks Alex was right.
2008
AL#94 p.67
Fabio Ragghianti
▪ Cleaning clogged sandpaper belts for continued use.
2008
AL#94 p.67
Terrence O’Hearn
▪ Using a compass as opposed to a Stew-Mac tool for testing the polarity of magnets in pickups for the electric guitar.
2008
AL#94 p.67
Daniel Fobert
▪ An illustrated method for assembling custom hitch pins without a lot of machining, for construction of a spruce top banjo on a bouzouki platform.
2008
AL#94 p.66
Mark French Ned Steinberger Alan Carruth
▪ Synthetic fretboard materials such as phenolic-impregnated kraft paper laminate as an alternative to tropical hardwoods.
2008
AL#94 p.66
Bob Gramann
▪ A small guitar made of southern pine, recovered from a submerged crib dam.
2008
AL#94 p.66 read this article
John Calkin
▪ Repairing a B.C. Rich 2003 Platinum Pro Ironbird.
2008
AL#94 p.64
R.M. Mottola
▪ The builder followed the work of Greg Smallman in this lattice-braced guitar, though he omitted the carbon fiber used in Smallman’s designs. He found the system to be so successful that he abandoned traditional brace patterns in subsequent guitars. With 4 photos.
2008
AL#94 p.63 read this article
John Mello
▪ The reviewer finds this book to be a useful addition to the beginning luthier’s library, but that it falls short of being a stand alone teaching text.
2008
AL#94 p.56
Alan Carruth
▪ Carruth built a classical guitar with many ports cut in the side. By closing the ports with corks in various combinations he tested the usefulness of sideports and tried to establish the physics behind their use. Though this guitar did not make a believer out of him, he admits that his results are somewhat inconclusive. With one photo and a slew of charts and figures concerning the air modes of his guitar with various sideports open.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#94 p.50
Don MacRostie
▪ MacRostie’s clever jig measures the top deflection of a carved mandolin under string load at any stage of its construction. It is a valuable tool within the reach of any luthier.
2008
AL#94 p.48
Aquiles Torres
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
2008
AL#94 p.42
Aquiles Torres
▪ This instrument is a small 4-string guitar with 14 frets clear of the body and no frets over the body, a flush fretboard, and a large veneer tap plate. Note: the Cuatro built for the article has 17 frets clear of the body. The story includes 38 photos and a shrunken version of GAL Plan #58.
2008
AL#94 p.36 ALA3 p.52
Woodley White Paul Fischer
▪ Fischer has been building guitars for 50 years and has completed over 1000 instruments. He apprenticed as a harpsichord maker, then learned guitar making from David Rubio. As with any good interview, it quickly becomes apparent that who we are is more fascinating than what we do. With 15 photos.
2008
AL#94 p.30 read this article
Robert-J. Spear
▪ The second installment of how geometry might have been used to design the Cremonese violin. Part One was in AL#93. With 10 graphs and a photo.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#94 p.18
Cyndy Burton Jim Forderer James Westbrook
▪ As presented in this interview, Jim Forderer and Jim Westbrook are both collectors of guitars of the 19th century, a time period which included the development of the classical guitar. But most of their examples are about the evolution of that instrument and not about the finished post-Torres species. They are unique individuals with strange and wonderful tastes in guitars. With 17 photos and a dendrochronological analysis of the top of a very early Martin guitar.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#94 p.8 read this article
R.M. Mottola Peter Kyvelos
▪ The oud, of course, is the Arabic ancestor of the lute, as well as being a popular contemporary instrument in many parts of the world. Kyvelos has been building them since 1970. The story offers a bit of background on the oud, a few of its recent historical builders, and Kyvelos himself, though most emphasis is placed upon the construction of the instrument. This part mostly concerns the construction of the bowl of the instrument. With 33 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#94 p.7 ALA5 p.82
Gerhard Oldiges
▪ Spanish guitar scale lengths before Torres. Pulgadas, Imperial inches, centimeters. It all gets pretty complicated.
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.
2008
AL#93 p.68
Mike Foulger
▪ Repairing several guitars with similar damage to the binding and front plate.
2008
AL#93 p.68
Mike Doolin
▪ Making kerfed linings out of 3’x9” Mahogany, jointed on one edge and thickness sanded to .250 using a radial arm saw.
2008
AL#93 p.67
R.M. Mottola Tim Olsen
▪ Determining the scale length of an instrument from a piece of the fingerboard.
2008
AL#93 p.67
John Calkin
▪ The feasibility of constructing a good acoustic guitar made only of wood found in Snasa, Norway.
2008
AL#93 p.66 read this article
Chris Goodwin
▪ An explanation of the idea behind the layout on the fingerboard of the orpharion.
2008
AL#93 p.66
Deb Olsen
▪ The use and rights of the Guild of American Luthiers name and trademark logo in advertising or as a seal of approval.
2008
AL#93 p.66
Benz Tschannen
▪ Some experimenting on ossification of guitar soundboards.
2008
AL#93 p.66
Tatsuo Miyachi
▪ A brief history of how Morales guitar brand relates to the Zen-On music company, a Japanese sheet music publisher which also sells a wide range of musical instruments. Zen-On goes back to the 1960s and the Hayashi Gakki company.
2008
AL#93 p.64
Peter Vile
▪ The author gives us a quick look at his carbon fiber/balsa, lattice-braced guitars with wingless bridges, and what he achieved with them. He mentions Kasha/Schneider, Greg Smallman, Jurgen Meyer, and Gila Eban. With 3 photos and 6 sketches.
2008
AL#93 p.60
James Condino
▪ Condino rates all the commonly available mandolin tuners and explains why spending $500 for the best set available might make good economic sense. He also likes the Stew-Mac mandolin peghead drill jig. With 12 photos.
2008
AL#93 p.56 read this article
Mike Moger
▪ Three luthiers travel to war-ravaged Nicaragua to teach a class in guitar making. Why? It’s an effort to aid job diversity and economic growth to an area often reduced to subsistence farming for a living. With 6 photos.
2008
AL#93 p.46 read this article
Robert-J. Spear
▪ The author’s goal is to demonstrate that the Cremonese fiddle makers used geometry based on the Golden Mean to design their instruments. This installment concerns the body outline. With 2 photos and 9 graphs/drawings.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#93 p.38 read this article
Greg Hanson Andrea Florinett
▪ Author Hanson spent two weeks in Switzerland harvesting and processing lumber and tonewood with the Florinett family, who supply the guitar business with 7000 quality spruce tops each year. Florinett is a certified forester who is as concerned with the healthy harvesting of tree stands as with making the most and best use of the wood. The morality of business is also his concern if he is to help his village, his country, as well as the future of his family business. This is a compelling look at an end of the lutherie business that few of us even think about. With 15 photos and a sketch of Picea abies subspecies.
2008
AL#93 p.36
Jeff Liverman
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
2008
AL#93 p.35 ALA1 p.90
Jeff Liverman
▪ No size designation is given to this Martin, and no dimensions are printed on the scaled down plans reproduced in the magazine. The author’s guess is that the guitar was made in the 1840-1850 period. Though we automatically assume that a flattop guitar uses steel strings, Martin guitars of this period invariably were intended for gut strings and reproductions intended for use with steel strings should use very light strings indeed. With 4 photos. Complete full-size plans for this guitar are available as GAL Instrument Plan #57.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#93 p.20 ALA6 p.64
Mike Doolin Kerry Char Gary Southwell Fred Carlson
▪ Harp guitars have undergone a renaissance of sorts, in construction alternatives as well as the music that is being invented for them. Players want banks of super treble strings as well as an extended bass range. Luthiers have responded with new designs and different string configurations that make newer harp guitars more user friendly, more graceful, and musically more pertinent. The four members of this panel discussion are among the leading small builders of these interesting mega-guitars. With 53 photos and 2 sketches.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#93 p.10
Jonathon Peterson Robert Ruck
▪ Ruck has been one of the bright lights among American classical guitar makers for a long time, and this lengthy interview not only shows him to be a fascinating individual with an interesting history, but dwells at some length on the development of his guitars and the bracing patterns and other features he has evolved. Among his influences are Juan Mercadal, John Shaw, Hart Huttig, Neil Ostberg, and Manuel Barrueco. With 24 photos and a bracing diagram.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
2008
AL#93 p.9
Robert-A. Edelstein
▪ What if you used a graphite torsion rod instead of a wooden bass bar in a fiddle?
2008
AL#93 p.8 read this article
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.
▪ The legend of the Martin company wood scrap heap. It was a wonderful thing, says Fred.
2008
AL#93 p.8
Philippe Refig
▪ Refig recounds some stories of techniques used by traditional Spanish makers. Interestingly, some of these directly corroborate information given by Federico Sheppard and R.E.Brune in AL#125 about tools in the shop of Santos Hernandez.
2008
AL#93 p.7
David Golber
▪ Go to a slaughterhouse and get membrane from the internal organs. You want pericardium, not peritoneum.
2008
AL#93 p.7
Marc Connelly
▪ Marc is making a flattop guitar with a large side port and no hole on the top. He likes it.
2007
AL#92 p.70 read this article
Chris Dungey
▪ Oregon violin maker Gardener was an influential luthier who lived a very long life. He is famous for mentoring younger luthiers in the skills of selecting and cutting trees (see “Logging Luthiers,” BRB2 p.446 AL#24 p.13). It always hurts when another member of the tribe passes on.
2007
AL#92 p.69
Mike Foulger
▪ An inexpensive and easy to build guitar box with an internal form in place.
2007
AL#92 p.68
Allan Beardsell
▪ Adding a neck pitch adjustment (an innovation of the early romantic guitar era of 1800-1850) to a nylon string guitar (a 14-fret raised fingerboard model) already in line with European romantic era design concepts.
2007
AL#92 p.67
Rivke-Lela Reid
▪ The Santuri is an instrument of the hammered dulcimer type, common in Greece, and related to the smaller Persian Santur.
2007
AL#92 p.67 ALA2 p.42
John Calkin
▪ Using a dimmer and timer in an electrical circuit to control the temperature of a side bending heat blanket.
2007
AL#92 p.67
Tom Nelligan R.M. Mottola
▪ Highly specialized low frequency ultrasonic instruments can be used to measure the thickness of the skin of the top on a fully assembled instrument without damaging the top.
2007
AL#92 p.66
Dana Bourgeois Mark Campellone John Greven
▪ Pricing standards and retail price structure varies and is negotiable between builder and retailer. Figures are discussed.
2007
AL#92 p.64 read this article
Barbara Goldowsky
▪ Mr. Shirazi’s book give clear and precise direction for building all the parts of this Persian instruments, as well as information about building five different body types. This is perhaps the only AL book review that includes a nice interview with the author. With 1 photo.
2007
AL#92 p.62
Harry Fleishman
▪ Can you think of uses for a small CD-quality, digital recorder that interfaces with your computer? If not, skip this review. If you’d like to demo your latest guitar on your website, or analyze its tonal spectrum, then maybe this machine is for you. It’s fairly inexpensive, very portable, and Harry likes it. With 1 photo.
2007
AL#92 p.54 read this article
Bruce Creps
▪ Creps’ business is dealing wood to luthiers. He gives advice on dealing with the mills that process your log, how to store and dry the planks, and (in AL #91) how to resaw it into useful instrument wood. Perhaps most interesting is the number of ills that can befall wood, both as a tree and while curing. Laying out boards for the prettiest sets and the greatest yield is also covered. With 18 photos and a drawing.
2007
AL#92 p.52 ALA1 p.95
Mark Swanson John Calkin
▪ Mark Swanson brought a brand-new guitar to Harry Fleishman’s 2006 Convention workshop, and had the guts to recut the braces there under Harry’s tutelage with an audience of luthiers looking on. Everyone agreed the results were positive. With 2 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#92 p.48 ALA1 p.92
Harry Fleishman
▪ This is a transcript of Fleishman’s 2006 GAL Convention workshop.He demonstrated how he could tailor the sound of his guitar by adding, removing, and shaping braces. He also showed slide shows of a similar project by Mark Berry, and the process of cutting an access panel into a finished guitar by Darrel Adams. With 15 photos.
2007
AL#92 p.40 ALA6 p.50
Jonathon Peterson Stephen Sedgwick
▪ Harp guitars fascinate a lot more people than actually play them, so it takes a brave luthier to jump into the field. Sedgwick comes off as a delightfully modest man who is determined to make harp guitars or bust. His guitars are smallish and choice. This is yet another interview that makes it clear that life is different in other countries (England, in this case), and understanding that is one of the best reasons to travel. A wonderful interview, with 9 photos. Mentions London College of Furniture, London Guildhall University, London Metropolitan University.
2007
AL#92 p.36
Javad Naini
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
2007
AL#92 p.35 read this article
Javad Naini
▪ The santur is the Persian version of the hammered dulcimer, often tuned to scales that would make it unplayable by Western musicians. With 9 photos and a 2-page version of GAL Plan #56.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#92 p.26 read this article
Mike Doolin
▪ The author begins with a lengthy introduction to explain why guitars can’t play exactly in tune in every key, all the way to the point where music theory clashes with physics. It’s pretty deep but it’s fun. The cure for wayward guitars is to find what music a guitarist plays the most, and then adjust the action and intonation at both the nut and the saddle to find the most satisfactory compromise for that player. This is the thinking luthier’s approach to intonation correction. With 4 charts and a drawing.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#92 p.20 ALA4 p.36
Steve Wiencrot Scott Baxendale
▪ Baxendale has lived a hyperactive life as a repairman and builder in several parts of America, including a stint working for Stuart Mossman and then as owner of the Mossman company, and repairman for the Hard Rock Cafe chain and Gruhn Guitars, before opening his own shops in Denver. Few luthiers live as hard or cover as much territory. With 14 photos.
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.
2007
AL#92 p.7 read this article
Mike Zimmerman
▪ The story of the Amazing Musical Instrument Co, and innovative but short-lived maker of electric violins.
2007
AL#92 p.7 read this article
Dale Randall
▪ Randall offers contrasting thoughts to Paul Hill’s article on bow hairing in AL#91.
2007
AL#92 p.5
Benz Tschannen
▪ Benz is doing some pretty sophisticated work with classical guitar tops stiffened with graphite threads and epoxy.
2007
AL#91 p.69
Jeffrey-R. Elliott
▪ Reinforcing the bracing of a 10-string guitar, similar to Jeffrey Elliott’s design.
2007
AL#91 p.69
R.E. Brune James Westbrook
▪ What does one do with a historical instrument that has been badly treated?, in this case a Cypress Spanish guitar made by Santos Hernandez in 1919, given a glossy paint job, then stripped and sanded in the 1970s.
2007
AL#91 p.69
Jim Mouradian
▪ Possible permanent fixes for truss rod issues in Fender jazz basses with bound necks.
2007
AL#91 p.68
Fan Tao
▪ Obscure information on original string types as fitted to early Orville Gibson archtops.
2007
AL#91 p.68
Peter Kyvelos
▪ The Santuri is an instrument of the hammered dulcimer type, common in Greece, and related to the smaller Persian Santur.
2007
AL#91 p.68
James Condino
▪ A vintage 1970s aluminum West Bend 5-cup electric hot pot functions as a very good double boiling system for hide glue.
2007
AL#91 p.67
Neil Peterson
▪ A keyless chuck from an old cordless drill for use in a drill press to hold bits smaller than 1/8″.
2007
AL#91 p.66
Benz Tschannen
▪ An archsander stick with an 18′ radius to shape the gluing surfaces of the end block and heel to change the arching of backs.
2007
AL#91 p.56 read this article
Paul Hill
▪ There’s good money out there for the person who can nicely rehair violin-family bows, but it’s not easy to learn. Hill begins with laying out the work bench and methodically illuminates the rehairing process. With 27 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.52
R.M. Mottola
▪ Using as-identical-as-possible mock guitars and scientific instruments the author concludes that bolt-on necks sustain longer than either neck-through or glued-in necks, but that there was no discernible difference in sustain perceptible to the humans used as test subjects — pretty surprising results. With 7 photos, 2 graphs, and three spectrographs.
2007
AL#91 p.43 read this article
Bruce Creps
▪ With a shop made jig you can sharpen your blade in place in less time than it takes to remove and reinstall it.
2007
AL#91 p.40 read this article
Bruce Creps
▪ Just about everything you’ll need to know about setting up a bandsaw for resawing and getting the most yield from your lumber. The emphasis is on the Hitachi CB75F resaw, but much of the info will translate to other bandsaws. Included is a good side bar on resharpening bandsaw blades. With 10 photos and 6 drawings.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.36 ALA1 p.46
Kerry Char
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.35 ALA1 p.46
Kerry Char
▪ Char presents a hasty but interesting look at Gibson’s L-series guitar while zeroing in on the L-00, probably the most desirable member of the family. Learn how it was made, why they failed structurally, and examine the 2-page version of GAL Plan #55. With 8 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.32 read this article
Jay Hargreaves Jay Hostetler
▪ Not only is Hostetler a long-time employee/leader at Stewart-MacDonald, he’s a really nice guy. He sidesteps a lot of personal history to give us an entertaining inside look at Stew-Mac, a major supplier of tools, parts, and materials to the lutherie trade and the hideout of several interesting and talented luthiers and musicians. With 3 photos.
2007
AL#91 p.24
Steve Andersen
▪ This is a very detailed look at how a notable builder of archtop guitars fits tone bars and bridges to his instruments. With 22 photos.
2007
AL#91 p.19 ALA1 p.5
Rob Hoffman
▪ This is a detailed examination of a parlor guitar by Martin that pre-dates the company’s famed X bracing. With 15 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.14
C.F. Martin-IV
▪ The author is the current chief of the venerable family business. He provides a candid look at Martin Guitar company history as well as a short examination of alternative wood varieties. Highly entertaining, with 5 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.12 read this article
Robert Ruck
▪ Ruck has been adding sideports (holes in the sides, in addition to the front soundhole) to his classical and flamenco guitars for many years and is a strong advocate of their advantages. The incidents that led him to incorporate ports are very interesting. He mentions Roger Thurman and Augustino LoPrinzi. With 1 photo.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.11 read this article
Mike Doolin
▪ The author found that a sideport (hole in the side, in addition to the front soundhole) in his guitar changed its voice in an undesirable way. Adding a bass reflex tube to the hole returned the guitar to a tonal range he liked. He remains luke warm to the benefits of side ports. With 5 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.8 read this article
John Monteleone
▪ Ace archtop builder Monteleone is an advocate of side soundports (holes in the sides, in addition to the front soundhole) and has employed them for over a decade. His article includes personal background, developmental work on his sideported instruments, and construction techniques. With 3 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.6 read this article
Cyndy Burton
▪ Burton’s micro history of sideports (holes in the sides, in addition to the front soundhole) in stringed instruments serves as an introduction to the next three articles. Luthiers she mentions include John Monteleone, Robert Ruck, Alain Bieber, Gennero Fabricatore, Kenny Hill, Alan Carruth, Roger Thurman, and Augustino LoPrinzi. With 9 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.5
Glen Friesen
▪ Friesen teaches lutherie in a public school shop course in Canada. We have heard from him a few teims over the years. He’s got his young students doing respectable work.
2007
AL#91 p.3
Ric McCurdy
▪ Ric read about D’Aquisto’s plam planes in AL#37 and wanted one. Then he read about making brass planes in AL#89. So he just went ahead and made a snazzy little plane. See that? The GAL creates your desires, then fulfills them.
2007
AL#90 p.68
Robert Steinegger
▪ An optionally pinless pin bridge for those who do not desire round bridge pin holes with slotted bridge pins.
2007
AL#90 p.68 read this article
Daniel Fobert
▪ An automated, motorized fretwire radius roller; an exercise in elementary machining skills.
2007
AL#90 p.67 read this article
Marilyn Wallin
▪ Trouble with unglued violin tailpieces which use granular hide glue with a dash of salt in it.
2007
AL#90 p.67 ALA2 p.35
R.M. Mottola
▪ A gauge that can measure any radius and be used to directly read the radius of any curve.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#90 p.66 read this article
Jeff Jewitt
▪ Availability of gloss tung oil in the USA or UK, for those who like a gloss finish.
2007
AL#90 p.66
Walter Carter
▪ Looking for plans for a parlor guitar with floating bridge and tailpiece, rather than a pin bridge.
2007
AL#90 p.66
Robert Hickey
▪ Obtaining detailed drawings of kit fiddles, also known as ‘dancing master’s violins’.
2007
AL#90 p.66
C.F. Casey
▪ Looking for a classical guitar mute.
2007
AL#90 p.66
Mark Swanson
▪ Request for plans for a round-shouldered dreadnought guitar.
2007
AL#90 p.62
Harry Fleishman
▪ The reviewer test drives the Shatten pickup winder as well as the Stewart-MacDonald pickup winding kits and finds the road a bit bumpy until the instructions are consulted, but in the end recommends all the equipment whole-heartedly. With 2 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.58
John Calkin
▪ Sometimes only a few frets need to be replaced. Here’s how and why to do it and an idea of how to charge for it. Another lesson from Instrument Repair 101. With 11 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.54 read this article
Bruce Harvie
▪ Specialty woodcutters must be the hardest working people in lutherie, but they also seem to have the most fun. Not just a woodcutter, Harvie is also a treasure hunter supplying luthiers in the trade with wooden jewels. This story is great fun. With 16 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.52
James Condino
▪ Condino’s mandolin is made from recycled materials, mostly Douglas fir and katalox. It is unique and beautiful, and the story behind it is pretty cool, too. With 7 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.51
Ron Bushman
▪ Another look at two varieties of wood used by South African luthiers. With 2 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.51
Rodney Stedall
▪ With all the wood varieties in the world it’s criminal that so few are accepted in lutherie. Have a look at kiaat, a wood used by South African luthiers. With 2 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.46
Rodney Stedall Mervyn Davis
▪ Davis’ South African upbringing inspires a wonderful decorative sense in his instruments. He’s built a ton of different stuff but may end up best known for his wildly unique modular guitars called Smooth Talkers. With 16 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.40
Anamaria Paredes-Garcia R.M. Mottola
▪ Cross a 12-string flattop with a classical guitar and you get the Colombian tiple, only the tiple has four courses of three steel strings. Inside, though, it’s a classical. Follow the construction of the instrument in the shop of Alberto Paredes in this photo tour. With 41 photos. Sr. Paredes authored GAL Plan #51, Colombian Tiple. See AL #82.
2007
AL#90 p.32
Cyndy Burton Kenny Hill
▪ Hill is an amazing man who has been a classical performer, a harvester of his own tonewood, a teacher of prisoners, an entrepreneur who has opened guitar factories in three countries, and a really nice guy. And more! Truly a fascinating individual. With 9 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.28 ALA1 p.78
Mark French Kendall Brubaker
▪ The authors measured frequency response of dozens of similar Taylor guitars using a hammer and a noncontacting laser displacement sensor. The big surprise was that guitars made of various woods didn’t differ very much. Well, some people were surprised. With 4 photos and 7 graphs.
2007
AL#90 p.22 ALA1 p.72
Mark French
▪ Taylor Guitars started out as the sort-of-goofy new kid on the block and has grown into the largest production steel string guitar facility in the country. Maybe you’ll learn something from this factory tour and maybe you won’t, but it’s always fascinating to see how the big guys do things. It’s the state of the art in large production. With 25 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.16 read this article
Barbara Goldowsky Douglas Martin
▪ Martin is the guy who’s turning the violin world upside down with his balsa wood fiddles. They look pretty bizarre but critics and musicians seem to agree that he’s on to something. He’s also a very interesting guy. With 20 photos.
2007
AL#90 p.8
David Hurd
▪ Hurd believes that the fastest way to great instruments is science, and it’s hard to argue with such a rational man. His jigs measure the deflection of top plates while under tension, and once he carves the top and braces to the numbers he wants he’s done. Period. Sort of makes intuition obsolete. This could also be math heavy if he didn’t offer an Internet spread sheet to ease the pain. With 7 photos and 7 figures/charts.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#90 p.6
Harry Fleishman
▪ Harry says his blindfolded binding cutter jig really does work.
2007
AL#90 p.3 read this article
Bruce Harvie
▪ People die every day; that’s the way of the world. But it still hurts to see one of our lutherie family join the departed, especially one so young and talented. Sullivan was a Northwest builder known mainly for mandolins, but he made many other fine instruments as well.
2007
AL#89 p.68
Glenn Uhler
▪ Getting surface plates flatter than .001″ across the corners from the castoff material at a stone countertop fabricator/dumpster.
2007
AL#89 p.68 ALA2 p.23
Harry Tomita
▪ This thickness gauge can be used after final sanding to measure the variations in thickness over the surface of the plates.
2007
AL#89 p.68
Peter True
▪ Using masking tape for marking gauge guidelines on dark woods such as ebony.
2007
AL#89 p.68
Harry Fleishman
▪ A quick and dirty vacuum clamping setup using a plastic bag and a recycled pump from a disused refrigerator.
2007
AL#89 p.68
Harry Fleishman
▪ Variation on compensating not only the saddle, but the nut too.
2007
AL#89 p.67 read this article
Douglas Martin
▪ Excellent sounding violins made of balsa wood and resulting questions about standard woods for tops and back and sides.
2007
AL#89 p.67
James Westbrook R.M. Mottola
▪ A source for fret wire in repairing an old guitar in which the frets are thin flat bars on their sides with barbs at the bottom.
2007
AL#89 p.66
James Watts
▪ How much stronger than steel is carbon fiber composite material?
2007
AL#89 p.66 read this article
Guy Rabut Roman Barnas Tim Olsen
▪ Advice for carving a first bass scroll.
2007
AL#89 p.64 ALA2 p.22
Alan Perlman John Mello
▪ Both reviewers test fly the Luthiertool Binding Cutter Base, an attachment for a small router or laminate trimmer. Perlman is enthusiastic about the tool. Mello is a little less so but admits he’s glad he bought it. With 1 photo.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#89 p.62 ALA1 p.26
John Calkin
▪ Gunsmith Mark Chanlynn built Calkin a machine to precisely measure the deflection of a guitar top under a constant weight. There are no plans here, but it’s pretty obvious how it works, and just as obvious how it might help you make better guitars. With 3 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#89 p.56
R.M. Mottola
▪ Most repair people know that on a fretboard with a tight radius the upper frets have to be milled flatter than the first frets if the player wants to bend strings without “fret-out.” Most just file several times until the get the results they are after. What they are really doing is trying to turn the playing surface into a conical section. Mottola’s method is more precise. Consider it the thinking man’s way to dress frets for the most optimum action. With 7 figures, 6 photos, and a chart.
2007
AL#89 p.48
James Condino
▪ Musical instruments made of aluminum didn’t catch on. This doesn’t mean that a number of companies didn’t go into manufacture, or that the instruments weren’t good. Every luthier knows how fickle and finicky the market is, so it’s no wonder that metal stringed instruments weren’t welcomed by the playing public. Examined here are a violin, a mandolin, and a pair of bass viols. The bass viol stories are the most fun since the author has personal experience with them. Fun stuff! With 25 photos.
2007
AL#89 p.42
Brent Benfield
▪ Lattice bracing in various forms seems here to stay. Norris’ construction method uses graphite fibers in epoxy, and is unique in that it allows the guitar to be strung before the body is officially closed, permitting tuning of the top while the braces are still completely accessible. With 18 photos and a diagram.
2007
AL#89 p.38
Federico Sheppard Dmitry Zhevlakov
▪ This is not only the story of a Russian luthier who also makes beautiful rosettes for other builders, but is another example of how the Internet has changed the world — in this case for better. With 9 photos.
2007
AL#89 p.36
C.F. Casey
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
2007
AL#89 p.34 read this article
C.F. Casey
▪ The requinto is a small classical guitar tuned a forth higher than standard tuning, and is the lead instrument in a form called Trio Romantico. Casey discusses the history of the instrument and offers a plan of one particular example. With 7 photos and a 2-page version of GAL Plan #54.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#89 p.30
John Calkin
▪ A number of acoustic guitars built during the ’60s demonstrated peculiar design traits, and this smashed up Gibson B-25 is a fine example of such. The author returns it to playable good health while maintaining its quirkiness in all its glory. With 12 photos.
2007
AL#89 p.22 ALA2 p.26
Ken Altman
▪ Watch Altman construct a 3″ plane from brass stock and steel for the blade — a very cool and elegant tool for lutherie that’s not too hard to make and requires few tools to construct. With 25 photos.
2007
AL#89 p.18 ALA4 p.32
Steve Kinnaird Chris Jenkins
▪ Texas luthier Jenkins has become an inspiration to those who have seen his work, though he drew his own inspiration and instruction from Charles Fox, Harry Fleishman, Ervin Somogyi, and Fred Carlson. He’s a classic example of what can be accomplished by seeking out talented instruction rather than fiddling one’s own way up the learning curve. With 12 photos.
2007
AL#89 p.6 ALA1 p.10
Tim Shaw
▪ Shaw has worked for large guitar companies for decades. Currently with Fender, he runs an independent shop that makes prototype instruments for all the factories that fall under the Fender banner. He also does repairs on discontinued models where the factory equipment has been dismantled. Accomplishing one-off projects or small runs of parts is no different for a big company than for an independent luthier, they just have the luxury of big-budget equipment. Shaw’s methods of jigging up for parts manufacture incorporating speed and safety can be used by many one-off shops to hustle production and instrument development. Good stuff from one of the aces in the business. With 34 photos.
2007
AL#89 p.5 read this article
James Blilie
▪ Blilie questions Michael Darnton’s concept of circles as the underlying structure of classical violin design.
2007
AL#89 p.3 read this article
Richard Johnston
▪ A long-time repairman well-known in the Bay area of California passes on.
2006
AL#88 p.69 ALA2 p.25
Marco Del-Pozzo
▪ This method of constructing radiused sanding blocks should be useful and save money.
2006
AL#88 p.68
Paul Hill
▪ Several physical factors that can be adjusted to address poor intonation if a guitar is properly intonated, and if not, what is at fault.
2006
AL#88 p.67
Gregg Miner
▪ Plans, info on dimensions, tuning, construction, or materials to make a bass theorboed guitar-lute.
2006
AL#88 p.66
Alexander Batov Sebastian Nunez Veronica Estevez
▪ Detailed info on locating plans for authentic vihuelas.
2006
AL#88 p.64
Ervin Somogyi
▪ The Northern California Association of Luthiers built a public display of how guitars are created. This is the story of how it came about. With one real long photo.
2006
AL#88 p.63 read this article
Bryan Johanson
▪ No, it wasn’t the 20th century, silly. It was the 19th century in which the classical guitar grew up.The reviewer calls this book wonderful, informative, and generous. There is also a CD available of 19th century guitar music played on restored instruments of the time.
2006
AL#88 p.62 read this article
Alain Bieber
▪ The reviewer heartily recommends this catalog of lutes and theorbos in the musical instrument museum of Paris.
2006
AL#88 p.58 ALA2 p.10
John Mello
▪ The reviewer (who bought these tools, by the way) finds that they were a good investment that saves him time and increases the accuracy of his work. With 7 photos.
2006
AL#88 p.52 read this article
Mark French
▪ The author discusses the curve fit, a mathematical method of describing a shape that a computer, and thus a CNC machine, can understand. Curve fits have other benefits, too, but computer illiteracy prevents them from being described here. Includes a plethora of charts and graphs.
2006
AL#88 p.48 read this article
C.F. Casey Jose Zamora
▪ Reyes-Zamora is a proud Puerto Rican who made it his business to rescue portions of the country’s history from oblivion. He has specialized in resuscitating the Puerto Rican tiple, an instrument unlike others of the same name. With 6 photos.
2006
AL#88 p.42 ALA1 p.68
R.M. Mottola
▪ Have you got design ideas that are radical or just untried? Perhaps you should toss together a trial instrument before you risk squandering valuable time on a master work that doesn’t work. Here’s how, with an emphasis on building with plywood and even Formica. With 10 photos and a drawing.
2006
AL#88 p.34 ALA6 p.56
Jonathon Peterson Benoit Meulle-Stef
▪ Meulle-Stef is a French harp guitar luthier who lives and works in Belgium. The harp guitar has deep roots in Europe and he is familiar with all of them. His own instruments have a grace that harp guitars often lack (and check out his fan-braced steel-string top!) This is another sign that lutherie has always been a global industry, even though American guitarmakers tend to forget or ignore it. With 22 photos and a drawing.
2006
AL#88 p.24 ALA2 p.14
Charles Fox
▪ Vacuum clamping has come to the small shop in a big way, at least in Fox’s shop.Suddenly, all other ways of working seem backward. Vacuum has dozens of uses in the guitar shop and the universal vacuum island makes them compact and within the financial reach of all of us. Fox is still the guru. If you ain’t got vacuum you ain’t got nothin’! With 21 photos.
2006
AL#88 p.16 read this article
Alain Bieber
▪ The lyre guitar goes back centuries. Lyre instruments in general go back millennia. The author couldn’t resist resurrecting the harp guitar, bringing it up to current standards. His research covers a wide look at art history as well a guitar history. Fascinating! With 14 photos and 2 drawings.
2006
AL#88 p.13 ALA3 p.96
Brian Burns
▪ This is a more scientific look at what the double-top might have to offer. With 2 photos.
2006
AL#88 p.8 ALA3 p.90
Randy Reynolds
▪ Double-top guitars utilize a top made of two thin layers of spruce separated by a honey-comb material called Nomex. So few people have heard such guitars that the jury is still out (way out) concerning double-top benefits, but here’s how they are made and why. One thing seems sure—the guitar market is large enough to absorb every idea, so no facet of guitar evolution is likely to die out before its time. With 13 photos.
2006
AL#88 p.5
Scott van-Linge
▪ The writer takes exception to some of the brace work done by John Calkin in his AL #85 article, “Resurrecting the Family Guitar”. Van Linge is the current leading proponent of parabolic bracing. Parabolic and ramped bracing (to coin a term) vary significantly in shape and true believers have a large stake in one or the other. Their discussions are fascinating, and since only side-by-side comparison of similar guitars can offer distinctions the general public is usually left to make decisions based on no real evidence. Which is how lutherie mythology is maintained. There’s a truth somewhere, but how do we dig it out?
2006
AL#88 p.3 read this article
Bruce Harvie
▪ Ted Berringer was a prolific and unfettered amateur builder with an impressive 55 years of experience in the art. He was a long-time GAL member and frequent attendee at GAL Conventions. Here’s and affectionate goodbye to a really likable guy.
2006
AL#87 p.69 ALA2 p.13
Ben Tortorici
▪ A prototype using the router sander from a Luthiers Mercantile purfling jig, based on Tom Blackshear’s fixture for making bridges.
2006
AL#87 p.68 ALA2 p.24
Brian Woods
▪ A simple and inexpensive way to cut a conical shape on an inlaid fretboard using a Ryobi belt/disk sander, and a Workmate.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2006
AL#87 p.67
Jeffrey-R. Elliott Cyndy Burton
▪ Proper way to fix a Manzanero guitar with poorly repaired cracks on the top and back, a pulled up neck, and a poor refinish.
2006
AL#87 p.66
Bart Hopkin
▪ Experimental stringed instruments, including an old pioneer wagon frame made into a 50 string banjo.
2006
AL#87 p.65
R.M. Mottola
▪ A string that can be put on a 17″ scale length instrument with an after length to the tailpiece of about 6″ that is strong enough to reach a mandolin E tuning without breaking.
2006
AL#87 p.65
William Cumpiano Luis-Alberto Paredes-Rodriguez
▪ Set of plans or dimensions and scale length for a Requinto.
2006
AL#87 p.64
Mike Dotson
▪ Source of plans to build a Dobro.
2006
AL#87 p.60 read this article
Ervin Somogyi
▪ The reviewer is wildly enthusiastic about this book that seems to cover every aspect of the American guitar.
2006
AL#87 p.58
Mike Tagawa
▪ This product removes beaded and smeared dry glue from most any surface with damaging the underlayment. The reviewer says it works. With 11 photos.
2006
AL#87 p.56
David Worthy
▪ The Australian author built a beautiful lap steel that looks “stranger than fiction” on the inside.
2006
AL#87 p.54
Tobias Berg
▪ A new category of article is born! Europeans often take a longer road to lutherie nirvana than Americans, finding several important stops along the way to opening their own shops. Berg was such a traveler and his story is very interesting. With 2 photos.
2006
AL#87 p.52 ALA2 p.8
Daniel Fobert
▪ The author’s special workboard and clamps permit him to clamp a plate onto the rib assembly in a minute or less. With 6 photos.
2006
AL#87 p.50
Fabio Ragghianti
▪ The author’s joint uses a simple spline. Steel-string guys may be skeptical but Ragghianti says it works fine on his archtops, too. With 9 photos.
2006
AL#87 p.48 ALA5 p.58
Alastair Fordyce
▪ The author hunts wolf notes with a lump of clay, and once he finds the spot that cures them he swaps out the clay for a bit of wood that weighs the same as the clay. Pretty ingenious, huh? And it ought to work as well for any other instrument. It may not be bracing in the strictest sense, but if it works, it works. With 4 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
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.
2006
AL#87 p.40 read this article
R.M. Mottola
▪ Parametric solid modeling is a usable step between computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing. It permits a three-dimensional picture of a part to be made. A CNC machine doesn’t need it, but a designer might in order to better visualize what it is the machine is about to make. If this makes no sense to you, welcome aboard. But CAD/CAM/CNC-made instrument parts are here to stay, even for small shops. Understanding the process will give you an edge over the stick-in-the-muds who can’t be bothered. With 9 illustrations.
2006
AL#87 p.34 ALA6 p.46
Jonathon Peterson Tom Shinness
▪ Shinness is a harp guitarist who builds his guitars by cutting and pasting—using real instruments! Cool guy! With 4 photos.
2006
AL#87 p.26 read this article
Michael Darnton
▪ The author demonstrates that the design of classic instruments (of whatever type) is dictated by simple geometric forms, and that to ignore such shapes while designing new instruments is to invite ungainliness into your shop.With 9 photos and 7 drawings.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.