Category Archives: people

Letter: Thanks to J.R. Beall

2024
AL#153 p.3               
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune acknowledges J.R. Beall’s letter in AL#152 regarding the founding of the GAL. Mentions Marc Connelly.

Letter: Todd Cambio and ladder-braced guitars

2024
AL#153 p.3               
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ In his very last writing for the GAL, Harry praises the lutherie work of Todd Cambio and Todd’s lecture published in AL#151. Harry goes on to talk about his own early work renovating and hot-rodding old inexpensive American factory guitars. Mentions Abe Wechter, Harmony Soveriegn, and Ferretta’s vintage guitar shop.

In Memoriam: Harry Fleishman

2024
AL#153 p.90               
Michael Bashkin                                                                                           

▪ We’re sure gonna miss good ol’ Harry Fleishman. Luthier, designer, teacher, mentor, raconteur, author, Convention presenter, inventor, and so much more.

In Memoriam: Harry Fleishman

2024
AL#153 p.90               
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ We’re sure gonna miss good ol’ Harry Fleishman. Luthier, designer, teacher, mentor, raconteur, author, Convention presenter, inventor, and so much more.

In Memoriam: Harry Fleishman

2024
AL#153 p.90               
Fabio Ragghianti                                                                                           

▪ We’re sure gonna miss good ol’ Harry Fleishman. Luthier, designer, teacher, mentor, raconteur, author, Convention presenter, inventor, and so much more.

In Memoriam: Harry Fleishman

2024
AL#153 p.90               
January Williams                                                                                           

▪ We’re sure gonna miss good ol’ Harry Fleishman. Luthier, designer, teacher, mentor, raconteur, author, Convention presenter, inventor, and so much more.

In Memoriam: Harry Fleishman

2024
AL#153 p.90               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ We’re sure gonna miss good ol’ Harry Fleishman. Luthier, designer, teacher, mentor, raconteur, author, Convention presenter, inventor, and so much more.

In Memoriam: Frank Ford

2024
AL#151 p.67               
GAL-Staff                                                                                           

▪ Frank Ford was an icon of the instrument repair field and an overachiever when it came to sharing information with this fellow luthiers. He presented at several GAL Conventions, and had legions of friends and fans.

In Memoriam: Frank Ford

2024
AL#151 p.67               
William Eaton                                                                                           

▪ Frank Ford was an icon of the instrument repair field and an overachiever when it came to sharing information with this fellow luthiers. He had legions of friends and fans. Eaton worked closely with Ford for many years, and takes this moment to praise his name. Mentions Richard Johnston, Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, Joy Imai.

In Memoriam: Frank Ford

2024
AL#151 p.67               
Dan Erlewine                                                                                           

▪ Frank Ford was an icon of the instrument repair field and an overachiever when it came to sharing information with this fellow luthiers. He had legions of friends and fans. Erlewine brought Ford to the GAL Convention, and they became a team which was a fixture at the next several gatherings. Dan takes this moment to praise Frank’s name.

In Memoriam: Kent Rayman

2024
AL#152 p.66               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Kent Rayman was a kind-hearted giant of a man who was helpful and influential in the Guild’s earliest phase. Kent’s lutherie mentor remembers him here with fondness and respect.

In Memoriam: George A. Smith

2023
AL#150 p.65               
Peter Tsiorba                                                                                           

▪ George Smith was one of that rare breed: A self-starter guitar maker before the American Lutherie Boom. Here’s three fond remembrances by people who were glad to have known him well.

In Memoriam: George A. Smith

2023
AL#150 p.65               
David Franzen                                                                                           

▪ George Smith was one of that rare breed: A self-starter guitar maker before the American Lutherie Boom. Here’s three fond remembrances by people who were glad to have known him well.

Review: You Will Be a Builder of Musical Instruments by Edward Victor Dick

2023
AL#150 p.67               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ After decades in the wood shop, the burning energy of one’s young self can seem remote. Our reviewer says that this little book about a remarkable life in lutherie helped him to remember.

Finding Inspiration in Early 20th-Century Instruments

2024
AL#151 p.6               
Todd Cambio                                                                                           

▪ From his 2023 GAL Convention lecture. For decades, it was received wisdom that the inexpensive steel-string guitars, made in their millions before WWII in American factories using American woods, were crap. Todd Cambio has been taking another look, and finds a lot to like and even to emulate. Hear him out; it’s a ripping yarn. Mentions Gibson, Martin, Lyon and Healy, Harmony, Sears, Wilhelm Schultz, Oscar Schmidt, Stella, Galiano, poplar, tulip tree, oak, parlor guitar, ladder bracing, bajo sexto, R. Crumb, Lead Belly, John and Alan Lomax, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Blake, Lonnie Johnson, Carter family, Bristol sessions, Ernest Stoneman, Nick Lucas, Eddie Lang, Raphael Ciani, John D’Angelico, Lydia Mendoza, Guadalupe Acosta, Luis Acosta, Mike Acosta, Miguel Acosta, 12-string guitar, Michael Iuchi, mandolin, John Greven.

Let’s Catch Up With Richard Bruné and Marshall Bruné

2023
AL#150 p.16               
Mark French                                                                                           

▪ Richard “R.E.” Bruné was in the GAL’s very first cohort and was an author and convention presenter from the very beginning. We’ve visited him a couple of times over the decades. His son Marshall was born into the business, and into the Guild. Together they run a large workshop and epicenter of classical guitar making, scholarship restoration, appreciation, and dealing.

My Friend Bob Lundberg

2023
AL#150 p.62               
Birck Cox                                                                                           

▪ The late Robert Lundberg is legendary as a lute maker and educator, but Birck Cox knew him before all that, back when Lundberg was working on fiberglass race cars. They met while unloading a moving van and were friends for many years.

In Memoriam: George A. Smith

2023
AL#150 p.64               
Maria Gonzalez-Leon                                                                                           

▪ George Smith was one of that rare breed: A self-starter guitar maker before the American Lutherie Boom. Here’s three fond remembrances by people who were glad to have known him well.

Meet the Maker: Ken Parker

2023
AL#149 p.4               
Mike Doolin   Ken Parker                                                                                       

▪ Can you believe we have never “met” this guy? He’s a giant of the American Lutherie Boom, he was at the Guild’s 1979 Convention, and he has been a GAL member for over twenty years. The world knows him as the maker of the Fly solidbody guitar, but now he has returned to his first love: the archtop guitar. Mentions Larry Fishman, John D’Angelico, Jimmy D’Aquisto, Scott Chinery, Orville Gibson, Lloyd Loar, Raphael Ciani, Nick Lucas, Michael Greenfield, Sam Zygmuntowicz.

Meet the Makers: Rebecca Urlacher and Paul Woolson

2023
AL#149 p.36               
Rebecca Urlacher   Paul Woolson                                                                                       

▪ A conversation is kinda like two interviews happening at the same time. That’s what we have in this article; questions and answers come from both makers, as we meet them and learn about their lutherie lives. Mentions Charles Fox.

Meet the Maker: Denny Stevens

2023
AL#148 p.34               
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ The late Denny Stevens was one of the earliest self-taught guitar makers of the American Lutherie Boom. He was also a mentor to author Harry Fleishman, who goes back in memory and imagination to interview Denny as he never did in life. Mentions Dale Bruning, Paul Killinger, Tony Jacobs, Richie Furay, Johnny Smith.

In Memoriam: Jeanette Fernandez

2022
AL#147 p.67               read this article
Ronald-Louis Fernandez                                                                                           

▪ Janette was a sweet Scottish lass, the wife of luthier/dealer Ron Fernandez, well known in guitar circles and a regular at GAL Conventions.

In Memoriam: Rick Turner

2022
AL#147 p.68               
David Bolla                                                                                           

▪ The GAL remembers an early supporter and author, who was also an influencial innovator of electric guitars. Plus he was a super-nice guy and mentor.

In Memoriam: Rick Turner

2022
AL#147 p.68               
Steve Klein                                                                                           

▪ The GAL remembers an early supporter and author, who was also an influencial innovator of electric guitars. Plus he was a super-nice guy and mentor.

Letter to the Editor: Remembering H.E. Huttig and Chico Taylor

2022
AL#147 p.7               
George Taylor                                                                                           

▪ In the 1960s, Hart Huttig, a founder of the American Lutherie Boom, had a guitar-playing friend named Chico Taylor. Decades later, Chico’s son has sent us a photo and a remembrance.

Meet the Maker: Beau Hannam

2022
AL#147 p.8               
Brian Yarosh   Beau Hannam                                                                                       

▪ Beau Hannam came up in the productive and innovative shop of Australian luthier Gerard Gilet, then migrated to Colorado to found his own shop making guitars and ukuleles. He’s all over the Interwebs with his generous lutherie advice and his gorgeous instruments.

Meet the Maker: Peggy Stuart

2022
AL#147 p.42               
John Calkin   Peggy Stuart                                                                                       

▪ Peggy Stuart is not famous as a guitar maker, but her life story is one that every luthier under age fifty should hear and think about. She was one of “Sloane’s Children,” struggling to make a guitar from that early book back in the dark ages of the middle 1970s. She discovered the GAL and soon attended conventions and wrote articles as her skills improved. But she ultimately saw that she would not be able to support herself as a luthier, and turned to law school. If you making a living building instruments in these days of milk and honey, thank your lucky stars and the Guild of American Luthiers.

Letter to the Editor: Passing of Don Teeter

2022
AL#147 p.5               
Ron Lira                                                                                           

▪ One long-time guitar repairer and GAL member eulogizes another. Honest Ron Lira tells us of the passing of his friend, the well-known author Don Teeter.

In Memoriam: José Luis Romanillos Vega

2022
AL#146 p.64               read this article
Federico Sheppard   Kevin Aram   Josep Melo   Mónica Esparza                                                                               

▪ Romanillos was a towering figure in the lutherie field during a long and productive career as a maker and scholar. He was also a generous mentor and friend to many guitar makers. Four of those makers share fond memories of him here. Many more will miss him.

In Memoriam: G.D. (George) Armstrong

2022
AL#146 p.68               read this article
Staff                                                                                           

▪ G.D. lived in Yamhill, Oregon, built a wide variety of instruments, was the repairman and proprietor of the Newburg (Oregon) Music Center, and was a regular attendee at GAL Conventions in Tacoma

Meet the Maker: Matt Brewster

2022
AL#145 p.25               
Evan Gluck                                                                                           

▪ Imagine you were a guitar repair guy, and there was another guitar repair guy in your same town. What would you do about it? If you were Evan Gluck, or any other enlightened, right-thinking luthier, you would march right over there and make him your best friend. These guys have a blast “competing” in the same market, sharing stories, customers, tools, and techniques. And yes, it does help if your hometown has over eight million people in it. Mentions Brian Moore, Dan Erlewine, Michael Bashkin, Ian Davlin, Jimmy Carbonetti.

In Memoriam: Jonathon Peterson

2022
AL#145 p.64               read this article
Staff   Cyndy Burton   Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Woodley White                                                                               

▪ Jon was a member of the GAL staff for over two decades. He wrote many articles, and did all the photography for Robert Lundberg’s landmark book Historical Lute Construction.

In Memoriam: Laurence “Buzz” Vineyard

2022
AL#145 p.67               read this article
Rick Rubin   Michael Elwell                                                                                       

▪ Buzz was a very early GAL member who made beautiful and unusual mandolins and archtop guitars.

Meet the Maker: Robert Anderson

2021
AL#144 p.36               
John Calkin   Robert Anderson                                                                                       

▪ Robert Anderson made banjos part-time for decades while he worked a respectable day job. But since he has “retired” into a full-time lutherie career, he is in demand for his beautifully carved, inlaid, and engraved instruments. We take a look into his converted tobacco barn and talk shop. Mentions Doug Unger, Stan Werbin, Kathy Anderson, Grateful Dead.

In Memoriam: Wesley Brandt

2021
AL#144 p.68               read this article
Michael Yeats   Dan Compton   Mark Moreland   Chris Brandt                                                                               

▪ Wesley Brandt was a luthier in Portland, Oregon who reached a rare degree of quality in his work with early instruments. Four friends mourn his sudden passing. Many more will miss him.

Letter: Meeting Julian Bream

2021
AL#143 p.2               
James Buckland                                                                                           

▪ Jim talks about meeting famous guitarists through his teacher Eli Kassner. Mentions John Williams, Leo Brouwer, and the Toronto Guitar Society.

Remembering Julian Bream

2021
AL#142 p.6               
Cyndy Burton   Jose Romanillos   R.E. Brune   Jeffrey R. Elliott   Kevin Aram   Gary Southwell   Simon Ambridge                                                                   

▪ The great classical guitarist Julian Bream was well known for supporting and encouraging contemporary composers and promising young players. Less noticed by the public, but of special importance to luthiers, was Bream’s work with a handful of classical guitar makers from whom he commissioned the fine instruments that he played. In this article, those luthiers offer memories of their interactions with Julian Bream. Mentions Hermann Hauser Sr.

When Your Business Hits a Bump

2020
AL#141 p.18               
Evan Gluck                                                                                           

▪ What should you do when an unexpected event upsets the smoothly-running apple cart of your guitar-repair business? Don’ freak out. Take good advice from the trustworthy folks around you, and proceed with confidence. That’s the story, but raconteur and lutherie superstar Evan Gluck tells it better.

In Memoriam: Felix Manzanero

2020
AL#139 p.61               read this article
Ronald-Louis Fernandez                                                                                           

▪ Felix Manzanero was a classical guitar maker and collector in Madrid. He spent twelve years in the shop of Jose Ramirez II, starting at age fourteen. Felix was a friend of author Ron Fernandez’ father, and then a lifelong friend of Ron; they visited each other’s homes in Spain and California. Mentions Seiko Sesoko, Laurindo Almeida, Manitas de Plata, Sabicas, Segovia, Paracho, German Vazquez Rubio.

Meet the Maker: John Jordan

2020
AL#140 p.10               
Paul Schmidt   John Jordan                                                                                       

▪ John Jordan was a young guy happily repairing instruments and making guitars when he got a commission to make an experimental electric violin. It turned out well enough to take his career in a new direction. Read his story and see some of his diverse and beautiful work. Mentions Ervin Somogyi, Shelley Rosen, Rolland Colella, Dave Matthews, Boyd Tinsley, nyckelharpa, D’Angelico, D’Aquisto, Neyveli S. Radhakrishna, Miri Ben Ari.

Javier Campos Tijeras, The French Polisher’s French Polisher

2020
AL#140 p.48               
Federico Sheppard   Javier Campos-Tijeras                                                                                       

▪ Many of the fine hand-made guitars that are born in Ganada, Spain, spend a few weeks in the shop of Javier Campos Tijeras receiving a light, thin coating of shellac before they venture out into a cruel world of fingernails, cigarette smoke, and shaky guitar stands. Javi explains his process and holds nothing back about the specific materials and supplies he uses.

In Memoriam: Graham Caldersmith

2020
AL#140 p.60               read this article
Juan-Oscar Azaret                                                                                           

▪ Pioneering guitar maker, guitar designer, acoustics researcher, and author Graham Caldersmith has passed away. If you knew him, perhaps from his attendance at GAL Conventions, read this affectionate remembrance. If you didn’t, read it to find out what we’ve lost. Mentions Carleen Hutchins, Jim Williams, Greg Smallman.

Guitar Maker Without Borders

2020
AL#139 p.6               
Federico Sheppard                                                                                           

▪ Here’s a lutherie carreer so wide-ranging, so full of amazing travels and fortuitous connections, that you might be thinking of Baron Munchausen or Forrest Gump. But this is a true adventure, and he left a lot of it out in order to pack the story into a 75-minute lecture. Must read to believe. From his 2017 GAL Convention lecture. Mentions Torres, Simplicio, Garcia, Leo Kottke, Bozo Podunavac, Ray Jacobs, John Fahey, Peter Lang, Norman Blake, Robert Larson, Agustin Barrios, Ray Whitely, Sanfeliu, Enno Voorhorst, Jeffrey Elliott, Cyndy Burton, Richard Brune, Jorge Morel, Pepe Romero, Shel Urlik, Romanillos, Dmitry Zhevlakov, Paracho, Abel Garcia, Antigua Casa Nunez, Cecilio Lopez, Fernando Sor, Francois de Fossa, Cite de la Musique, Santos Hernanadez, Domingo Esteso, Antonio Marin, Eugene Clark, Michael Partington.

Meet the Maker: Arie van Spronssen

2020
AL#139 p.38               
Sjaak Elmendorp                                                                                           

▪ Holland had a lutherie boom in the 1970s, too. Arie started out as a carpenter, but moved into lutherie after an injury. Today he makes steel string guitars and a variety of other instruments. Mentions Roger Siminoff, Irving Sloane, Arthur Overholzer, Cees van Loon, Vox Humana, preparing cow bone, humidity control.

Letter to the Editor: Still Luthing at Age Ninety

2019
AL#138 p.3               
Bill Garofalo                                                                                           

▪ The author has been a GAL member for many years. Lutherie has always been a hobby for him, not a profession. At age ninety, he continues to produce simple and unpretensious instruments with a considerable element of immediacy.

Meet the Makers: Jay Lichty and Corrie Woods

2019
AL#138 p.38               
Steve Denvir   Jay Lichty   Corrie Woods                                                                                   

▪ Jay Lichty was late to the lutherie game, having spent a lot of years in a real job building houses as a general contractor. But he’s deep into instrument making now, and finding success with an eclectic line of ukuleles and small guitars. Jay’s wife, Corrie Woods, is the marketing department, working with photography and online media to make the most of Jay’s work at the bench. Together, they are making it work. From their lecture at the 2017 GAL Convention.

Meet the Maker: Todd Cambio

2019
AL#137 p.4               
Federico Sheppard   Todd Cambio                                                                                       

▪ Federico has traveled the world to bring us news of excellent and unusual luthiers and their work. This time he journeyed from Green Bay, Wisconsin all the way to Madison, Wisconsin to meet a guy who keeps his work on the cutting edge of innovation by closely following the century-old work of American guitar factories, and Italian-American luthiers who worked in New York City before WWI. A word to the wise: Tulip poplar is not, and never shall be, banned by CITES or the Lacey Act. Mentions the Acosta family; John D’Angelico; Lydia Mendoza; Lonnie Johnson; Stella; Regal; Oscar Schmidt; Harmony; Lyon & Healy; Lead Belly; Favilla.

Let’s Catch Up with Joshia de Jonge

2019
AL#137 p.22               
Cyndy Burton   Joshia de-Jonge                                                                                       

▪ Joshia de Jonge was a sensation at the 1998 GAL Convention when, as a young female luthier, she brought a nicely-made and fine sounding instrument to the classical guitar listening session. It helped to have grown up in a guitar-making family. And now that she has left her parents’ home and shop, she is raising guitar-making sons. Mentions Geza Burghardt; Linda Manzer; Sergei de Jonge; Eric Sahlin.

In Memoriam: Fred Campbell

2019
AL#137 p.60               read this article
Tom Ribbecke                                                                                           

▪ Fred Campbell was a fixture on the lutherie scene for decades, specializing in finish work. Many of his friends will recall that he was notably forward in his appreciation of his Scottish heritage.

In Memoriam: Leo Bidne

2019
AL#137 p.61               read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Leo Bidne was great example of the restless rabble from which the GAL arose in the early 1970s. He was a curious and persistant teenager who, without instruction and with slim resources, managed to make guitars. Leo was member of the GAL Staff in its formative days.

Bob Ruck as I Knew Him

2019
AL#136 p.4               
Federico Sheppard                                                                                           

▪ Robert Ruck was one of the young self-starters who founded the American Lutherie Boom, and he remained a leading light in the movement until the end of his life. Federico Sheppard was an aquaintence and admirer who became closer to Ruck when they spent time together at Federico’s place on the Camino de Santiago in Spain one summer. In this article, Federico presents a photo tour of Ruck’s shop in Eugene Oregon and explains some of the tools and techniques we see. Mentions French polising with hardware-store shellac. Mentions Richard Brune.

Our Man in Manhattan: The American Guitars of the Tatay Family

2019
AL#136 p.22               
January Williams                                                                                           

▪ Before there were cheap Spanish guitars from Asian factories, there were cheap Spanish guitars from hard-working Spanish luthiers using traditional methods. If there was an inexpensive classical guitar kicking around your house or dorm room before about 1965, it might very well have been a Tatay. The family business was in Valencia, Spain, but they had an outpost in New York where one of the brothers turned out instruments at an amazing pace.

Tatay Instrument Identification and Dating Guide

2019
AL#136 p.28               
January Williams                                                                                           

▪ There are Tatay guitars, and then there are Tatay guitars. They could be from Valencia or New York; from one of four generations of the family; from one maker or his brother, father, son, uncle, or cousin. This article helps you sort them out. Photos of representative guitars, and lots of photos of labels from the various eras.

Meet the Maker: Shaun Newman

2019
AL#136 p.36               
Mike Gluyas   Shaun Newman                                                                                       

▪ Although he had fallen in love with the classical guitar the first time he heard one as a teenager, Shaun Newman was already well along in a career as a language teacher when he first tried to make one. He was lucky enough to find a mentor in his corner of England, and he has been making and restoring an impressive variety of fine instruments for the last thirty years.

A Guitar Is Born: Attending Charles Fox’s Hands-On Guitar Making Course

2019
AL#136 p.54               
Mark French   Charles Fox                                                                                       

▪ Author Mark French has made a lot of guitars over the years, but when he wanted to up his game he attended an intensive two-week course by the dean of all American lutherie teachers, Charles Fox. Four students each built a guitar in the white from scratch and strung it up.

Training the Next Generation

2018
AL#135 p.16               
Dan Erlewine   Erick Coleman   Chelsea Clark                                                                                   

▪ “Uncle Dan” Erlewine has been a constant presence in the American Lutherie Boom era, because he personifies the can-do ethos that underlies the whole dang movement: figure something out, and tell everybody about it. As a young man hoping to move from rocker to luthier, he found a generous mentor in Herb David of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dan has paid that forward many times as he has brought young people into his shop and given them a place to grow. Mentions Herb David, Mark Erlewine, Jerry Garcia, Albert King, John O’Boyle, David Surovel, Bryan Galloup, Charlie Longstreth, Tom Erlewine, Gary Brawer, Joe Glaser, Steve Olson, Albert Garcia, Elliot John-Conry, Adam Fox, Exodus Almasude, Johan Powell, Max Feldman, Paul Lampley, Aaron Smiley, Rodrgo Gomez, Chelsea Clark. From his lecture at the 2017 GAL Convention.

Meet the Maker: Rafael Mardones Sr. and Jr.

2018
AL#135 p.38               
Federico Sheppard                                                                                           

▪ In his youth, before Federico Sheppard found his calling as a luthier, he was a mere physician working for the Olympic Games. One day he heard a classical guitar being played on the radio of his car. It shook him to “his inner core being” as Lord Buckley would say, and changed the course of his life. And now he has finally made the pilrimage to Chile to visit the shop of the man who made that guitar, Rafael Mardones, and his son, Rafa Jr.

In Memoriam: Robert Ruck

2018
AL#135 p.60               read this article
Federico Sheppard   R.E. Brune   Peter Oberg                                                                                   

▪ Good ol’ Bob Ruck was part of the dozen or two friends whose talent and commitment formed the basis for the American Lutherie Boom. He was always way ahead of the curve, and as they developed, his fine classical guitars provided inspiration for others of his generation. Three friends who knew him well share their appreciations. Article mentions Hart Huttig, J.R. Beall, John Shaw, Ervin Somogyi, Manuel Barrueco, Neil Ostberg, yoga, tai chi.

Happy 85th Birthday, Maestro Jose!

2018
AL#134 p.4               
Monica Esparza                                                                                           

▪ There was a party in Spain when luthier, scholar, teacher, and author Jose Romanillos turned 85. Luthiers, musicians, dignitaries gathered to honor him. We get a close-up look through the eyes of his longtime admirer and student Monica Esparza.

A Glance Back

2018
AL#134 p.6               
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Jose Romanillos has been an influential maker for the last fifty years, beginning with his fruitful collaboration with Julian Bream. Here we see a few photos that put his long career in perspective.

Appreciations of Jose Luis Romanillos Vega

2018
AL#134 p.9               
Monica Esparza   Josep Melo   Stefano Grondona   Antigoni Goni                                                                               

▪ Two guitarists and a luthier tell their stories of working with Romanillos.

Warmoth Guitar Products in the 21st Century

2018
AL#134 p.16               
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Ken Warmoth is one of the pioneers of the Strat-compatible guitar parts scene, starting small in the 1970s and working up to the sophisticated operation he runs today. He’s a born engineer, constantly refining and rethinking each operation for better accuracy and efficiency. Of course these days that involves CNC machines, and he’s got them. But you may be surprised to see which operations use them and which don’t. Our last visit with Ken was in 1991, so there is some catching up to do.

Let’s Catch up with Harry Fleishman

2018
AL#134 p.42               
Michael Bashkin   Harry Fleishman                                                                                       

▪ Everybody knows Harry Fleishman, right? We first “Met the Maker” in 2001, but by then Harry had already been an active GAL author and convention attendee for some time. Now we are catching up with him. This recent chapter of his story is a doozy, with major moves, businesses opening and closing, fruitful collaborations, international travel, and new beginnings.

Meet the Maker: Mark French

2018
AL#133 p.22               
R.M. Mottola   Mark French                                                                                       

▪ Mark French was a kid who took guitar lessons and paid the guy at the music store to change his strings. He went on to be an aerospace engineer, but with all that book learning he still did not know how guitars worked. Now he teaches college courses on guitar making and hangs out with captains of industry at Fender and Taylor.

Meet the Maker: Michael Bashkin

2017
AL#132 p.6               
Brian Yarosh   Michael Bashkin                                                                                       

▪ Michael Bashkin came to lutherie after earlier passions and careers in photography and tropical forestry. But for decades now he has been happily Geppettoing it, building beautiful steel string guitars in a cavernous industrial space. Mentions Harry Fleishman and Abe Wechter.

Let’s Catch Up With Graham Caldersmith

2017
AL#132 p.44               
Juan-Oscar Azaret   Graham Caldersmith                                                                                       

▪ Graham Caldersmith’s articles in GAL publications go back a full thirty-five years, earlier than American Lutherie magazine itself. He’s located in a tiny town in the hinterlands of New South Wales, Australia. He uses his scientific training to develop innovative classical guitars, and has long been a leader in the effort to develop a family of guitars of different sizes and musical ranges. Our globetrotting reporter asks about his latest thoughts and methods, which include carbon-reinforced lattice bracing.

In Memoriam: Jim Mouradian

2017
AL#130 p.62               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Jim Mouradian, shown here with his son Jon, ran a guitar repair shop and made electric basses. He was a generous and happy mentor to many.

In Memoriam: Peter Kyvelos

2017
AL#130 p.63               read this article
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Kyvelos was a world-respected maker of middle Eastern ouds. See his detailed step-by-step article on oud construction in American Lutherie #94 and American Lutherie #95.

Meet the Maker: Bernhard Kresse

2017
AL#131 p.6               
Federico Sheppard   Bernhard Kresse                                                                                       

▪ Bernhard Kresse lives and works in his hometown of Cologne, Germany. He’s one of those guitar-making self-starters who was lured away from college by the siren song of lutherie. He has come to specialize in restoration and new construction of Romantic-era guitars, and also makes a “modern” classical guitar based on their advanced features.

Meet the Maker: Peter Tsiorba

2017
AL#131 p.20               
January Williams   Peter Tsiorba                                                                                       

▪ Peter Tsiorba began his working life as a teenager making garments in a semi-legit Soviet cooperative. Today he’s a family man and a maker of classical guitars in the lutherie Mecca of Portland, Oregon.

In Memoriam: Eugene Clark

2017
AL#129 p.56               read this article
Cyndy Burton   Marc Silber   Brian Burns   Michael Gurian   Jay Hargreaves   R.E. Brune   Jeffrey R. Elliott   Federico Sheppard                                                               

▪ Eugene Clark (1934-2016) was one of the earliest and most influential pioneers of the American Lutherie Boom. Mentions Manuel Ramirez, Domingo Esteso, Santos Hernandez, Jon Lundberg, Freddie Mejia, David Rubio, Michael Gurian, David Santo, Lucien Barnes, Freddie Mejia, David Serva, Warren White, Manuel Velazquez, Manouk Papazian.

Meet the Maker: Jason Lollar

2017
AL#130 p.6               
Tim Olsen   Jason Lollar                                                                                       

▪ Jason Lollar attended the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery way back when founders John Roberts and Bob Venn were still instructors. Jason went on to do a lot of guitar repair and some guitar making, but his early interest in winding pickups eventually grew into a twenty-person shop specializing in reproducing vintage models.

Meet the Maker: Jason Harshbarger

2017
AL#130 p.42               
Paul Schmidt   Jason Harshbarger                                                                                       

▪ A lot of the makers that we meet in the pages of American Lutherie are grizzled veterans of the early days. Not this one. Harshbarger is a young single father who went to lutherie school in the late 1990s, then survived on cabinet work until he could build a lutherie shop in his basement. His steel-string design work uses Steve Klein’s work as a point of departure, and moves forward boldly from there.

In Memoriam: Robert S. Cooper

2017
AL#130 p.59               read this article
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Cooper was an early member of the GAL as well as a maker of large and detailed airplane models. He wrote what was at the time the only book in English about making a lute, based on the work of the Hauser family. He’s fondly remembered by R.E. Brune, who built lutes from that book in the 1970s.

In Memoriam: Ray Tunquist

2017
AL#130 p.60               read this article
Tom Bednark                                                                                           

▪ Tunquist ran the huge circular saw on which most of the wood for Martin guitars was cut in the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. He is remembered by Tom Bednark, an early GAL member.

In Memoriam: Jim Forderer

2016
AL#128 p.65               read this article
James Westbrook   John Doan                                                                                       

▪ Guild members knew Jim Forderer as the guy who brought an RV full of important antique guitars to the GAL Conventions and let us play them. Disabilities advocates and Neil Young fans knew him as the co-founder of The Bridge School. Sometimes the angels don’t look like angels. Maybe all the time.

Letter to the Editor: Experimental solidbody guitar by Doc Kauffman

2017
AL#129 p.3               
Leo Bidne                                                                                           

▪ An electric guitar by pioneering designer Doc Kauffman uses a speaker cone in place of a resophonic cone.

Let’s Catch Up With Linda Manzer

2017
AL#129 p.6               
Cyndy Burton   Linda Manzer                                                                                       

▪ The prolific maker of high-end flattop and archtop guitars talks about her mentors Jean Larrivee and Jimmy D’Aquisto, the lutherie biz, her collaborations with guitarist Pat Metheny, and a recent project in cooperation with other Canadian luthiers. Also mentions Paul Simon.

Meet the Maker: Dave Collins

2017
AL#129 p.38               
Steve Denvir   Dave Collins                                                                                       

▪ Dave Collins is a rising star on the guitar repair scene. Take a look at a couple of nice jigs he has developed; one for slotting saddles, one for regluing broken headstocks. Interestingly, he is in the same Ann Arbor third-storey shop previously tenanted by Herb David. Dave counts Dan Erlewine and Bryan Galloup among his mentors.

Let’s Catch Up with Jeffrey R. Elliott

2016
AL#127 p.22               
Chris Sobel   Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                       

▪ Jeffrey R. Elliott has been a luthier for about 50 years, and a GAL member for about 40 years. He has over 50 GAL author credits to his name and has been a frequent GAL Convention presenter. The last time we interviewed him about his life and work was about 30 years ago, so there is a lot of catching up to do.

Meet the Maker: John Knutson

2016
AL#127 p.46               
Don Bradley    Knutson                                                                                       

▪ John Knutson personifies the pioneers of the Lutherie Boom generation; a self-taught, self-confident selfstarter who jumped right into making instruments as a young man. He showed his first mandolin at the GAL’s 1980 convention in San Francisco, and briefly met David Grisman there. Decades later he recorded a CD with Dawg, using guitars and mandolins that he built. There is more to his interesting story.

In Memoriam: Don Bradley

2016
AL#127 p.71               read this article
Deb Olsen   Chris Herrod   Alan Carruth   Fred Carlson                                                                               

▪ Ouch. It’s tough to lose an old friend like good ol’ Don Bradley. Maker of frequency generators, keeper of llamas, attender of GAL Conventions, super great guy.

Meet the Maker: Jeff Manthos

2016
AL#128 p.22               
Pat Megowan   Jeff-Lee Manthos                                                                                       

▪ People come to lutherie on many different paths. Some of us were nerdy model-making kids, or spoiled lefty college dropouts. Or maybe the garage band was our gateway into the opium den of guitar making. On the other hand, Jeff Manthos was a helicopter aircrewman and rescue swimmer in the Vietnam era. Then, unexpectedly, he went to the Violinmaking School of America in Salt Lake City. He has made a career of it, first in other shops and now on his own.

Meet the Maker: Gabriel Fleta

2016
AL#128 p.48               
Cyndy Burton   Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Gabriel Fleta                                                                                   

▪ His grandfather Ignacio Fleta was a violin maker who started making guitars after repairing instruments by Torres, and his father Gabriel Sr. made guitars for decades as one of the legendary “hijos” of Ignacio who made guitars for Segovia, John Williams, and many others. Gabriel Fleta Jr. has been making guitars since the 1970s and has now inherited the family business. We visit his shop in Barcelona.

Secrets of Santos

2016
AL#125 p.24               
Federico Sheppard                                                                                           

▪ Santos Hernandez, universally considered one of 20th century’s Spanish guitar makers, had a reputation for secrecy. Federico Sheppard travels to Madrid to find the truth.

Traces of Santos

2016
AL#125 p.28               
Federico Sheppard   R.E. Brune                                                                                       

▪ On his quest for the secrets of Santos, Federico visits a permanent exhibit of Santos’ original tools and forms.

Meet the Maker: Patrick “Doc” Huff

2016
AL#125 p.38               
January Williams   Patrick Huff                                                                                       

▪ Doc is a self-reliant man, independent thinker, joyful inventor, world traveler, and maker of highly original and unusual frailing banjos using a dizzying selection of gorgeous woods.

Meet the Maker: Sebastian Nunez

2016
AL#126 p.12               
Federico Sheppard   Sebastian Nunez                                                                                       

▪ Sebastián Núñez was a teenager in a Buenos Aires garage band, making electric guitars and pickups and searching for prog rock records, until he followed his girlfriend to the Netherlands to escape the troubles in Argentina. There he fell in with a historic-house-restoring, Harley-riding, early-music luthier. He read every early-music magazine in the Utrecht University library while commuting to work. Now he’s an old master, making and restoring lutes, Romantic guitars, and harpsichords. Our globetrotting reporter Federico Sheppard drops in on his busy workshop.

Meet the Maker: Sergei de Jonge

2015
AL#124 p.16               
Steve Denvir   Sergei de-Jonge                                                                                       

▪ It’s one of the founding legends of the American Lutherie Boom: the tale of Jean Larrivee’s original workshop in Toronto over forty years ago and the ragged young crew of would-be luthiers who gravitated there. From that beginning, Sergei de Jonge went on to found a lutherie dynasty in the Canadian back country.

Meet the Maker: Bryan Galloup

2015
AL#124 p.26               
Mark Swanson   Bryan Galloup                                                                                       

▪ Bryan Galloup was raised in a family of machinists, hot-rod makers, and self-sufficent can-do types. As a teenager he had the good fortune to be mentored by guitar repair guru Dan Erlewine, and he eventually took over Dan’s shop.Today Bryan builds and repairs guitars while also running an active lutherie school.

Viva el Flamenco!

2015
AL#124 p.38               
Robbie O’Brien                                                                                           

▪ Robbie O’Brien gets around. Among his many lutherie related projects, he recently went to Spain to film an instructional video on making a flamenco guitar. He met up with some great folks over there and brought home lots of great lutherie info. Warning: This article contains brief mentions of food, dance, song, architecture, passion, history, beauty, and cultural richness. There’s a big, wonderful world out there.

Remembering Victor Pfeil

2015
AL#124 p.62               
Robert Miller                                                                                           

▪ Victor Pfeil was an old-school violin maker in the 1920s when he invented and then patented an electric solid body violin using a coil pickup.It did not set the world on fire, and Victor continued to make and repair violins for a few more decades. Author Robert Miller was a young man who knew Pfiel at the end of his career.

Authenticity, Originality, and Unleashing a Personal Style in Violin Making

2015
AL#123 p.4               
Charles Rufino                                                                                           

▪ Why do some instruments made with a rough, crude style have an essence that draws you in, whereas ones meticulously perfect in every degree leave you cold? Rufino examines this question from his point of view as a violin maker with excellent traditional credentials of training.

All From the Same Litter: Jean Larrivee and his Apprentices

2015
AL#123 p.24               
Steve Denvir   Sergei de-Jonge   Grit Laskin   Linda Manzer   David Wren                                                                           

▪ Remembrances of long-ago days working in Jean Larrivee’s Toronto shop by guitar makers who are now considered some of the best in the world.

Meet the Maker: Ken Altman

2015
AL#123 p.40               
January Williams   Ken Altman                                                                                       

▪ Ken Altman is a bow maker living in Silverton Oregon, and is part of the group that produces the Northwest Handmade Musical Instrument Show.

Let’s Catch Up With Nick and Jeanne Kukich

2015
AL#122 p.4               
Cyndy Burton   Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Nick Kukich   Jeanne Kukich                                                                               

▪ Nick and Jeanne Kukich, pop and mom of Franklin Guitars, discuss their 25 plus year partnership in life and work.

Meet the Maker: Arnold Schnitzer

2015
AL#121 p.16               
James Condino   Arnold Schnitzer                                                                                       

▪ Arnold Schnitzer was a young and successful working musician in the New York City area. When he found himself with the grown-up responsibilities of a wife and child, he decided to settle down and get a real job. Amusingly, that real job was hand-making string basses. But it has worked out well, so you never know. You’ll be glad you met him in this wide-ranging and lavishly illustrated interview.

Meet the Maker: Manuel Diaz

2015
AL#121 p.34               
Federico Sheppard   Manuel Diaz                                                                                       

▪ Manuel Diaz learned lutherie decades ago in a little shop in his hometown. Then he moved across the street and opened his own shop.But what a town, and what a street! This is the Cuesta Gomerez in Granada, Spain.

Manuel Velazquez, In His Own Words / Remembering Manuel

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

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

In Memoriam: Steve Newberry

2014
AL#119 p.71               read this article
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Steve was a guitarist, luthier, scholar, author, and experimenter who was a GAL member for twenty years and a regular at our conventions. He will be missed. Steve Newberry (Jan 2, 1928 – Aug 8, 2014).

Meet the Maker: Josep Melo

2014
AL#120 p.6               
Monica Esparza   Josep Melo                                                                                       

▪ Melo has been making guitars since the ’60s. In the ’90s he began to seek out and collaborate with the makers whose work he found the most inspiring. He published a gorgeous coffee-table book about it called Following the Masters. His deepest collaboration has been with fellow Spaniard Jose Romanillos. Ironically, they met at the 1995 GAL Convention in Tacoma.

Meet the Maker: Jayson Bowerman

2014
AL#120 p.40               
Tom Harper   Jayson Bowerman                                                                                       

▪ Many of us in the Lutherie Boom generation started as pre-teen modelmakers or would-be wood crafters. Not Jayson Bowerman. He was studying manufacturing processes in college when he did his first woodworking in a shop class. Soon he was doing R&D at Breedlove.

Meet the Maker: Wade Lowe

2014
AL#118 p.46               
Kent Everett   Wade Lowe                                                                                       

▪ Luthier Kent Everett is a prolific guitar maker and teacher. So who was his early mentor? Wade Lowe, that’s who. Wade was a machinist who worked his way into lutherie and had a shop that became the Mecca of a generation of Georgia guitarists and guitar makers.

In Memoriam: Manuel Velazquez

2014
AL#118 p.71               read this article
Beverly Maher                                                                                           

▪ New-York-City guitar dealer Beverly Maher remembers her old friend and colleague Manuel Velazquez who recently passed away at age 97.

Meet the Maker: Abel Garcia Lopez

2014
AL#119 p.18               
Federico Sheppard   Abel-Garcia Lopez                                                                                       

▪ The town of Paracho is the center of guitar making in Mexico. As author Federico Sheppard says, they are known for making a lot of guitars, but not a lot of fine guitars. Well, here’s the guy who makes the good ones, like his father and grandfather before him. Take a close look at Abel’s workspace, tools, techniques, and family.

Meet the Maker: Olivier Fanton d’Andon

2014
AL#118 p.8               
Woodley White   Olivier-Fanton d’Andon                                                                                       

▪ Early in his career, French luthier Olivier Fanton d’Andon was asked to restore a Romantic-era guitar for a museum. He was impressed with the guitar’s highly arched plates, and adapted the idea to a classical guitar. He has made a successful career with the resulting design.

Letter to the Editor: passing of Raymond Elwood Tunquist

2014
AL#117 p.5               
Tom Bednark                                                                                           

▪ Raymond Tunquist, sawyer of Brazilian, Indian, Rosewood, Mahogany, and Ebony for many noted guitar makers, passed away on November 7th 2010 at age 93 in New York.

Meet the Maker: Antonio Marin

2014
AL#117 p.16               
Federico Sheppard   Antonio Marin                                                                                       

▪ One of the masters of Spanish guitar, Antonio Marin answers questions from his humble shop in Granada, Spain, where he has lived and worked since 1979.

Meet the Maker: Robbie O’Brien

2014
AL#117 p.40               
Brian Yarosh   Robbie O’Brien                                                                                       

▪ Luthier and teacher Robbie O’Brien on his career, from his stints as a chiropractor, jeweler, and acupuncturist, to his initial exposure to the guitar during his extended stay in Brazil, to his instruction from Antonio Tessarin and his teaching work in Colorado.

Meet the Maker: Roger Alan Skipper

2013
AL#115 p.38               
John Calkin   Roger-Alan Skipper                                                                                       

▪ Roger Alan Skipper has spent his entire career in Western Maryland where he was first introduced to lutherie through encountering a Mandolin maker at a bluegrass gathering. He is a one man lutherie shop and a writer of novels.

Meet the Maker: William Eaton

2013
AL#116 p.16               
Tom Harper   William Eaton                                                                                       

▪ William Eaton (composer, performer, luthier, outdoorsman) on his life and career which has spanned many fields and subject, with particular attention to his work at The Roberto-Venn School.

Let’s Catch Up With Fabio Ragghianti

2013
AL#114 p.38               
Brian Yarosh   Fabio Ragghianti                                                                                       

▪ An update on Fabio Ragghianti’s activities since his Meet the Maker article in AL#61; most notably his travels in Vietnam.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Maker: Stan Werbin

2011
AL#108 p.24               
Roger-Alan Skipper   Stan Werbin                                                                                       

▪ Stan Werbin, owner of Elderly Instruments in Lansing Michigan, on his career in business, the store’s extensive instrument inventory, and his relationship with luthiers in the repair shop.

Meet the Maker: George Gruhn

2011
AL#107 p.40               
Roger-Alan Skipper   George Gruhn                                                                                       

▪ Gruhn on his career, starting in animal psychology before moving to vintage guitar collecting and the opening of Gruhn Guitars and his own instrument building.

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.

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.

Meet the Maker: Federico Sheppard

2011
AL#106 p.6               
Roger-Alan Skipper   Federico Sheppard                                                                                       

▪ Federico Sheppard on his journey from Geology, to chiropractic medicine, to his study of Agustin Barrios, to his stint as a consultant for the national museums of Paraguay and El Salvador, and his instrument making.

Meet the Maker: 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.

Meet the Maker: Dan Kabanuck

2010
AL#104 p.61               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   Dan Kabanuck                                                                                       

▪ The Luthiers Mercantile service rep and heavy metal guitarist on how he became a luthier himself.

Meet the Maker: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Meet the Maker: James Ham

2010
AL#102 p.18               read this article
Roger-Alan Skipper   James Ham                                                                                       

▪ Ham operates from a shop in Victoria, B.C. where he repairs and restores violin family instruments and constructs world class double basses.

Meet the Maker: 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.

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.

Meet the Maker: Ted Megas

2010
AL#101 p.38               
Jonathon Peterson   Ted Megas                                                                                       

▪ Ted Megas makes gorgeous archtops, but lutherie wasn’t his first career choice. He also has a hankering for large machines.

In Memoriam: Dennis Stevens

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.

In Memoriam: Rob Girdis

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.

Meet the Maker: John Gilbert

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.

Meet the Maker: David Cohen

2009
AL#99 p.14               
Roger-Alan Skipper   David Cohen                                                                                       

▪ Cohen’s life followed an unusual progression—scientist, professor, mandolin maker, sort of in that order. He has a different take on instrument theory than some of us, but the work is the same as is the hard road most luthiers walk. Fortune and fame are elusive, regardless of ones background, but at least the work is satisfying. Cohen is also the author of several scientific papers concerning mandolins. His instruments look quite tasty. With 17 photos.

Meet the Maker: Cyndy Burton

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.

Meet the Maker: James Buckland

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.

Meet the Maker: Ted Davis

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.

Questions: Nontropical Fingerboard Materials

2008
AL#96 p.68               read this article
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.

Meet the Maker: Michael Dunn

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.

Meet the Maker: Graham McDonald

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.

In Memoriam: Thomas Humphrey

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.

A Life in Lutherie: A Discussion with Manuel Velazquez and His Son Alfredo

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.

Meet the Maker: Kathy Wingert

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.

The Jimmi Inlay Experience

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.

Meet the Maker: Norman Pickering

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.

Meet the Maker: Chuck Lee

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.

Meet the Maker: Dan Fobert

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.

Fabio’s Excellent Nicaraguan Adventure

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.

Constructing the Middle Eastern Oud with Peter Kyvelos, Part One

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.

Meet the Collectors: Forderer and Westbrook

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.

Meet the Maker: Paul Fischer

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.

Review: Building the Kamanche by Nasser Shirazi

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.

In Memoriam: Victor Gardener

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.

Meet the Maker: Robert Ruck

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.

Meet the Forester: Andrea Florinett

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.

Meet the Maker: Scott Baxendale

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.

Meet the Maker: Stephen Sedgwick

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.

Meet the Maker: C.F. Martin IV

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.

Meet the Merchant: Jay Hostetler

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.

In Memoriam: John Sullivan

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.

Meet the Maker: Douglas Martin

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.

Taylor Today

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.

Meet the Maker: Kenny Hill

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.

Meet the Maker: Mervyn Davis

2007
AL#90 p.46               read this article
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.

Meet the Maker: Chris Jenkins

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.

Meet the Maker: Dmitry Zhevlakov

2007
AL#89 p.38               read this article
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.

The Chanlynn Deflection Machine

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.

Meet the Maker: Benoit Meulle-Stef

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.

Meet the Maker: Jose “Pepito” Reyes Zamora

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.

Meet the Maker: Rodney Stedall

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.

Quick Cuts: The Making of a Maker

2006
AL#87 p.54               read this article
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.

In Memoriam: Ted Beringer

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.

A Luthier’s Choices

2006
AL#87 p.6               
Kenny Hill                                                                                           

▪ Hill has made guitars for eons, harvested his own wood, taught lutherie in a prison, and opened shops in Mexico and China. Not to mention that he’s a fine guitarist. The man has been around. This piece is part biography, part how-to, and all interesting. He’s led an interesting life, and he’s not that old. With 9 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Bernard Millant

2006
AL#86 p.18               read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Bernard Millant                                                                                       

▪ Millant is a violin maker, a bow maker, an appraiser, an author, and a man of high repute within the fiddle world. The depth of training behind many fiddle people will astonish most guitarmakers, and it makes for entrancing reading. With 9 photos.

Meet the Maker: Carleen Hutchins

2006
AL#86 p.32               read this article
Alan Carruth   Carleen Hutchins                                                                                       

▪ Even if you couldn’t care less about violins you will be fascinated by this woman’s life. She has built and studied bowed instruments for as long as anyone, and her contributions to the field may be beyond estimating. If everyone’s life was as busy and fulfilling as Hutchins’ the world would be a far different place than it is. With 4 photos and relative drawings of the 8 instruments in the new violin family.

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

Meet the Maker: David King

2006
AL#85 p.20               
Jonathon Peterson   David King                                                                                       

▪ King is a perfectionist who even machines his own bridges. The finish he uses is a catalyzed polyurethane. He uses some interesting equipment to arch his fingerboards and install his frets. After reading this you may not be eager to set up next to him at an instrument show. With 15 photos.

Meet the Maker: Greg Byers

2006
AL#85 p.38      ALA3 p.40         
Woodley White   Greg Byers                                                                                       

▪ Byers has been around for a long time. He has an intuitive idea of what sound he is seeking in his guitars and a clinical approach to finding it. That’s quite a combination, and he is quite an interesting fellow. With 7 photos.

Octet 2005: First Convention of the New Violin Family Association

2006
AL#85 p.44               read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ A few people have long struggled to expand the violin family from four members to perhaps eight. There isn’t airtight agreement here. But the family is growing. This description of the 2005 convention seems to explain how successful the new sprouts on the family tree might be,. With 1 photo,

Letter to the Editor: Facts Regarding Juan Serrano

2006
AL#86 p.3               read this article
David Macias                                                                                           

▪ Macias clears up some details about the life of Juan Serrano. R.E. Brune agrees that he got a few things wrong in his article in AL#84.

Meet the Maker: Del Langejans

2005
AL#84 p.18   BRB7 p.402            
Mark Swanson   Del Langejans                                                                                       

▪ Langejans is a resourceful guitar maker with a big-time clientele. Many of his designs are unique, as is his finishing material and some of the wood he uses. He has strong opinions about how to get started and survive in the business, which have apparently worked for him very well. With 9 photos.

Manuel Reyes: Guitarrero

2005
AL#84 p.28   BRB7 p.404            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ This Meet the Maker article focuses on a Spanish luthier who has been in the business since 1949. With 30 photos of four guitars.

Apprenticeships: Great Opportunity for Mentors and Apprentices

2005
AL#84 p.54               read this article
Bill Beadie                                                                                           

▪ An apprenticeship, as described here, involves no transfer of cash, but the author lists a variety or reason why an apprenticeship might be a fine thing for apprentice and mentor alike.

Meet the Maker: Pierre-Yves Fuchs

2005
AL#83 p.10   BRB7 p.362            
Jonathon Peterson   Pierre-Yves Fuchs                                                                                       

▪ Fuchs went through cabinet making school and violin making school on his way to becoming a gold medal bow maker. He is traditional and opinionated, and will make you believe that there might be cosmic influences involved in making an excellent bow. Intuition, that is. Tradition, experience, and a good feeling about your work in progress. Science guys may pull their hair out, but most of us would rather have good intuition than a good grounding in physics. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Jay Hargreaves

2005
AL#83 p.44   BRB7 p.380            
Todd Rose   Jay Hargreaves                                                                                       

▪ Bass maker Hargreaves is hardly a stranger to AL readers. Here he stands on the other end of the interview as he discusses his work as well as his affiliations with Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider.

Review: The Guitar of Andres Segovia Hermann Hauser 1937

2005
AL#83 p.53   BRB7 p.533            read this article
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ This offering includes a pamphlet by R.E. Brune and Don Pilarz that includes 30 color photos of this guitar, a new full-size blueprint by Brune, a CD of music by Segovia, and a poster. The reviewer concludes that “as a builder of classical instruments I really can’t imagine passing up this compilation.” ‘Nuff said.

Letter to the Editor: NMM Opens Gudelsky Gallery

2005
AL#82 p.5               read this article
National-Music-Museum                                                                                           

▪ After his untimely death, Paul Gudelsky’s wonderful collection of archtop guitars by James D’Aquisto became the basis of a new collection permanent exhibit at the National Music Museum. Paul had previously shown this collection at the 1995 GAL Convention where luthiers were invited to examine and play the instruments.

Teaching the Dream to Sing

2005
AL#82 p.6   BRB7 p.320            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson makes some of the world’s coolest, most graceful, and weirdest stringed instruments. Focusing on a harp guitar he calls the Flying Dream he discusses at length how he designs and builds his creations. There is lots of detailed info here that will help you build the instruments you see in your mind, as opposed to the ones for which you can already buy a blueprint. Truly inspirational. With 42 photos and 10 drawings.

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

Meet the Maker: Charles Beare

2005
AL#82 p.26   BRB7 p.312            
Jonathon Peterson   Charles Beare                                                                                       

▪ Beare is the captain of a violin restoration firm, a competition judge, and a man thoroughly versed in the intricacies of vintage violins. He has known all the experts of his life time, and he has formulated many strong opinions about old fiddles and the various fields that use them to do business. You’ll find him interesting even if you aren’t a violin person. With 9 photos.

Diagnosis: Lutherie

2005
AL#82 p.51               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ So you’ve made a guitar but it’s not all you hoped for. You have the opportunity to discuss it with your peers and they all have a cure. Unhappily the methods of correction don’t jibe. Somogyi finally got a response he could live with. It saved his guitar and eventually turned into an unexpected sale. The whole trick is in lucking into the right guy to talk to.

Quick Cuts: The Boujmaa Brothers’ Moroccan Lutherie Shop

2005
AL#82 p.54               read this article
Bruce Calder                                                                                           

▪ Take a 2-page, 6-photo journey to a lutherie shop around the world. The ouds and other instruments are vastly different from American Normal and their decoration is almost beyond description.

Guitar Swap!

2005
AL#81 p.22               read this article
John Calkin   Steve Kinnaird                                                                                       

▪ Two luthiers decide to build guitars for each other, a straight across trade and with a minimum of rules. Its wonderful fun if the anxiety doesn’t kill you. With 5 photos.

Meet the Maker: Kevin La Due

2005
AL#81 p.26   BRB7 p.286            read this article
Cyndy Burton   Kevin La-Due                                                                                       

▪ A high school teacher coaches entire classes through guitar making. Think kids can’t do it? You’ll be surprised. Some well-made and easy-to-use jigs make the process faster and friendlier, and the use of local wood makes it affordable. Pretty inspirational, and with 21 photos.

Meet the Maker: Bob Jones

2005
AL#81 p.46   BRB7 p.306            
Bruce Calder   Bob Jones                                                                                       

▪ Jones is one of the “big guys” in the New York City instrument repair scene. He owns some very cool collectables. He’s worked for some of the biggest names in the industry. He has definite opinions about how to get into the business. How could you not read this? With 13 photos, including one of a double neck Selmer.

Meet the Maker: Frank Ford

2004
AL#80 p.10   BRB7 p.236            
Jonathon Peterson   Frank Ford                                                                                       

▪ Sometimes an interviewer has to pry information out of a person. Not so with Frank Ford, who unleashes a wonderful account of his life as a repairman in the Bay area. Prominently mentioned are Richard Johnston, Jon Lundberg, Dan Erlewine, Gryphon Instruments, and Mario Martello. Inspirational stuff, including 14 photos.

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

Meet the Dealer: Armin Kelly

2004
AL#80 p.28   BRB7 p.254            
Cyndy Burton   Armin Kelly                                                                                       

▪ Meet the dealer? Well, when a dealer has such a strong influence in the lives of the luthiers he represents, why not? If you build, and if you want to sell through a dealer, you need to read this interview. Besides, Kelly’s enthusiasm is so infectious it will send you right back to your workbench. Boutique guitar builders and shops are relatively new to the steel string, but it has always been the way among classical guitar people. This is why. With 3 photos.

Review: The Vihuela de Mano and The Spanish Guitar: A Dictionary of the Makers of Plucked and Bowed Musical Instruments of Spain by Jose L. Romanillos and Marian Harris Winspear

2004
AL#80 p.59   BRB7 p.526            read this article
Bryan Johanson                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer gushes about the detail and quality of research that went into the book, as well as the authors’ enthusiasm for their subjects.

Meet the Maker: Lester DeVoe

2004
AL#78 p.20   BRB7 p.192            
Cyndy Burton   Lester DeVoe                                                                                       

▪ A maker of flamenco guitars discusses guitarists and instruments. A good interview can be as inspiring as a good how-to, and this is a good interview. Mentions Santos Hernandez, Sabicas, Paco de Lucia.

Meet the Maker: Jeffrey Yong

2004
AL#78 p.46   BRB7 p.200            
John Calkin   Jeffrey Yong                                                                                       

▪ Yong hails from Malaysia, a country not often associated with fine lutherie. Nevertheless, he makes a lot of instruments that look very contemporary and tasty, and he has access to varieties of wood that would make many of us very envious. With 10 photos.

Meet the Maker: John Greven

2003
AL#76 p.16   BRB7 p.116            
Mike Doolin   John Greven                                                                                       

▪ This wonderful interview has the kind of depth that only happens when friends talk. It takes familiarity to know what to ask and how to answer. Humor permeates this discussion of alternative woods, business ploys, the Internet, and in general living the life of a successful luthier. Greven has been in the business as long as anyone and is generous with his advice and experience. With 22 photos.

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

Meet the Makers: Sue and Ray Mooers of Dusty Strings

2004
AL#77 p.8   BRB7 p.142            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Sue Mooers   Ray Mooers                                                                                   

▪ This is a wonderful story of how a couple began a basement lutherie business and ended up employing 36 people in the creation of fine harps and hammered dulcimers. Everybody in the lutherie trades should be this nice and interesting (and the wonder of it is that so many are!). With 37 photos, including a bunch of the harp assembly shop.

Meet the Maker: Dake Traphagen

2003
AL#75 p.42   BRB7 p.76            
Jonathon Peterson   Dake Traphagen                                                                                       

▪ For those who really make an impact in lutherie complete immersion in the craft is the rule, not the exception. Long days, few breaks, and a lot of work. Traphagan is a good example. Floating to the top of the heap isn’t a simple matter. Still, one can get there while maintaining a sense of humor and a continuing appreciation for the mysteries of the craft, and Traphagan is also a good example of that, too. A really good interview with 10 photos and three diagrams of guitar tops.

Meet the Maker: Do Viet Dung

2003
AL#74 p.40   BRB7 p.66            read this article
Andy DePaule   Do Viet-Dung                                                                                       

▪ A common, if unspoken, theme that runs through AL is how different humans are around the world even though they may share the same work or obsessions. Vietnamese luthier Dung is a prime example. Things are different over there. May we keep sharing, but may we all remain different! With 9 photos.

Remembering Robert Bouchet

2003
AL#74 p.6   BRB7 p.32            
Philippe Refig                                                                                           

▪ Bouchet (1898-1986) was one of only a handful of guitar makers that kept the craft alive previous to the “lutherie boom” we are now enjoying. His small output belies the influence he had on the classical guitar. The author knew Bouchet and has written a charming, if too short, biography. With 1 photo.

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

Meet the Maker: Steve Grimes

2003
AL#74 p.20   BRB7 p.48            
Jonathon Peterson   Steve Grimes                                                                                       

▪ Grimes is one of the premier archtop builders of our times. His flattops aren’t bad, either. He worked for years in the Northwest before moving to Hawaii, where the slack-key guitar scene has impacted his flattop designs.

Meet the Maker: George Morris

2003
AL#74 p.32   BRB7 p.58            
Ed Beaver   George Morris                                                                                       

▪ Morris has spent his life teaching others to build instruments. Teachers influence their fields in ways that rarely become apparent because it’s often their students who become prominent. It takes a special character to thrive under these conditions, and character seems to be something Morris has plenty of. With 7 photos.

A Contrabass for the Pugo Brothers

2003
AL#73 p.34               read this article
Juan-Carlos Morales   John-L. Walker                                                                                       

▪ The struggle toward lutherie can be really difficult in countries where the people honor the old ways and mistrust anything new. The Pugos in this little story the fought indifference and fear of their Ecuadorian countrymen to become makers of violins and other instruments.

Meet the Maker: George Wunderlich

2003
AL#73 p.50   BRB7 p.24            
Nathan Stinnette   George Wunderlich                                                                                       

▪ Wunderlich builds minstrel banjos, recreations of banjos made before the various factories turned them into standardized items that standardized the way we all think about the banjo. With 6 photos.

In Memoriam: Francois Pistorius

2003
AL#73 p.3   BRB7 p.7            read this article
Rodney Stedall   Stuart Deutsch   Larry Baeder   Anne Ludwig                                                                               

▪ South African luthier Pistorius died way too young, but don’t we all. Here a few of his friends remember him.

Meet the Maker: Kathy Matsushita

2003
AL#73 p.8   BRB7 p.8            
Cyndy Burton   Kathy Matsushita                                                                                       

▪ Matsushita is a professional teacher and an adventurous luthier, which makes for a fine combination for an interview. Her story is one of the best examples of how the internet has impacted our lives, of how we can teach and learn by electron. Joy and information can be the same thing. With 14 photos.

In Memoriam: George Majkowski

2002
AL#72 p.3   BRB6 p.397            read this article
Jay Hargreaves                                                                                           

▪ Remembering George Majkowski (1929-2002) who began his career at IBM, later turned his attention to building harpsichords and guitars, and served as one of Richard Shneider’s assistants.

Castles in Spain

2002
AL#72 p.18   BRB6 p.400            read this article
Stephen Frith                                                                                           

▪ How would you like to learn guitar making in a Spanish castle? How about under the tutelage of Jose Romanillos? Cool, huh? Frith explains what it’s like. Any organization with a staff member named Big Pep has to be pretty far out. With 19 photos.

Meet the Maker: Edward Victor Dick

2002
AL#72 p.24   BRB6 p.404            
Ken Goodwin   Edward-Victor Dick                                                                                       

▪ A Canadian now living in Denver, Dick has a long and varied career as a builder, repairman, and teacher. He builds a wide array of instruments, including some fascinating sound sculptures. The 13 photos illustrate his versatility as a builder and artist.

Tuning in Thirds

2002
AL#72 p.36   BRB6 p.410            
Jonathon Peterson   Saul Koll   Ralph Patt                                                                                   

▪ Jazz guitarist Ralph Patt and luthier Saul Koll have teamed up to make archtop 8-string electric guitars that are tuned in thirds rather than standard tuning. The guitars look a little strange because there is no taper to the fingerboards. You’ll have to read the article to understand the thinking behind them. Watching Patt play must confuse the heck out of other guitarists. With 14 photos.

Meet the Maker: Michihiro Matsuda

2002
AL#72 p.46   BRB6 p.433            
Michael Bashkin   Michihiro Matsuda                                                                                       

▪ Changing countries and cultures to enhance one’s skills must be a daunting and exhilarating experience. Matsuda came from Japan to learn lutherie in Arizona, then apprenticed in California. His designs are innovative and his guitars lovely to behold. With 9 photos.

In Memoriam: Frederick Dickens

2002
AL#71 p.3   BRB6 p.348            read this article
Pauline Dickens   James Jones   Graham Caldersmith                                                                                   

▪ Dickens did R&D work at Bell Labs in his day job, and was among the first to look at the functioning of the guitar from a mathematical vantage point. He was known for his inquisitive mind and willingness to share his knowledge with others.

Meet the Maker: Duane Heilman

2002
AL#71 p.24   BRB6 p.424            
John Calkin   Duane Heilman                                                                                       

▪ Heilman builds quirky, imaginative ukes that he auctions on-line. He’s also made hundreds of exotic picks that he sells the same way. With 17 photos.

Meet the Maker: Ralph Novak

2002
AL#70 p.4   BRB6 p.350            
John Calkin   Ralph Novak                                                                                       

▪ Novak has been on the guitar scene since the late ’60s, specializing in the creation and repair of electric instruments, though his expertise doesn’t end there. His best-known invention is probably the Novax fanned fret system, though his work with multi-string guitars deserves note. Mentions Charles LoBue. With 17 photos.

Meet the Maker: Kerry Char

2002
AL#69 p.28   BRB6 p.316            
Jonathon Peterson   Kerry Char                                                                                       

▪ Char is a guitar maker who also specializes in the restoration of old and odd instruments, particularly harp guitars by Knutsen and others. With 16 photos of vintage instruments.

Meet the Maker: Bob Benedetto

2001
AL#68 p.8   BRB6 p.242            
Jonathon Peterson   Bob Benedetto                                                                                       

▪ Benedetto has had as large an impact on the modern archtop guitar as anyone. He’s also a really nice guy, unpretentious and level-headed. You’re gonna like him. With 11 photos.

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

Archtop Guitars: It All Creates Music

2001
AL#68 p.16   BRB6 p.250            
Bob Benedetto                                                                                           

▪ For a builder of orthodox archtop guitars Benedetto certainly has some iconoclastic ideas. His opinions about bridges, tailpieces, guitar setup, and tonewood may turn your head around. With 9 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Tom Blackshear

2001
AL#68 p.28   BRB6 p.274            
Cyndy Burton   Tom Blackshear                                                                                       

▪ Blackshear has been building classical guitars since the ’50s. He has been strongly influenced by the work of Miguel Rodriguez. With 15 photos.

Meet the Maker: Fernando Cardosa

2001
AL#68 p.54   BRB6 p.284            
Joao-Jose-de-Santana Borges   Fernando Cardosa                                                                                       

▪ AL has certainly included an international air this year, and this introduction to Brazilian luthier Cardosa adds to the festivities. With 8 photos.

Sitar Making in India

2001
AL#67 p.6   BRB6 p.222            
Scott Hackleman                                                                                           

▪ Hackleman spent nearly a year in India learning one shop’s traditional ways of making sitars. The low state of technology in India, and the amazing work they do with so few tools, make this a fascinating read no matter what your interest in ethnic instruments. With 36 photos and 11 drawings.

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

Meet the Maker: David Minnieweather

2001
AL#67 p.34   BRB6 p.206            
Jonathon Peterson   David Minnieweather                                                                                       

▪ Minnieweather lives in Oregon and makes some fine-looking electric basses, including a stunning electric upright. With 9 photos.

Meet the Maker: Sebastian Stenzel

2001
AL#66 p.20   BRB6 p.216            
Greg Hanson   Sebastian Stenzel                                                                                       

▪ Stenzel is a German who specializes in classical guitars. He shares much information about his guitars as well as some opinions that may surprise you. With 5 photos.

Meet the Maker: Taku Sakashta

2001
AL#66 p.32   BRB6 p.238            
Jonathon Peterson   Taku Sakashta                                                                                       

▪ Sakashta left Japan to build both archtop and flattop guitars in California. He is definitely not afraid to design away from tradition. With 8 photos.

Vincente Tatay and His Guitars

2001
AL#66 p.47   BRB6 p.198            
Steve Newberry                                                                                           

▪ Tatay built guitars in the back room of a music store in WWII-era Manhattan. Newberry hung out then as a teenager. Not many of us have memories of our youth that are this cool. Alas. Or is it just that Newberry tells a really good tale? With 2 photos.

An American in Mirecourt, Part Two

2001
AL#65 p.10   BRB6 p.82            
Paul Schuback                                                                                           

▪ Schuback learned violin making in a small shop in France during the ’60s. This segment of his 1995 convention workshop lecture covers completing the plates and fitting the neck, fingerboard, nut, and soundpost to the body. There’s lots of local French color, old tools, and old ways presented here, as well as a bit of how the violin has changed since the days of the first Italian masters. Part One appeared in AL#63. With 33 photos, a diagram, and a sequence chart for building a violin.

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

Meet the Maker: Eugene Clark

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

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

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

Meet the Maker: Sergio Huerta Chavez

2001
AL#65 p.44   BRB6 p.200            
Bruce Calder   Sergio Huerta-Chavez                                                                                       

▪ Chavez is a builder of guitars and violins from Mexico who has managed to find markets in the US. Lutherie-life south of the border is probably different than you think, especially if Paracho has been your only touchstone. With 5 photos.

In Memoriam: Robert Lundberg

2001
AL#66 p.5   BRB6 p.165            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Jean Gilman   Lora Lundberg Schultz   Dorothy Bones   Ben Lundberg   Michael Yeats   Gunter Mark   Cyndy Burton   Jeffrey R. Elliott                                                           

▪ Lundberg was perhaps the foremost lute maker in America, a champion of building lutes in an historical manner, a longtime member and supporter of the GAL, and author of the landmark book Historical Lute Construction. Family and friends take a deep look at the significance of his life and work. With 10 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Harry Fleishman

2001
AL#66 p.6   BRB6 p.186            
Ken Goodwin   Harry Fleishman                                                                                       

▪ Fleishman has been a guitar and bass designer/builder, a teacher of lutherie and writing, a longtime member of the GAL, a frequent contributor to AL and its current product reviewer. Harry is as well-known for his outrageous sense of humor as for the outrageous instruments he creates. With 10 photos.

Meet the Maker: Rick Turner

2000
AL#64 p.20   BRB6 p.140            
Jonathon Peterson   Rick Turner                                                                                       

▪ Not frequently is one person so often in the right place at the right time with the skills to take advantage of the situation. Turner has “been there and done that” as an inventor and designer of instrument electronics as well as a repairman, designer, and manufacturer of Alembic guitars and basses and Turner-brand electric and acoustic guitars. His story is as colorful as it is informative. With 21 photos.

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

In Memoriam: David Rubio

2001
AL#65 p.5   BRB6 p.204            read this article
Paul Fischer                                                                                           

▪ Born David Joseph Spinks, Rubio was an Englishman who adopted his Spanish nickname. He became a well-known maker of classical guitars, early instruments, and violins.

In Memoriam: Nicholas Von Robison

2000
AL#63 p.3   BRB6 p.88            read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Nick was a multi-faceted friend of the GAL and instrumental in its on-line existence. He was a frequent AL author, especially on the subject of botany.

Meet the Collector: Sheldon Urlik

2000
AL#63 p.10   BRB6 p.72            
Cyndy Burton   Sheldon Urlik                                                                                       

▪ When a collector becomes a historian his importance to lutherie takes on a new dimension. Urlik’s collection begins with Torres and extends to many important current, and can be examined by anyone in his book A Collection of Fine Classical Guitars, from Torres to the Present. With 19 photos.

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

An American in Mirecourt

2000
AL#63 p.20   BRB6 p.82            
Paul Schuback                                                                                           

▪ This piece would be important just as an historical document of Schuback’s apprenticeship to a French violin maker in the early ’60s. The inclusion of his current shop practices and building methods makes it an article that everyone interested in the violin should read. With 33 photos and 5 diagrams.

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

Meet the Maker: Clive Titmuss

2000
AL#63 p.40   BRB6 p.130            
Gordon Gray   Clive Titmuss                                                                                       

▪ Titmuss is a Canadian who builds and performs upon the lute. He’s also a lute historian and a musicologist. It takes an interesting person to make a mostly-forgotten piece of the past come alive, which is what Titmuss does. With 8 photos.

Letter to the Editor: Passing of Jim Norris

2000
AL#62 p.3   BRB6 p.81            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Mentions the death of Jim Norris, who “was instrumental in bringing the classical guitar to Chicago in the late 1950s and early 1960s…”

Designing the Archtop Guitar for Sound

2000
AL#62 p.6   BRB6 p.32            
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ No one in the field of archtop guitars is more respected than Monteleone. This article represents his full thoughts on the instrument as of 1998. With 12 photos and 4 drawings.

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

Meet the Maker: David Freeman

2000
AL#62 p.18   BRB6 p.42            
Jonathon Peterson   David Freeman                                                                                       

▪ Freeman is an independent thinker who builds a wide variety of instruments and runs his own lutherie school in Canada. He’s also outspoken and articulate. You’ll be glad you met him here. With 21 photos.

Meet the Maker: Masaru Kohno

2000
AL#62 p.42   BRB6 p.62            
Andrea Tacchi   Masaru Kohno                                                                                       

▪ Kohno classicals are ranked with the best of 20th century guitars. His youth in pre-war Japan was an experience unfamiliar to most of us, though his path toward higher standards of craftsmanship is one that many luthiers have traveled. His life was not an ordinary one. With 5 photos.

Product Reviews: Frets.com CD

2000
AL#62 p.54   BRB6 p.470            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson examines Frank Ford’s “Frets.Com, A Luthier’s Notebook”, an ongoing CD-ROM project taken from Ford’s website and finds that it offers more information than one reviewer can deal with. The reviewer also looks at the Fret Tang Expander and the Fret Tang Compressor, 2 tools invented by Ford, and finds them a good addition to his tool kit. With 4 photos.

Meet the Maker: Henry Stocek

2000
AL#62 p.59   BRB6 p.66            read this article
John Calkin   Henry Stocek                                                                                       

▪ Stocek began a small business to supply the guitar trade with pickguard stock that resembles pre-war celluloid. He loves old Martins, bluegrass, and “the right look,” and all three have altered his life. With 2 photos.

Meet the Maker: Geza Burghardt

2000
AL#61 p.4   BRB6 p.2            
Cyndy Burton   Geza Burghardt                                                                                       

▪ Burghardt and his family emigrated to Canada from Hungary in 1988 with few worldly goods and little English and proceeded to carve out a niche in a fashion we have grown accustomed to hearing about in these pages. He seems to prefer classical guitars and hand tools. Included is an 8-picture description of the jig he uses to slot the sides into the necks of his guitars, and 7 other photos.

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

Meet the Maker: David Rivinus

2000
AL#61 p.20   BRB6 p.12            
Jonathon Peterson   David Rivinus                                                                                       

▪ This luthier has redesigned the viola into a beast he calls the Pellegrina. Its ergonomic design can potentially extend the working life of violists while supplying the tone they need for the most exacting jobs. The price, however, is a way-cool new look for the instrument. Way-cool for some, at least. With 12 photos and 3 drawings of different viola bridges.

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

Meet the Maker: Fabio Ragghianti

2000
AL#61 p.40   BRB6 p.28            
Harry Fleishman   Fabio Ragghianti                                                                                       

▪ Ragghianti is an Italian luthier. It’s interesting that luthiers from around the world seem to think of their instruments in the same terms. This easily allows them to immediately find a common ground regardless of their cultural background or language. Ragghianti came to America, then Fleishman went to Italy. The terrain didn’t seem to make a lot of difference. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Bob Gernandt

1999
AL#60 p.28   BRB5 p.420            
John Calkin   Bob Gernandt                                                                                       

▪ This North Carolina luthier likes to use native timber in the wide variety of instruments he builds. His particular interest is the Irish bouzouki and cittern.

Meet the Maker: Steve Kauffman

1999
AL#59 p.18   BRB5 p.386            
David Melly   Steve Kauffman                                                                                       

▪ Kauffman had been a luthier for sometime before he apprenticed to Steve Klein. Today he builds Klein acoustics in his own shop as well as his personal line of guitars. He’s a thoughtful and thought-provoking man, and you’ll be glad you met him. With 6 photos.

Kasha Collaboration, Part 2

1999
AL#59 p.22   BRB5 p.332            
Jonathon Peterson   George Majkowski   Boaz Elkayam                                                                                   

▪ George Majkowski and Boaz Elkayam complete their work on 10 Kasha guitars to honor the memory of Richard Schneider and to keep his work alive. The hand tools involved, the strange method of fretting, and the cool vacuum clamps, as well as the design philosophy behind the guitars, make this a pair of articles not to be missed. The Old World meets the future here and they blend very nicely. With 58 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Grit Laskin

1999
AL#59 p.39   BRB5 p.402            
Gordon Gray   Grit Laskin                                                                                       

▪ Laskin is a well-known maker of masterful guitars and a groundbreaking artist in inlay concept and design. He’s also a novelist and a recording artist. If the 9 photos of his guitars and inlay work don’t inspire you, you’re certainly from an old school of lutherie.

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

Gene Rhinehart: Northwest Resophonic Connection

1999
AL#59 p.50   BRB5 p.392            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Rhinehart has built Dobro-style guitars for years, and was among the first to furnish custom resonator cones to the industry. Includes a new plan format, a one-page diagram of a square neck guitar with a chart of dimensions. Different methods of seating the cone are discussed, and 8 photos show some of the details of Rhinehart’s work.

Review: Acquired of the Angels by Paul William Schmidt

1999
AL#59 p.62   BRB5 p.482            read this article
Linda Manzer                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this book about the life and work of John D’Angelico and James D’Aquisto “is a wonderful and carefully prepared book,” though perhaps not free of errors.

Meet the Maker: Bonnie Carol

1999
AL#58 p.16   BRB5 p.358            
John Calkin   Bonnie Carol                                                                                       

▪ Bonnie Carol has been a mainstay on the dulcimer scene for three decades. She is alive and well in Colorado, still building and performing. With 9 photos of her shop, instruments, and construction process. Mentions Max Krimmel.

Kasha Collaboration, Part 1

1999
AL#58 p.20   BRB5 p.332            
Jonathon Peterson   George Majkowski   Boaz Elkayam                                                                                   

▪ Boaz Elkayam and George Majkowski extend the work of Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider in a project that entails the construction of 10 guitars. A wide variety of building techniques involving hand and power tools, as well as vacuum clamping, is necessary to make these complicated instruments. An unlikely pairing of craftsmen contributes to our understanding of one of the most controversial instrument designers of our times, and the memory of a respected luthier and teacher. With 26 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Gary Southwell

1999
AL#58 p.38   BRB5 p.366            
Cyndy Burton   Gary Southwell                                                                                       

▪ Southwell makes gut-strung guitars that may be strange or more-or-less conventional, but always elegant, and he makes them for some high-profile patrons. His specialty is pre-classical or “salon” guitars. He’s an eloquent Englishman whom you’ll be happy to meet. With 6 photos.

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

Review: Julian Bream, the Foundations of a Musical Career by Stuart W. Button

1999
AL#58 p.57   BRB5 p.481            
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Bream began when the classical guitar world was small, indeed. The reviewer finds this collection of letters about Bream’s early years to be small, expensive, and enjoyable.

Meet the Maker: Joshia de Jonge

1999
AL#57 p.22   BRB5 p.300            
Cyndy Burton   Joshia de-Jonge                                                                                       

▪ Joshia’s classical won high praise during the listening session at the GAL’s 1998 convention, quite an achievement for a 19-year-old woman. But then, just about every member of her family builds guitars. Her free-spirited optimism may be as much a product of her upbringing as her youth. With 3 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Steve Kinnaird

1999
AL#57 p.53   BRB5 p.327            
John Calkin   Steve Kinnaird                                                                                       

▪ Kinnaird is a minister, luthier, blues guitarist, and all-around nice guy. You’ll be glad you met him. With 4 photos.

Meet the Maker: Linda Manzer

1998
AL#56 p.16   BRB5 p.256            
Cyndy Burton   Linda Manzer                                                                                       

▪ Through her artistic merit, dogged determination, and sheer grit, Manzer has risen to the top ranks of her profession. This interview covers her background and training, work ethic, favorite woods, and other lutherie intimacies. With 10 photos.

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

Shaping the Sound: A Personal Approach to Building Classical Guitars

1998
AL#56 p.22   BRB5 p.230            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ In every craft the cream inevitably rises, and Elliott is known to make some of the creamiest classical guitars in the world. Though this article offers a complete recipe for building guitars with “allure,” it becomes obvious that the most important ingredient is the artistic sensitivity he has developed. Not to be overlooked if your goal is to cook up fine classicals. With 9 photos, 1 drawing, and a list for further reading.

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

Meet the Maker: David “Kawika” Hurd

1998
AL#56 p.44   BRB5 p.285            
John Calkin   David Hurd                                                                                       

▪ David Hurd’s classical guitar drew accolades at the ’98 convention’s listening session, but he’s better known for his ukes and his info-jammed ukulele website. He’s also had the opportunity to build instruments from species of Hawaiian wood that most of us have never even heard of. Life is different in Hawaii. Still. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Paul Jacobson

1998
AL#55 p.48   BRB5 p.243            
Cyndy Burton   Paul Jacobson                                                                                       

▪ Jacobson is a widely respected builder of classical guitars who considers lutherie to be the equivalent of writing sonnets. They are both exercises in controlled creativity. And both can be beautiful.

In Memoriam: Irving Sloane

1998
AL#55 p.3   BRB5 p.213            read this article
Roger Sadowsky                                                                                           

▪ Sadowsky remembers Irving Sloane as a Renaissance man, and surely just the work he did in the lutherie field would qualify him for that. He designed and produced tuning machines, a slew of hand tools, and three instruction books that no doubt continue to be the worthy introduction many of us have to the world of lutherie. He was also Sadowsky’s father-in-law. This small remembrance is as nice as any man has had.

Sabicas’ 1951 Marcelo Barbero

1998
AL#55 p.8   BRB5 p.217            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ The story of this astonishing flamenco guitar involves Barbero, Sabicas, Carlos Montoya, and Elektra records. It dropped from sight until showing up at Brune’s for repair. Brune drew up a complete set of plans while the guitar was in his possession. They are printed here, and are also available as a full-size GAL Plan #42. With 12 photos.

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

GAL Instrument Plan #42: 1951 Marcelo Barbero Flamenco Guitar

1998
AL#55 p.10   BRB5 p.219            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

Meet the Maker: Paul McGill

1998
AL#55 p.16   BRB5 p.214            
Mark Bass   Paul McGill                                                                                       

▪ McGill is a thinking-man’s guitar maker with some strong notions that run counter to current lutherie mythology. He also has a big-time clientele who believe he is right. With 6 photos.

Meet the Maker: David Gusset

1998
AL#55 p.32   BRB5 p.224            
Jonathon Peterson   David Gusset                                                                                       

▪ Gusset’s early work made him intimately familiar with many fine old Italian violins, and he has used their influence to make his mark in world violin making competitions. With one drawing and 9 photos, including wonderful violin close-ups.

French Polishing with Eugene Clark

1998
AL#54 p.6   BRB5 p.182            
Cyndy Burton   Eugene Clark                                                                                       

▪ Jeez, there’s a lot to know about French polishing. Changing lubricating oils can change the quality of the job, but there are reasons to change oils. The pad you rub with makes a difference. The longevity and toughness of the finish can be controlled by the materials you use. This work is deeper than meets the eye. Burton attended a class taught by Clark, and she brings home the straight skinny for American Lutherie. With 15 photos.

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

1997 Tokyo Musical Merchandise Trade Show

1998
AL#54 p.16               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Until the Asian market crisis many American luthiers thought that dealing their instruments in Japan would provide the best of living opportunities. Much of Somogyi’s production goes to Japan, and in 1997 he visited Japan at the invitation of his distributor to visit dealers and attend the “NAMM show” of the Orient. Here’s what business and lutherie in Japan is really like. With 10 photos.

Meet the Maker: Judy Threet

1998
AL#54 p.21   BRB5 p.204            
Cyndy Burton   Judy Threet                                                                                       

▪ Threet is a Canadian builder who specializes in fingerstyle guitars. Her guitars often display an artistic flair that few can match. This interview takes a decidedly philosophic turn, and appropriately so, since Threet used to be a professor of philosophy. With 4 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Joseph Curtin

1998
AL#54 p.34   BRB5 p.194            
Tim Olsen   Joseph Curtin                                                                                       

▪ The personal history of violin people is often the most interesting because so many of them realize that a formal approach to learning their craft is often the fastest way of being recognized in the business, even though they may invest many years in the process. And they frequently find themselves in exotic places as they learn. It must work, too. How many of us need an assistant and a business manager to help hold down the fort, as Curtin does? With 6 photos.

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

After the Fox: How Charles Changed my Lutherie Life

1998
AL#54 p.38   BRB5 p.127            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Inspired by his time spent at Fox’s American School of Lutherie, Calkin revamps his whole building procedure. Dished workboards turn out to be easy and cheap to make. Mando, uke, and dulcimer sides are bent with an electric silicone blanket. Molds are revamped. Speed and precision are in, drudgery is out (well, almost). Parts 1 and 2 were in American Lutherie #52 and #53, respectively. With 25 photos.

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

D’Aquisto’s Design Development

1998
AL#53 p.8   BRB5 p.168            
Paul Gudelsky                                                                                           

▪ An overview of D’Aquisto’s career by a man who studied guitar construction with Jimmy and collected a number of his instruments. It becomes clear how complex an individual D’Aquisto really was. Lots of generalized talk about wood and archtop design, too, but nothing scientific. More of a tribute to a man who died way too soon. With 5 photos.

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

Remembering Jimmy

1998
AL#53 p.9   BRB5 p.172            
Paul Schmidt                                                                                           

▪ D’Aquisto’s biographer bids farewell to the man who was called by some the world’s greatest luthier of our time. A touching and very real-world story. With 2 photos.

Meet the Maker: Shelley Park

1998
AL#53 p.22   BRB5 p.164            
Cyndy Burton   Shelley Park                                                                                       

▪ Park plays jazz guitar and builds Selmer-style guitars like those designed by Mario Maccaferri and played by Django Reinhardt. She furnishes some interesting thoughts about alternative woods and different finishes. Are women luthiers who survive long enough to become professionals really more interesting than many of the men, or do they just give better interviews? You decide. With 9 photos.

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

A Tale of Two Schools

1998
AL#53 p.26               read this article
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson attended Charles Fox’s original guitar making school in 1975, and nearly a generation later reunited with Fox at his new facility, the American School of Lutherie. Basic to Fred’s story is the manner in which the times, two people, and guitar making have changed in 20-odd years. The times, indeed, are a’changin’.

Meet the Maker: George Fortune, Jr.

1998
AL#53 p.44   BRB5 p.178            
John Calkin   George Fortune-Jr.   Stan Olah                                                                                   

▪ Fortune is a self-taught fiddle maker and instrument repairman in rural Virginia. To many of his neighbors he is known simply as the Fiddle Man. Perhaps Americans aren’t losing their independent spirit, but often it feels like it. Calkin pays tribute to a man who seems to represent a whole way of life. With 7 photos.

Meet the Maker: Charles Fox

1997
AL#52 p.10               
Fred Carlson   Charles Fox                                                                                       

▪ Fox has made an impact on the guitar community as an influential teacher and a designer of tools. Carlson attended Fox schools in the ’70s and ’90s, and in this interview he asks Fox to contrast his schools and predict the future of lutherie in America.

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

Crazy Like Charles Fox: Guitar Making Jigs for the 21st Century, Part 1

1997
AL#52 p.12   BRB5 p.108            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The main thrust of Fox’s American School of Lutherie lies in teaching lone guitarmakers to make better instruments through more accurate tooling and in helping them become more commercially viable by increasing their production. Calkin attended one of Charles’ week-long Contemporary Guitar Making seminars and documented much of the hard info for American Lutherie readers. This segment concentrates on nearly 3 dozen jigs and fixtures that anyone can add to their lutherie arsenal, most of them adapted to power tools. With 57 photos. Parts 2 & 3 to follow.

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

Scroll Carving

1997
AL#52 p.28   BRB5 p.152            
Guy Rabut                                                                                           

▪ To non-fiddle people all violins look about the same. To the initiated, however, they are vastly different. Besides offering a thorough description of his scroll carving techniques, Rabut gives us a glimpse into the world of the violin in-crowd where an appreciation for subtlety is the stock-in-trade. Guy is a high-profile maker who has had the opportunity to examine many world-class violins. With 52 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: R.E. Brune

1997
AL#52 p.42   BRB5 p.144            
Tim Olsen   R.E. Brune                                                                                       

▪ Brune was an original founder of the Guild, has been a GAL convention lecturer, and an American Lutherie author. He’s also a world-renowned maker, dealer, and collector of classical guitars. In this interview he offers some personal background as well as what he thinks it will take to stay afloat in the lutherie world that’s coming. His insider’s view of high-buck instrument dealing is especially compelling. With 7 photos.

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

The Restoration of Agustin Barrios’ Francisco Simplicio

1997
AL#52 p.46   BRB5 p.148            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ What does it take to restore an important instrument? Skill, research, and a solid feel and appreciation for the time during which the piece was made and played. Skip any of these factors and you could easily screw up an irreplaceable piece. Brune describes his approach to one guitar while at the same time demonstrating the qualities necessary to enter this field.

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

Meet the Maker: Augustino LoPrinzi

1997
AL#52 p.50   BRB5 p.138            
Jonathon Peterson   Augustino LoPrinzi                                                                                       

▪ Augie LoPrinzi has made or overseen the construction of over 8000 guitars. He went from a one-man shop in the back of his barbershop to a factory that employed 30 people and made 80 flattops a month. Now back in a small-shop setting, his enthusiasm for the guitar is as high as ever. Come along for one of the wilder rides in the annals of lutherie.

Hangin’ with Augie

1997
AL#52 p.53   BRB5 p.141            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Augie LoPrinzi has been an accessible luthier who taught or influenced dozens of people as they entered the business. Calkin “knew him when,” back in the ’70s at a time his small shop churned out 25 guitars a month. This is a different look at a man who was also a barber, pool hustler, amateur magician, wannabe classical guitarist, and a storyteller deluxe. Fun.

Meet the Maker: Hermann Hauser III

1997
AL#51 p.20   BRB5 p.80            
Armin Kelly   Hermann Hauser-III                                                                                       

▪ The name Hermann Hauser needs no introduction in the classical guitar world. Here Hauser #3 talks about heritage, learning the craft, wood, and closing in on the perfect guitar. With 6 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Boaz Elkayam

1997
AL#51 p.26   BRB5 p.92            
Jonathon Peterson   Boaz Elkayam                                                                                       

▪ Elkayam grew up as a luthier, built guitars as he traveled half the world on a motorcycle, never stopped learning, and seems never to have met a challenge he didn’t welcome. High-class lutherie skills don’t necessarily make a person interesting. If Boaz quit the trade today he’d still be someone you’d like to seek out. Check out his classical guitar with two fingerboards (but only one neck). With 24 photos of beautiful instruments, beautiful places, and beautiful women.

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

Of Sympitars and Suzalynes

1997
AL#51 p.38   BRB5 p.100            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Inspired by his fiddle-building partner, Suzy Norris, Carlson has created a guitar that utilizes a large number of sympathetic strings. The obstacles that had to be overcome were significant, but “angel voices” never come easy to us Earth folks. With 10 photos and a pair of drawings of how things work.

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

Meet the Makers: Jeffrey Huss and Mark Dalton

1997
AL#51 p.42   BRB5 p.104            
John Calkin   Jeff Huss   Mark Dalton                                                                                   

▪ Virginia luthiers Huss and Dalton show off their shop and talk about the business of going into business. They make 7 high-end acoustics per month, and they make it sound easy. With 11 photos.

Meet the Maker: Arul Dominic Xavier

1997
AL#50 p.14   BRB5 p.56            
Jonathon Peterson   Arul-Dominic Xavier                                                                                       

▪ Xavier traveled all the way from India to attend the Healdsburg Guitarmakers Festival. This interview makes it obvious to what lengths some folks have to go to become luthiers. Think you’re on a budget? In India a GAL membership costs about one third of a month’s wages. With 6 photos.

Meet the Maker: Michael Hornick

1997
AL#50 p.40   BRB5 p.68            
Tim Olsen   Michael Hornick                                                                                       

▪ Hornick has become renown as the creator of Shanti guitars. In this interview he discusses the road to the top of the lutherie profession as well as tonewood and guitar design. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Kent Everett

1997
AL#50 p.50   BRB5 p.38            
John Calkin   Kent Everett                                                                                       

▪ Everett is one of those monster craftsmen who can knock out 50 fine instruments a year, alone. This interview not only covers his lutherie background but also explains the shop schedule that keeps the guitar flowing at such a prodigious rate. Featuring five photos and one of Everett’s comic strips.

Meet the Maker: Rene Baarslag

1997
AL#49 p.6   BRB5 p.2            
Woodley White   Rene Baarslag                                                                                       

▪ A Dutchman who moved to Spain and learned guitar making with the help of Antonio Marin, Baarslag has carved out a reputation as a fine luthier. The descriptions of his home will make you wonder why luthiers can’t live this well in America. Baarslag’s life must be very pleasant.

Meet the Maker: Fred Carlson

1997
AL#49 p.28   BRB5 p.18            
Tim Olsen   Fred Carlson                                                                                       

▪ Carlson grew up on a New England commune and never outgrew the philosophy of sharing. He would rather let his uniqueness bloom than give in to commercial considerations. You’ll be glad you met him here. With 16 photos.

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

Wood Identification for Luthiers

1997
AL#49 p.44   BRB5 p.30            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Robison describes wood identification as an adventure. You’ll need some reference books and a microscope, and a computer wouldn’t hurt. Ever see an instrument trimmed in smokewood? How do you know, Sherlock? Without a little scientific trickery your guess could be wrong either way. Get with the program. With 6 photomicrographs of softwoods.

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

Resetting a Neck with Jeff Traugot

1997
AL#49 p.50   BRB5 p.44            
Colin Kaminski   Jeff Traugott                                                                                       

▪ Neck resetting techniques have changed enormously in the last few years, and they continue to evolve. Traugot has been in the forefront of the evolution. Here’s his up-to-the-minute description of the procedure. With 12 photos.

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

Review: A Bow Making Course taught by Joseph Regh

1997
AL#49 p.62   BRB5 p.470            
Colin Kaminski                                                                                           

▪ This course, which saves years of learning on your own, is based on jigs and fixtures, and too brief for those who prefer to work by hand. Joseph is very forthcoming with his methods, ideas, and tricks.

Meet the Maker: Bishop Cochran

1996
AL#48 p.14   BRB4 p.386            
Jonathon Peterson   Bishop Cochran                                                                                       

▪ Cochran is a player/maker of electric and acoustic/electric guitars who uses machine shop equipment and supplies to create his instruments. The emphasis is on precision work, duplicable procedures, and practical designs. With 26 photos.

Meet the Maker: John Mello

1996
AL#48 p.28   BRB4 p.408            
Cyndy Burton   John Mello                                                                                       

▪ Mello is a repairperson, guitarmaker, restorer, and instrument dealer. He apprenticed under Richard Schneider and worked with Jeffrey R. Elliott before opening his own shop.Much of the interview dwells upon the restoration of an 1862 Torres guitar. With 11 photos.

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

Nineteen Stew-Mac How-to Videos 2

1996
AL#48 p.46   BRB4 p.474            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Reviewed here are six videos, one about violins setups, one about French polishing, and four about guitar repair. All are found worthy, though two of the repair tapes are for the inexperienced luthier.

Meet the Maker: Geoff Stelling

1996
AL#47 p.30   BRB4 p.346            
John Calkin   Geoff Stelling                                                                                       

▪ A profile of one of the leaders in high-end banjos, featuring a tour of the shop, production techniques, construction methods, and banjo/motorcycle cross-pollination.

Meet the Maker: Marc Silber

1996
AL#47 p.46   BRB4 p.364            
Colin Kaminski   Marc Silber                                                                                       

▪ Silber is a musician, nomad, repairman, musical historian, guitar designer, dealer, collector, and all around keeper of the flame. How can a man have so much fun and make a living at the same time?

Meet the Merchant: Todd Taggart

1996
AL#46 p.38   BRB4 p.312            
Cyndy Burton   Todd Taggart                                                                                       

▪ The driving force behind Luthiers Mercantile International talks about building a business, supplying an industry, and helping to make a guitar town out of Healdsburg, California.

Meet the Makers: Two Gentlemen From Auckland

1996
AL#46 p.47   BRB4 p.330            
Carl Kaufmann   Laurie Williams   Nicholas Emery                                                                                   

▪ New Zealanders Laurie Williams and Nicholas Emery build innovative instruments for the homelanders, though export may be in their futures. They have access to wood varieties that most of us have never even heard of.

Meet the Maker: Don Overstreet

1996
AL#45 p.36   BRB4 p.290            
Jonathon Peterson   Don Overstreet                                                                                       

▪ Overstreet took formal training in violin construction with Peter Prier in Salt Lake City, then ended up in the shop of Paul Schuback where he builds and repairs the instruments of the fiddle family. It seems that all who trod the same path make a unique journey (a strong theme in the GAL).

Manuel Velazquez: A Man Who Loves the Guitar

1995
AL#44 p.8   BRB4 p.222            
Robert Desmond                                                                                           

▪ This is a short biography of a luthier who entered the trade before many of us were born, and who has turned classical guitar making into a family business.

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

Meet the Maker: Michael Gurian

1995
AL#44 p.17   BRB4 p.236            
David Hill   Michael Gurian                                                                                       

▪ Gurian knows much more than he tells in this interview, but it’s good to know he’s still actively part of the guitar scene. He has worked alone, started an informal school of guitarmaking through the apprentices he has trained, owned guitar factories, invented tools, and is currently a supplier of parts and accessories.

Meet the Maker: Saul Koll

1995
AL#44 p.32   BRB4 p.242            
Jonathon Peterson   Saul Koll                                                                                       

▪ Koll has fashioned a living by creating unique, often bizarre, guitars, both acoustic and electric. For many, ideas often come easy, it’s selling them that’s hard. Koll has found a niche. With 23 photos.

Meet the Maker: Jim Williams

1995
AL#43 p.8   BRB4 p.202            
Todd Brotherton   Jim Williams                                                                                       

▪ Australians continue to make a mark in the evolution of the guitar. Williams made his mark as an author, as well. He discusses his background and his instruments.

Lattice Bracing Guitar Tops

1995
AL#43 p.11   BRB4 p.206            
Jim Williams                                                                                           

▪ Williams discusses the building style he has borrowed from Greg Smallman for classical guitars. With 14 photos, plus drawings.

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

Meet the Maker: Jess Wells

1995
AL#43 p.24   BRB4 p.212            
Jonathon Peterson   Jess Wells                                                                                       

▪ Wells specializes in the creation of early stringed instruments. Here he discusses that particular market, his training, and the history of the viola da gamba. With 17 photos.

Meet the Makers: Klaus and Peppe Reischel

1995
AL#42 p.42   BRB4 p.188            
David Riggs   Klaus Reischel   Peppe Reischel                                                                                   

▪ The Reischels make Landstrofer tuners, high-quality German gears for classical guitars.

Meet the Maker: Des Anthony

1995
AL#42 p.48   BRB4 p.194            
Cyndy Burton   Des Anthony                                                                                       

▪ An Australian guitarmaker talks about Australian wood, his instruments, and the Australian vacation system.

The Guitar Family, Continued

1995
AL#41 p.10   BRB4 p.126            
Graham Caldersmith                                                                                           

▪ Caldersmith is working to expand the voice range of guitar ensembles, both classical and steel string. With 4 photos and frequency response graphs. The first installment of Caldersmith’s work with a classical guitar family came way back in AL#18.

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

Meet the Maker: Debbie Suran

1995
AL#41 p.26   BRB4 p.134            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Debbie Suran                                                                                       

▪ Suran is a performer/builder of hammered dulcimers.

Meet the Maker: Lara Espley

1995
AL#41 p.38   BRB4 p.152            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Lara Espley                                                                                       

▪ Espley is a Canadian maker of wonderfully distinctive instruments. Here she talks about her favorite woods (purpleheart, koa), her training, and the gender gap.

Felix Manzanero and his Collection of Antique Guitars

1995
AL#41 p.40   BRB4 p.144            
Ronald-Louis Fernandez                                                                                           

▪ It’s untrue that all the old builders were stodgy old putzes locked into a cold tradition. Some of their guitars were pretty far out. With 21 photos.

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

Doc and Leo and Me

1994
AL#40 p.8   BRB4 p.90            
Curt Carpenter                                                                                           

▪ Carpenter tells of his VA-sponsored apprenticeship to a legend of the electric guitar industry. A fine string of anecdotes. Carpenter actually moved in with Doc Kauffman and his wife, relived all the old stories, learned to build guitars, visited with Leo Fender, met Rudy Dopera, and made pickups. Carpenter left the army to enter the Guitar Wars.

Catguts and Glitter and Horsehair on Bowsticks

1994
AL#40 p.14   BRB4 p.86            
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Impressions of lectures given on the first day of the GAL 1992 convention in Vermillion South Dakota, held in conjunction with the Catgut Acoustical Society.

Segovia’s 1912 Manuel Ramirez

1994
AL#40 p.18   BRB4 p.96            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ There is an undying interest in the Segovia guitars. Brune offers good description as well as 10 photos and a complete set of plans. The plans are a reduced version of our full-scale Plan # 38.

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

Two Travel Guitars and Their Makers

1994
AL#40 p.24   BRB4 p.124            
Jonathon Peterson   Rossco Wright   Larry Roberts                                                                                   

▪ Classical guitarists are too fussy to simply travel with a shrunken guitar. These two luthiers offer instruments that suit the special needs of special guitarists.

Ain’t Nobody’s Business But My Own

1994
AL#40 p.28   BRB4 p.102            
Dan Erlewine   Tom Ribbecke   Fred Campbell   David Howard   Sheldon Dingwall   Harry Fleishman   David Colburn   Kathy Currier   Will Bremers   Jack Langley   John Jordan   Dana Bourgeois   Heidi Spurlin   Ken Fallon   Dave Schneider   Cary Clemments   Ron Chacey   Bart Reiter   Mike Jarvis   Greg Hoffman   Dave Lindahl   Tom Costanza   Chuck Erikson   Ralph Novak

▪ Repair pricing workshop from 1992 GAL convention.

Meet the Maker: Jim Roden

1994
AL#40 p.38   BRB4 p.114            
Jonathon Peterson   Jim Roden                                                                                       

▪ Roden is a dulcimer maker and a forester, so he understands that we need to preserve forests and we need to cut them, too. He freely addresses both sides of the coin.

Meet the Maker: Eric Meyer

1994
AL#39 p.18   BRB4 p.65            
Jonathon Peterson   Eric Myer                                                                                       

▪ Meyer’s current gig is the manufacture of violin fittings. He describes his peg making process in detail.

Segovia’s 1937 Hauser: Top and Back Thicknesses

1994
AL#38 p.24   BRB4 p.34            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune made a map of plate dimensions using a new (and expensive) gizzy called the Elcometer. Then he decides that plate thickness probably isn’t so big a deal. Well, at least you have a model to guide you.

Meet the Makers: Nick Kukich and Jeanne Munro

1994
AL#38 p.30   BRB4 p.36            
Jonathon Peterson   Nick Kukich   Jeanne Munro                                                                                   

▪ The folks from Franklin Guitars are outspoken and articulate. Are steel string makers really the “bottom feeders” of the guitar world? Kukich was there at the rebirth of the OM guitar.

Meet the Maker: John Koster

1994
AL#37 p.22   BRB4 p.17            
Nicholas-Von Robison   John Koster                                                                                       

▪ How does a man become conservator to a famous collection of stringed instruments, and just exactly what does he do after he’s there? Koster maintains the collection at the Shrine to Music Museum.

Floyd

1994
AL#37 p.42               read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Local color and good humor are key ingredients of this peek at an independent-minded violinmaker. Arizona rosewood? Manzinita tuning pegs?

Finishing Techniques for Hiding Repair Work

1993
AL#36 p.6   BRB3 p.380            
Dan Erlewine                                                                                           

▪ Erlewine hides his wooden patches under a field of colored French polish, then paints over it with simulated wood grain, and then might shoot a sunburst around everything. Old European craftsmen would smile in recognition of these tricks, but they are seldom applied to guitars.

Meet the Maker: Ervin Somogyi

1993
AL#36 p.12   BRB3 p.393            
Ervin Somogyi   Colin Kaminski                                                                                       

▪ Many of us suffer periods of lutherie burnout, but few as dramatically as Somogyi, whose house and shop were lost in a great California fire. This interview offers early background information and an update of how he has coped since the fire.

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

James L. D’Aquisto: Building the Archtop Guitar. A Brief Overview

1994
AL#37 p.6   BRB4 p.2            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Nobody built a better archtop than D’Aquisto did. Olsen outlines the procedures and peculiarities of a famous luthier’s work.

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

James L. D’Aquisto: Building the Archtop Guitar. The Soundboard

1994
AL#37 p.10   BRB4 p.6            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Olsen travels from the general (in the preceding article) to the specific. He zeros in on D’Aquisto’s soundboard work for a detailed examination. With 47 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: Tom Ribbecke

1993
AL#35 p.24   BRB3 p.370            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Tom Ribbecke                                                                                       

▪ As an adviser to the trade, a builder of high quality guitars, and teacher, Ribbecke has had a strong influence on the work of many luthiers. This interview sketches his beginnings in lutherie.

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

In Memoriam: Arthur Overholtzer

1993
AL#35 p.44   BRB3 p.500            read this article
Bruce McGuire                                                                                           

▪ Overholtzer is cussed and discussed, but he had an undeniable influence on the American classical guitar scene. He built Spanish guitars in a very un-Spanish manner.

In Memoriam: Mario Maccaferri

1993
AL#35 p.63   BRB3 p.503            read this article
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ Remembering Mario Maccaferri, creator of guitars made by Selmer of Paris and made famous by Django Reinhardt, major contributor to the field of injection molding plastic, and overall self made man.

Questions about Segovia’s 1937 Hauser

1993
AL#34 p.41   BRB3 p.351   ALA3 p.51         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Is the Met’s Segovia Hauser the famous Hauser? Probably, but maybe not. That such mysteries can remain about the most famous classical guitarist ever is quite heartening.

In Memoriam: Hammond Ashley

1993
AL#34 p.61   BRB3 p.499            read this article
David Wilson   Peggy Warren                                                                                       

▪ Remembering Hammond Ashley, aged 91, advocate of fine music and fine musical instrument making.

Letter to the Editor: Lutherie Art

1993
AL#34 p.4               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Somogyi was burned out of house and shop during the Oakland Hills Firestorm. He describes his plight and how the Crafts Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) helped rescue him. If you need such help, or if you would like to contribute to CERF, Somogyi tells how.

Meet the Maker: Bart Reiter

1993
AL#34 p.14   BRB3 p.324            read this article
Paul Hostetter   Bart Reiter                                                                                       

▪ Reiter is perhaps the best known current maker of open back banjos. He traces his beginnings and some specifics of the banjo market. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Michael Sanden

1993
AL#34 p.20   BRB3 p.330   ALA6 p.24         
Jonathon Peterson   Michael Sanden                                                                                       

▪ A Swedish guitar maker comes to America for a round of twenty-questions. When non-Americans step out on Lutherie Road the trip isn’t necessarily the one we imagine. Sanden shares a lot of information about his mentor, Georg Bolin.

Meet the Maker: Roberto Gomes

1993
AL#33 p.6   BRB3 p.272            
Cyndy Burton   Roberto Gomes                                                                                       

▪ A Brazilian guitar maker comments upon his situation in Brazil and his first trip to America as a luthier.

Brazilian Guitar Makers

1993
AL#33 p.12   BRB3 p.278            read this article
Roberto Gomes                                                                                           

▪ Gomes offers a list and short description of some current Brazilian builders.

Torres Guitar Restoration

1993
AL#33 p.14   BRB3 p.280            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune describes a rare 11-string Torres guitar and the manner in which he restored it. With 11 photos and a half-page of drawings. Mentions Romanillos.

Honor Roll

1992
AL#32 p.32               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ This is a salute to the Guild’s most loyal members.

Antonio Raya: Granada’s Rising Star

1992
AL#32 p.46   BRB3 p.265            
Lisa Hurlong                                                                                           

▪ An adopted daughter of Granada describes an up-and-coming Spanish guitar maker. Good local color. Mentions Antonio Marin.

Meet the Maker: Guy Rabut

1992
AL#32 p.52   BRB3 p.268            read this article
Tim Olsen   Guy Rabut                                                                                       

▪ A long-time Guild member makes it as a violinmaker in the Big Apple after a twenty-year run. Mentions Ed Campbell, Peter Prier, Rene Morel.

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

Meet the Maker: Byron Will

1992
AL#31 p.58   BRB3 p.222            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Byron Will                                                                                       

▪ Will talks primarily about the business end of being a harpsichord maker.

In Memoriam: Hart Huttig II

1992
AL#31 p.67   BRB3 p.501            read this article
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Remembering Hart Hutting II, an avid aficionado of flamenco and selfless contributor to the GAL since it’s inception.

Meet the Maker: Ren Ferguson

1992
AL#32 p.8   BRB3 p.242            
Jonathon Peterson   Ren Ferguson                                                                                       

▪ The shop honcho of Gibson West relates some personal background. Ferguson moved to Montana long before Gibson did. Did Gibson really build a factory there just for him? Probably not. Mentions Rob Ehlers, Steve Carlson, Henry Juszkiewicz.

An Interview with H.E. Huttig

1992
AL#32 p.16   BRB3 p.250   ALA5 p.10         
R.E. Brune   H.E. Huttig                                                                                       

▪ Huttig began importing guitar parts and European tonewood in the 1950s, and was a hard-core enthusiast of the classical guitar even before that. As a businessman and a friend to musicians and luthiers his life had far-reaching fallout. Mentions Barbero, Bobri, Hauser II, Hernandez, Romanillos, Ramirez, Esteso, and so on.

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

Meet the Maker (of the Guild): Tim Olsen

1992
AL#32 p.26   BRB3 p.258            
Todd Brotherton   Tim Olsen                                                                                       

▪ Olsen is the leader of the Guild, though he would strongly resist being called the boss. Sometimes it seems that people are led to where they can best serve, regardless of the path they might have chosen for themselves. Tim doesn’t make instruments any more, but through the GAL he shines a light upon all of us who do. This interview is proof that, often, people are even more interesting than you suspect. Mentions Deb Olsen, Bon Henderson, J.R. Beall, Bob Petrulis, Leo Bidne, Harvey Thomas.

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

Letter to the Editor: Harp Guitar Article AL#29

1992
AL#31 p.7   BRB3 p.203            
Jose Romanillos                                                                                           

▪ Romanillos co-authored the catalog for the Exhibition of Spanish Guitars in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and he asks that R. E. Brune elucidate upon his statement that the catalog contained inaccuracies (AL#29).

Segovia’s 1937 Hauser

1992
AL#31 p.8   BRB3 p.212   ALA3 p.44         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune visits with, measures, and draws Segovia’s most famous guitar. The plans offered are a reduced version of GAL full-scale Plan #33. Brune feels that the guitar misses the maestro. With 19 photos.

Travels in French Lutherie

1992
AL#30 p.6   BRB3 p.196   ALA4 p.20         
Paul Hostetter                                                                                           

▪ AL is one of the few available resources that examines the foreign instrument scene in any detail. Hostetter’s chief interest lies in the Selmer Django guitars designed by Maccaferri, but he peeks into every nook that offers a glimpse of strange instruments. Along the way he meets Francois Charle and Maurice Dupont. With 5 photos of Selmers.

Meet the Maker: Maurice Dupont

1992
AL#30 p.10   BRB3 p.200   ALA4 p.24         
Paul Hostetter   Maurice Dupont                                                                                       

▪ Meet a French guitar maker whose specialty is the recreation of Selmer guitars. Dupont even mills his own spruce. He is one of the more accessible foreign luthiers, and his guitars are available in the States. Mentions Maccaferri, Django Reinhardt.

Meet the Maker: Richard Schneider

1992
AL#30 p.40   BRB3 p.206   ALA5 p.18         
Jonathon Peterson   Richard Schneider                                                                                       

▪ Many still have doubts about the merits of the Kasha versions of the classical guitar, but no one questions Schneider’s reputation as a masterful creator of instruments. This interview focuses on his time spent in Mexico learning the trade from Juan Pimentel.

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

Harp Guitar: That Extra-String Thing

1992
AL#29 p.20   BRB3 p.178   ALA6 p.10         
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Most people who even knew what one was thought of the harp guitar as a less-than-useless dinosaur. Then came Michael Hedges. Peterson looks back at a strange instrument whose best music might just lie in the future. With 49 photos and a number of good drawings. Mentions Torres, Hauser I, Scherzer, Staufer, Mozzani, Gibson, Knutsen, Martin, and so on.

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

The Sawmill at Poussay

1992
AL#29 p.38   BRB3 p.174            
Gayle Miller   Ken Sribnick                                                                                       

▪ Visit a water-powered French sawmill that supplies tonewood to 350 luthiers. With 7 photos. Mentions George Miller.

Free Plate Tuning, Part Two: Violins

1992
AL#29 p.42   BRB3 p.136            read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Carruth tries to keep it light as he describes the glitter dances that should improve your violins, and even sheds light on cello plate tuning. If you feel threatened by the dryness of science just relax and give it a try. Carruth is on your side. Really. With a whole bunch of drawings. Part One was in AL#28. Part Three follows in AL#30. The entire series appears in BRB3.

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

The Spanish Guitar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

1992
AL#29 p.6   BRB3 p.194   ALA3 p.2         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune outlines the first major exhibition of Spanish guitars ever mounted in America. With 8 photos, including one of Santos Hernandez. Also mentions Torres, M. Ramirez, Segovia, Simplicio, Barbero, Romanillos, and others.

A Talk with Bob Taylor

1991
AL#28 p.34   BRB3 p.126   ALA4 p.10         
Phillip Lea   Bob Taylor                                                                                       

▪ Few people in Guitarland are as outspoken and clear-headed as Bob Taylor. Others might say he’s just opinionated. He believes a good guitar is a good guitar, no matter if it was whittled by Gepeto or cranked out by a dozen computer-guided milling cutters. This article offers a peek into the Taylor factory and a guided tour through one man’s thoughts about the contemporary guitar. With 28 photos.

Meet the Maker: Michael Darnton

1991
AL#28 p.51   BRB3 p.124            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Michael Darnton                                                                                       

▪ Peterson gives us the biographical scoop on American Lutherie’s Violin Q&A man.

Meet the Maker: Donald Warnock

1991
AL#26 p.42   BRB3 p.32            read this article
Cyndy Burton   Donald Warnock                                                                                       

▪ It’s wonderful that this interview is in the same issue as interviews with Larrivee and Warmoth, since they are opposites. The first two are sort of factory moguls, and Warnock is the gentlemanly craftsman/artist. All have forged a successful life on their own terms, and the contrast is delicious.

Let’s Get Busy: an interview with Chris Brandt

1991
AL#26 p.48   BRB3 p.56            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Brandt owns a luthiers co-op, and finds it makes more sense and money than four men running their own separate shops do. He’s got the lowdown on keeping records, using time efficiently, sharing labor, hiring a front man, and turning over work quickly. Lots of business hints and tips for any luthier, regardless of your position.

Meet the Maker: Hideo Kamimoto

1991
AL#27 p.46   BRB3 p.118            
Joseph-R. Johnson   Hideo Kamimoto                                                                                       

▪ The famous repairman/author discusses his book, his history as a luthier, and his expectations for his own future.

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

A Day on Lost Mountain

1991
AL#27 p.52   BRB3 p.122   ALA5 p.21         
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Richard Schneider discusses his current work at “the most beautifully situated guitar shop in the world.” The Kasha influence upon the classical guitar keeps evolving in the hands of this masterful builder/teacher.

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

Meet the Maker: Herb David

1991
AL#26 p.14   BRB3 p.46            
Dan Erlewine   Herb David                                                                                       

▪ It’s tough to be in business and stay successful. It’s really tough to stay in business and keep having fun, too. Herb David tells how he runs his business, builds a few instruments, stays in shape, has fun. Here’s the last line of his personal prayer: “Deliver me from temptation but keep me in touch.” You gotta love the guy. Mentions Sam Varjebedian and Terry Horvath.

Birth of the Strat-Compatible Parts Industry

1991
AL#26 p.33   BRB3 p.53            
Lynn Ellsworth   Ken Warmoth   Jay Hargreaves                                                                                   

▪ Hargreaves interviews two giants of the Strat compatible parts industry.

Julian Bream’s 1973 Romanillos Guitar

1991
AL#25 p.22   BRB3 p.2            
Kevin Aram                                                                                           

▪ Aram offers an anecdotal history of one of the most influential classical guitars of our time. With 26 photos. Mentions Hauser I, Torres.

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

Meet the Maker: Dan Erlewine

1991
AL#25 p.36   BRB3 p.13            
Tim Olsen   Dan Erlewine                                                                                       

▪ Is there any doubt that Erlewine is the world’s best-known guitar fixer? He’s also a heck of a nice guy. Editor Olsen nailed Erlewine’s feet to the floor long enough to answer a few questions. With 4 neat snapshots. Mentions Herb David, Mike Bloomfield.

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

Attic Strads, and Why What’s Worth Something Is Worth What It’s Worth

1991
AL#25 p.42   BRB3 p.22            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Why are some fiddles worth so much? Which ones might you find that will provide good investments? Which sleepers should you look for if you want a really good inexpensive violin for playing? Darnton doesn’t offer the last word, but his advice is worth heeding. Mentions Stradivari, Guarnari.

Meet the Maker: George Gorodnitski

1991
AL#25 p.44   BRB3 p.26            
Jonathon Peterson   George Gorodnitsky                                                                                       

▪ A Russian luthier moves to L.A. and shows up in Tacoma. He was trained in violins and moved on to electric guitars. This is what it was like, rockin’ in the USSR.

First Impressions of America

1991
AL#25 p.47   BRB3 p.28            read this article
George Gorodnitsky                                                                                           

▪ Gorodnitski fled Russia for an unknown fate in the USA. This article is only one column long, but it’s pretty striking. You may never think the same way about the Rose Parade again.

Seth Summerfield, Luthier

1991
AL#25 p.48   BRB3 p.24            
Bill Colgan   Greg Bernd                                                                                       

▪ Like many of his generation, eighty-year-old Summerfield led a hard life. He didn’t turn to professional instrument making until he reached what many would call old age, but after that he didn’t waste any time. There’s quite a few Seth Summerfields out there, and their story is always a good one.

Lutherie in Romania

1990
AL#23 p.54   BRB2 p.420            
Gabriel Petric                                                                                           

▪ AL #23 takes its second glimpse at instrument making in a strange land and finds that the concerns of luthiers are the same the world over. With 7 photos.

Meet the Maker: Ivo Pires

1990
AL#24 p.26   BRB2 p.465            
Jonathon Peterson   Ivo Pires                                                                                       

▪ America (and indeed, the world) is so deep with people who have had a meaningful life in some phase of lutherie that we should cease being surprised to discover an unknown person who has already racked up 30 or 40 years of experience. Pires is one of those folks, and his story is charming and illuminating. The cream seems to rise wherever it may be.

Meet the Maker: Hartley Peavey

1990
AL#22 p.34   BRB2 p.402            
George Manno   Hartley Peavey                                                                                       

▪ This is an interview with Hartley Peavey, whose manufacturing empire includes electric guitars, amplifiers, and other electronic gear for musicians. Topics include computerized manufacturing, offshore guitars, artist endorsements, and the Peavey business philosophy.

Meet the Maker: Dana Bourgeois

1990
AL#23 p.8   BRB2 p.386            
Gila Eban   Dana Bourgeois                                                                                       

▪ This interview took place while Bourgeois was designing acoustic guitars for Paul Reed Smith, an enterprise that never came to fruition but which led to Bourgeois starting his own company in Maine. He talks about his early days as a luthier and his association with Eric Shoenberg.

Windows in Time: An Interview with Collector and Harp Guitarist John Doan

1990
AL#23 p.14   BRB2 p.406            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Doan describes his collection of oddball zithers.

Meet the Maker: George Smith

1990
AL#23 p.20   BRB2 p.398            
Jonathon Peterson   George-A. Smith                                                                                       

▪ Smith is a veteran builder of many instruments who prefers to specialize in guitars and harpsichords.

Meet the Maker: Jose Yacopi

1990
AL#23 p.24   BRB2 p.414            
Roberto Blinder   Jose Yacopi                                                                                       

▪ Blinder interviews an Argentine instrument maker about his career, his guitars, wood, and strings. With 4 photos.

Lutherie — The Hard Way

1990
AL#22 p.18               
John Larsen                                                                                           

▪ Larsen built his first guitar in 1950. His article describes the difficult road folks had to follow before the Information Age engulfed lutherie.

Meet the Maker: Nancy Conescu

1990
AL#22 p.29   BRB2 p.392            
Cyndy Burton   Nancy Conescu                                                                                       

▪ Conescu offers insight into the value of formal lutherie training. After violin making school she worked for years under the watchful eye of master repairmen and builders.

Meet the Maker: Michael Yeats

1990
AL#21 p.12   BRB2 p.354            
Cyndy Burton   Michael Yeats                                                                                       

▪ Training, ethics, money—all luthiers face the same dilemmas, but it’s possible that those who face the field of professional classical musicians are tried a little harder. Yeats offers straight talk about all three issues.

An Interview with Stewart Pollens

1989
AL#20 p.18   BRB2 p.316            
Cyndy Burton   Stewart Pollens                                                                                       

▪ Pollens is Associate Conservator of the Department of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. How does a major museum maintain its instruments? How do they view their responsibilities to their collections? How does one train to do the work? Here it is.

Meet the Maker: Frank “Andy” Johnson

1989
AL#19 p.40   BRB2 p.294            
Jonathon Peterson   Frank-“Andy” Johnson                                                                                       

▪ Johnson is a banjo restorationist and tonewood supplier from Washington State. He specializes in selling spruce to the major piano manufacturers.

Meet the Maker: Ralph Rabin

1989
AL#19 p.44   BRB2 p.300            
Jonathon Peterson   Ralph Rabin                                                                                       

▪ Rabin learned to make violins in Cremona, Italy. His description makes it sound like a wonderful way to learn.

Review: Antonio de Torres, Guitar Maker — His Life and Work by Jose Romanillos

1989
AL#19 p.56   BRB2 p.496            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ The reviewers find this book to be “a significant resource. . .densely packed with information both useful and interesting.” The evolution of the classical guitar, as described by Romanillos, should be of interest to all contemporary builders.

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

An Interview with Darryl Wolfe, F5 Expert

1989
AL#18 p.26   BRB2 p.228            
Ted Davis   Darryl Wolfe                                                                                       

▪ Both of these men love and revere the F-5 mandolin. Wolfe owned four Lloyd Loar mandos up to the time of the interview, studied and photographed 130 old F-5s, and published the F5 Journal. A lengthy interview with 12 photos. One man’s opinion can dispel, and perhaps create, instrument mythology.

Meet the Maker: Wes Brandt

1989
AL#18 p.42   BRB2 p.238            
Jonathon Peterson   Wes Brandt                                                                                       

▪ Peterson offers a short interview with a luthier who makes small-bodied steel string guitars from alternative woods.

Meet the Maker: Frederick C. Lyman, Jr.

1989
AL#18 p.46   BRB2 p.248            
Jonathon Peterson   Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.                                                                                       

▪ Lyman is an inveterate experimenter best known for his string basses, a regular American Lutherie contributor, and an interesting thinker.

An Interview with Les Paul

1989
AL#18 p.48   BRB2 p.280            
George Manno   Les Paul                                                                                       

▪ The long-lived jazzer/inventor/guitar designer talks mostly about his long association with Gibson.

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

An Interview with Yuri Aleksik

1989
AL#17 p.38   BRB2 p.183            
James Flynn   Yuri Aleksik                                                                                       

▪ Aleksik is a master prima balalaika player from Kiev. Flynn asks him about instruments in this short interview.

S.I. Nalimov, The Master Balalaika Builder

1989
AL#17 p.22   BRB2 p.184            
A.I. Peresada                                                                                           

▪ Nalimov is to the balalaika as Stradivarius is to the violin. This article is condensed from Peresada’s biography of Namilov. With photos, drawings, and label reproductions.

Meet the Maker: M.A. Kupfer

1989
AL#17 p.28   BRB2 p.178            
James Flynn   M.A. Kupfer                                                                                       

▪ It turns out that life for a Russian instrument maker isn’t far different than for an American luthier. Long hours, difficult conditions, and small financial rewards. The turf may be different, but the job remains the same.

Meet the Maker: Hammond Ashley

1988
AL#15 p.30   BRB2 p.82            
Tim Olsen   Hammond Ashley                                                                                       

▪ This is a “factory tour” of the Ham Ashley shop.They specialize in the larger members of the violin family.

One Man’s Mandolins

1988
AL#16 p.6   BRB2 p.112            
Steve Andersen                                                                                           

▪ A well-known maker of archtop instruments offers an in-depth examination of his building style and his business. With 13 photos.

Gene Rhinehart’s Resophonic Guitar Cones

1988
AL#14 p.14   BRB2 p.55            
Ed Vande-Voorde                                                                                           

▪ Rhinehart’s Dobro cones have developed a wonderful reputation. In this interview he outlines his material choices and production techniques. With 6 photos.

An Interview with Jeffrey R. Elliott

1987
AL#12 p.22   BRB1 p.454   ALA3 p.4         
Joseph Bacon   Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                       

▪ A lengthy interview with the well-known maker of classical guitars covers such subjects as training, wood seasoning and supply, finishes, and boomerangs. Cyndy Burton participates. Mentions Hauser Sr., Michael Kasha, Richard Schneider, Ralph Towner, and Julian Bream. With 4 photos.

Steiny and the Everly Guitar

1987
AL#12 p.26   BRB1 p.460   ALA4 p.4         
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Enhanced with 6 photos, this is the tale of one luthier’s connection to famous musicians, the Everly Brothers. Have you ever made a guitar with solid gold frets and binding? Robert Steinegger has.

Robert Lundberg: In Tune With the Universe

1987
AL#12 p.30   HLC p.xiii            
Tim Olsen   Robert Lundberg                                                                                       

▪ Did people of a given time and place think and respond differently than we do? Lundberg thinks so. He has learned to think like an ancient luthier by studying their work, and has therefore made a connection to a neglected tradition and society. It shows in his work and his speech, and apparently, in his life.

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

Indian Import and Export

1987
AL#11 p.22   BRB1 p.428            read this article
Gulab Gidwani                                                                                           

▪ A well-known importer and dealer of tonewoods relates some of the difficulties of doing business with third-world nations, such as getting a sawyer of railroad ties to cut fretboards.

Roy Smeck: Wizard of the Strings

1987
AL#11 p.40   BRB1 p.436            read this article
James Garber   Roy Smeck                                                                                       

▪ This is an interview with the man who may have been the best known instrumentalist of his time, the Chet Atkins of vaudeville, if you will. The conversation is mostly about his instruments.

Harvey Thomas and the Infernal Music Machine

1987
AL#11 p.44   BRB1 p.440            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ A rollicking, good-time account of a era gone by and a free-spirited maker of outrageous electric guitars who was pretty much unknown outside of his own territory. It’ll make you feel good.

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

Jack Batts

1987
AL#10 p.36   BRB1 p.390            read this article
Jeff Feltman   Jack Batts                                                                                       

▪ Intelligent questions and no-holds-barred answers make this long interview with a veteran builder seem too short. All violin articles should be this interesting. Forty-nine years dedicated to wood, glue, and varnish have to teach one a great deal. With 8 photos. Mentions Sacconi, Stradivari, Guarneri, and Amati.

High School Dreams

1987
AL#10 p.56   BRB1 p.414            read this article
Dave Schneider                                                                                           

▪ A dream comes true. Schneider relates his growth toward a successful lutherie career. He begins with a high school shop program, travels through various repair and furniture jobs, apprentices as a lute maker, and ends up self-employed.

Developing a New Design

1987
AL#11 p.8   BRB1 p.416            
Steve Klein                                                                                           

▪ Klein’s lecture outlines his aesthetic concerns about the contemporary steel string guitar, and many of the details of his ever-evolving, iconoclastic instruments. With several nice drawings and 2 photos. Mentions Richard Schneider and Michael Kasha.

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

Marvels Among the Reeds

1987
AL#11 p.10   BRB1 p.419            read this article
Susan Norris                                                                                           

▪ Norris offers no details about her asymmetric 10-string fiddle, but the one good photo adds much to a delightful little article.

Why Make It Square?

1987
AL#11 p.14   BRB1 p.427            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson makes a case for less conformity in lutherie. Only 1 photo of one of his dramatic, asymmetrical guitars, but it’s quite inspiring.

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

Review: Jose Oribe: The Fine Guitar

1987
AL#9 p.56   BRB1 p.498            
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer believes that the book may help an experienced luthier adjust his “attitude” toward his craft and thereby make a better instrument. The beginner may not find it so useful.

Review: The New Yorker Special by Frederick Cohen

1987
AL#9 p.57   BRB1 p.500            read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer has high praise for this 28-minute film about famed archtop builder Jimmy D’Aquisto. As well as being a “valentine” to D’Aquisto, this film offers a tasty repast for information-hungry luthiers. (AL#9 p.57).

Memories of Vladimir Bobri

1987
AL#10 p.6   BRB1 p.358            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Bobri was an artist and a patron of the arts, a composer and transcriber of guitar music, president of the New York Guitar Society, and editor of Guitar Review. Huttig’s admiration for the man is obvious in this salute following Bobri’s death by fire.

Remembering Harry LeBovi

1987
AL#10 p.8   BRB1 p.360            read this article
Fred Calland                                                                                           

▪ LeBovit was an aficionado of the violin all his life, a maker of fine violins, and a self-made recording engineer, all of which he did on his own time while working for the US government. Calland recalls a dynamic individual who touched many important lives.

Cussed and Discussed

1987
AL#9 p.20   BRB1 p.318            
Don Teeter                                                                                           

▪ How does an Oklahoma farm boy become a luthier? How does that same luthier become a writer and mentor to a generation of guitar repairmen? Teeter’s 1985 convention lecture tells all, then goes on to update his neck resetting procedure and his method of eliminating dead notes on the fretboard.

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

An Overview of the Hauser Tradition

1986
AL#8 p.18   BRB1 p.274   ALA3 p.8         
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ This lecture transcription presents a chronological overview of the work of Hermann Hauser Sr. 26 photos and 3 drawings complete the article. A major investigation of some important guitars.

The Paul Schuback Story

1987
AL#9 p.6   BRB1 p.304            read this article
Paul Schuback                                                                                           

▪ In this fascinating lecture from the 1986 GAL convention Schuback speaks of his apprenticeship to a French violin maker in 1962, then goes on to offer details about instrument construction, wood, and a Q&A session.

Ed Arnold, String Tie Kind of Guy

1986
AL#7 p.21   BRB1 p.248            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison   Ed Arnold                                                                                       

▪ Robison interviews Arnold about harvesting wood in Mexico and dealing it in America.

Premiata Liuteria

1986
AL#7 p.29   BRB1 p.256   ALA6 p.8         
Mario Maccaferri                                                                                           

▪ Maccaferri speaks about his life as a musician, luthier, and inventor. Mentions the Selmer company and Django Reinhardt.

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

Review: Julian Bream: A Life on the Road

1986
AL#5 p.53   BRB1 p.496            read this article
Gila Eban                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds the book to be of interest to the luthier, even though it offers little technical information about guitars.

The Well-Unpublished Luthier

1986
AL#6 p.14   BRB1 p.190            read this article
William Cumpiano                                                                                           

▪ Cumpiano goes to some length telling of the travails and trials of producing the book, Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology.

A Modern Builder Interprets the Archtop

1986
AL#6 p.34   BRB1 p.227            
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ Monteleone’s lecture covers personal background, after which a question/answer segment gets to the specifics of archtop design and construction.

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

Monteleone: The Artist Behind the “Grand Artist”

1986
AL#6 p.38   BRB1 p.222            
Ted Davis   John Monteleone                                                                                       

▪ This lengthy interview sheds more light on the archtop maker’s background and furnishes information about his mandolins.

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

Interview with William DelPilar

1986
AL#5 p.10   BRB1 p.150            
Ted Davis   William DelPilar                                                                                       

▪ Davis offers his conversation with a professional luthier who made over 800 classical guitars between 1956 and 1986.

A Chat with Don Manuel

1985
AL#4 p.11   BRB1 p.99            
William Cumpiano   Manuel Velazquez                                                                                       

▪ Velazquez fields a number of questions about the specifics of building the nylon-strung guitar, including types of glue, choice of wood, construction design, and finishing.

Tarrega Played a Maple Guitar

1985
AL#4 p.20   BRB1 p.114            
David Macias                                                                                           

▪ Macias relates an interesting anecdote about the first maple classical guitar he built, then translates a Pujol description of the Tarrega guitar made by Torres.

In the Ramirez Workshop

1985
AL#4 p.36   BRB1 p.140   ALA5 p.2         
William Tapia                                                                                           

▪ Tapia relates the history of Ramirez guitars and tells of his time there learning to properly repair them.

Manuel Velazquez: An Appreciation

1985
AL#4 p.8   BRB1 p.96            
William Cumpiano                                                                                           

▪ Cumpiano shares a pleasant visit with Velazquez in Puerto Rico where the conversation is all about classical guitars, wood, compensation factors, and balancing the tone of the instrument.

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

Rendezvous with Destiny, a Symposium ’85 talk

1985
AL#3 p.8   BRB1 p.80            
C.F. Martin-IV                                                                                           

▪ Martin, currently head of the Martin Guitar Company, offers some personal history and business advice to luthiers.

A Love Affair with Wood, a Symposium ’85 talk

1985
AL#3 p.11   BRB1 p.84            
C.F. Martin-III                                                                                           

▪ The former head of the Martin Guitar Company reminisces about his life as a guitar maker, offers a short history of the company and certain guitar models, and in the process mentions C. F. Martin Jr., Frank Henry Martin, and Mike Longworth.

Where Are They Now?

1985
AL#2 p.13   BRB1 p.56            read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ An update of the 1980 Lutherie Business panel discussion, featuring George Gruhn, Max Krimmel, Steve Klein, Robert Lundberg, and R.E. Brune.

Mario Maccaferri: Feisty as Ever

1985
AL#2 p.32               
Michael Dresdner                                                                                           

▪ A brief life history of Mario Maccaferri, including his career as a musician, his work with the Selmer Company and the Django Reinhardt guitars, his plastics manufacturing, his association with John Monteleone, and his projects as he nears retirement.

Bob Mattingly, Guitar Maker

1984
GALQ Vol.12#3 p.8   BRB2 p.456            
William Tapia   Bob Mattingly                                                                                       

▪ Mattingly is one of the best classical guitar makers in the U.S., yet what is it that keeps him and other fine luthiers from reaching international acclaim?

Remembering Hermann Hauser II

1983
GALQ Vol.11#3 p.10   BRB2 p.154            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ The author visited Hauser in Germany in 1966. This short biography and remembrance adds a bit of humanity to a man who is usually only thought of in terms of the guitars he left behind when he died. With 2 photos.

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

An Interview with H.E. Huttig

1983
GALQ Vol.11#1 p.12   BRB2 p.109            
David Fisher   H.E. Huttig                                                                                       

▪ H.E. Huttig, wood merchant, writer, world traveler, experimenter, practical musicologist, lover of life, guitar maker.

Meet the Maker: Victor Gardener

1982
GALQ Vol.10#3 p.16   BRB2 p.158            
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.   Victor Gardener                                                                                       

▪ Gardener was an independent sort from Oregon who built closely in the style of the violins of the classic period in Italy. Mentions Hans Weishaar. With 2 photos.

A Luthiers Life by a Luthiers Wife

1982
GALQ Vol.10#4 p.22               
Bonnie Robiczek                                                                                           

▪ Robiczek’s husband Robert Meadow makes lutes, violins, and classical guitars; they also run a school teaching woodworking and instrument making.

William Foden

1981
GALQ Vol.9#4 p.26               
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Guitarist William Foden could compare in technique with any artist of any era.

Factory Life

1981
GALQ Vol.9#1 p.8   LT p.106            
John Judge                                                                                           

▪ This depiction of life in the Guild guitar factory in the ’60s may open some eyes.

An Interview with Guitarist George Sakellariou

1981
GALQ Vol.9#1 p.12               read this article
David Fisher   George Sakellariou                                                                                       

▪ Sakellariou brings an uncommonly alive and musical warmth to his performance.

An Interview with Guitarist Roger McGuinn

1981
GALQ Vol.9#3 p.26               read this article
Rachael Brent   Roger McGuinn                                                                                       

▪ Anyone that has ever seen Roger perform knows that unlike many other musicians, he will never disappoint an audience.

De Grassi and Dawgs: Our Hates and Loves

1981
GALQ Vol.9#3 p.32               read this article
David-B. Sheppard                                                                                           

▪ Brief interviews with some of the top notch performers at the 1980 GAL convention: David Grisman, Mike Marshall, Mark O’Conner, and Alex DeGrassi.

A Friendly Interview with Donald Warnock

1980
GALQ Vol.8#2 p.16               read this article
David-B. Sheppard   Donald Warnock                                                                                       

▪ Instrument maker Donald Warnock was a major figure in the early-music revival of the 1960s and ’70s.

An Interview with Guitarist David Tanenbaum

1980
GALQ Vol.8#4 p.14               read this article
David Fisher   David Tanenbaum                                                                                       

▪ 24 year old virtuoso David Tanenbaum of Oakland, CA is already a veteran of New York solo recitals and concerts and tours with the Jeffrey ballet.

Gruhn Battles T.A.S.

1980
GALQ Vol.8#4 p.22               
George Gruhn                                                                                           

▪ Luthiers, both repair craftsmen and builders, tend to exhibit ‘temperamental artist syndrome’.

Manuel Davila: Renaissance Man

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.30   BRB2 p.61            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Hutting happens across Manuel Davila in Guatemala City, who builds guitars that are completely original and do not follow tradition in construction and decoration.

An Interview with Richard Schneider

1978
GALQ Vol.6#4 p.10               
Michael Keller   Richard Schneider                                                                                       

▪ A brief interview with the renowned luthier, maestro Richard Shneider, known for his development of the radically innovative Kasha Design soundboard guitar.

Meet the Maker: Robert Lundberg

1978
GALQ Vol.6#1 p.10   BRB2 p.78            
Kent Rayman   Aggie Rayman   Robert Lundberg                                                                                   

▪ Lundberg is a classic example of a man who couldn’t fit into any of the slots society tried to force him into, yet who went on to become an important individual in his field. Lute players of the world couldn’t be happier about it. With 4 photos.

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

An Interview with Jeffrey R. Elliott

1976
GALQ Vol.4#3 p.6               
Kent Rayman   Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                       

▪ Elliott discusses his teacher Richard Schneider, opening his own shop in Michigan, and classical guitars.

Alexander Illitch Eppler

1976
GALQ Vol.4#1 p.8               read this article
Kent Rayman   Alexander-I. Eppler                                                                                       

▪ Seattle-born Alexander Illitch Eppler is an established virtuoso, and a maker and player of balkan end-blown flutes.

Manuel Davila: Renaissance Man

1975
GALNL Vol.3#2 p.1   BRB2 p.61            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Hutting happens across Manuel Davila in Guatemala City, who builds guitars that are completely original and do not follow tradition in construction and decoration.

Epitaph for a Luthier: Miguel Company

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.25   BRB2 p.23            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ A number of builders impacted the lutherie scene simply by keeping the craft alive during the dark days of the ’50s and early ’60s, even though they are all but forgotten today. Company fled Castro’s Cuba to Florida, where he made all manner of guitars and Latin instruments.