Category Archives: restoration

The Historic Solera of Santos Hernández: an Attempted Reconstruction

2024
AL#151 p.24               
Tobias Braun                                                                                           

▪ How do you explain that the glue squeeze-out in some fine old guitars by Spanish masters drips the wrong way? Seems like that could only happen if the top was glued last, face-up. The key to the mystery may be an unusual century-old workboard from the shop of Santos Hernández. Tune in for the rest of the story. Mentions Jose Romanillos, Marian Harris Winspear, Jeffrey Elliott, Richard Brune, Alberto Martínez, Domingo Esteso, Enrique Garcia, Francisco Simplicio, Miguel Simplicio, Marcelo Barbero, Marcelo Barbero (Hijo), Arcangel Fernández Léonard Plattner, Faustino Conde, Mariano Conde, Julio Conde, Felipe Conde, Felipe Conde Crespo, Modesto Borreguero, Hernández y Aguado, José Ramírez III, Julián Gómez Ramírez, Manuel Ramírez, Antonio Torres, Robert Bouchet.

The Gibson L1: a Modern Recreation

2023
AL#150 p.6               
Sjaak Elmendorp                                                                                           

▪ The technology and fashion of wooden instruments move forward inexorably, although whether that “forward” motion is the same as improvement can be a matter of debate for decades or centuries. Elmendorp made what he calls a “faithful impression rather than accurate reproduction” of a 1907-style Gibson L1: small body, carved top, floating bridge, round hole.

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.

Refurbishing a Manuel Nunes Rajao

2023
AL#148 p.22               
Karl Hoyt                                                                                           

▪ Hoyt stumbled upon a small and distressed old instrument that turned out to be made by a founding father of the authentic ukulele. Mentions Augusto Dias, Jose do Espirito Santo, Jim Tranquada.

Seven Fine Books About the Romantic Guitar, in English

2023
AL#148 p.44               
James Buckland                                                                                           

▪ Beautiful books about the pre-classical guitar, with lush and informative photography, are being published in Europe. Don’t worry; they include English text for the benefit of us new-worlders. Mentions Mauro Giuliani, Gennaro Fabricatore, Joseph Pons, Johann Stauffer, Rene Lacote, Wappengitarre.

Ironing Out a Warped Guitar Neck

2022
AL#147 p.52               
Michael Burton                                                                                           

▪ What do you do with a guitar that seems beyond repair? Repair it anyway. Why not? After decades of neglect and wildly improper storage, this sturdy Asian-built flattop had developed the mother of all neck warps. Burton ripped into it with clothes iron, heat blanket, router, and neck jig to replace the truss rod and fix earlier disastrous repair attempts. It turned out great.

Letter: Gortex Felt Paper for Restoration

2022
AL#146 p.2               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Gives updated info on guitar restoration materials that were mentioned by Elliott in AL#145.

Ruminations on Historic Guitar Restoration

2022
AL#145 p.16               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Elliott is best known for his long career of making classical guitars of the highest quality, but he has also undertaken some major restorations of important historic instruments. Here he reviews three projects and shares thoughts about his approach. Mentions Jose Romanillos, Hermann Hauser Sr., Antonio de Torres, Francisco Tarrega, Francisco Gonzalez, Peter Radcliff.

The Musical Instrument Museum — A Must-See for Luthiers

2022
AL#145 p.32               
Mark French                                                                                           

▪ Frequent author Mark French spends a lot of time in the physics lab and the workshop. But here he emerges, blinking, into the Arizona sunshine to visit a fabulous musical instrument museum. In fact, it’s The Musical Instrument Museum.

“Restomodding” Wall-Hanger Guitars

2021
AL#144 p.6               
Roger Haggstrom                                                                                           

▪ A hundred and some years ago, Swedish folks sat around the house all of a dark winter and sang hymns together, accompanied by the strummings of cheap mass-produced guitars. Those days are gone, but a lot of the guitars are still hanging on the walls of old houses. Roger Häggström has made a business of restoring them to useful condition and modifying them to sound and play better than they ever could have. He restores and modifies. Restomods. Mentions the Levin guitar company.

Seeking the Holy Grail: Torres’ FE08, Part Two

2021
AL#144 p.24               
Federico Sheppard                                                                                           

▪ Federico Sheppard completes his uncompromising copy of FE08, the elaborate early opus of the master luthier Antonio Torres Jurado. Beautifully figured wood and excruciatingly detailed marquetry come together and receive a French polish finish. Mentions Jose Romanillos, Marian Romanillos, Eugene Clark, and Robert Ruck.

Review: Vincente Arias (1833-1914) The Forgotten Luthier

2021
AL#144 p.65               
Kevin Aram                                                                                           

▪ Our reviewer Kevin Aram praises this gorgeous book which includes interviews with several luthiers about the methods and ideas of the great Spanish master builder.

Soundboard Construction of Vinaccia Mandolins Around 1900

2021
AL#143 p.30               
Alfred Woll                                                                                           

▪ The Vinaccia family was at the heart of the development of the Neapolitan mandolin, beginning in the mid-18th century and running well into the 20th. This article follows those developments with changing string technology and musical taste. The author then gives us a step-by-step demonstration of making the distinctive arched-and-canted soundboard.

Review: Sinier de Ridder’s The Spanish Guitar

2020
AL#141 p.65               
Chris Sobel                                                                                           

▪ Françoise and Daniel Sinier de Ridder, authors of The Spanish Guitar, will be familiar to American Lutherie readers from their ambitious restoration articles. Our reviewer loves this lavish and informative picture book.

A Larson Bros. Harp Guitar Restoration

2020
AL#140 p.34               
Kerry Char                                                                                           

▪ This ornate contraption had seen a lot of use and abuse in almost a dozen decades of service. Long-ago modifications plus the pull of sixteen strings left it in a sorry state. It had to be taken in hand rather decisively to be brought back into playing condition. Two necks, the back, the enormous bridge, and a lot of bracing came off. Content warning: contains lutherie gore.

When Does “Replica” Become “Inspired By?”

2020
AL#140 p.62               
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ Nearly twenty years ago, Casey made a detailed drawing of a 7-string Russian guitar which we published as GAL Instrument Plan #48. Recently, he was called on to make a replica of that instrument. Sure, he had the drawing, but he took a few liberties with the project. He tells us what he did, and why. The original guitar showed some Stauffer inspiration.

Questions: Remove Back from 19th-century Guitar

2019
AL#138 p.70               
Art Robb                                                                                           

▪ How do you take the back off a 19th-century guitar? Carefully, and slowly. The author offers good advice based on long experience.

Tropical Hardwoods: Global Perspectives and Outlook

2019
AL#138 p.6               
Michael Bashkin                                                                                           

▪ Michael Bashkin’s lutherie cred is unimpeachable, and it turns out that he previously had a career in forestry, with years of experience in many places from the tropics, to the temperate zone, to the arctic. So he knows a lot about trees and about wood. How should we feel about using the earth’s dwindling supplies of fine traditional woods to make our wonderful, precious guitars? And will our clients give us less of their wonderful, precious dollars if we don’t? Let’s ask Michael. This fascinating article is based on his 2017 GAL Convention lecture.

Measuring Scale Length of Fretted Instruments

2019
AL#136 p.48               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ What’s the scale length? Isn’t it just twice the distance from the nut to the 12th fret? Yeah, kinda, but there can be a lot of complicating factors when working on old instruments. Like maybe the nut position was compensated, or just cut wrong. Or maybe the 12th fret was a little off. The fret positions might have been calculated using the old rule of 18. Here’s how to find out what’s really going on.

A Smashed Top and a Shattered Headstock

2019
AL#136 p.12               
Kerry Char                                                                                           

▪ A cool old Gibson-era Epiphone guitar got well and truly smashed in an incident involving large and excited dogs. Better call Char! Kerry Char, that is. He jumps right in to remove the top, take off the braces, and then put the whole thing back together and polish it up nice before you can say “Kalamazoo!” From his 2017 GAL Convention slide show.

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.

Case Study of a 1935 Guitar by Cremonese Luthier Luigi Digiuni

2019
AL#136 p.42               
Massimo Maddaloni   Lizabeth-Jane Hella   Giacomo Parimbelli                                                                                   

▪ From the time that the violin was invented, Cremona was the world center for the highest quality string instrument making, until it gradually became known for lower-quality mass production of fiddles. After its dark age, Cremona has more recently seen a renaissance of its lutherie heritage. This article looks at an unusual guitar made by a Cremonese luthier in the 1930s and sees echoes of the old masters in its design. Mentions Stradivari, Panormo, Fibonacci spiral, Archimedean spiral, golden ratio.

Removing Top and Back Guitar Plates

2018
AL#135 p.30               
Kerry Char                                                                                           

▪ Kerry Char sawed the top off an old Gibson flattop in front of a group of several dozen luthiers at the 2017 GAL Convention. And within the same hour he pried the back off a Knutsen harp guitar. Step by step photos.

Restoration of a Guitar by Thomas Duran made in Seville 1684

2018
AL#133 p.34               
D.-and-F. Sinier-de-Ridder                                                                                           

▪ So you need to restore a guitar that is a third of a millienium old. Of course it was originally a Baroque guitar. A couple hundred years ago somebody chopped it into a Romantic-era 6-string guitar. No prob, you’ll just find a similar authentic instrument for a guide. Except there aren’t any. Spain was packed with them 300 years ago, but now not a single one is known to exist in original condition. Nonetheless, a full and successful restoration is made.

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: 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.

The Monster in the Attic

2017
AL#129 p.20               
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ When a neighbor brought in “Grampa’s old guitar” for Fred Casey to look at, he got a shock. The guitar was a whopper. Or more properly, a monster. That’s what Lyon & Healy called this very wide guitar. It was pretty well smashed, but soon it was back in playing condition. Does this guitar make my hips look big?

Considerations in Replicating Vintage Guitars

2016
AL#128 p.8               
Alan Perlman                                                                                           

▪ Perlman runs though a restoration job on a Torres guitar, replacing a side and copying fancy purflings. Then he builds a replica of a Stahl Style 6 flattop. So when you are copying a century-old American guitar, how far do you go in the name of authenticity? Do you match the faded tones of the purfling, or use the nice bright colors that the Larson Brothers liked? Do you let the glue blobs roam free like they did, or get all tidy like a nervous modern maker? From his 2014 convention lecture.

Restoration of a Guitar by Antonio de Torres, 1875

2015
AL#123 p.16               
D.-and-F. Sinier-de-Ridder                                                                                           

▪ This guitar, built in 1875, is the 2nd instrument made in the second epoch of Antonio de Torres, and was subjected to numerous botched repairs over the years. The authors undertake a thorough restoration to put the guitar in playing condition.

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

2011
AL#108 p.63               
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

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

Salvador Ibanez Guitar Restoration

2011
AL#108 p.48               
Sue Johnson                                                                                           

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

Restoration of a Michelot Late Baroque Guitar

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

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

Restoring a Battle Axe

2009
AL#97 p.48               
Roger-Alan Skipper                                                                                           

▪ Skipper decides to save the life of a Martin D-28 that most of us would use for spare parts and firewood. A new top is made and severely cracked sides and back are restored to usefulness by interesting techniques that offer strength and renewed life rather than cosmetic perfection. In other words, a repair that mere mortals can afford. Good job! With 12 photos.

Restoring a Church Bass

2009
AL#98 p.34               
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.                                                                                           

▪ There’s not a lot of detail to this piece, but there’s nice story telling and some philosophy to live by. Lyman has been involved in the bass world since before the GAL, and whatever he has to say about it is important (and usually fun). With 3 photos.

From Trash to Treasure

2008
AL#95 p.32      ALA5 p.76         
Tobias Braun                                                                                           

▪ Braun took on the job of restoring a massively injured Spanish factory guitar made approximately in 1900. This is not only a close look at how such work is done, but an examination of how these guitars were made. It’s not a Torres, but it’s pretty cool. With 41 photos and 4 catalog page reproductions.

Questions: Restoring Manzanero Guitar

2006
AL#87 p.67               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ Proper way to fix a Manzanero guitar with poorly repaired cracks on the top and back, a pulled up neck, and a poor refinish.

A Flattop Mandolin Resurrection

2006
AL#86 p.50               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This is another of the author’s attempts to save a ruined instrument without ruining the customer’s bank account. The subject this time is a WWI-era Gibson army-navy style mandolin. With 14 photos.

Resurrecting the Family Guitar

2006
AL#85 p.46               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Some instruments aren’t valuable enough to warrant extensive repair work but are too interesting to throw away. Enter the resurrectionist. In this case the subject is a ’30s tenor guitar by Regal. Cracks are fixed, braces are replaced, a new bridge is made, and the neck is refitted. With 21 photos.

It Worked for Me: Hardanger Fiddle Pegs

2005
AL#83 p.61   BRB7 p.501            
David Golber                                                                                           

▪ Restoring old decorated Hardanger fiddle pegs. You need to preserve the old carved button, so this method involves grafting it to a new shaft.

Letter to the Editor: Elliott Torres Restoration Article

2005
AL#84 p.3   BRB7 p.545            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune comments on the restoration of the Torres guitar covered in AL #83. Brune worked on this guitar previous to Elliott’s restoration, and he offers two more photos of the instrument.

Resurrecting the Family Banjo

2005
AL#84 p.50   BRB7 p.412            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Resurrection isn’t so much about true restoration as in making a dilapidated instrument function again in a manner that the owner can afford. Time-saving procedures are permitted that a restorationist wouldn’t dream of, but preserving the instrument as much as possible is still the goal. With 12 photos.

Restoring Tarrega’s 1888 Torres

2005
AL#83 p.18   BRB7 p.364            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Restoring famous instruments is a tricky business. If they are also old, well-played, and abused by poor storage facilities the work becomes a cross between knowledge, craft, and art. Elliott goes where few of us would care to travel, explaining every step of restoration as he goes. Perhaps as important is what he doesn’t do. The ethics of restoration is a foundation of the story. With 42 photos as well as a 2-page spread of GAL full-size plan #52.

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

GAL Instrument Plan #52: 1888 Antonio de Torres Classic Guitar

2005
AL#83 p.32   BRB7 p.378            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

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

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.

Questions: 1920 Gibson A-4 Mandolin Finish Repair

2005
AL#82 p.66   BRB7 p.437            
Don Overstreet   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ Cleaning a 1920 Gibson A-4 mandolin properly without hammering whatever finish is present and removing the wax layers.

Questions: Dished Soundboard

2004
AL#80 p.61   BRB7 p.349            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ A highly valued classical guitar from the 60s that has developed a dish between the bridge and the sound hole.

Questions: Restoration Labels

2002
AL#72 p.63   BRB6 p.374            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   R.E. Brune   Stewart Pollens   Byron Will   Michael Darnton   Frank Ford                                                                       

▪ Thoughts from various folks representing different instruments and approaches on restoration label do’s and don’ts for severely damaged guitars.

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.

1869 Francisco Gonzalez: A Restoration

2002
AL#70 p.16   BRB6 p.328            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Returning a historically important guitar to life is not only a painstaking project but also one that must be done with finesse and a respect for the instrument’s value as an historical document. This restoration took several months and much research and investigation, requiring the use of tools not normally associated with guitar repair. With 43 photos and a magazine-size version of GAL Plan #47 of the instrument under discussion.

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

GAL Instrument Plan #47: 1869 Francisco Gonzalez Guitar

2002
AL#70 p.34   BRB6 p.343            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

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

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 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.

The Squishy Subject of Restoration Ethics

1999
AL#59 p.6   BRB5 p.374            
Frank Ford                                                                                           

▪ A top repairman tackles the sticky subject of what repair and restoration work should be tackled in this age of vintage instrument mania, especially in the area of elective surgery. Even today’s utilitarian instruments may be tomorrow’s hot collectibles, so every instrument that passes over our bench has to be considered in this light. What work should we refuse, and what are our liabilities for the work we do? Includes 41 photos, mostly of vintage guitars and mandolins.

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

Violin Views

1998
AL#56 p.62   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Before you try to fix, buy, or sell a violin, you better know what you’re diving into. Darnton explains how to evaluate the condition of a fiddle and how to spot old repairs and perhaps even forgeries.

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.

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.

Violin Q & A: Quarter Sawn Wood/Thickening Alcohol Varnish Solution/Chin Rest/Lake Pigments

1997
AL#51 p.50   BRB5 p.458            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Straight talk about why slab-sawn wood is a poor choice for violin necks, boiling down an alcohol solution, getting a chin rest to stay on a fiddle, and making lake pigments.

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: 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.

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?

It Worked for Me: Removing White Glue

1996
AL#45 p.57   BRB4 p.499            
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ An alternative method for removing white glue is the use of acetic acid, handy where the use of steam would be objectionable.

The Neapolitan Mandolin

1996
AL#46 p.20   BRB4 p.316            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ An introduction to the structure and methods of construction of historical instruments, especially the belly. With 12 photos, 2 pages of notes and bibliography, and a family tree of Neapolitan luthiers from the 15th to the 20th centuries.

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

Decorative Techniques in Lutherie

1996
AL#45 p.10   BRB4 p.264            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ This 1995 lecture transcription investigates the history of art applied to lutherie in all its varied forms, and then translates many of them into illustrations of contemporary instruments. Topics include painting, gilding, carving, veneer, inlay, engraving, and varnish work. With 49 photos and illustrations.

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

Review: The Conservation and Technology of Musical Instruments, A Bibliographic Supplement to Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts, Vol. 28, edited by Cary Karp

1995
AL#42 p.57   BRB4 p.481            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that although the abstracts are clear and well written, the quality and usefulness of the abstracted material is not judged. The unwary may be sent on a long search for information of little, or dangerous, use.

Museum Collections as Resources for Musical Instrument Makers

1995
AL#42 p.26   BRB4 p.160            
John Koster                                                                                           

▪ Koster explains what you can hope to gain by examining museum instruments, how to approach a museum, and what to do when you get there. With 21 photos.

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

HD-28 Soundboard Replacement

1995
AL#42 p.40   BRB4 p.192            
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Carruth ran mode and frequency tests on the old top and the replacement top.The goal was to reproduce the quality of the old airlines-damaged top.

Just Beat It! Making a New Fender Neck Look Old

1994
AL#39 p.36   BRB4 p.72            
Dan Erlewine                                                                                           

▪ In the last issue Erlewine described how he made a new “old” Tele body. In this installment he attacks the neck, quite literally. With 40 photos.

Fe, Fi, Faux Fender

1994
AL#38 p.18   BRB4 p.28            
Dan Erlewine                                                                                           

▪ How do you make a new electric guitar that looks like it spent forty years in the bar wars? Erlewine uses two finishes with incompatible shrink rates, rope, the concrete floor, you name it! Creativity can be harsh, but his Tele certainly looks vintage.

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.

Ash Varnish: A modern Alchemist’s Recipe

1994
AL#37 p.44   BRB4 p.23            
Keith Hill                                                                                           

▪ Hill cooks up a varnish that resembles the fiddles in the early paintings, not those same fiddles 300 years later. A hundred years from now he expects his violins to be prettier than anyone’s.

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: Scot Tremblay

1993
AL#36 p.40   BRB3 p.405            
Jonathon Peterson   Scott Tremblay                                                                                       

▪ Trembley is a Canadian luthier who specializes in the guitars of the 19th century, both as a maker and a restorationist. He has studied the subject deeply. With 12 photos and a scale drawing of an 1816 Salon Guitar by Jose Martinez. This plan is a reduced version of GAL full-scale Plan #36.

Violin Setups, Part One

1993
AL#35 p.6   BRB3 p.352            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ To the uninitiated, violin setup seems to have way too many steps for the small number of moveable parts involved. Taken one step at a time, the mystery falls away. Darnton explains the tools and procedures he uses to get the most out of a violin. This segment includes fitting pegs, correcting problems with the nut, making a fingerboard, and fitting a soundpost. Part Two is printed in AL#37. With 30 photos.

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

A Timely Top Replacement

1993
AL#34 p.6   BRB3 p.316   ALA5 p.22         
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Elliott believes that top replacements might be far more common in the future than they are now. Instruments with tired tops might have them replaced rather than retire the rare/irreplaceable hardwoods that comprise the rest of the instrument. Anyhow, he tried it out. Here he presents a description of the operation and the ethics involved, with 23 photos.

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

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.

Reproducing the Finish of the “Rawlins” Stradivari Guitar

1993
AL#33 p.30   BRB3 p.292            
Geary Baese                                                                                           

▪ When a violin guy gets on the trail of an old guitar it comes out sounding an awful lot like a violin article. And when Stradivari is involved what else can one expect? Baese makes an educated guess about the materials and techniques that finished a famous guitar. With 8 photos.

Chemical Stains

1992
AL#32 p.44   BRB3 p.266            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Nothing is easy for fiddle people. When they aren’t tweaking and gluing wood they are stirring up a witch’s brew in their home chem labs. Darn if Darnton doesn’t sound like he likes it, though. Buy some fancy wood. Trick it into changing color.

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

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.

Repairing Catalyzed Finishes

1992
AL#32 p.58   BRB3 p.270            
Jim Grainger                                                                                           

▪ Grainger swears that this work is easy and profitable, and makes it seem so. The secret ingredient is called Final Coat, a Mohawk product.

Ivory Lute: Questions Remain

1992
AL#32 p.7   BRB3 p.241            read this article
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ It seems that there is real doubt about the authenticity of this very same lute. American Lutherie’s lute meister looks at the photos and thinks, “Hmm, maybe it is real.” With one more photo of Moby Lute.

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.

Violin Q & A: Violin Pics/Aligning Ribs/Revarnishing Quality Instruments/Buzz

1991
AL#25 p.56   BRB3 p.446            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Darnton turns some pictures of a mystery fiddle into a thousand words. Or a few hundred, anyway. Then he moves on to discuss distorted ribs, retouching varnish, and tracking down a mystery buzz. He adds an update about his varnish formula.

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.

Violin Varnish

1990
AL#22 p.38   BRB2 p.376            
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Violin people think about finishes in a way that guitar makers have difficulty grasping. It is an obsession. Darnton’s lengthy article discusses varnish types and components and offers a few recipes. It doesn’t seem fair that guitar folks don’t get to play with stuff called dragons blood, sandarac, and propolis, to name just a few. Such exotic incantations are bound to improve a finish, don’t you think?

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

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.

The Mandolin Orchestra in America, Part Three

1990
AL#21 p.44   BRB2 p.262            
Joseph-R. Johnson                                                                                           

▪ A number of non-mandolins were considered to be intrinsic parts of the mandolin orchestras. This installment of the series looks at all the boys in the band (and some girls, too). With 16 photos and a few drawings.

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

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.

Reflections on Segovia’s Guitars at the Metropolitan

1990
AL#21 p.32   BRB2 p.358            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ The authors make a cross-country pilgrimage to examine two world famous classical guitars, one by Manuel Ramirez and one by Hermann Hauser Sr. The wonder is that there are riddles there yet to be solved.

Who Made Marie Antoinette’s Guitar?

1990
AL#21 p.36   BRB2 p.352            
Robert Lundberg   R.E. Brune                                                                                       

▪ Lundberg says that perhaps he’s tracked down Marie’s own luthier. Brune examines the evidence and decides he’s not prepared to jump on board. With 3 fine photos.

Wood Treatment and Sizing Materials

1990
AL#21 p.38   BRB2 p.362            
Rick Rubin                                                                                           

▪ The goal is to preserve instrument wood for centuries, or make it stiffer. Either or both will do. Rubin examines a list of wood additives and lets the reader decide what to do.

The Mandolin Orchestra in America, Part Two

1989
AL#20 p.8   BRB2 p.262            
Joseph-R. Johnson                                                                                           

▪ Johnson examines the mandolin orchestra at the turn of the century when an aggressive ad campaign by Gibson changed the look and sound of the American mandolin forever. With 13 photos. Part One is in AL#19. Part Three is in AL#21.

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

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.

A Baroque Guitar Restoration

1989
AL#19 p.24   BRB2 p.250            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ A guitar that may have belonged to Marie Antoinette is brought back to playing condition. This article gives a good picture of what goes into the restoration of a museum-quality instrument. With 13 photos.

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

The Mandolin Orchestra in America, Part One

1989
AL#19 p.34   BRB2 p.262            
Joseph-R. Johnson                                                                                           

▪ Mandolin mania in America was a social phenomenon that was inflated to the max by the Gibson Company advertising propaganda. This portion of the series details the rise of the mandolin orchestras and mandolin clubs. With 9 photos and a Gibson cartoon. Part Two and Part Three follow in AL#20 and AL#21.

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

Classic Italian Violin Varnish

1989
AL#18 p.12   BRB2 p.214            
Geary Baese                                                                                           

▪ Baese draws upon old literature and recent black light testing to draw his conclusions about the structure of old varnishes. The Q&A session reveals a high sophistication in the audience. With 5 photos and a few old print reproductions.

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.

Review: Classic Italian Violin Varnish: Its History, Materials, Preparation and Application by Geary L. Baese

1989
AL#18 p.52   BRB2 p.497            
Robert Lundberg                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds he could easily recommend this book if it weren’t so overpriced.

Notes on Preparing Lake Pigments

1989
AL#17 p.48   BRB2 p.206            
Geary Baese                                                                                           

▪ Baese writes about adding color to violin varnishes in an historically accurate manner. He defines a lake pigment as “fixing . . .an organic soluble dye upon an inorganic carrier to render an insoluble colored compound.”

An Introduction to the Stradivarian Mystique

1989
AL#17 p.6   BRB2 p.162            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Whether or not there is anything new to be said about Stradivari, it is impossible for a serious publication about lutherie not to take him into account at some point. Olsen’s lengthy article includes analytical drawings and photos of the master’s work. All the guitar and mando folks might wonder what the fuss is about. Olsen sets us straight.

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

The Witten-Rawlins Collection

1988
AL#15 p.56   BRB2 p.100            
Joseph-R. Johnson                                                                                           

▪ Johnson offers a brief note about the Witten-Rawlins collection that was recently acquired by the Shrine to Music Museum. With photos and a museum checklist.

Opening and Cleaning Cracks

1988
AL#13 p.54   BRB2 p.34            
Al Stancel                                                                                           

▪ Stancel opens old repaired cracks with heat and chemicals, cleans them with surfactants, and mends them with hide glue. The author works with the fiddle family, but his advice should flow over into any luthier’s discipline.

The Maestro’s Hauser

1988
AL#13 p.7   BRB2 p.4            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Huttig relates a story about the instrument that was the center of the classical guitar universe for decades, the Hauser played by Segovia.

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

Restoring the Paisley Tele

1987
AL#9 p.34   BRB1 p.332            
Dave Schneider                                                                                           

▪ A ’68 paisley Tele is reborn, complete with Parsons B and E benders and a complete refinishing from the foil on up.

Restoring a Martin Harp Guitar

1984
DS#279   LW p.62   ALA6 p.2         
Ted Davis                                                                                           

▪ This rare Martin required the creation of a new harp neck as well as the repair of many top and side cracks. The plans included are also available as GAL full-scale blueprint #7. Includes 5 photos.

Aesthetics of Restoration

1983
GALQ Vol.11#3 p.30   BRB2 p.176            
Don Alfieri                                                                                           

▪ The goal and duties of the instrument restorationist are not always clear cut since the philosophy of restoration is not universally agreed upon. The author makes a good case for a conservative approach to the subject and the work.

Fitting Lute Pegs

1981
DS#176   BRB2 p.260            
Lawrence-D. Brown                                                                                           

▪ Lute pegs are different than violin pegs and have their own requirements if they are to function properly. Brown gives a thorough explanation.

Pearls Before Junk Dealers

1980
GALQ Vol.8#2 p.10   LW p.66            
Richard Irwin                                                                                           

▪ Irwin found a small gold-painted guitar in a junk shop that turned out to be an 1850 2-24 Martin. Removing the gold paint revealed a nearly pristine guitar marred only by some pick wear. With 3 photos and a diagram of the pyramid bridge.

Lute Making: Some Practical Reasons for an Historic Approach Part 1

1979
GALQ Vol.7#4 p.10   BRB2 p.68            
Lawrence-D. Brown                                                                                           

▪ Discussion of lute soundboard, bridge, neck, fingerboard, and frets.

Copying Pearl Patterns

1979
DS#125   LW p.86            read this article
Robert Steinegger                                                                                           

▪ The author keeps a comprehensive file of all the cool patterns that cross his bench, and here’s how he does it. It’s not quite as easy and obvious as you might think.

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.

Museum Services for Luthiers

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.19   BRB2 p.48            
Laurence Libin                                                                                           

▪ Luthiers who deal in restoration and re-creation of old instruments may find that museums may harbor help that is otherwise unavailable, and you may not have to visit the museum to avail yourself of its services. Libin discusses what museums are usually prepared to do to help researchers, and how to deal with museums when you need their help.

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