Category Archives: Uncategorized

Effects of Grain Orientation on Brace Deflection

2016
AL#127 p.56               
Greg Nelson                                                                                           

▪ What’s stiffer: a spruce brace with vertical grain, or one with flat grain? How about diagonal grain? How would you know? Here’s an attempt to gather some data and present it in a way that makes sense. Challenge your assumptions by reading this article.

How to Prepare Bone

2016
AL#126 p.32               
Sean Barry                                                                                           

▪ So if you did go down to the butcher shop and get a big ol’ cow bone to make saddles and nuts, what would be your next step? Make some soup. No, really. That’s the first step to preparing bone for lutherie use. But it gets less appetizing after that.

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

2016
AL#126 p.60               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ RM describes, in plain English, the contents of two new articles of original research. In the first, high-powered microscopes are used to see if strings really do “wear out” or just get gunked up. In the other, a bunch of spruce samples are carefully finished and tested to see if different types of finish have different effects on acoustic damping.

Questions: Nut Mounting

2016
AL#126 p.70               
Tim Shaw                                                                                           

▪ Should the bottom surface of the nut on a steel string guitar be parallel with the bottom of the fretboard, or with the peghead?

Traditional Lutherie Techniques for Violin and Guitar Making

2016
AL#127 p.4               
Charles Rufino   Stephen Marchione                                                                                       

▪ A guitar maker and a violin maker team up for a show-and-tell focusing on hide glue, sizing, linen reinforcement, hand-cut dovetail joints, and getting the best out of a spruce top wedge. From their 2014 GAL convention workshop.

Seven String Surgery

2016
AL#127 p.16               
Robbie O’Brien   Antonio Tessarin                                                                                       

▪ So you made a nice 6-string classical guitar for your client, and he loves it. Now he wants to play a 7-string. The guitar has a Spanish heel. What do you do? Saw off the neck and graft on a new one. Scary, but it turned out great. We see every gory step along the way.

Wood Stiffness: An Analysis of a Substantial Sample of Woods of Interest to Guitar Makers

2016
AL#125 p.20               
James Blilie   Alan Carruth                                                                                       

▪ Blilie and Carruth examine the stiffness and density of individual wood samples, making the process more quantifiable.

A Simple Modification to Reduce Frequency Errors in Guitars

2016
AL#125 p.64               
Mark French                                                                                           

▪ Professor Mark French and his college students attempt to move the first two frets back a little, and push the nut forward a lot for mathematical accuracy.

Questions: Chocolaty Tone

2015
AL#122 p.70               
Daniele Dubois   Claudia Fritz                                                                                       

▪ Arguing in favor of defining a tone as ‘chocolaty’ based on multidisciplinary research expertise combining acoustics, psychology, and linguistics.

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

2015
AL#121 p.58               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ RM Mottola works to build bridges between the dusty bustle of the lutherie shop and the bookish clutter of the egghead’s cubicle. (If the word “math” does not evoke a shuddering fear based on high-school humiliation, check out the Savart Journal, an online research publication hosted by the GAL.) RM describes, in plain English, the contents of two new articles of original research.

Multiscale Fretboards and Fingerboards: The Long and Short of It

2014
AL#119 p.50               
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Multiscale fretboards have been around for centuries. Harry Fleishman has been around for decades. In that time he has built a lot of different permutations of the idea. Here he gives us some thoughts on how to do it accurately, elegantly, and efficiently.

Making Matching Templates

2014
AL#120 p.48               
Jayson Bowerman                                                                                           

▪ Bowerman steps us through the process of making an exactly-matching outside template from an existing inside template. The process is useful for making body molds and side-bending jigs from half-patterns.

Multiscale Peg Head Scarf Joint

2014
AL#118 p.60               
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ So you are making a neck with a multiscale fretboard. The nut will be at an angle, not the normal perpendicular. How do you deal with that fact when grafting the peghead? Harry shows you a simple and elegant method of cutting a compound angle that matches the nut.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2014
AL#117 p.65               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin ponders the phenomenon of how-to-book authors leaving out their most vital information. This may be due to the assumption of the knowledge of basic information often taken for granted.

Beyond the Rule of 18: Intonation For the 21st Century

2013
AL#116 p.6               
Gary Magliari   Don MacRostie                                                                                       

▪ Compensating fretted instruments to play equally tempered scales using orthodox and unorthodox methods. From GAL 2011 convention lecture.

Lions and Tigers and Math, Oh My!

2013
AL#116 p.9               
Tom Harper                                                                                           

▪ Mathematical equations describing vibrating string activity to compliment Gary Magliari and Don MacRostie’s convention lecture, ‘Beyond the Rule of 18’.

Hunting the Elusive Guitar Wolf

2013
AL#114 p.42               
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Carruth examines the guitar wolf, (a ‘bad’ note linked to some feature of the resonant structure of the instrument or strings) where it lurks, and how to deal with it in an organized fashion.

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

2013
AL#114 p.62               
R.M. Mottola                                                                                           

▪ Short, not too technical summaries of selected research on violin arching curves, comparing violins to the human voice, and the initial behavior of nylon guitar strings.

Letter to the Editor: Advice on Damaged Instruments

2013
AL#115 p.3               
Steven Pine                                                                                           

▪ Advice regarding water damaged instruments and steps to handle, stabilize, dry, reduce warping, dealing with varnish, and maintaining historical evidence.

A Summary of John Greven’s Voicing Method

2013
AL#114 p.10               
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

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

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2012
AL#112 p.67               
John Calkin                                                                                           

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

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

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

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

Letter to the Editor: endangered species act

2011
AL#106 p.4               
Chuck Erikson                                                                                           

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

Letter to the Editor: isotropic plate

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

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

Anodizing Aluminum

2010
AL#103 p.15               
Mike Doolin                                                                                           

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

It Worked for Me: Saw Magnets

2009
AL#100 p.64      ALA2 p.45         
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Keeping the saw dead straight and perfectly aligned when adding a slot to the fretboard.

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

Letter to the Editor: Technical qualm with Jim Blilie’s article in AL#100

2010
AL#101 p.4               read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ More than minor disagreements with points in Blilie’s overall excellent article in AL#100, stiffness and density-relation among them.

Letter to the Editor: Statistical Listening Test

2009
AL#98 p.3               read this article
Kenny Hill                                                                                           

▪ Hill’s letter is a response to R. M. Mottola’s article in AL #96 about sound ports, which found that they were ineffective in changing the volume or tone of a guitar to the player or listener. Hill maintains that the science and his personal experience are at odds, and that he is willing to stand by his personal experience. Well, we love a good argument, especially when both sides make their case so eloquently. To be continued. . . .

It Worked for Me: Stauffer-style Adjuster

2007
AL#92 p.68               
Allan Beardsell                                                                                           

▪ Adding a neck pitch adjustment (an innovation of the early romantic guitar era of 1800-1850) to a nylon string guitar (a 14-fret raised fingerboard model) already in line with European romantic era design concepts.

Letter to the Editor: Defending Larry Sandberg’s Book

2001
AL#67 p.3               read this article
Harry Fleishman                                                                                           

▪ Harry Fleishman leaps to the defense of Larry Sandberg. He feels that Ben Hoff was too harsh in his criticism of Larry’s book The Acoustic Guitar Guide.

Letter to the Editor: Vacuum VS Screw Clamp

2001
AL#68 p.5               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin says that he has been told many times that he should use a vacuum clamp to glue top braces. He proceeds to make a good case for his screw-and-bar clamping system.

It Worked for Me: Fret Slot Cutting Fixture

1999
AL#60 p.50   BRB5 p.505            
Stan Tucker                                                                                           

▪ A fixture to cut fret slots using an older 9″ DeWalt radial-arm saw to measure and cut accurate fret slots for odd scale lengths.

Questions: Dovetail Joining Method

1999
AL#58 p.60               
Lawrence Smart                                                                                           

▪ Information on the dovetail method for joining the instrument neck to body including calculating the degree of neck angle, dimensions of the dovetail cuts, procedures for making the cuts, and adjusting any improper fit.

It Worked for Me: Rough Carving Device

1998
AL#54 p.50   BRB5 p.495            
Nathan-D. Missel                                                                                           

▪ Saving time carving the top and back plates of archtop guitars by power carving them into rough form before final graduation using this custom carver.

It Worked for Me: Strap Button

1997
AL#51 p.53               
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Contrary to Darrelle Anne Le Maitre’s comments in AL#50, using a cushy washer under a strap button will actually increase the load and leverage on a screw and increase the chance of repeat failure.

It Worked for Me: Repairs

1996
AL#46 p.58   BRB4 p.502            
John Jordan                                                                                           

▪ This repair is ideal for a cello pegbox that cracks in two through the G peghole or a bass that cracks in two through the A peghole.

Letter to the Editor: Koestler’s “The Act of Creation”

1989
AL#17 p.3               read this article
Richard Schneider                                                                                           

▪ Schneder really liked this book, and he writes to say that Stewart Brand agres with him about it.

Letter to the Editor: How Not to Dillute Acid

1988
AL#15 p.3               
Mel Wong                                                                                           

▪ When diluting sulfuric acid, like for sharpening files, it is a very important safety method to put acid into water, not water into acid. We got it reversed in an article, and we got letters about it. But don’t worry, we fixed it when that article was republished in the Big Red Book.

Letter to the Editor: How Not to Dillute Acid

1988
AL#15 p.5               
Tom Rossing                                                                                           

▪ When diluting sulfuric acid, like for sharpening files, it is a very important safety method to put acid into water, not water into acid. We got it reversed in an article, and we got letters about it. But don’t worry, we fixed it when that article was republished in the Big Red Book.

Letter to the Editor: How Not to Dillute Acid

1988
AL#15 p.5               
Hubert Keller                                                                                           

▪ When diluting sulfuric acid, like for sharpening files, it is a very important safety method to put acid into water, not water into acid. We got it reversed in an article, and we got letters about it. But don’t worry, we fixed it when that article was republished in the Big Red Book.

Letter to the Editor: How Not to Dillute Acid

1988
AL#15 p.5               
Jeff Forbes                                                                                           

▪ When diluting sulfuric acid, like for sharpening files, it is a very important safety method to put acid into water, not water into acid. We got it reversed in an article, and we got letters about it. But don’t worry, we fixed it when that article was republished in the Big Red Book.

Letter to the Editor: How Not to Dillute Acid

1988
AL#15 p.5               
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ When diluting sulfuric acid, like for sharpening files, it is a very important safety method to put acid into water, not water into acid. We got it reversed in an article, and we got letters about it. But don’t worry, we fixed it when that article was republished in the Big Red Book.

What Price Inspiration

1984
GALQ Vol.12#2 p.20               
J.R. Beall                                                                                           

▪ Beall comments on the results of a listening test conducted on five classic guitars by Richard Schneider at the 1978 GAL convention.

The Cremona Sound

1984
GALQ Vol.12#2 p.24               
John Meng                                                                                           

▪ Meng quests the solution to a great eternal mystery: the search for the ‘Cremona sound’.

Go-Bar Deck Part 2

1984
DS#299   LT p.44            
Duane Waterman                                                                                           

▪ The go-bar box illustrated in this data sheet is primarily used in clamping braces and plates to a guitar soundboard, is very effective, easy to use, and has many more advantages over a workboard and clamps.

Even Tempered Scale

1983
DS#260               
Ken Ellis                                                                                           

▪ Why is the event tempered scale necessary? Why is a scale based on pure intervals faulty, thus requiring the artificial construction of a scale based on equal rather than pure intervals?

Guilds of the Middle Ages

1981
GALQ Vol.9#4 p.22               read this article
Gregory Smith                                                                                           

▪ The collective power and influence of a large group of craftsmen or businessmen could wield enough force to effectively combat the oppression of the feudal lords in the Europe of the middle ages.

The Parisian Eye

1981
DS#175               
Michael Breid                                                                                           

▪ Procedure for making ‘Parisian eyes’, a type of inlay resembling a pearl dot, surrounded by ebony and encased in a gold or brass ring.

Color Reveals Tone

1979
GALQ Vol.7#3 p.41               
William Conrad                                                                                           

▪ Tone is not an exact science and a so-called expert is unqualified to make a positive judgment as to which tone is correct.

String Spacing

1979
DS#103               read this article
Sylvan Wells                                                                                           

▪ An explanation of the method for proper spacing for cutting slots for strings in the nut and laying out centers in order to drill the holes for bridge pins, concluded with the mathematics already completed in an easy to use table.

The Early and the ‘Modern Viol’

1978
GALQ Vol.6#1 p.35               read this article
Theron McClure                                                                                           

▪ All the viols made and played today are copied from those made during the final 75 years of the 3 century span of viol playing.

The Design Diamond

1978
DS#100               read this article
Dan-Neil McCrimmon                                                                                           

▪ The basic idea behind this geometry jazz is to have the elements of design organized in such a way as to give a sense of cohesion to the total design.

Beizes, Collies and Potassium Dichromate

1977
DS#52               
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ Potassium dichromate is the base of ‘beizes’ and ‘collies’ which are commonly used by European luthiers to give that nice brown ‘aged’ look to lighter woods.

Novice Notes

1977
GALQ Vol.5#1 p.11               
Donald Curry                                                                                           

▪ The subject of molds is one which the novice might approach with some apprehension, but is an integral part of lutherie.

Intro To P.E.G.

1976
DS#35               read this article
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ PEG is a chemical that resembles Paraffin, is non-toxic, non-corrosive, colorless and odorless, and when applied to wood, greatly improves the dimensional stability and eliminates splitting and warp problems.

Tamburitzas

1975
DS#18               read this article
Nick Hayden                                                                                           

▪ A rundown on the Tamuritza family, which came first from Yugoslavia, from the smallest Prim (transposing instrument) to the Brach (alto member) to the Berda (bass member).

Pilgrimage to Cheltenham

1975
GALNL Vol.3#2 p.10               
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ A visit to the Applebys in Cheltenham on the occasion of their publication, Guitar News, coming to an end. You can find Guitar News at www.digitalguitararchive.com/2019/11/guitar-news.

Presses Roll at Vetus Pigmentum

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.3               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ The GAL purchased a very-used AB Dick offset press which they used for years to print the Guild’s publications.

Luthiers Library

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.17               read this article
Frederick Battershell                                                                                           

▪ The Successful Craftsman: Making Your Craft Your Business by Alex Bealer, is a book that promises a great deal and delivers nothing of lasting value, thus betraying its author’s profession, advertising.

Soundboards

1975
DS#9   LW p.16            read this article
David Sturgill                                                                                           

▪ The function of the soundboard in any musical instrument is to convert the mechanical energy produced by the strings to sound waves in the atmosphere.

The American Luthier: A New Era

1973
GALNL Vol.1#1 p.1               read this article
J.R. Beall                                                                                           

▪ A growing number of intelligent people are looking for work that is individual, creative, challenging, and fulfilling in the stringed instrument world.