Category Archives: Uncategorized

Touch Up Tip

1981
DS#177
Michael Jacobson-Hardy

▪ Touch up tip.

Dots, Micarta, Trigger Cloth

1981
DS#177 read this article
Michael Breid

▪ Dots, Micarta, Trigger Cloth.

Goings On in Wollongong

1980
GALQ Vol.8#3 p.14
Jim Williams

▪ A report on the acoustics of stringed musical instruments seminar at Wollongong University in Australia.

Comment on Symmetry

1980
GALQ Vol.8#4 p.21
Thomas Greene

▪ A particular symmetry of adornment with which Greene is quite taken.

Post and Wedge Brace Clamp

1980
DS#165 LW p.98
Bill Colgan

▪ This procedure solves the problems in studding top cracks in guitars.

Rosewood and Ebony Shortage

1980
GALQ Vol.8#1 p.40
Robert-O. Larson

▪ The extreme shortage of rosewood and ebony supplies for the luthier is not as glum as it appears from the articles in trade journals.

The Sting

1980
GALQ Vol.8#2 p.12
Max Krimmel

▪ Max Krimmel gives a thorough rundown on exactly how he was scammed and how you can avoid a similar episode.

Appropriate Grunts and Groans

1980
GALQ Vol.8#2 p.28
David Fisher

▪ A guitarist talks about working with luthiers.

Curve Cutting Bandsaw Fence Part One

1980
DS#155 LT p.90
Carl McFarland

▪ This device cuts a very precise curve: the lumpless curve cutting bandsaw fence (patent pending).

On-Board Preamps

1980
DS#158 read this article
Bob Meltz

▪ Installing an onboard preamp is a viable, preferable alternative to the distortion box, in Les Paul type guitars.

Routing Guitar Neck Dovetails

1980
DS#162
Roy Woltz

▪ The simplified method of making dovetail neck joints with a router and dovetail bit.

Sharpening Wheel and Guide

1980
DS#163
James Cassidy

▪ A variety of operations for clamping kerfing in place and a sharpening wheel and guide.

Electric Lutherie Part 6

1979
GALQ Vol.7#4 p.30
Tim Olsen

▪ The sixth in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

Router Trimming Attachment

1980
DS#135 read this article
James Gilbert

▪ This attachment plate is used on the Dremel moto tool in place of the regular router base plate.

Soundboard Density

1979
GALQ Vol.7#3 p.32
Harold Snyder

▪

Electric Lutherie Part 5

1979
GALQ Vol.7#3 p.33
Tim Olsen

▪ The fifth in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

Illusion Machines 2

1979
GALQ Vol.7#3 p.36
Keith Davidson

▪ A successful non-Guild musical instrument exhibition held in Tacoma, WA part 2.

Canadian Luthiers Unite

1979
GALQ Vol.7#3 p.39
Kevin Hall

▪ Kevin calls out to Canadian luthiers, exhorting them to form a new organization of mutual aid and enlightenment. They didn’t.

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.

Report of American Harp Society Meeting

1979
GALQ Vol.7#3 p.42
Patricia Jaeger

▪ A long time ago, a harp club had a meeting.

Carmel 1978

1979
GALQ Vol.7#1 p.34
David-Russell Young

▪ The Carmel Classic Guitar Festival (Nov. 3,4,5) provided a valuable opportunity to exhibit guitars to a large number of interested amateurs and accomplished professionals.

Western Forestry Show

1979
GALQ Vol.7#1 p.36
Jeffrey-R. Elliott

▪ Portland Oregon’s Western Forestry Center hosted over 2,000 paid visitors who came to view and inspect more than 30 instruments exhibited by 24 local area luthiers.

Illusion Machines

1979
GALQ Vol.7#2 p.24
Keith Davidson

▪ A successful non-Guild musical instrument exhibition held in Tacoma, WA.

The Ivory Question

1979
GALQ Vol.7#2 p.32
Thomas Rein

▪

Handmade- An Option

1979
GALQ Vol.7#2 p.33
Paul Jacobson

▪

Instrument Exhibit Evaluated

1979
GALQ Vol.7#3 p.13
David-B. Sheppard

▪ A visit to the Galpin Collection of Instruments at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Power String Winder

1979
DS#130
Ted Davis

▪ Use of this tool will reduce the time of changing strings by half.

Electric Lutherie Part 4

1979
GALQ Vol.7#1 p.20
Tim Olsen

▪ The fourth in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

Small Halls or Big Bucks

1979
GALQ Vol.7#1 p.32
Andrew Schulman

▪ A guitarist muses about the economics of his chosen career.

String Spacing

1979
DS#103
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.

Intro to Business, Part 4

1979
DS#106
Bob Petrulis

▪ Investigating some other important business things, including inventories, and depreciation methods

Pickup Phase Relationships

1979
DS#109
Bob Petrulis

▪ Nodes and loops, pickup and polarity, bucking hum, and switchable phasing.

Post-Toronto Reflections

1978
GALQ Vol.6#3 p.14 read this article
Jeffrey-R. Elliott

▪ Elliott shares his impressions of the Canadian-hosted classic guitar festival “Guitar 78”.

Electric Lutherie Part 2

1978
GALQ Vol.6#3 p.18
Tim Olsen

▪ The second in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

Luthiers Should Certify Their Works

1978
GALQ Vol.6#3 p.28
William Conrad

▪ Certification adds prestige to the product and protects you and the owner in case of loss, theft, or damage.

Electric Lutherie Part 3

1978
GALQ Vol.6#4 p.19
Tim Olsen

▪ The third in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

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.

Notes From the Slightly Oblong Office

1978
GALQ Vol.6#1 p.37
John Thierman

▪ Organizational housekeeping stuff. No lutherie content.

Business Ethics in Lutherie

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.14 read this article
Lawrence Lundy

▪ Warranties, delivery deadlines, return of instruments, care and feeding, payments and pricing, customer info, and happy transactions.

Electric Lutherie Part 1

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.20
Tim Olsen

▪ The first in a six part series, brought on by a rapidly growing interest in the subject.

The Marlin Carver

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.25
Rolfe Gerhardt

▪ The Marlin is a sign carving pantograph router with a lettering template clamped on one side and the sign board the other.

Glass Jars for Spray Guns

1978
DS#91 read this article
Tim Olsen

▪ Substituting glass jars for aluminum cans for commercial spray guns, many advantages can be realized, and they’re cheap.

Spray Gun Agitator

1978
DS#91 read this article
Jimmie Van

▪ Substituting glass jars for aluminum cans for commercial spray guns, many advantages can be realized, and they’re cheap.

Computer Fret Spacing

1978
DS#93
Jeffrey Covill

▪ This program is designed to compute measurements more accurately and faster than is manually possible when calculating fret placement.

Hide Glue

1978
DS#94
Chuck Morrison

▪ Using watered down type hide glues, such as Franklin’s Liquid Hide Glue, will lead to trouble. Preparation of the real stuff is easier than you think.

Refretting

1978
DS#96
John Thierman

▪ Comprehensive instrument refretting, from preparation of the fret board to fret wire types.

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.

Six Un-invented Instruments

1978
GALQ Vol.6#1 p.16
Tim Olsen

▪ Olsen dreams up six new instruments. Decades later, he still has not built them. Admittedly,the teepee-gurdy would be a bit of a project.

Footnote to DS#11

1978
DS#74
Norman-L. Hills

▪ A footnote to data sheet #11, fret spacing part 2: notes on hygrometers and another method of joining the neck to the body.

An Intro to Business, Part 3

1978
DS#75
Bob Petrulis

▪ Getting your cash receipts journal started, in which all transactions (including non sales) in which you receive cash are recorded.

Curved Panel Templates

1978
DS#80 read this article
Reagan Cole

▪ The plug mold is the best method of fabricating a vaulted back when one is building a number of identical instruments.

Fret Slotting with Bandsaw

1978
DS#65
Rich Westerman

▪ A cheapo cheapo dust catcher and another method of sawing fret slots.

1977 Convention coverage

1977
GALQ Vol.5#3 p.16
Staff

▪ Photos, lists, and captions about the GAL’s fourth national convention.

Notes From the Slightly Oblong Office

1977
GALQ Vol.5#3 p.25
John Thierman

▪ Organizational housekeeping stuff. No lutherie content.

When Guitarists Smile

1977
GALQ Vol.5#3 p.27
Wilfrid-M. Appleby

▪

Novice Notes

1977
GALQ Vol.5#3 p.29 read this article
Donald Curry

▪ The final step in the making of an instrument is the finish, which includes preparation of the wood, applying material, and final polishing.

Notes From the Slightly Oblong Office

1977
GALQ Vol.5#4 p.7
John Thierman

▪ Organizational housekeeping stuff. No lutherie content.

Lutherie Binge

1977
GALQ Vol.5#4 p.8 read this article
Dake Traphagen

▪ Traphagen’s European experience.

Today the Book

1977
GALQ Vol.5#4 p.11
Wilfrid-M. Appleby

▪ A book review/lengthy digression on the dearth of guitar construction literature in the mid 60s.

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.

An Introduction to Business, Part 2

1977
DS#53
Bob Petrulis

▪ Methods for keeping track of petty cash.

Transducers

1977
DS#54 read this article
Reagan Cole

▪ One man’s opinion about the theoretical whys and wherefores of the transducer for acoustic instruments.

Equal Temperament

1977
DS#56 BRB1 p.288 read this article
Ian Noyce

▪

Repair Shop Survival

1977
GALQ Vol.5#1 p.5
S.L. Mossman

▪ Problems in these areas are the main reasons for small shops having a difficult time making ends meet; location, personnel management, and dealing with professional people.

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.

Notes From the Slightly Oblong Office

1977
GALQ Vol.5#2 p.3
John Thierman

▪ Organizational housekeeping stuff. No lutherie content.

Joe Chromey on the Catgut Acoustical Society

1977
GALQ Vol.5#2 p.10
Joe Chromey

▪ The Catgut Acoustical Society was founded in 1963 by the late Frederick A. Saunders, formerly professor of physics at Harvard University.

Yoga and the Ghosts of Dogs

1977
GALQ Vol.5#2 p.18
Fred Carlson

▪ Even the simplest instruments must be built with love and care, and treated as magical things, or they are nothing.

D’Aquisto Tidbits

1977
DS#49 LW p.50
Tim Olsen

▪ Tim recalls how Jimmy D’Aquisto carves a soundboard.

An Introduction to Business, Part 1

1977
DS#51
Bob Petrulis

▪ Bookkeeping in a small business, such as the one you’re into or will be if the lutherie bug continues to bite.

Luthiers Lament

1976
GALQ Vol.4#2 p.18
Rick Boling

▪ A thrifty violin maker selects from the woodsmen’s discards.

Operation: Bootstraps Britain

1976
GALQ Vol.4#2 p.23 read this article
Theron McClure

▪ How the English luthiers created and developed a healthy market for stringed instruments.

Novice Notes

1976
GALQ Vol.4#3 p.14 read this article
Donald Curry

▪

Notes From the Slightly Oblong Office

1976
GALQ Vol.4#3 p.15
John Thierman

▪ Organizational housekeeping stuff. No lutherie content.

Novice Notes

1976
GALQ Vol.4#4 p.9 read this article
Donald Curry

▪

Notes From the Slightly Oblong Office

1976
GALQ Vol.4#4 p.10
John Thierman

▪ Organizational housekeeping stuff. No lutherie content.

Monochord Enthusiasts Dig Colo

1976
GALQ Vol.4#4 p.11 read this article
Bonnie Carol

▪ A report on the “In Search of the Wild Dulcimer, Kindred Gathering II”, held August 13, 14,15 1976.

Scrute, Scrute, Scrutiny: Goodbye

1976
GALQ Vol.4#4 p.12
Gordon Litster

▪ The last say on the Roberto-Venn issue.

Steam Injector

1977
DS#42
Tim Olsen

▪ Tim Olsen’s primitive steam injector was made from an oil can.

Lining Trimmer

1977
DS#42
Frederick Battershell

▪ A simple tool for beveling linings after they are glued in.

Heat Pressing

1977
DS#43 read this article
Leo Bidne

▪ Heat pressing is the art of forming wood to a new and permanent shape with heat and pressure.

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.

Supplement to DS#26 (Roller Hole Jig)

1976
DS#39
Derek Iverson

▪ Some information that may be of use when planning out a guitar.

Sloane Picks a Bone

1976
GALQ Vol.4#2 p.16
Irving Sloane

▪ A comment on the article ‘Museum Services for Luthiers’ in volume 3 #5 and #6.

Neck Supporting Device

1976
DS#30
Leo Bidne

▪ The function of this portable tool is to hold a guitar stationary and support the neck while fret leveling.

Wood Drying Cabinet

1976
DS#31
Dick DeNeve

▪ A wood storage cabinet and a simple device for temperature control.

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.

How to Become a Running Dog

1975
GALNL Vol.3#2 p.11
J.R. Beall

▪ Commercial sales offer an opportunity to add to an income without adding to your time.

1975 Convention coverage

1975
GALNL Vol.3#3
Staff

▪ The 1975 GAL Convention was a small event by any standard, but it set the pattern for the successful GAL Conventions which followed. It had embreonic forms of the features of a modern convention: exhibition, lectures, demos, concerts. R.E. Brune hosted it at Northwestern University.

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.

Letter From London

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.26 read this article
Theron McClure

▪

Luthiers Whimsy

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.30
Tim Olsen

▪ Three illustrated humorous poems that will only mean anything to luthiers.

FoMRHI is Born

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.33
Jeremy Montagu

▪ The Fellowship of Makers and Researchers of Historic Instruments (FoMRHI) is a Brittish organization which formed shortly after the GAL. They are still in business as of 2016.

Spruce Patches

1975
DS#7
Leo Bidne

▪ Quick and dirty patch for spruce.

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.

Electronic Aiding of Stringed Instrument Sound

1975
DS#10 read this article
R.W. Burhans

▪ Information and resources for string-sound transducers, low power audio, amplifiers, electronic filters, resonant boxes, and parts and supplies.

Fret Spacing Number 2

1975
DS#11 read this article
Scott Antes

▪ A quick, accurate method of locating any fret on any string length using figures in this table.

French Polish Part 3 (Conclusion)

1975
DS#16
R.E. Brune

▪ After initial finish application, the surface of the instrument will appear rough and unrefined, therefore it is necessary to rub out the finish to produce a perfect surface, then apply the final polish.

Tool Diagrams

1974
GALNL Vol.2#3 p.10
Robert-S. Anderson

▪

Convention Report

1974
GALNL Vol.2#4 p.4
Scott Antes J.R. Beall

▪

On Becoming a Successful Luthier

1974
GALNL Vol.2#6 p.8 read this article
R.E. Brune

▪ If anyone can be said to be a successful luthier, it’s R.E. Brune. Here’s what he said about the subject in 1974.

Questionnaire Results

1975
DS#5
Bob Petrulis

▪ Of the 68 responses to the luthier questionnaire, 13 claimed to be amateurs, 24 part time professionals, and 23 professionals.

Musical Woodcutting

1975
DS#6 LW p.16 read this article
David Sturgill

▪ Centuries ago, the selection and cutting of musical instrument wood was a specialized profession, and still is to some extent today.

Separating Glue Joints

1975
DS#7 read this article
Nick Hayden

▪ Tips, methods, and procedures for separating glued joints.

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.