Twenty-eight-year member Cyndy Burton is a classic guitar maker, a contributing editor for American Lutherie, and a past convention lecturer. She’s especially interested in French polish and other environmentally-friendly finishes.
▪ bio current as of 2007
2022
AL#145 p.64 read this article
Staff Cyndy Burton Jeffrey-R. Elliott Woodley White
▪ Jon was a member of the GAL staff for over two decades. He wrote many articles, and did all the photography for Robert Lundberg’s landmark book Historical Lute Construction.
2021
AL#142 p.6
Cyndy Burton Jose Romanillos R.E. Brune Jeffrey R. Elliott Kevin Aram Gary Southwell Simon Ambridge
▪ The great classical guitarist Julian Bream was well known for supporting and encouraging contemporary composers and promising young players. Less noticed by the public, but of special importance to luthiers, was Bream’s work with a handful of classical guitar makers from whom he commissioned the fine instruments that he played. In this article, those luthiers offer memories of their interactions with Julian Bream. Mentions Hermann Hauser Sr.
2019
AL#137 p.22
Cyndy Burton Joshia de-Jonge
▪ Joshia de Jonge was a sensation at the 1998 GAL Convention when, as a young female luthier, she brought a nicely-made and fine sounding instrument to the classical guitar listening session. It helped to have grown up in a guitar-making family. And now that she has left her parents’ home and shop, she is raising guitar-making sons. Mentions Geza Burghardt; Linda Manzer; Sergei de Jonge; Eric Sahlin.
2018
AL#134 p.6
Cyndy Burton
▪ Jose Romanillos has been an influential maker for the last fifty years, beginning with his fruitful collaboration with Julian Bream. Here we see a few photos that put his long career in perspective.
2018
AL#133 p.71
Cyndy Burton
▪ Trouble with hide glue raising soundboard grain around a bridge.
2017
AL#129 p.56 read this article
Cyndy Burton Marc Silber Brian Burns Michael Gurian Jay Hargreaves R.E. Brune Jeffrey R. Elliott Federico Sheppard
▪ Eugene Clark (1934-2016) was one of the earliest and most influential pioneers of the American Lutherie Boom. Mentions Manuel Ramirez, Domingo Esteso, Santos Hernandez, Jon Lundberg, Freddie Mejia, David Rubio, Michael Gurian, David Santo, Lucien Barnes, Freddie Mejia, David Serva, Warren White, Manuel Velazquez, Manouk Papazian.
2017
AL#129 p.6
Cyndy Burton Linda Manzer
▪ The prolific maker of high-end flattop and archtop guitars talks about her mentors Jean Larrivee and Jimmy D’Aquisto, the lutherie biz, her collaborations with guitarist Pat Metheny, and a recent project in cooperation with other Canadian luthiers. Also mentions Paul Simon.
2016
AL#128 p.48
Cyndy Burton Jeffrey-R. Elliott Gabriel Fleta
▪ His grandfather Ignacio Fleta was a violin maker who started making guitars after repairing instruments by Torres, and his father Gabriel Sr. made guitars for decades as one of the legendary “hijos” of Ignacio who made guitars for Segovia, John Williams, and many others. Gabriel Fleta Jr. has been making guitars since the 1970s and has now inherited the family business. We visit his shop in Barcelona.
2015
AL#121 p.68
Cyndy Burton
▪ Tricks and techniques for finishing slotted headstocks.
2015
AL#122 p.4
Cyndy Burton Jeffrey-R. Elliott Nick Kukich Jeanne Kukich
▪ Nick and Jeanne Kukich, pop and mom of Franklin Guitars, discuss their 25 plus year partnership in life and work.
2015
AL#122 p.8
Nick Kukich Cyndy Burton
▪ Nick takes our reporter through the process of making a Franklin OM guitar.
2014
AL#120 p.70
Cyndy Burton
▪ Preventing the impressing of a cloth weave pattern into the not-quite hard shellac following a French polish session.
2014
AL#119 p.60
Manuel Velazquez Cyndy Burton Eugene Clark Armin Kelly Robert Ruck Jeffrey R. Elliott Paul Szmanda
▪ Manuel Velazquez made a lot of friends and fans in his exceptionally long career as a maker of fine classical guitars. Here are a few remembrances a few folks who admired his work and his life.
2012
AL#111 p.28
Cyndy Burton
▪ An observation of Bob Spear in his workshop.
2012
AL#109 p.71
Cyndy Burton
▪ French polish technique and pore-filling procedure.
2012
AL#109 p.16
Cyndy Burton Jeffrey-R. Elliott David Rodgers Rob Rodgers
▪ English father-son business partners David and Rob Rodgers on their precision tuning machines and family history in the field.
2010
AL#104 p.8
Cyndy Burton Kevin Aram
▪ Kevin and Alison Aram discuss a life in lutherie from their farm in Devonshire, England where they collaborate to run the Aram Guitars business.
2009
AL#98 p.18 ALA3 p.58
Tim Olsen Cyndy Burton
▪ Burton has been tenacious in her pursuit of the classical guitar, traveling widely and learning from the likes of William Cumpiano, Eugene Clark, and Jeffrey Elliott, making a name for herself in what has largely been a man’s world. We’re all members of her fan club and rejoice at finally knowing more about her. With 17 photos.
2008
AL#96 p.18 ALA1 p.60
Cyndy Burton Kathy Wingert
▪ Wingert has as extensive a lutherie background as anyone, and even does Chladni glitter tests on her guitars (which, by the way, look exquisite). Her daughter Jimmi has a growing reputation as an inlay artist. How rare is a mother/daughter team in lutherie? Mentions Bob Mattingly, Larry Robinson and Harvey Leach. With 12 photos.
2008
AL#96 p.24
Cyndy Burton Jimmi Wingert
▪ Jimmi Wingert seems like a cool and talented young woman with a growing clientele for fine inlay work. Oh, to have the funds to travel the country to meet all these people. Mentions Harvey Leach and Larry Robinson. With 2 photos and a drawing.
2008
AL#94 p.18
Cyndy Burton Jim Forderer James Westbrook
▪ As presented in this interview, Jim Forderer and Jim Westbrook are both collectors of guitars of the 19th century, a time period which included the development of the classical guitar. But most of their examples are about the evolution of that instrument and not about the finished post-Torres species. They are unique individuals with strange and wonderful tastes in guitars. With 17 photos and a dendrochronological analysis of the top of a very early Martin guitar.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#91 p.6 read this article
Cyndy Burton
▪ Burton’s micro history of sideports (holes in the sides, in addition to the front soundhole) in stringed instruments serves as an introduction to the next three articles. Luthiers she mentions include John Monteleone, Robert Ruck, Alain Bieber, Gennero Fabricatore, Kenny Hill, Alan Carruth, Roger Thurman, and Augustino LoPrinzi. With 9 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#90 p.32
Cyndy Burton Kenny Hill
▪ Hill is an amazing man who has been a classical performer, a harvester of his own tonewood, a teacher of prisoners, an entrepreneur who has opened guitar factories in three countries, and a really nice guy. And more! Truly a fascinating individual. With 9 photos.
2006
AL#87 p.67
Jeffrey-R. Elliott Cyndy Burton
▪ Proper way to fix a Manzanero guitar with poorly repaired cracks on the top and back, a pulled up neck, and a poor refinish.
2006
AL#85 p.64 read this article
Cyndy Burton
▪ The reviewer enjoyed this DVD, though she seems hesitant to recommend it to anyone seeking solid information about building a harp guitar. It’s a tour of the contemporary harp guitar scene important to anyone who wishes to be part of that society in any guise.
2005
AL#82 p.67
Cyndy Burton
▪ Liability insurance for guitars from guitar stores being repaired in a home shop.
2005
AL#82 p.67
Cyndy Burton
▪ Advice for a beginner on how to create stringed instruments with gorgeous tone.
2005
AL#82 p.67
Cyndy Burton
▪ A source for plans to build a metal dobro and the parts that cannot be made.
2005
AL#81 p.26 BRB7 p.286 read this article
Cyndy Burton Kevin La-Due
▪ A high school teacher coaches entire classes through guitar making. Think kids can’t do it? You’ll be surprised. Some well-made and easy-to-use jigs make the process faster and friendlier, and the use of local wood makes it affordable. Pretty inspirational, and with 21 photos.
2004
AL#80 p.28 BRB7 p.254
Cyndy Burton Armin Kelly
▪ Meet the dealer? Well, when a dealer has such a strong influence in the lives of the luthiers he represents, why not? If you build, and if you want to sell through a dealer, you need to read this interview. Besides, Kelly’s enthusiasm is so infectious it will send you right back to your workbench. Boutique guitar builders and shops are relatively new to the steel string, but it has always been the way among classical guitar people. This is why. With 3 photos.
2004
AL#79 p.63 BRB7 p.469
Cyndy Burton
▪ Cautionary tidbits for bending African blackwood for the first time with a Fox side bender.
2004
AL#78 p.20 BRB7 p.192
Cyndy Burton Lester DeVoe
▪ A maker of flamenco guitars discusses guitarists and instruments. A good interview can be as inspiring as a good how-to, and this is a good interview. Mentions Santos Hernandez, Sabicas, Paco de Lucia.
2003
AL#75 p.6 BRB7 p.86
Geza Burghardt Cyndy Burton
▪ Geza Burghhardt builds classical guitars on a workboard rather than a mold, but it isn’t just any old workboard. Its carefully jigged up for accuracy and guitar-to-guitar consistency and his jigs are nearly as pretty as his guitars. Well, to another luthier, anyhow. With 17 photos.
2003
AL#75 p.68 BRB7 p.71
Cyndy Burton
▪ Causes of some finish to craze more than others and what to do.
2003
AL#73 p.64
Jeffrey-R. Elliott Cyndy Burton
▪ Some tools have a value way beyond function. Elliott looks at three he especially likes, a low-angle plane, a marking gauge, and a small spokeshave which is called a contour plane.
2003
AL#73 p.67 BRB7 p.61
Cyndy Burton
▪ Choosing lutherie schools based on one’s individual needs, desires, and goals.
2003
AL#73 p.8 BRB7 p.8
Cyndy Burton Kathy Matsushita
▪ Matsushita is a professional teacher and an adventurous luthier, which makes for a fine combination for an interview. Her story is one of the best examples of how the internet has impacted our lives, of how we can teach and learn by electron. Joy and information can be the same thing. With 14 photos.
2002
AL#71 p.50
Cyndy Burton
▪ The interest in lutherie is growing so quickly that sources of information and instruction are hard to keep up with. This list includes schools, on-line instruction, organizations, periodicals, and publishers.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2002
AL#69 p.65 BRB6 p.249
Cyndy Burton
▪ Filling questions for French polishing a classical guitar top.
2001
AL#68 p.28 BRB6 p.274
Cyndy Burton Tom Blackshear
▪ Blackshear has been building classical guitars since the ’50s. He has been strongly influenced by the work of Miguel Rodriguez. With 15 photos.
2001
AL#67 p.54
Cyndy Burton
▪ This is a list of where to buy wood (tone or otherwise) and inlay materials.
2001
AL#67 p.62 read this article
Cyndy Burton
▪ A noncomprehensive list of classical guitar dealers who may be interested in a high end classical guitar stand.
2001
AL#67 p.63
Cyndy Burton
▪ Online sources, including chat groups, for lutherie questions.
2001
AL#65 p.52
Cyndy Burton
▪ Lots of folks want to teach you to build stringed instruments. Here’s a 5-page list of them.
2001
AL#65 p.57 BRB6 p.215
Cyndy Burton
▪ Clear spring 190 proof ethanol, everclear, and other drinkable grain alcohols to use for making shellac and for French polishing.
2001
AL#66 p.5 BRB6 p.165 read this article
Jonathon Peterson Jean Gilman Lora Lundberg Schultz Dorothy Bones Ben Lundberg Michael Yeats Gunter Mark Cyndy Burton Jeffrey R. Elliott
▪ Lundberg was perhaps the foremost lute maker in America, a champion of building lutes in an historical manner, a longtime member and supporter of the GAL, and author of the landmark book Historical Lute Construction. Family and friends take a deep look at the significance of his life and work. With 10 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
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.
2000
AL#63 p.46 BRB6 p.114
Cyndy Burton
▪ The V joint is an elegant, traditional method of adding a pitched headstock to a classical guitar. This 20-photo essay follows the able hands of Geza Burghardt as he completes the entire operation.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2000
AL#61 p.4 BRB6 p.2
Cyndy Burton Geza Burghardt
▪ Burghardt and his family emigrated to Canada from Hungary in 1988 with few worldly goods and little English and proceeded to carve out a niche in a fashion we have grown accustomed to hearing about in these pages. He seems to prefer classical guitars and hand tools. Included is an 8-picture description of the jig he uses to slot the sides into the necks of his guitars, and 7 other photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2000
AL#61 p.55
Cyndy Burton
▪ This is a list of lutherie schools in the USA, Canada, and the British Isles, followed by a list of organizations, periodicals, and publishers of interest to luthiers.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1999
AL#60 p.52
Cyndy Burton
▪ This column updates several source lists that have appeared in past issues. If you need it to build instruments, you should find a supplier here.
1999
AL#58 p.57 BRB5 p.481
Cyndy Burton
▪ Bream began when the classical guitar world was small, indeed. The reviewer finds this collection of letters about Bream’s early years to be small, expensive, and enjoyable.
1999
AL#58 p.38 BRB5 p.366
Cyndy Burton Gary Southwell
▪ Southwell makes gut-strung guitars that may be strange or more-or-less conventional, but always elegant, and he makes them for some high-profile patrons. His specialty is pre-classical or “salon” guitars. He’s an eloquent Englishman whom you’ll be happy to meet. With 6 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1999
AL#57 p.22 BRB5 p.300
Cyndy Burton Joshia de-Jonge
▪ Joshia’s classical won high praise during the listening session at the GAL’s 1998 convention, quite an achievement for a 19-year-old woman. But then, just about every member of her family builds guitars. Her free-spirited optimism may be as much a product of her upbringing as her youth. With 3 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1999
AL#57 p.64
Cyndy Burton
▪ If you’re looking for formal lutherie instruction in the UK, Canada, or US, this list of schools is your best place to start.
1998
AL#56 p.16 BRB5 p.256
Cyndy Burton Linda Manzer
▪ Through her artistic merit, dogged determination, and sheer grit, Manzer has risen to the top ranks of her profession. This interview covers her background and training, work ethic, favorite woods, and other lutherie intimacies. With 10 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1998
AL#56 p.56
Cyndy Burton
▪ This list of instrument plans probably isn’t world-inclusive, but it’s the biggest list we’ve put together so far. Collect them all and you could probably build for the rest of your life and never use the same plans twice.
1998
AL#55 p.48 BRB5 p.243
Cyndy Burton Paul Jacobson
▪ Jacobson is a widely respected builder of classical guitars who considers lutherie to be the equivalent of writing sonnets. They are both exercises in controlled creativity. And both can be beautiful.
1998
AL#55 p.58
Cyndy Burton
▪ Where to get pickups, condenser mikes, electric guitar parts, and general electronics gear.
1998
AL#54 p.54 BRB5 p.474
Cyndy Burton
▪ The reviewer urges the purchase of this pricey book ($119.95) by anyone seriously interested in the history or construction of the classical guitar.
1998
AL#54 p.62
Cyndy Burton
▪ Where to get the gear you need to do what you want to do as a luthier.
1998
AL#53 p.62
Cyndy Burton
▪ Ms. Burton has rounded up almost two pages of wood suppliers. If you can’t find it here you may have to go cut it yourself.
1998
AL#54 p.6 BRB5 p.182
Cyndy Burton Eugene Clark
▪ Jeez, there’s a lot to know about French polishing. Changing lubricating oils can change the quality of the job, but there are reasons to change oils. The pad you rub with makes a difference. The longevity and toughness of the finish can be controlled by the materials you use. This work is deeper than meets the eye. Burton attended a class taught by Clark, and she brings home the straight skinny for American Lutherie. With 15 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
1998
AL#54 p.21 BRB5 p.204
Cyndy Burton Judy Threet
▪ Threet is a Canadian builder who specializes in fingerstyle guitars. Her guitars often display an artistic flair that few can match. This interview takes a decidedly philosophic turn, and appropriately so, since Threet used to be a professor of philosophy. With 4 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1997
AL#52 p.62
Cyndy Burton
▪ A short list of new books, videos and cyber-stuff, as well as a list of organizations and periodicals with a lutherie bias. Seems like no matter what instrument you want to build there are some official folks who want to help you. Hurrah!
1998
AL#53 p.22 BRB5 p.164
Cyndy Burton Shelley Park
▪ Park plays jazz guitar and builds Selmer-style guitars like those designed by Mario Maccaferri and played by Django Reinhardt. She furnishes some interesting thoughts about alternative woods and different finishes. Are women luthiers who survive long enough to become professionals really more interesting than many of the men, or do they just give better interviews? You decide. With 9 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1997
AL#51 p.54
Cyndy Burton
▪ Burton lists 2 pages of suppliers and manufacturers of finish and glue, and offers more than a page of useful tips gleaned from many luthiers.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1996
AL#48 p.52
Cyndy Burton
▪ A list of all the instrument plans that Burton could track down, and where to buy them.
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.
1996
AL#47 p.62
Cyndy Burton
▪ A page of tools especially for the luthier, and a page and a half of tools and supplies of a more general nature. Where to get your tools. Or, at least, where to get your catalogs.
1996
AL#46 p.38 BRB4 p.312
Cyndy Burton Todd Taggart
▪ The driving force behind Luthiers Mercantile International talks about building a business, supplying an industry, and helping to make a guitar town out of Healdsburg, California.
1996
AL#46 p.54
Cyndy Burton
▪ A new column is born, kicking off with 2 pages of places to buy tonewood.
1995
AL#42 p.52
Cyndy Burton
▪ A list of lutherie schools, classes, and individual instruction.
1995
AL#42 p.48 BRB4 p.194
Cyndy Burton Des Anthony
▪ An Australian guitarmaker talks about Australian wood, his instruments, and the Australian vacation system.
1994
AL#40 p.53
Cyndy Burton
▪ A very selective list of American and world lute makers.
1994
AL#38 p.59
Jeff Anning Graham Johnson Ake Bjornstad Cyndy Burton
▪ Sources of spruce, redwood, and cedar in Canada.
1994
AL#37 p.49
Cyndy Burton
▪ A consolidated listing of available instrument plans and their sources.
1993
AL#35 p.61
Cyndy Burton
▪ The Folk Harp Journal is a good source of harp or Celtic harp info.
1993
AL#34 p.60
Cyndy Burton
▪ An all purpose answer to get potential guitar makers aimed in the right direction without discouraging anyone.
1993
AL#33 p.6 BRB3 p.272
Cyndy Burton Roberto Gomes
▪ A Brazilian guitar maker comments upon his situation in Brazil and his first trip to America as a luthier.
1992
AL#29 p.58 BRB3 p.467 read this article
Cyndy Burton
▪ Seldom does a new catalog cause so much excitement. The reviewer especially likes it for bedtime reading.
1991
AL#26 p.42 BRB3 p.32 read this article
Cyndy Burton Donald Warnock
▪ It’s wonderful that this interview is in the same issue as interviews with Larrivee and Warmoth, since they are opposites. The first two are sort of factory moguls, and Warnock is the gentlemanly craftsman/artist. All have forged a successful life on their own terms, and the contrast is delicious.
1991
AL#27 p.54
Cyndy Burton
▪ A revised, verified, but by no means complete list of lutherie schools and a resource list of organizations and journals which have useful information for instrument makers.
1991
AL#25 p.59
Cyndy Burton
▪ Info on Gibson scale lengths and purfling cutters.
1991
AL#25 p.4
Cyndy Burton Jeffrey-R. Elliott
▪ Fan braces in the famous Segovia Hauser guitar are trimmed in a particular way.
1990
AL#22 p.29 BRB2 p.392
Cyndy Burton Nancy Conescu
▪ Conescu offers insight into the value of formal lutherie training. After violin making school she worked for years under the watchful eye of master repairmen and builders.
1989
AL#20 p.58 BRB2 p.483
Cyndy Burton
▪ History, context, and precedent for the spelling of ‘lutherie’.
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.
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.
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.
1989
AL#18 p.57
Cyndy Burton
▪ Water based lacquers are too thin and run, and streak according to the answerers.
1989
AL#19 p.56 BRB2 p.496
Jeffrey-R. Elliott Cyndy Burton
▪ The reviewers find this book to be “a significant resource. . .densely packed with information both useful and interesting.” The evolution of the classical guitar, as described by Romanillos, should be of interest to all contemporary builders.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1989
AL#17 p.55
Cyndy Burton
▪ Where to get HD plans? GAL, Elderly, Dulcimer Players News, and Robinson’s Harp Shop.
1989
AL#17 p.55
Cyndy Burton
▪ Refinishing ovations.
1989
AL#17 p.55
Cyndy Burton
▪ Directly ordering David Rogers machine heads.
1988
AL#14 p.60 BRB2 p.490
Cyndy Burton
▪ This book, which has since become sort of the Bible of guitarmaking, is described by the reviewer as “the book we’ve all been waiting for.”
1988
AL#14 p.4 BRB2 p.38
Cyndy Burton Greg Byers Robert Steinegger Buzz Vineyard
▪ This workshop lecture and its audience participation make a wonderful case for the value of collected experience. These 7 pages of text and photos offer tips and information not to be found in any of the French polishing videos and articles that have come out since, as well as explaining the basics of finishing with shellac.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
1987
AL#10 p.62 BRB1 p.500 read this article
Cyndy Burton
▪ Workbook format, large, 160 photos and diagrams, and spiral binding are great advantages of this nuts and bolts straight method book.