Tag Archives: Calkin¸ John

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

2023
AL#150 p.67               
John Calkin                                                                                           

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

Press Your Ukuleles

2023
AL#149 p.42               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ One operation at a time, Calkin is showing us how to make ukes in a direct and effective way. It’s all done by one worker with simple tools in a small space. Here he shows us how to get the back onto the ribs quickly and accurately, with no cleanup needed.

Power Up Your Ukulele Dishes

2023
AL#148 p.54               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Get serious about building ukes in spherically-radiused workboards. These dishes are easily built from lumberyard material and use a drill press for power.

Lutherie Curmudgeon: A Case of Lucky Accidents

2023
AL#148 p.62               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The Lutherie Curmudgeon casts his eye on the lutherie scene, and speaks his truth. He’s kinda grumpy, but you know you love him.

Making a Centerline Square

2022
AL#147 p.56               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ In lutherie work, you often need to make something accurately perpendicular to the instrument’s centerline. Squares designed for carpenters and machinists don’t do the job as well as these simple and inexpensive clear-plastic tools.

Review: Jeff Jewitt Finish Buffing Video

2022
AL#147 p.66               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin gives the thumbs-up to a fine 5-hour video just about wet sanding and buffing a lacquer finish. Prepping and spraying the finish is a whole other matter, not covered here.

Meet the Maker: Peggy Stuart

2022
AL#147 p.42               
John Calkin   Peggy Stuart                                                                                       

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

Meet the Maker: David Thormahlen

2022
AL#146 p.26               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ David Thormahlen started making many kinds of string instruments in the woodshop in college, and then made a strategic decision to focus his lutherie career on lever harps. It all worked out well, and he still makes guitars, mandolins, and bouzoukis in addition to the harps. He shows us some of his gluing fixtures which involve bicycle inner tubes; some stretched, some inflated.

Reviews: Ukulele Making Course with Heidi Litke

2022
AL#146 p.60               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Ukes are serious lutherie projects these days. Standards and expectations are high. The same is true for instructional videos. The reviewer is favorably impressed with the instruments, the instructors, and the presentation.

Making Control-Cavity Jigs

2022
AL#145 p.52               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Using simple, non-dedicated tooling, Calkin steps us through his straightforward, no-nonsense process of routing control cavities in solid guitar bodies.

Review: Building the Steel String Acoustic Guitar by R.M. Mottola

2022
AL#145 p.60               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Our frequent author and online lutherie resource hero RM Mottola has finally gone all the way. He has written Building the Steel String Acoustic Guitar, a comprehensive, detailed construction method for building a flattop guitar. Speaking of frequent authors, John Calkin reviews it.

Review: Inlay Techniques with Larry Robinson

2022
AL#145 p.56               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ John Calkin looks at another fine instructional video from Robbie O’Brien: Inlay Techniques with Larry Robinson. He likes it.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2022
AL#145 p.70               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin thinks about a few things that have changed since he started making guitars nearly 50 years ago. And some things that have not.

Meet the Maker: Robert Anderson

2021
AL#144 p.36               
John Calkin   Robert Anderson                                                                                       

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

Product Review: SuperMax 16-32 Drum Sander

2021
AL#144 p.61               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Thickness sanders have come a long way since the days when luthiers commonly made their own jury-rigged and cantankerous contraptions. Two experienced builders give the SuperMax 16-32 a thorough workout and pronounce it worthy and workable for an individual luthier’s shop.

Review: Michael Bashkin Fretting Course from ObrienGuitars.com

2021
AL#144 p.66               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Online video lutherie instruction has come of age. Our reviewer John Calkin is a veteran luthier and a fan of lutherie videos from way back in the VHS days. He gives this course a strong reccomendation.

It Worked for Me: Sawdust in Fretboard Slots

2021
AL#144 p.71               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ You might decide to cram sawdust into those nice freshly-cut fret slots. Sounds weird? It’s so you can wax the board before fretting and not get wax into the slots.

Review: Electric Guitar Building with Mike Snider (video download)

2021
AL#143 p.66               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This is a major instructional video from Robbie O’Brien’s school, with a running time of 14 hours.

Cleaning Shop Part 1

2021
               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ In your workshop, are you drowning in a sea of beautiful little scraps of wood? Dr.JC is here to administer some tough love about your hoarding problem.

Cleaning Shop Part 2

2021
               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ In your workshop, are you drowning in a sea of beautiful little scraps of wood? Dr.JC is here to administer some tough love about your hoarding problem.

Quickie Sander Fence

2021
               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Bang some hunks of particle board together to make the simple jigs you need, in this case a 90 degree fence for a horizontal belt sander. Remember to write on them what they are.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2021
AL#142 p.60               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Sometimes a bargain is no bargain, like when the work that a power tool accomplishes is less valuable than space it uses in your shop. If you don’t love something, set it free.

Auxiliary Workbenches and Tables

2020
AL#141 p.58               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ There’s no fancy-schmancy foolin’ around at Calkin’s shop. Your bench is covered in projects and tools? Make a little benchtop on legs and let it stand above the clutter. Wish your bench had a radiused top? Make a tiny one that does. Frustrated by cam clamps that don’t reach the middle of your workbench? You know what to do.

Questions: Good Advice for Beginning Uke Makers

2020
AL#139 p.69               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Our resident straight-shooting curmudgeon says to start with super-simple kits, then move to good-quality kits, then just make ukes.

Questions: Cupped Top Sets

2019
AL#138 p.69               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ What do you do with cupped soundboard sets? Go ahead and use them. Calkin offers some practical tips for avoiding problems.

Letter to the Editor: Lap Steel Question and Alternative Wood

2020
AL#139 p.2               
Dean Coss   John Calkin                                                                                       

▪ Does a solid body lap steel guitar need a truss rod? No. Plus a discussion of alernative woods and some appreciation of the virtues of quick-and-dirty lutherie.

Cheap and Easy Electric Lap Steel

2019
AL#138 p.28               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Got a used humbucker, a wall stud, some extruded aluminum, and a couple other odds and ends? Make a lap steel guitar! Author John Calkin likes to get right down to business. There’s nothing precious or over-thought here. Minimum tooling, maximum lutherie fun. This is how Leo Fender got his start, ya know.

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2017
AL#129 p.64               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin’s manifesto of outlaw lutherie. He says real lutherie can be fun, spontanious, quick, and cheap. Relax. It’s good for you.

Questions: Why would I want to use torrified or heat-treated wood?

2017
AL#129 p.68               
Mark Dalton   Andy Powers   John Calkin                                                                                   

▪ Torrified wood has been baked at similar temperatures as baking potatoes, usually in a reduced-oxygen atmosphere. Seems to make the wood lighter in weight, darker in color, and stiffer across the grain.

Questions: Where can I get my wood heat treated or torrified?

2017
AL#129 p.68               
John Calkin   R.M. Mottola                                                                                       

▪ There is no company offering a torrifying service, but maybe you can do something similar in a home oven. I said maybe. Don’t blame the GAL if you make a stinking mess. Or worse.

Reviews: O’Brien’s Fret Work

2016
AL#128 p.68               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Graham McDonald has written books about mandolin-family instrument construction as well as speaking at GAL Conventions and writing for AL. Now he has written a book about mandolin history, and long-time GAL member GD Armstrong likes it. John Calkin gives a good review to a recent addition to Robbie O’Brien’s large and deep online lutherie instruction catalog. This one focuses on Kent Carlos Everett’s fret work techniques.

The 2×4 Ukulele

2017
AL#129 p.12               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin says real lutherie can be fun, spontanious, quick, and cheap. He makes a uke from a lumber-yard 2×4 to drive home the point.

Reviews: O’Brien Online Mandolin Making Course

2015
AL#124 p.65               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin finds more treasure in the rich mine of Robbie O’Brien’s online lutherie instruction. Instructor Geoff Burghardt covers the process in detail in the 13-hour course.

Herringbone Trim and Shell Purfling

2015
AL#123 p.58               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin has purfled and bound a lot of steel string guitars, both in his own shop and in his day job at Huss&Dalton. Here he shows us his current techniques to do a quick, clean, tight job with the traditional fancy trims.

Reviews: O’Brien Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course by Robert O’Brien

2015
AL#123 p.64               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This online course provides information that an endless and distracting internet search will not yield.

Reviews: Short Reviews of a Few Interesting Books on the Ukulele and C.F. Martin

2015
AL#121 p.60               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin looks at several books on ukulele, guitar, and American history, and finds interesting connections.

Product Reviews: Gatco Edgemate Carbide Knife Sharpener

2015
AL#121 p.62               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin likes the Edgemate Carbide Knife Sharpener. It’s intended for pocket knives and the like, but it’s also useful for a number of lutherie tools.

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.

Meet the Maker: Roger Alan Skipper

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

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

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2012
AL#112 p.67               
John Calkin                                                                                           

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

Meet the Maker: R.M. Mottola

2012
AL#109 p.44               
John Calkin   R.M. Mottola                                                                                       

▪ Mottola is involved in various lutherie activities including electrical engineering, experimental instrument building, and technical writing and reporting for American Lutherie magazine.

Reviews: Making Concert Classical Guitar with John S. Bogdanovich by John S. Bogdanovich (10 DVD set)

2011
AL#108 p.62               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Bogdonavich’s ultra specific guitar building method is professionally chronicled in this handsomely packaged 10-dvd set.

Cheap Machines: Drill Press

2011
AL#107 p.56      ALA2 p.66         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The drill press is an indispensable tool in the lutherie shop, despite the advent of dedicated machines which have replaced some of it’s chores.

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

Lutherie Curmudgeon

2011
AL#106 p.69               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin illustrates life lessons with the Colin Hay song, ‘Waiting For My Real Life To Begin’.

Fox Bender Upgrades and Bending Updates

2010
AL#103 p.56      ALA2 p.40         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Huss & Dalton bend more sides than the average luthier, but fewer than Taylor or Martin. They do it by maximizing the effectiveness of the familiar Fox-style bender. The latest tricks include spring-steel sheets, brown paper, aluminum foil, and “the magic juice.”

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

Reviews: How To Make a Living By Doing Something Crazy Like Building Guitars by Kent Carlos Everett

2010
AL#101 p.66               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Everett’s book, based on a lecture given at Healdsburg Guitar Festival is a thoroughly researched look at self employment, backed up with experience and hard data.

Dulcimer 101

2009
AL#98 p.48               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin was inspired to write this by pleas from readers for more entry level stories. Dulcimers are needlessly maligned and in need of advocates, and the author is a strong one. Tools and jiggery are kept to a minimum to make construction as accessible as possible without hurting the integrity of the finished instrument. Beginning luthiers should stop complaining and get to work! With 31 photos.

Understanding Neck Rake

2009
AL#99 p.11      ALA1 p.2         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ It sounds pretty high-falutin’ to talk about the geometry of the guitar, but in the lightest sense it’s a useable conceit. If the angles of the top design and neck joint aren’t right you won’t get an instrument that anybody wants to play, or can play. The author uses a mechanical, rather than mathematical, system to lay out the neck in relation to the body. You don’t have to know the angle involved, you just have to be intelligent. This, if you are a GAL member, is a given. With 6 photos.

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

Reviews: The Mandolin Project by Graham McDonald

2009
AL#97 p.64               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer is very pleased with this manual that presents the construction of four different styles of mandolin. The instruction is concise and the illustrations well done.

Meet the Maker: James Buckland

2009
AL#98 p.36      ALA3 p.18         
John Calkin   James Buckland                                                                                       

▪ Buckland is a classical performer and teacher who also builds guitars, not and unheard of combination but a rare one. He is especially knowledgeable about guitar history and the little known Terz guitar, of which he is an authority. If that sounds dull you should also know that he started as a Canadian lefty who was initially inspired by Jimi Hendrix, among other rockers. He’s still a lefty, but now we have him in America. Canada has probably been sulking ever since. With 10 photos.

Reviews: Building the Selmer-Maccaferri Guitar by Michael Collins

2008
AL#96 p.66               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer enjoyed this 14-hour DVD set but advises that it’s not the last word in the construction of a fine guitar.

Meet the Maker: Graham McDonald

2009
AL#97 p.42               
John Calkin   Graham McDonald                                                                                       

▪ Aussie McDonald has built many sorts of instruments, though he has come to specialize in mandolins and bouzoukis and has written a pair of books about their construction. He has also contributed a number of articles to American Lutherie over the years. It becomes apparent that like is different in Australia. We should all take a field trip there. With 8 photos.

Letter to the Editor: Instrument Resurrection Stories

2008
AL#96 p.3               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin’s letter is concerned with repair shop work ethics, customer relations, and job burnout. It’s really about an old-timer surveying modern society and finding it lacking in some ways.

Florida Gold

2008
AL#95 p.59               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Mike Brittain (see previous article) sent a set of Florida rosewood to the GAL office, and the office staff looked around for someone to build a guitar out of it. Calkin answered the call. Well, someone had to scarf up the free wood, didn’t they? That Mike Brittain’s a swell guy, isn’t he? So this is the story of one particular guitar. By the way, the Florida rosewood in question is Dalbergia sissoo, not the Dalbergia latifolia most often used for guitars. But it looks great, works great, and sounds great. With 5 photos.

Product Reviews: Plasti-Dip and the Stewart-MacDonald Binding Laminator

2008
AL#95 p.62               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer gives a thumbs up to Plasti-Dip, a thick liquid used to apply a plastic coating to tools, and to the Stew-Mac Binding Laminator, used to lay up various combinations of plastic or celluloid bindings and purflings. With 4 photos.

Brave Shaver

2007
AL#92 p.52      ALA1 p.95         
Mark Swanson   John Calkin                                                                                       

▪ Mark Swanson brought a brand-new guitar to Harry Fleishman’s 2006 Convention workshop, and had the guts to recut the braces there under Harry’s tutelage with an audience of luthiers looking on. Everyone agreed the results were positive. With 2 photos.

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

Partial Refrets

2007
AL#90 p.58               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Sometimes only a few frets need to be replaced. Here’s how and why to do it and an idea of how to charge for it. Another lesson from Instrument Repair 101. With 11 photos.

Mending a Bomber

2007
AL#89 p.30               
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ A number of acoustic guitars built during the ’60s demonstrated peculiar design traits, and this smashed up Gibson B-25 is a fine example of such. The author returns it to playable good health while maintaining its quirkiness in all its glory. With 12 photos.

The Chanlynn Deflection Machine

2007
AL#89 p.62      ALA1 p.26         
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Gunsmith Mark Chanlynn built Calkin a machine to precisely measure the deflection of a guitar top under a constant weight. There are no plans here, but it’s pretty obvious how it works, and just as obvious how it might help you make better guitars. With 3 photos.

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

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.

Reviews: The Ukulele by Denis Gilbert, and Ukulele Design and Construction by D. Henry Wickham

2006
AL#86 p.68               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that neither of these books is that great but that Wickham’s is probably a better value than Gilbert’s.

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.

Review: Build a Steel String Guitar with Robert O’Brien by Robert O’Brien

2005
AL#84 p.60   BRB7 p.536            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Though the reviewer found fault with this CD-ROM he decides that for the beginner it is better instruction than any book on the subject.

Review: Building an Acoustic Guitar by Dan Erlewine and Todd Sams

2005
AL#84 p.61   BRB7 p.537            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This 70 minute video demonstrates building an acoustic guitar from a Stew-Mac kit, and may be a bit misleading in it’s title.

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.

Review: Build Your Own Lap Steel Guitar by Martin Koch

2005
AL#83 p.55   BRB7 p.533            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer notes that luthiers with a modicum of experience may find this book and CD combination lacking in useful new information. However, he enjoyed the reading/viewing and decides that the beginning electric luthier could do much worse than starting with Koch’s work.

Guitar Swap!

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

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

Questions: Saddle Compensation for Octave Mandolin

2005
AL#81 p.63   BRB7 p.423            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Rule of thumb information on saddle compensation for an octave mandolin with a 560mm scale and fixed bridge.

Review: The Bouzouki Book, by Graham McDonald

2004
AL#80 p.58   BRB7 p.525            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer found this book about several ways of constructing the Irish bouzouki to be up-to-date, useful, and generally well written, though the huge number of typos bothered him.

Two-Step Cutaway Bending

2004
AL#78 p.64   BRB7 p.226            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The author maintains that the safest way to bend a radical cutaway is to do it in two steps, both using an electric blanket. With 9 photos.

Product Review: Stew-Mac Shaped Braces

2004
AL#79 p.60   BRB7 p.512            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer examines Stew-Mac’s top and back brace sets for flattop guitars and finds that they limit the luthiers design options, but he nonetheless is able to put them into one of his guitars with no qualms. With 4 photos.

Meet the Maker: Jeffrey Yong

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

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

Lacquer Details

2003
AL#76 p.46   BRB7 p.138            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ One man’s journey through the world of lacquer paint that includes safety equipment, varieties of paint both old and new, application equipment, and some preferences. With 7 photos.

Product Review: Spot Check Thermometer

2003
AL#76 p.58   BRB7 p.510            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer tries out the Spot Check contact thermometer on his side-bending machine and makes some interesting discoveries. This tool is too cheap and useful to be without. With 3 photos.

Shifting Gears on a Gretsch

2004
AL#77 p.22   BRB7 p.156            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Dealing with a store saves you the hassle of dealing with customers but includes the uncertainties of not having access to the customers. The pros and cons are examined. Meanwhile, a Gretsch electric guitar fingerboard is removed, the truss rod swapped out, and the instrument is restored, all in good detail. With 10 photos.

Kit Review: LMI’s OM Guitar

2003
AL#74 p.48   BRB7 p.538            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The oversize nature of the parts in this kit offers the ability to build guitars that are wider and/or deeper than the standard Martin OM. The author builds one he calls the magnum, a normal OM shape that has the depth of a dreadnought. He finds it to be a thoroughly top-flight instrument. With 18 photos and a sidebar about the author’s Ferrari OM, an attempt to build the lightest possible instrument that will still thrive in the real world.

Review: Shoptalk 6

2003
AL#73 p.61   BRB7 p.523            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This video is a collection of shop tips that the reviewer found to be valuable and entertaining, especially in view of the low price.

Stop Giving Your Guitar the Finger

2003
AL#73 p.40   BRB7 p.2            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Everyone develops little work habits or adopts minor tools that together make a big difference in their work and the pleasure they find in it. This is one man’s collection of odds and ends that changed the quality and quantity of his work. With 15 photos.

Making Kerfed Lining

2002
AL#72 p.32   BRB6 p.417            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ A small shop can easily make all the nice instrument lining it needs if it already has a tablesaw and a thickness sander and invests in a few simple jigs. It isn’t hard, but it isn’t especially fun, either.

Review: Dan Erlewine Lutherie Videos

2002
AL#72 p.54   BRB6 p.541            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Eight new videos (with four already on DVD) from the inventor of video lutherie instruction. The reviewer obviously likes them and believes they will speed the learning curve for anyone interested in guitar repair and maintenance.

Meet the Maker: Duane Heilman

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

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

Kit Review: Musicmaker’s Irish Bouzouki

2002
AL#71 p.44   BRB6 p.507            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Irish ‘zooks are cool, though they don’t much resemble bouzoukis and very few of them come from Ireland. The author finds the kit to be easily assembled and a bargain. Though the nontraditional materials may turn off some, the instrument is playable and sounds decent. With 13 photos.

Meet the Maker: Ralph Novak

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

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

Slotting Fretboards

2002
AL#70 p.48   BRB6 p.344            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Using templates and a tablesaw to slot fingerboards in minutes, and how to make your own templates. With 7 photos and 5 fret scales for off-beat scale lengths.

The Heretic’s Guide to Alternative Lutherie Woods

2002
AL#69 p.13   BRB6 p.288            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This is an examination of 17 varieties of wood not usually associated with guitars, their bending characteristics, and how they look. Calkin’s opinions about tonewood have proven to be pretty controversial, but this article may help if you are tired of the same old look on your instruments. With 19 photos.

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

Kit Review: Musicmaker’s Regency Harp

2002
AL#69 p.48   BRB6 p.500            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The author discovers that this kit provides a harp fit for a professional musician. The finished harp is a powerful instrument with a wide range, and though the kit is pricey it is easy to build. The process of lace finishing is described in detail. With 17 photos.

Review: Dangerous Curves: The Art of the Guitar by Darcy Kuronen

2001
AL#67 p.60   BRB6 p.539            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This is a picture book of guitars that the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, included in a show of artfully conceived instruments. The reviewer loves the style of the photography but gives the project a so-so evaluation.

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.

Quick-and-Dirty Bridge and Brace Repair

2001
AL#67 p.42   BRB6 p.258            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Some instruments aren’t worth repairing because their value is less than the cost of the repair work. Unless, that is, you resort to superglue and a bit of trickery. On the cuatro used in the example a tailpiece is used along with the stock bridge to prevent steel strings from tearing the bridge off the top again. With 8 photos.

Wet Inlay

2001
AL#66 p.38   BRB6 p.194            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Inlay advice using epoxy and Inlace mixed with various substances to fill the routed holes, rather than a solid such as MOp.With 8 photos.

Kit Review: Musicmaker’s Hurdy-Gurdy

2001
AL#66 p.50   BRB6 p.496            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin barely knew what a hurdy-gurdy was when he began this kit, and afterwards he still wasn’t too sure. Not that it was the kit’s fault. The hurdy-gurdy (a mechanical fiddle) has nearly vanished from the musical scene and few details are to be found outside of museum blueprints. The kit turned out pretty good, though it makes no attempt at historical accuracy. Fun stuff, with 15 photos.

Review: Custom Knifemaking by Tim McCreight

2001
AL#66 p.57   BRB6 p.538            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer decides that if you want to make your first knife you just about can’t go wrong with this book.

Evolving the Dished Workboard

2001
AL#65 p.22   BRB6 p.210            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The dished workboard can make it easier to make better guitars. Calkin reveals several ways to make them more versatile, more accurate, and more fun to use. With 13 photos.

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

Review: Installing Transducer Pickup Systems by Dan Erlewine

2001
AL#65 p.63   BRB6 p.536            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer recommends this video about installing under-the-bridge flattop guitar pickups.

Review: Archtop Guitar Master Class Series Part 1: Focusing on Bridges and Tailpieces by Bob Benedetto

2000
AL#64 p.56   BRB6 p.534            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this video to be more opinion than explanation, and that the limited amount of information included doesn’t justify its purchase.

Kit Review: Stew-Mac’s D-28 Guitar

2000
AL#64 p.58   BRB6 p.493            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The author enjoyed building this kit and decides that it is a fine value as well as a good way to enter guitar making. With 14 photos.

Getting Fit

2000
AL#63 p.34   BRB6 p.108            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ OK, so you’ve got all the parts for your flattop guitar body prepped for construction. How do you get all the pieces to fit together? The author details the construction methods used at the Huss & Dalton Guitar Co, all of which should prove useful to any small shop.With 21 photos.

Nine Electric Guitar Construction References

2000
AL#63 p.50               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The best of these books and videos should put you well on the way to making professional quality electric instruments. You should know about the others, too, if only so you know to avoid them.

Review: Sunburst Finishing by Dan Erlewine and Don MacRostie

2000
AL#63 p.61   BRB6 p.533            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer admires this video as a look at the real world of guitar finishing, where standards are high and problems are bound to arise.

Review: Spray Finishing Basics by Dan Erlewine and Don MacRostie

2000
AL#61 p.63   BRB6 p.531            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this video for its good advice to luthiers who have no access to professional equipment. Those who already have a booth and good spray gear will also benefit from the instruction. The 2 jobs involved are both electric guitars finished in colors.

Kit Review: The Riverboat Banjo from Musicmaker’s Kits

2000
AL#62 p.50   BRB6 p.490            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This is the first of a new semi-regular column. The Riverboat features massive amounts of wood to paint or carve, as well as a head adjustment system that eliminates all of the traditional banjo hardware. Calkin likes it. With 7 photos.

Meet the Maker: Henry Stocek

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

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

Review: Guitar Finishing Step-by-Step by Dan Erlewine and Don MacRostie

2000
AL#61 p.62   BRB6 p.530            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer recommends this book to anyone who wishes to spray lacquer, but especially to those who wish to recreate many of the electric guitar finishes the factories have put out.

Product Reviews: Stew-Mac Neck Jig

2000
AL#61 p.52   BRB6 p.468            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Good grades are given to the Stew-Mac neck jig, a fretting aid. The fret nippers intended for jumbo fret wire is greeted with mixed emotions. The Allen mandolin tailpiece is found to offer grace and dignity to any mando with a bridge high enough to allow its use.

Meet the Maker: Bob Gernandt

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

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

Review: Assembling a Solidbody Electric Guitar by Dan Erlewine

1999
AL#60 p.48   BRB5 p.485            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ All it takes to slap together a parts guitar is a screwdriver and some common sense, right? Way wrong! The reviewer decides that this video should be figured into the budget of every first-time guitar assembler.

Review: Advanced Inlay Techniques by Larry Robinson

1999
AL#59 p.63   BRB5 p.478            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Robinson not only continues to widen the scope of instrument inlay, he invites others to come along and shows them how to do it. The reviewer is very enthusiastic about this video tape.

Review: Shoptalk 5 by Todd Sams, Don MacRostie, Dan Erlewine

1999
AL#59 p.65   BRB5 p.484            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this instruction video that is ultimately intended to sell product, and finds that the instruction far outweighs the salesmanship angle of this Stew-Mac tape.

Meet the Maker: Bonnie Carol

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

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

Review: Violin Making—Live! Watch Me Make a Cello, Step-by-Step by Henry Strobel

1999
AL#58 p.56   BRB5 p.481            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this set of three video tapes (about 6-hrs. worth) to be roughly made but perhaps invaluable to the learn-at-home crowd.

More Binding Tips and Tools

1999
AL#57 p.11   BRB5 p.297            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin was hired by Huss and Dalton to take over their guitar binding. His story includes a description of how to make wood binding, and covers the hand tools he uses during the binding procedure. With 6 photos.

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

Tales of True Companionship

1999
AL#57 p.40   BRB5 p.317            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin builds a uniquely shaped travel guitar called the True Companion, and here explains its construction as well as the jigs he devised for production building. The plan is a mini-version of GAL Plan #44. With 14 photos, including one of the sternest luthier of the year. Ya’ll remember to smile when it’s your turn!

Meet the Maker: Steve Kinnaird

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

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

Review: Tambura by Dusan Brankov

1999
AL#57 p.63   BRB5 p.480            read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this book will guide any luthier through the construction of this instrument that is sort of a simple guitar from Yugoslavia.

Meet the Maker: David “Kawika” Hurd

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

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

Searching for Blue Significance

1998
AL#56 p.50               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Scott Chinery had 22 luthiers build 22 archtop guitars, all of them blue. Why? And why did the Smithsonian Institute decide to display them? And then throw in a big shindig for luthiers and guitar nuts alike? Calkin treks to Washington D.C. in the name of the Guild to figure out what all the fuss is about and discovers that hardly anything is what it seems. With 3 photos.

Review: Basic Inlay Techniques and Intermediate Inlay Techniques by Larry Robinson

1998
AL#55 p.64   BRB5 p.478            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that for anyone wishing to attempt intricate, carefully fitted inlays these two instruction videos should guide them through the craft phase and help to release whatever art they may be capable of.

Review: How to Repair Your Diatonic Accordion or Concertina by John Townley and Jehan Paul

1998
AL#55 p.65               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer enjoyed this video. It is iconoclastic and hip, and should help anyone keep their squeezebox wheezing healthily. Instruction should always be this fun.

Review: Easy Guitar Maintenance and Repair by Harvey Citron

1998
AL#54 p.55   BRB5 p.476            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this video is a good learning device for anyone wishing to learn how to set up their electric guitar or bass, perhaps less so for acoustic players.

Review: Archtop Guitar Design and Construction by Robert Benedetto

1998
AL#54 p.56   BRB5 p.476            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this set of 5 videos to be useful and complete for those who wish to build an archtop guitar, but that those who lack previous lutherie experience should also have the book by Benedetto.

Review: Spray Finishing by Andy Charron

1998
AL#54 p.57   BRB5 p.477            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer decides that the book should be of use to anyone who is about to purchase their first spray gear, but that other sources of information are more lutherie-specific.

Ten Fiddle Books

1998
AL#53 p.52   BRB5 p.486            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ A non-fiddle maker reviews 10 of the less expensive books about building violins. Are they useful? Interesting? Deadly dull? Worth the bread? There are far more expensive books in this category, but these are the ones most likely to be encountered by the beginner. This will give you a leg up before you order.

Questions: Guitar Making Graduated Projects

1998
AL#53 p.59               
John Calkin   Harry Fleishman                                                                                       

▪ A standard series of graduated projects that one can undertake to gain experience in instrument maker.

After the Fox: How Charles Changed my Lutherie Life

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

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

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

Crazy Like Charles Fox: Guitar Making Jigs for the 21st Century, Part 2

1998
AL#53 p.32   BRB5 p.108            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ In AL#52 we looked at the tools and jigs Charles Fox uses to build acoustic guitars. In Part 2 we examine how that equipment is put to use as Fox takes us through the procedure of building a classical guitar at his American School of Lutherie. Most of this info will be just as useful to the steel string builder, as well. With 55 photos.

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

Meet the Maker: George Fortune, Jr.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hangin’ with Augie

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

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

It Worked for Me: Dulcimer Fret Installation

1997
AL#51 p.52   BRB5 p.491            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ A portable fret to solve the installation problem of the infamous 6 and a half fret of a dulcimer.

Meet the Makers: Jeffrey Huss and Mark Dalton

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

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

Review: Musical Instrument Design by Bart Hopkin

1997
AL#51 p.46   BRB5 p.471            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes this book about instrument creation. The book deals lightly with the physics of music and lightly with the concept of craft. Hopkin’s real message is that musical instruments are everywhere on the planet, not just in the guitar shop, and he happily guides the reader through the creation of dozens of them. Deals with wind and percussion instruments more than with strings, but the string section is useful.

Review: Woodshop Dust Control by Sandor Nagyszalanczy

1997
AL#51 p.47   BRB5 p.471            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer likes the informal structure of this book about an important health consideration in any woodshop.Shop dust can be controlled on a low budget when necessary, and many collectors and aids can be made in the shop.

Review: The Ukulele, A Visual History by Jim Beloff

1997
AL#51 p.49   BRB5 p.472            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer enjoyed his time spent with this book, but decides its appeal will be to those who are already ukulele enthusiasts. If you aren’t one, it probably won’t make you one.

Review: Guitar Electronics with Lindy Fralin

1997
AL#51 p.49   BRB5 p.472            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ This video is about designing, making, and repairing pickups, starting at the bottom. The reviewer enjoyed the tape and found that it taught him new material in a manner that didn’t frighten him off.

Meet the Maker: Kent Everett

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

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

Stage Acoustic Guitars

1997
AL#49 p.20   BRB5 p.12            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ How to make thin-body guitars intended to be plugged in on stage. The bodies are hollowed from solid stock. Design considerations are emphasized. Production jigs are described, as are a set of jigs for making bridges. With 14 photos.

Nineteen Stew-Mac How-to Videos 2

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

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

Meet the Maker: Geoff Stelling

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

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

Review: Dobro Set Up & Maintenance by Paul Beard

1996
AL#47 p.60   BRB4 p.470            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer generally likes this video for the specific information it offers about Dobro hardware. He also finds that half the tape is too basic to be of real help to seasoned luthiers.

Nineteen Stew-Mac How-to Videos 1

1996
AL#45 p.44   BRB4 p.474            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Some videos are worth the money, and some aren’t. It depends more on the depth of your experience and interest than on the quality of these videos, which is generally good. Take a look at a batch of tapes (and one book) from Stewart-MacDonald about building or repairing stringed instruments.

Review: Electric Guitar Setups by Hideo Kamimoto

1995
AL#43 p.60   BRB4 p.466            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this should be a useful book for any but the most experienced repairman.

Review: Electric Guitars and Basses, a Photographic History by George Gruhn and Walter Carter

1995
AL#42 p.56   BRB4 p.465            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer is enthusiastic about this picture book but decides that it may have no relevance to the life of a typical luthier.

A Practical Approach to Hammered Dulcimers

1995
AL#41 p.18   BRB4 p.154            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The goal is to make the lightest possible instrument that will stay in tune. Calkin examines bracing, bridge design, scale lengths, wood, and hammer design. With 9 photos and several drawings.

Review: The Art of Inlay by Larry Robinson

1995
AL#41 p.53   BRB4 p.464            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that if you wish to push your inlay work beyond the traditional patterns you may find this book indispensable.

Vreeble and Veneer

1994
AL#40 p.50   BRB4 p.82            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin’s pair of articles first takes a look at Vreeble, a form of lacquer-based crackle paint, and then at refinishing an electric bass with curly maple veneer.

Making Pickguards

1994
AL#39 p.25   BRB4 p.70            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The focus here is electric guitar pickguards, both wood and plastic. Some tips carry over to acoustic pickguards.

Making Flat Cases

1994
AL#38 p.48   BRB4 p.59            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ How to make hardshell, vinyl-covered, fur-lined cases for instruments that won’t fit into a stock case.

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

Carving Neck Facets

1993
AL#33 p.48   BRB3 p.306            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin offers a neck shaping method that gives preconceived notions a chance to be born. What you want in a neck is what you get, quickly and with straight lines.

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

Letter to the Editor: Bosch Laminate Trimmer and Cheap Mando Family

1991
AL#26 p.3               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ When his Dremel died, he got a Bosch laminate trimmer to replace it. He loves the Bosch and does not miss the Dremel.

Letter to the Editor: Start by Building a Dulcimer

1990
AL#24 p.5               read this article
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin warns about being too precious about making a first guitar from fine wood. He says grab any old wood and build a mountain dulcimer.

Try Cherry!

1990
AL#24 p.56   BRB2 p.469            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Calkin encourages the use of alternative tonewoods. He offers advice about choosing cherry boards and methods of finishing cherry instruments that he has found attractive.

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