Forty-four-year Guild member C.F. Casey built his first dulcimer back in 1978, and studied with Boo Podunovac in 1980. Fred has lately been building a lot of ukuleles and has become an enthusiastic practitioner of Hawaiian steel guitar.
▪ bio current as of 2022
2022
AL#145 p.46
C.F. Casey
▪ We sometimes hear of a luthier who enjoys the challenge of building an instrument from lumber-yard materials rather than from picked and approved tonewoods. but Casey goes one better when he makes two successful instruments from a single softwood two-by-four. And it had a knot in it, just for extra fun.
2020
AL#141 p.5
C.F. Casey
▪
2020
AL#140 p.62
C.F. Casey
▪ Nearly twenty years ago, Casey made a detailed drawing of a 7-string Russian guitar which we published as GAL Instrument Plan #48. Recently, he was called on to make a replica of that instrument. Sure, he had the drawing, but he took a few liberties with the project. He tells us what he did, and why. The original guitar showed some Stauffer inspiration.
2019
AL#137 p.65
C.F. Casey
▪ With a simple L-shaped block of scrap wood, you can easily mark the bottom of a fretboard overhang.
2018
AL#134 p.69
C.F. Casey
▪ String action height for ukes.
2018
AL#133 p.65
C.F. Casey
▪ Place rare-earth magnets for crack repair inside acoustic guitars the easy way.
2018
AL#133 p.56
C.F. Casey
▪ We’ve all seen bad repairs. They can be frustrating, or maybe enraging. But sometimes they are just dazzling in their spectacular daring and ignorance. Here’s a couple of those.
2016
AL#128 p.67
C.F. Casey
▪ Locate dot markers on a fretboard. All you need is a short straightedge and a pencil.
2017
AL#129 p.20
C.F. Casey
▪ When a neighbor brought in “Grampa’s old guitar” for Fred Casey to look at, he got a shock. The guitar was a whopper. Or more properly, a monster. That’s what Lyon & Healy called this very wide guitar. It was pretty well smashed, but soon it was back in playing condition. Does this guitar make my hips look big?
2015
AL#123 p.69
C.F. Casey
▪ Quick info on suggested standard action for ukes.
2015
AL#123 p.69
C.F. Casey
▪ More thoughts on the use of the word “chocolaty” to describe guitar sound.
2013
AL#116 p.56
C.F. Casey
▪ Building two related instruments which form the rhythmic foundation of the Mariachi band: the Vihuela and the Guitarron.
2013
AL#114 p.67
C.F. Casey
▪ Gluing back together a set of curly koa sides successfully.
2011
AL#105 p.64
C.F. Casey
▪ Ideas for reproducing Martin size 5 plans.
2010
AL#104 p.68 read this article
C.F. Casey
▪ For information on Charango plans, visit http://jlfeijooi.en.eresmas.com/construccion_de_un_ronroco.htm.
2010
AL#104 p.70 ALA2 p.71
C.F. Casey
▪ Little cam clamps made with aluminum rods.
2009
AL#100 p.54
C.F. Casey
▪ Building a Weissenborn-style instrument with the rope binding and rosette that Weissenborn used on high end models.
2007
AL#90 p.66
C.F. Casey
▪ Looking for a classical guitar mute.
2007
AL#89 p.34 read this article
C.F. Casey
▪ The requinto is a small classical guitar tuned a forth higher than standard tuning, and is the lead instrument in a form called Trio Romantico. Casey discusses the history of the instrument and offers a plan of one particular example. With 7 photos and a 2-page version of GAL Plan #54.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#89 p.36
C.F. Casey
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
2006
AL#88 p.48 read this article
C.F. Casey Jose Zamora
▪ Reyes-Zamora is a proud Puerto Rican who made it his business to rescue portions of the country’s history from oblivion. He has specialized in resuscitating the Puerto Rican tiple, an instrument unlike others of the same name. With 6 photos.
2006
AL#86 p.54
C.F. Casey
▪ Luthiers probably believe that quality instruments made in the Western Hemisphere all come from North America because that’s all they hear about. Not so! The Puerto Rican lutherie scene may be small but the luthiers are just as intense about their craft as American and Canadian builders. So what’s a Puerto Rican tiple, anyway? You better read this to find out. Just don’t confuse it with the Martin or Colombian tiple—Puerto Rican luthiers have their pride, too! With 5 photos.
2005
AL#83 p.52 BRB7 p.532 read this article
C.F. Casey
▪ The reviewer notes that this book is more about harp construction theory than about actual construction techniques, but decides that that is where the emphasis should be. He notes that the section of string length vs. string tension is especially useful, and that the book as a whole should have an important place on any harp makers’ reference shelf.
2005
AL#81 p.58 BRB7 p.527 read this article
C.F. Casey
▪ The reviewer enjoyed this Spanish-only book about the Puerto Rican tiple, which includes the instrument’s history, how to build it, and how to play it.
2004
AL#77 p.67 BRB7 p.491
C.F. Casey
▪ Making use of undamaged portions of a dozuki saw blade after some teeth have been chipped out.
2003
AL#75 p.32 BRB7 p.92
C.F. Casey
▪ Casey examines a Staufer-ish guitar made in Russia, a seven-string flattop with an adjustable neck feature. The guitar is parlor-size and with the old figure-eight body shape. Included are 12 photos as well as a small version of GAL Plan #48, a blueprint of the guitar with a list of all specs and materials.
2003
AL#75 p.36 BRB7 p.95
C.F. Casey
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
1997
AL#52 p.60 BRB5 p.473
C.F. Casey
▪ The reviewer came away from Ribbecke’s seminar not only feeling that he now had the foundation needed to build archtops, but felt that his lutherie skills in general had been boosted by his experience.
1994
AL#40 p.40 BRB4 p.112
C.F. Casey
▪ Casey devised his own methods of testing fingerboard woods for strength and abrasion resistance. His results will probably surprise you.
1992
AL#29 p.4
C.F. Casey
▪ WARP planned to preserve tropicals forests by working with indignous people.
1991
AL#27 p.60 BRB3 p.465 read this article
C.F. Casey
▪ The reviewer finds this book to be mostly a rehash of Irving Sloane’s Classic Guitar Construction.
1991
AL#26 p.60 BRB3 p.464 read this article
C.F. Casey
▪ This British D.I.Y. book offers alternative diction, syntax, and approach to the material.
1991
AL#25 p.55 BRB3 p.477
C.F. Casey
▪ Sports glasses, such as those worn by squash players, are an improvement on regular safety glasses.
1991
AL#25 p.21 BRB3 p.482
C.F. Casey
▪ This is one way to make a rosette when you are tired of simple circle patterns.
1990
AL#23 p.58 BRB2 p.429
C.F. Casey
▪ Make your own laminated maple c-clamps.
1990
AL#23 p.60 BRB2 p.485
Christopher Allworth C.F. Casey
▪ The Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, England) has available working drawings of a 1641 guitar by Rene Voboam, including details of construction of the parchment rose.
1987
AL#9 p.56 BRB1 p.498
C.F. Casey
▪ The reviewer believes that the book may help an experienced luthier adjust his “attitude” toward his craft and thereby make a better instrument. The beginner may not find it so useful.
1985
AL#2 p.49
C.F. Casey
▪ Casey prefers laminate trimmers to Dremels.
1985
AL#2 p.53 BRB1 p.488 read this article
C.F. Casey
▪ The reviewer calls this the best of the popular (as opposed to scholarly) histories of the guitar.
1984
BRB2 p.478
C.F. Casey
▪
1985
AL#1 p.49 BRB1 p.17
C.F. Casey
▪ Casey briefly describes the construction and use of a long-handled knife designed to be used with two hands.
1983
DS#241 BRB2 p.361
C.F. Casey
▪ The laminated, hollow fretboard is one of the standard designs of the dulcimer industry. Casey’s is a bit nicer than most. With 6 drawings.
1982
DS#225 LT p.7
C.F. Casey
▪ This inspection light will even fit through a mandolin f-hole.
1982
DS#225 LT p.7
C.F. Casey
▪ Uses a night light bulb.