Tag Archives: Cumpiano¸ William

William Cumpiano

Wm R. Cumpiano

William R. Cumpiano, a professional luthier for forty years, coauthored the bestselling textbook Guitarmaking: Tradition & Technology. He is a founder of the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans and the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project, and a contributor to Acoustic Guitar and Guitar Player magazines as well as the defunct Journal of Guitar Acoustics. His current studio, Becker & Cumpiano Stringed Instruments is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he makes guitars individually, teaches, and researches Latin American stringed instruments.

▪ bio current as of 2006

The Well-Unpublished Luthier

1986
AL#6 p.14   BRB1 p.190            read this article
William Cumpiano                                                                                           

▪ Cumpiano goes to some length telling of the travails and trials of producing the book, Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology.

A Chat with Don Manuel

1985
AL#4 p.11   BRB1 p.99            
William Cumpiano   Manuel Velazquez                                                                                       

▪ Velazquez fields a number of questions about the specifics of building the nylon-strung guitar, including types of glue, choice of wood, construction design, and finishing.

Manuel Velazquez: An Appreciation

1985
AL#4 p.8   BRB1 p.96            
William Cumpiano                                                                                           

▪ Cumpiano shares a pleasant visit with Velazquez in Puerto Rico where the conversation is all about classical guitars, wood, compensation factors, and balancing the tone of the instrument.

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

Dalbergia Nigra and Friends

1985
AL#1 p.32   BRB1 p.14            read this article
William Cumpiano   Bruce Hoadley                                                                                       

▪ In this interview with well-known author and wood expert Bruce Hoadley, Cumpiano seeks to clear up certain questions about Brazilian rosewood relating to identification and confusion with other Dalbergias and so-called rosewoods.

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

Making Lining Strips-Three

1984
DS#266   LW p.94            
William Cumpiano                                                                                           

▪ Yet another way to make your own kerfed lining, with 4 diagrams of the procedure. More sophisticated than the previous two articles, but not necessarily a better way to go about it.

Pedagogue’s Lament

1981
GALQ Vol.9#2 p.24   LW p.126            read this article
William Cumpiano                                                                                           

▪ An instructor of guitar making examines the potential impact of his students upon the lutherie world, and decides that it may not be all positive. There’s no accounting for human nature, no matter how good a teacher you may be.