Ted Davis was a GAL member for twenty-eight consecutive years. He was a frequent author and plan draftsman in our early days, spoke at GAL conventions, and was elected to the Guild’s Board of Directors in the ’80s. Ted passed away in late 2008. He will be missed by luthiers who knew him, and he should be thanked by those who did not; he helped to lay the foundations for the Golden Age of American Lutherie. Ted passed away in 2008
▪ bio current as of 2008
2008
AL#96 p.42
James Condino Ted Davis
▪ Davis’ lutherie exploits goes back to the ’70s. He was one of the first of the recent red spruce believers, and he harvested many trees to supply himself and a few others who were lucky enough to key into his business. He made guitars, mandolins, and dulcimers to support his hotrod automobile habit. He had strong opinions about wood that run counter to modern beliefs, and had the experience to back them up.Davis died before the interview was published. He will be missed. With 15 photos.
1992
AL#31 p.18 BRB3 p.226 read this article
Ted Davis Bruce Harvie Steve McMinn Byron Will David Wilson
▪ As the large stands of old growth timber are harvested it is likely that quality tonewoods will come more and more from men who can take the time to harvest and pack out individual trees. Who are they, how do they work, and what’s their prognosis for the future? The discussion also introduces species that you probably never considered for top wood until now. With photos and range maps.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1990
LT p.114
Steve Andersen Chris Brandt R.E. Brune Ted Davis Jeffrey R. Elliott James Flynn Bob Gleason Hideo Kamimoto Robert Lundberg Frederick C. Lyman Jr. John Monteleone Robert Ruck Richard Schneider Ervin Somogyi Al Stancel Robert Steinegger Janet Toon
▪ Seventeen established luthiers were asked to list ten hand tools, five power tools, and five supplies used as tools. This info was used to determine the most essential tools, including specifics, model and size, source, and any special uses.
1990
LT p.79
Ted Davis
▪ Official-looking 18″ power-feed shop-made sander requires no welding or machine shop work.
1989
AL#18 p.26 BRB2 p.228
Ted Davis Darryl Wolfe
▪ Both of these men love and revere the F-5 mandolin. Wolfe owned four Lloyd Loar mandos up to the time of the interview, studied and photographed 130 old F-5s, and published the F5 Journal. A lengthy interview with 12 photos. One man’s opinion can dispel, and perhaps create, instrument mythology.
1989
AL#18 p.30 BRB2 p.235
Ted Davis
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview. The article also offers a plan of the Virzi Tone Producer, a map of top and back thickness, and a page of recommendations for building new F-5s to original Gibson specs.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1988
AL#16 p.36 BRB2 p.136
Ted Davis Gene Harner
▪ An unpretentious luthier from Tennessee talks honestly about building fiddles and mandolins.
1986
AL#6 p.22 read this article
Ted Davis
▪ Davis interviews the great flatpicker about (mostly) nontechnical matters.
1986
AL#6 p.27 BRB1 p.103
Ted Davis
▪ Davis gives a compact history of Martin archtops and offers a blueprint of the C-3 model, then goes on to have a mock interview with Steve Kauffman’s C-3, Suzie. The plan is a reduced version of our full-scale Plan #10.
1986
AL#6 p.28 BRB1 p.106
Ted Davis
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
1986
AL#6 p.38 BRB1 p.222
Ted Davis John Monteleone
▪ This lengthy interview sheds more light on the archtop maker’s background and furnishes information about his mandolins.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1986
AL#5 p.10 BRB1 p.150
Ted Davis William DelPilar
▪ Davis offers his conversation with a professional luthier who made over 800 classical guitars between 1956 and 1986.
1985
AL#4 p.16 BRB1 p.108 read this article
Ted Davis
▪ In this lecture Davis describes his method of making instrument plans from a guitar, then fields questions and takes suggestions.
1985
AL#2 p.8 BRB1 p.58 read this article
Ted Davis Steve Grimes Bob Meltz Matt Umanov
▪ This panel discussion from the 1984 GAL Convention features Bob Meltz, Matt Umanov, David Sheppard, Ted Davis, and Steve Grimes. Straight talk on the realities of being a one-man lutherie shop.
1985
AL#2 p.41 BRB1 p.46 read this article
Ted Davis
▪ Davis tells of his long, difficult, and ultimately successful quest to obtain logs of red spruce (Picea rubens).
1985
AL#1 p.27 BRB1 p.38 ALA4 p.7
Ted Davis
▪ The article contains 4 photos, a short text, and a reduced image of our full-scale instrument Plan #8. Both pages of the very thorough drawing are presented. A chance to get an accurate preview of the plan before you buy. This is a very small flattop guitar, less than 13″ at the lower bout.
1985
AL#1 p.42 BRB1 p.13
Ted Davis
▪ Davis presents a drawing of a jig for properly forming the sides and lining of a guitar to accept a domed back. The sides are held in a mold while a sanding stick, held by a central post, is passed over them.
1984
GALQ Vol.12#4 p.28 LW p.41 read this article
Ted Davis
▪ Hard North American wood also called bois d’arc.
1984
DS#294 BRB2 p.340
Ted Davis
▪ Various theories and attempts to involve more of the top of classical guitar in sound production, including the methods of Robert Bouchet.
1984
DS#279 LW p.62 ALA6 p.2
Ted Davis
▪ This rare Martin required the creation of a new harp neck as well as the repair of many top and side cracks. The plans included are also available as GAL full-scale blueprint #7. Includes 5 photos.
1984
DS#279 LW p.64 ALA6 p.4
Ted Davis
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
1983
GALQ Vol.11#3 p.25
Ted Davis
▪ Hard North American wood also called bois d’arc.
1983
DS#264 LW p.60
Ted Davis
▪ New top, fingerboard, and headstock veneer. GAL plan #6.
1983
DS#264 LW p.61 ALA4 p.2
Ted Davis
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.
1983
DS#238 BRB2 p.340
Ted Davis
▪ The author began building classical guitars before there was much written help out there, and he evolved his design specs by making a lot of guitars. Some of these have been absorbed into the general body of classical guitar literature, other remain unique. With 14 drawings and 2 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1982
DS#209 LT p.60
Ted Davis
▪ Adjustable pin on the router base registers to a center hole.
1982
DS#213 LT p.8
Ted Davis
▪ Uses a hot water heater element. A bit of the work is jobbed out to a machine shop.
1979
DS#129 LW p.98
Ted Davis
▪ This is a method for mending cracks in free, unbraced plates using only small nails and a workboard. Includes a drawing of the technique.
1979
DS#130
Ted Davis
▪ Use of this tool will reduce the time of changing strings by half.