Head tool guru at Stew-Mac, thirty-eight-year member Don MacRostie is responsible for many of the fine tools and products that luthiers use. He is also the builder of Red Diamond Mandolins.
▪ bio current as of 2015
Tag Archives: MacRostie¸ Don
Questions: Worm Under/Worm Over
2015
AL#123 p.71
Don MacRostie
▪ When tuners changed from ‘worm under’ to ‘worm over’ and why.
Beyond the Rule of 18: Intonation For the 21st Century
2013
AL#116 p.6
Gary Magliari Don MacRostie
▪ Compensating fretted instruments to play equally tempered scales using orthodox and unorthodox methods. From GAL 2011 convention lecture.
The Mandolin Family: Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives
2013
AL#114 p.20
David Cohen Don MacRostie Lawrence Smart Jeffrey R. Elliott
▪ Panelists discuss the mandolin family’s history and building practices. From 2011 GAL convention panel discussion moderated by Jeffrey R. Elliott.
The MacRostie Mandolin Deflection Jig
2008
AL#94 p.50
Don MacRostie
▪ MacRostie’s clever jig measures the top deflection of a carved mandolin under string load at any stage of its construction. It is a valuable tool within the reach of any luthier.
Gibson used Three Different 24¾” Scale Lengths
2006
AL#85 p.56 ALA1 p.44
Dan Erlewine Tim Shaw Don MacRostie
▪ Every repair person who’s seen generations of Gibson guitars knows that the 24 3/4 inch scale ain’t necessarily so. If you measure from the nut to the 12th fret you get several magic numbers, and you deal with it. But here’s the low-down on why they may have changed and why the number has stayed the same. With 4 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
Questions: 1920 Gibson A-4 Mandolin Finish Repair
2005
AL#82 p.66 BRB7 p.437
Don Overstreet Don MacRostie
▪ Cleaning a 1920 Gibson A-4 mandolin properly without hammering whatever finish is present and removing the wax layers.
Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part Five
2004
AL#79 p.34 BRB7 p.416
Peggy Stuart Don MacRostie
▪ The author attended a mandolin making class taught by Don MacRostie at the American School of Lutherie. The first four parts of her report appeared in the four previous issues of AL. Part Five concerns the application of a sunburst using stains, both by spraying and rubbing, as well as the application of lacquer and French polish finishes. With 37 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
Questions: Hand Finished Sunburst
2004
AL#79 p.63 BRB7 p.475
Don MacRostie
▪ Doing a sunburst finish by hand, without using a spray gun.
Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part Three
2004
AL#77 p.38 BRB7 p.416
Peggy Stuart Don MacRostie
▪ The epic continues! In this segment the neck is assembled, the body is closed up and bound, and the fingerboard is bound and fretted. All this is accomplished under the able tutelage of Don MacRostie at the American School of Lutherie. With 67 photos. Parts 1 and 2 were in the two previous issues of American Lutherie.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part Four
2004
AL#78 p.28 BRB7 p.416
Peggy Stuart Don MacRostie
▪ Ms. Stuart’s epic continues with the making of the headstock cap, shaping of the neck, installing the neck and fingerboard, as well as setting up and stringing the finished (but in-the-white) instrument. The first three parts were in the three previous issues of AL. Don MacRostie taught Stuart’s class at the American School of Lutherie. With 74 photos, most of the step-by-step process.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part Two
2003
AL#76 p.28 BRB7 p.416
Peggy Stuart Don MacRostie
▪ Stuart continues her tale of learning to make a mandolin under the tutelage of Don MacRostie. In this episode of the four-part series, jigs and power tools become more important as the instrument comes together. This isn’t about becoming Geppetto, plying one’s trade with a knife and a chisel. This is about making mandolins in the real world. Routers and tablesaws are staple items, as are several impressive jigs created by MacRostie. With 37 photos and 3 drawings.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
Hands-On Archtop Mandolin Making, Part One
2003
AL#75 p.12 BRB7 p.416
Peggy Stuart Don MacRostie
▪ The author describes her mandolin making class with Red Diamond mandolin builder Don MacRostie, giving us a photo-heavy series that should be of practical use to anyone in the mandolin field regardless of their experience. The emphasis is on hand tools, though power tools are used to add efficiency. With 68 photos and 4 drawings, this is the first in a four-part series.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
Stick with Hide Glue
1999
AL#57 p.14 BRB5 p.302
Frank Ford Don MacRostie
▪ The authors believe that hot hide glue is the best adhesive for virtually all construction and most repair jobs. Here’s why they think so and how they handle this ancient material. Includes diagrams of the customized glue pots used by both men, 15 photos, and a hide glue grading chart.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.