Forty-one-year Guild member Ralph Novak started his lutherie career almost fifty years ago in New York City. He has been a GAL author and convention speaker. He runs Novax Guitars and makes his trademarked Fanned-Fret guitars.
▪ bio current as of 2022
2022
AL#147 p.7
Ralph Novak
▪ The pandemic has taken a toll on many aspects of life. Novak keenly feels the loss of in-person interaction with luthiers, and looks forward to the upcoming GAL Convention.
2015
AL#121 p.52
Ralph Novak
▪ Ralph has built a lot of multiscale guitars under his “Fanned-Fret” trademark. Here he looks at the advantages and possibilities of the multiscale approach and gives solid technical advice on cutting accurate multiscale fretboards.
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.
2002
AL#70 p.12 BRB6 p.358
Ralph Novak
▪ The author uses neck making in his example of how gearing up to make small runs of like parts can make the small shop more efficient and profitable. With a photo and 9 drawings.
1997
AL#51 p.6 BRB5 p.86
Ralph Novak
▪ Scale length is seldom used as a design criterion to achieve a given tone, but Novak shows that a given set of strings behaves differently according to the scale length it is stretched over. There are reasons to change other than player comfort. Impress your friends with your knowledge of the evil clang tone. With 6 graphs and 2 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1994
AL#40 p.28 BRB4 p.102
Dan Erlewine Tom Ribbecke Fred Campbell David Howard Sheldon Dingwall Harry Fleishman David Colburn Kathy Currier Will Bremers Jack Langley John Jordan Dana Bourgeois Heidi Spurlin Ken Fallon Dave Schneider Cary Clemments Ron Chacey Bart Reiter Mike Jarvis Greg Hoffman Dave Lindahl Tom Costanza Chuck Erickson Ralph Novak
▪ Repair pricing workshop from 1992 GAL convention.
1993
AL#35 p.48 BRB3 p.368
Ralph Novak
▪ Good fretwork is complicated, but practice makes it a staple in the repairman’s income. Novak offers advice garnered from twenty-odd years in the business.
1991
AL#28 p.32 read this article
Ralph Novak
▪ If you build instruments for money you should learn about running a business. Novak relates his good experiences at a college workshop for entrepreneurs.
1991
AL#28 p.58 BRB3 p.478
Ralph Novak
▪ Making multiple Xerox copies of line art when inlaying pearl ‘pictures’.
1990
AL#24 p.59 BRB2 p.485
Bob Zatzman Jim Morris Ralph Novak Matt Umanov Ron Lira
▪ Wiring information for electric guitars.
1990
AL#22 p.49 BRB2 p.484
David Freeman Ralph Novak
▪ Water base finishes are more labor intensive but the trade offs of health and fire hazard are worth it.
1990
AL#23 p.13 BRB2 p.413
Ralph Novak
▪ Novak finds a simple method of getting electric guitar pickups in phase.
1990
AL#21 p.14 BRB2 p.364
Ralph Novak
▪ Novak’s patented fretboard uses slanted frets that alter the scale length from string to string, growing longer toward the bass side. He lists a series of improvements over the normal fretboard.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1990
AL#22 p.3
Ralph Novak
▪ An old Harmony guitar may not be a wonderful instrument, but it is well worth rebuilding.
1987
AL#12 p.3 BRB1 p.459
Ralph Novak
▪ Novak offers tips on fretwork, tool sharpening, fitting bridge pins, recycling clogged sandpaper, and admonishes us to get steel wool out of our shops.