Read Jonathon Peterson’s memoriam
Jonathon Peterson has numerous credits from his twenty years as a GAL staffer, probably the most outstanding of which is his role as photographer, reporter, and facilitator of the Guild’s 2002 book Historical Lute Construction by the late Robert Lundberg.
▪ bio current as of 2012
2011
AL#105 p.69 read this article
Jonathon Peterson Eric Meyer Ed Geesman David Kerr Hiram Harris
▪ Five luthiers remember Jess Wells, (1953-2010) builder of viols, lutes, fishing rods, and pipe organs.
2010
AL#104 p.20
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Ted Megas shows his purfling and binding process and his unique routing setup from.
2010
AL#104 p.43 ALA2 p.52
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Lutherie icon Charles Fox speaking at the 2008 GAL convention on the genesis of his universal side bender and a few subsequent thoughts from his shop.
2010
AL#103 p.6 ALA1 p.20
Jonathon Peterson Mike Doolin
▪ Mike Doolin’s innovative and distinctive double-cutaway steel string guitars have made a real impression over the last sixteen years. Doolin discusses his guitar playing, building, background in software developing and other subjects of interest.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
2010
AL#101 p.38
Jonathon Peterson Ted Megas
▪ Ted Megas makes gorgeous archtops, but lutherie wasn’t his first career choice. He also has a hankering for large machines.
2009
AL#97 p.18 ALA4 p.42
Jonathon Peterson Michael Dunn
▪ Canadian Dunn studied guitar making in Spain but ended up specializing in Maccaferri-style guitars. He uses an internal soundbox similar to the original design. His use of wood inlay and marquetry, as well as his choice of body woods is original, playful, and stunning. He is also a lutherie teacher of note. Read this and have fun. Mentions Bill Lewis, George Bowden, Jose Orti, jose Pepe Ferrer, Shelley Park, Chuck Shifflet, Bill Rivere, Patrick Olmstead, Sonny Black, Ray Nurse, ted Turner, Tim Hobrough, Bob Brozman.
2008
AL#93 p.10
Jonathon Peterson Robert Ruck
▪ Ruck has been one of the bright lights among American classical guitar makers for a long time, and this lengthy interview not only shows him to be a fascinating individual with an interesting history, but dwells at some length on the development of his guitars and the bracing patterns and other features he has evolved. Among his influences are Juan Mercadal, John Shaw, Hart Huttig, Neil Ostberg, and Manuel Barrueco. With 24 photos and a bracing diagram.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
2007
AL#92 p.40 ALA6 p.50
Jonathon Peterson Stephen Sedgwick
▪ Harp guitars fascinate a lot more people than actually play them, so it takes a brave luthier to jump into the field. Sedgwick comes off as a delightfully modest man who is determined to make harp guitars or bust. His guitars are smallish and choice. This is yet another interview that makes it clear that life is different in other countries (England, in this case), and understanding that is one of the best reasons to travel. A wonderful interview, with 9 photos. Mentions London College of Furniture, London Guildhall University, London Metropolitan University.
2006
AL#88 p.34 ALA6 p.56
Jonathon Peterson Benoit Meulle-Stef
▪ Meulle-Stef is a French harp guitar luthier who lives and works in Belgium. The harp guitar has deep roots in Europe and he is familiar with all of them. His own instruments have a grace that harp guitars often lack (and check out his fan-braced steel-string top!) This is another sign that lutherie has always been a global industry, even though American guitarmakers tend to forget or ignore it. With 22 photos and a drawing.
2006
AL#87 p.34 ALA6 p.46
Jonathon Peterson Tom Shinness
▪ Shinness is a harp guitarist who builds his guitars by cutting and pasting—using real instruments! Cool guy! With 4 photos.
2006
AL#86 p.18
Jonathon Peterson Bernard Millant
▪ Millant is a violin maker, a bow maker, an appraiser, an author, and a man of high repute within the fiddle world. The depth of training behind many fiddle people will astonish most guitarmakers, and it makes for entrancing reading. With 9 photos.
2006
AL#85 p.20
Jonathon Peterson David King
▪ King is a perfectionist who even machines his own bridges. The finish he uses is a catalyzed polyurethane. He uses some interesting equipment to arch his fingerboards and install his frets. After reading this you may not be eager to set up next to him at an instrument show. With 15 photos.
2005
AL#83 p.10 BRB7 p.362
Jonathon Peterson Pierre-Yves Fuchs
▪ Fuchs went through cabinet making school and violin making school on his way to becoming a gold medal bow maker. He is traditional and opinionated, and will make you believe that there might be cosmic influences involved in making an excellent bow. Intuition, that is. Tradition, experience, and a good feeling about your work in progress. Science guys may pull their hair out, but most of us would rather have good intuition than a good grounding in physics. With 3 photos.
2005
AL#82 p.26 BRB7 p.312
Jonathon Peterson Charles Beare
▪ Beare is the captain of a violin restoration firm, a competition judge, and a man thoroughly versed in the intricacies of vintage violins. He has known all the experts of his life time, and he has formulated many strong opinions about old fiddles and the various fields that use them to do business. You’ll find him interesting even if you aren’t a violin person. With 9 photos.
2004
AL#80 p.10 BRB7 p.236
Jonathon Peterson Frank Ford
▪ Sometimes an interviewer has to pry information out of a person. Not so with Frank Ford, who unleashes a wonderful account of his life as a repairman in the Bay area. Prominently mentioned are Richard Johnston, Jon Lundberg, Dan Erlewine, Gryphon Instruments, and Mario Martello. Inspirational stuff, including 14 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2004
AL#80 p.46 BRB7 p.270
Eugene Clark Jonathon Peterson
▪ Scratch tools are like one-tooth saws. One of Eugene’s has a chisel tip, the other a pointed tip.The detail knife has only one bevel and is intended to make right hand cuts only. Descriptions of their uses are included. With 7 photos.
2004
AL#77 p.8 BRB7 p.142
Jonathon Peterson Sue Mooers Ray Mooers
▪ This is a wonderful story of how a couple began a basement lutherie business and ended up employing 36 people in the creation of fine harps and hammered dulcimers. Everybody in the lutherie trades should be this nice and interesting (and the wonder of it is that so many are!). With 37 photos, including a bunch of the harp assembly shop.
2003
AL#75 p.42 BRB7 p.76
Jonathon Peterson Dake Traphagen
▪ For those who really make an impact in lutherie complete immersion in the craft is the rule, not the exception. Long days, few breaks, and a lot of work. Traphagan is a good example. Floating to the top of the heap isn’t a simple matter. Still, one can get there while maintaining a sense of humor and a continuing appreciation for the mysteries of the craft, and Traphagan is also a good example of that, too. A really good interview with 10 photos and three diagrams of guitar tops.
2003
AL#74 p.20 BRB7 p.48
Jonathon Peterson Steve Grimes
▪ Grimes is one of the premier archtop builders of our times. His flattops aren’t bad, either. He worked for years in the Northwest before moving to Hawaii, where the slack-key guitar scene has impacted his flattop designs.
2002
HLC p.ix
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Historical Lute Construction was published after the decease of its author Robert Lundberg. Preface also addresses issues of the Venetian inch and the rearrangment of some of the magazine article material when organizing the book.
2003
AL#73 p.14 BRB6 p.368
Eugene Clark Jonathon Peterson
▪ Clark is one of the old American masters of lutherie. Building an original rosette in the Spanish tradition is way more complicated than routing a channel and poking in some abalone, as steel stringers are apt to do, but with Clark’s instruction you can do it. Includes 22 photos. Part 1 appeared in AL #71.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
2002
AL#72 p.36 BRB6 p.410
Jonathon Peterson Saul Koll Ralph Patt
▪ Jazz guitarist Ralph Patt and luthier Saul Koll have teamed up to make archtop 8-string electric guitars that are tuned in thirds rather than standard tuning. The guitars look a little strange because there is no taper to the fingerboards. You’ll have to read the article to understand the thinking behind them. Watching Patt play must confuse the heck out of other guitarists. With 14 photos.
2002
AL#71 p.8 BRB6 p.368
Eugene Clark Jonathon Peterson
▪ How deeply do you want to dive into the matter of making rosettes? Here Clark will submerge you until you gasp for air or make a fine rosette, whichever comes first. Designing the rosette and dying the sticks receive deepest treatment, though no words are spared when describing the cutting and sizing of the materials. Everything is here. With 33 photos. Part Two will appear in a future issue of AL.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
2002
AL#71 p.65 BRB6 p.464
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Small adjustable-width angle gauges for a through-the-soundhole approach to repair a fractured top on a Spanish guitar.
2002
AL#69 p.28 BRB6 p.316
Jonathon Peterson Kerry Char
▪ Char is a guitar maker who also specializes in the restoration of old and odd instruments, particularly harp guitars by Knutsen and others. With 16 photos of vintage instruments.
2001
AL#68 p.8 BRB6 p.242
Jonathon Peterson Bob Benedetto
▪ Benedetto has had as large an impact on the modern archtop guitar as anyone. He’s also a really nice guy, unpretentious and level-headed. You’re gonna like him. With 11 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2001
AL#67 p.34 BRB6 p.206
Jonathon Peterson David Minnieweather
▪ Minnieweather lives in Oregon and makes some fine-looking electric basses, including a stunning electric upright. With 9 photos.
2001
AL#66 p.32 BRB6 p.238
Jonathon Peterson Taku Sakashta
▪ Sakashta left Japan to build both archtop and flattop guitars in California. He is definitely not afraid to design away from tradition. With 8 photos.
2001
AL#65 p.28 BRB6 p.174
Jonathon Peterson Eugene Clark
▪ Clark began his guitar building over 40 years ago, which makes him one of the true father figures of our craft. His life has been a crooked path, with interesting things at every jog in the road. You’ll like meeting him. With 12 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
2001
AL#66 p.5 BRB6 p.165 read this article
Jonathon Peterson Jean Gilman Lora Lundberg Schultz Dorothy Bones Ben Lundberg Michael Yeats Gunter Mark Cyndy Burton Jeffrey R. Elliott
▪ Lundberg was perhaps the foremost lute maker in America, a champion of building lutes in an historical manner, a longtime member and supporter of the GAL, and author of the landmark book Historical Lute Construction. Family and friends take a deep look at the significance of his life and work. With 10 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2000
AL#64 p.20 BRB6 p.140
Jonathon Peterson Rick Turner
▪ Not frequently is one person so often in the right place at the right time with the skills to take advantage of the situation. Turner has “been there and done that” as an inventor and designer of instrument electronics as well as a repairman, designer, and manufacturer of Alembic guitars and basses and Turner-brand electric and acoustic guitars. His story is as colorful as it is informative. With 21 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
2000
AL#62 p.62 BRB6 p.531 read this article
Jonathon Peterson
▪ The reviewer recommends this book that traces the history of harp and Hawaiian guitars, focusing sharply of the life and work of Knutsen.
2000
AL#62 p.57 BRB6 p.451
Jonathon Peterson
▪
2000
AL#62 p.18 BRB6 p.42
Jonathon Peterson David Freeman
▪ Freeman is an independent thinker who builds a wide variety of instruments and runs his own lutherie school in Canada. He’s also outspoken and articulate. You’ll be glad you met him here. With 21 photos.
2000
AL#61 p.20 BRB6 p.12
Jonathon Peterson David Rivinus
▪ This luthier has redesigned the viola into a beast he calls the Pellegrina. Its ergonomic design can potentially extend the working life of violists while supplying the tone they need for the most exacting jobs. The price, however, is a way-cool new look for the instrument. Way-cool for some, at least. With 12 photos and 3 drawings of different viola bridges.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1999
AL#60 p.36
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Healdsburg has become a Mecca for makers and fans of custom guitars. If you weren’t there you don’t have to be square, these 15 photos and Peterson’s crisp text will clue you in on what you missed.
1999
AL#59 p.22 BRB5 p.332
Jonathon Peterson George Majkowski Boaz Elkayam
▪ George Majkowski and Boaz Elkayam complete their work on 10 Kasha guitars to honor the memory of Richard Schneider and to keep his work alive. The hand tools involved, the strange method of fretting, and the cool vacuum clamps, as well as the design philosophy behind the guitars, make this a pair of articles not to be missed. The Old World meets the future here and they blend very nicely. With 58 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1999
AL#59 p.50 BRB5 p.392
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Rhinehart has built Dobro-style guitars for years, and was among the first to furnish custom resonator cones to the industry. Includes a new plan format, a one-page diagram of a square neck guitar with a chart of dimensions. Different methods of seating the cone are discussed, and 8 photos show some of the details of Rhinehart’s work.
1999
AL#58 p.20 BRB5 p.332
Jonathon Peterson George Majkowski Boaz Elkayam
▪ Boaz Elkayam and George Majkowski extend the work of Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider in a project that entails the construction of 10 guitars. A wide variety of building techniques involving hand and power tools, as well as vacuum clamping, is necessary to make these complicated instruments. An unlikely pairing of craftsmen contributes to our understanding of one of the most controversial instrument designers of our times, and the memory of a respected luthier and teacher. With 26 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1998
AL#55 p.32 BRB5 p.224
Jonathon Peterson David Gusset
▪ Gusset’s early work made him intimately familiar with many fine old Italian violins, and he has used their influence to make his mark in world violin making competitions. With one drawing and 9 photos, including wonderful violin close-ups.
1998
AL#54 p.51 BRB5 p.495
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Clamping loose brace ends in the nether regions of a guitar box can be effectively accomplished by wedging sticks between the brace and opposite plate of the guitar.
1997
AL#52 p.6
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Though only 2 years old, the Healdsburg show has become culturally and commercially important, as well as a luthiers’ information exchange. Peterson interviews organizers and luthiers who set up displays. The spread of 19 photos is an even split of personalities and close-ups of interesting guitars.
1997
AL#52 p.50 BRB5 p.138
Jonathon Peterson Augustino LoPrinzi
▪ Augie LoPrinzi has made or overseen the construction of over 8000 guitars. He went from a one-man shop in the back of his barbershop to a factory that employed 30 people and made 80 flattops a month. Now back in a small-shop setting, his enthusiasm for the guitar is as high as ever. Come along for one of the wilder rides in the annals of lutherie.
1997
AL#51 p.26 BRB5 p.92
Jonathon Peterson Boaz Elkayam
▪ Elkayam grew up as a luthier, built guitars as he traveled half the world on a motorcycle, never stopped learning, and seems never to have met a challenge he didn’t welcome. High-class lutherie skills don’t necessarily make a person interesting. If Boaz quit the trade today he’d still be someone you’d like to seek out. Check out his classical guitar with two fingerboards (but only one neck). With 24 photos of beautiful instruments, beautiful places, and beautiful women.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1997
AL#50 p.14 BRB5 p.56
Jonathon Peterson Arul-Dominic Xavier
▪ Xavier traveled all the way from India to attend the Healdsburg Guitarmakers Festival. This interview makes it obvious to what lengths some folks have to go to become luthiers. Think you’re on a budget? In India a GAL membership costs about one third of a month’s wages. With 6 photos.
1997
AL#50 p.48
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Here are 17 photos of knockout instrument work.
1996
AL#48 p.14 BRB4 p.386
Jonathon Peterson Bishop Cochran
▪ Cochran is a player/maker of electric and acoustic/electric guitars who uses machine shop equipment and supplies to create his instruments. The emphasis is on precision work, duplicable procedures, and practical designs. With 26 photos.
1996
AL#47 p.6 BRB4 p.332
Jonathon Peterson
▪ So you’ve got a guitar that ought to sound better than it does. What can you do to it to perk up the punch? Experts Marc Silber, Scott van Linge, Robert Steinegger, Dana Bourgeois, Frank Ford, and T.J. Thompson describe how they shave braces, and show that brace shaving isn’t your only weapon.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1996
AL#46 p.42 BRB4 p.326
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Buzz Vineyard builds archtop guitars with pin bridges and strange bracing, and rosewood backs and sides. What’s the result? He tells all to Peterson.
1996
AL#45 p.36 BRB4 p.290
Jonathon Peterson Don Overstreet
▪ Overstreet took formal training in violin construction with Peter Prier in Salt Lake City, then ended up in the shop of Paul Schuback where he builds and repairs the instruments of the fiddle family. It seems that all who trod the same path make a unique journey (a strong theme in the GAL).
1995
AL#44 p.32 BRB4 p.242
Jonathon Peterson Saul Koll
▪ Koll has fashioned a living by creating unique, often bizarre, guitars, both acoustic and electric. For many, ideas often come easy, it’s selling them that’s hard. Koll has found a niche. With 23 photos.
1995
AL#43 p.57 BRB4 p.495
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Using an inspection light and mirror to locate the position of the old brace from leftover glue through the sound hole on a damaged American made Neapolitan mandolin.
1995
AL#43 p.24 BRB4 p.212
Jonathon Peterson Jess Wells
▪ Wells specializes in the creation of early stringed instruments. Here he discusses that particular market, his training, and the history of the viola da gamba. With 17 photos.
1995
AL#41 p.34 BRB4 p.140
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Seven luthiers explain how they cut that oval slot.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1994
AL#40 p.24 BRB4 p.124
Jonathon Peterson Rossco Wright Larry Roberts
▪ Classical guitarists are too fussy to simply travel with a shrunken guitar. These two luthiers offer instruments that suit the special needs of special guitarists.
1994
AL#40 p.38 BRB4 p.114
Jonathon Peterson Jim Roden
▪ Roden is a dulcimer maker and a forester, so he understands that we need to preserve forests and we need to cut them, too. He freely addresses both sides of the coin.
1994
AL#40 p.60 BRB4 p.488
Jonathon Peterson
▪ A fir 2X6 screwed to a bench vice to extend the moveable jaw width of the end of the workbench.
1994
AL#40 p.60 BRB4 p.490
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Small fluorescent lights used as inspection lights, small enough to fit through F holes.
1994
AL#39 p.53 BRB4 p.485
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Strips of masking tape twisted into long skinny tubes as alternative to double stick tape.
1994
AL#39 p.18 BRB4 p.65
Jonathon Peterson Eric Myer
▪ Meyer’s current gig is the manufacture of violin fittings. He describes his peg making process in detail.
1994
AL#39 p.27 BRB4 p.85
Jonathon Peterson Henry Strobel
▪ A violinmaker talks about his foray into publishing violin books.
1994
AL#38 p.30 BRB4 p.36
Jonathon Peterson Nick Kukich Jeanne Munro
▪ The folks from Franklin Guitars are outspoken and articulate. Are steel string makers really the “bottom feeders” of the guitar world? Kukich was there at the rebirth of the OM guitar.
1994
AL#38 p.36 BRB4 p.39
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Sullivan built a maximum performance thickness sander for $800 and 100 hours time.
1993
AL#36 p.40 BRB3 p.405
Jonathon Peterson Scott Tremblay
▪ Trembley is a Canadian luthier who specializes in the guitars of the 19th century, both as a maker and a restorationist. He has studied the subject deeply. With 12 photos and a scale drawing of an 1816 Salon Guitar by Jose Martinez. This plan is a reduced version of GAL full-scale Plan #36.
1993
AL#36 p.52 BRB3 p.422
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Four repairmen offer a variety of tips about altering mechanical archtop bridges, adding more “pop” to fretless bass necks, soldering and shielding electrics, carbide bandsaw blades, abrasive cord, superglue, cutting saddle slots, double-stick tape, bending plastic binding, beveling pickguard stock, replacing bar frets with T-frets, and restoring headstocks to look old.
1993
AL#35 p.57 BRB3 p.498
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Design idea for a simple workstand using a wedge-shaped box. You can make one out of anything.
1993
AL#34 p.20 BRB3 p.330 ALA6 p.24
Jonathon Peterson Michael Sanden
▪ A Swedish guitar maker comes to America for a round of twenty-questions. When non-Americans step out on Lutherie Road the trip isn’t necessarily the one we imagine. Sanden shares a lot of information about his mentor, Georg Bolin.
1993
AL#34 p.24 BRB3 p.334 ALA6 p.30
Jonathon Peterson
▪ In AL#29 Peterson looked back at the harp guitar. This time he takes a forward look. A number of luthiers find fascination and a new potential in the big beast, and this is the best look at their results to date. With 28 photos and 8 detailed drawings. Also available is GAL full-scale Plan #34, the Klein solidbody electric harp guitar.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1992
AL#31 p.58 BRB3 p.222 read this article
Jonathon Peterson Byron Will
▪ Will talks primarily about the business end of being a harpsichord maker.
1992
AL#32 p.8 BRB3 p.242
Jonathon Peterson Ren Ferguson
▪ The shop honcho of Gibson West relates some personal background. Ferguson moved to Montana long before Gibson did. Did Gibson really build a factory there just for him? Probably not. Mentions Rob Ehlers, Steve Carlson, Henry Juszkiewicz.
1992
AL#32 p.11 BRB3 p.244
Jonathon Peterson
▪ As a maker of fine acoustic instruments Gibson was reborn in Montana. The man in charge of creativity and efficiency leads the GAL team through his domain. With 17 photos.
1992
AL#30 p.48 BRB3 p.484
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Bending back a bridge rather than replacing it for a reset.
1992
AL#30 p.40 BRB3 p.206 ALA5 p.18
Jonathon Peterson Richard Schneider
▪ Many still have doubts about the merits of the Kasha versions of the classical guitar, but no one questions Schneider’s reputation as a masterful creator of instruments. This interview focuses on his time spent in Mexico learning the trade from Juan Pimentel.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
1992
AL#29 p.20 BRB3 p.178 ALA6 p.10
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Most people who even knew what one was thought of the harp guitar as a less-than-useless dinosaur. Then came Michael Hedges. Peterson looks back at a strange instrument whose best music might just lie in the future. With 49 photos and a number of good drawings. Mentions Torres, Hauser I, Scherzer, Staufer, Mozzani, Gibson, Knutsen, Martin, and so on.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.
1991
AL#28 p.51 BRB3 p.124 read this article
Jonathon Peterson Michael Darnton
▪ Peterson gives us the biographical scoop on American Lutherie’s Violin Q&A man.
1991
AL#26 p.48 BRB3 p.56
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Brandt owns a luthiers co-op, and finds it makes more sense and money than four men running their own separate shops do. He’s got the lowdown on keeping records, using time efficiently, sharing labor, hiring a front man, and turning over work quickly. Lots of business hints and tips for any luthier, regardless of your position.
1991
AL#27 p.52 BRB3 p.122 ALA5 p.21
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Richard Schneider discusses his current work at “the most beautifully situated guitar shop in the world.” The Kasha influence upon the classical guitar keeps evolving in the hands of this masterful builder/teacher.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1991
AL#25 p.44 BRB3 p.26
Jonathon Peterson George Gorodnitsky
▪ A Russian luthier moves to L.A. and shows up in Tacoma. He was trained in violins and moved on to electric guitars. This is what it was like, rockin’ in the USSR.
1990
AL#24 p.6 BRB2 p.422
Steve Andersen Steve Grimes Ted Beringer Jonathon Peterson
▪ This informal roundtable discussion delves deeply into the background, influences, and work of three builders at a time when the archtop guitar was just coming into its own for the second time. With 7 photos.
1990
AL#24 p.26 BRB2 p.465
Jonathon Peterson Ivo Pires
▪ America (and indeed, the world) is so deep with people who have had a meaningful life in some phase of lutherie that we should cease being surprised to discover an unknown person who has already racked up 30 or 40 years of experience. Pires is one of those folks, and his story is charming and illuminating. The cream seems to rise wherever it may be.
1990
AL#23 p.20 BRB2 p.398
Jonathon Peterson George-A. Smith
▪ Smith is a veteran builder of many instruments who prefers to specialize in guitars and harpsichords.
1990
AL#23 p.14 BRB2 p.406
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Doan describes his collection of oddball zithers.
1989
AL#20 p.21 BRB2 p.319
Jonathon Peterson
▪ William McCaw is a builder in pursuit of the $1000, high quality classical guitar.
1989
AL#20 p.32 BRB2 p.330
Jeffrey-R. Elliott Jonathon Peterson
▪ The 6 tools are: a guitar cradle, a grimel (hand purfling cutter), a hand circle cutter, a shooting board, a circle cutting jig for the Dremel tool, and water stones for tool sharpening.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1989
AL#20 p.38 BRB2 p.338
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Marshall is a builder of bass fiddles.
1989
AL#19 p.40 BRB2 p.294
Jonathon Peterson Frank-“Andy” Johnson
▪ Johnson is a banjo restorationist and tonewood supplier from Washington State. He specializes in selling spruce to the major piano manufacturers.
1989
AL#19 p.44 BRB2 p.300
Jonathon Peterson Ralph Rabin
▪ Rabin learned to make violins in Cremona, Italy. His description makes it sound like a wonderful way to learn.
1989
AL#19 p.52 BRB2 p.312
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Peterson uses a cappuccino machine to steam the neck out of its joint, and wood shavings to rebuild the dovetail. In-depth text and 5 photos.
1989
AL#18 p.42 BRB2 p.238
Jonathon Peterson Wes Brandt
▪ Peterson offers a short interview with a luthier who makes small-bodied steel string guitars from alternative woods.
1989
AL#18 p.43
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Peterson continues his enthusiastic reports about an annual event in an intriguing setting.
1989
AL#18 p.46 BRB2 p.248
Jonathon Peterson Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.
▪ Lyman is an inveterate experimenter best known for his string basses, a regular American Lutherie contributor, and an interesting thinker.
1988
AL#16 p.8 BRB2 p.115
Jonathon Peterson
▪ This is 9 photos and a small description of the machine that might be the production archtop maker’s best friend.
1988
AL#14 p.54
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Peterson is a devoted fan of this organization, which disseminates educational information about forestry related topics and provide the forest products industries a “place where they can put their best foot forward.” The Center’s Handmade Musical Instrument Show is the chief draw for luthiers.
1988
AL#14 p.56 BRB2 p.76
Jonathon Peterson
▪ Peterson finds a relatively safe method of sharpening files by acid etching. THE ORIGINAL PUBLICATION OF THIS ARTICLE CONTAINED A SERIOUS ERROR. ACID SHOULD ALWAYS BE ADDED TO WATER, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. THIS ERROR HAS BEEN CORRECTED IN THE REPRINTS).
1988
AL#15 p.5
Jonathon Peterson
▪ When diluting sulfuric acid, like for sharpening files, it is a very important safety method to put acid into water, not water into acid. We got it reversed in an article, and we got letters about it. But don’t worry, we fixed it when that article was republished in the Big Red Book.