Tag Archives: Robison¸ Nicholas Von

Nicholas Von Robison

Read Nicholas Von Robison’s memoriam

Twenty-two year member Nicholas Von Robison is a convention workshop presenter, former staffer, frequent contributor, and special projects guy for the GAL. We generally send anything pertaining to wood that crosses our desks to him for comment and review. After a 10 year hiatus, he’s building again, slow but sure after being out of the hands-on, new world of lutherie for so long. Nick passed away in 2000, read his memoriam.

▪ bio current as of 1999

Review: Acoustics of Wood by Voichita Buchur

1999
AL#57 p.62   BRB5 p.479            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds that this technical tome about how wood vibrates may have a lot of value to any luthier who wants to work out the math, but that its high price will make it unavailable to most.

Review: Wood: The Best of Fine Woodworking

1998
AL#55 p.63   BRB5 p.477            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this collection of magazine articles will furnish new information to woodworkers of all experience levels. It should also encourage many to harvest their own wood supply and show them how to make it into a material worthy of their best work.

Wood Identification for Luthiers

1997
AL#49 p.44   BRB5 p.30            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Robison describes wood identification as an adventure. You’ll need some reference books and a microscope, and a computer wouldn’t hurt. Ever see an instrument trimmed in smokewood? How do you know, Sherlock? Without a little scientific trickery your guess could be wrong either way. Get with the program. With 6 photomicrographs of softwoods.

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

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

1997
   LW p.2            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Common tree names will usually get you by, but there’s nothing like knowing a few scientific names.

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

Glossary of Basic Wood Terms update

1997
   LW p.5            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Terminology of lumber biz.

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

Top 40 Wood List

1997
   LW p.10            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Range descriptions, scientific nomenclature, wood description, and uses in lutherie.

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

Wood Bibliography

1997
   LW p.23            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Where to look for objective information about trees and wood.

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

Ebony and African Blackwood: Rare Gifts of Nature

1995
AL#43 p.18   BRB4 p.198            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Both of these woods have recently become available as body wood for stringed instruments. Robison offers a technical look at two beautiful woods, and tries to predict their futures.

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

GAL Instrument Plan #39: Hammered Dulcimer

1995
AL#41 p.29   BRB4 p.137            
Debbie Suran   Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                       

▪ Suran’s design allows for the least amount of tension over the side bridges, which contributes to instrument stability. A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

Meet the Maker: Lara Espley

1995
AL#41 p.38   BRB4 p.152            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Lara Espley                                                                                       

▪ Espley is a Canadian maker of wonderfully distinctive instruments. Here she talks about her favorite woods (purpleheart, koa), her training, and the gender gap.

Meet the Maker: Debbie Suran

1995
AL#41 p.26   BRB4 p.134            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Debbie Suran                                                                                       

▪ Suran is a performer/builder of hammered dulcimers.

Review: A Guide to Useful Woods of the World

1994
AL#39 p.46   BRB4 p.458            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds the book to be accurate and that the authors and editor did their best to escape the dry, technical aspects of wood science.

Meet the Maker: John Koster

1994
AL#37 p.22   BRB4 p.17            
Nicholas-Von Robison   John Koster                                                                                       

▪ How does a man become conservator to a famous collection of stringed instruments, and just exactly what does he do after he’s there? Koster maintains the collection at the Shrine to Music Museum.

Floyd

1994
AL#37 p.42               read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Local color and good humor are key ingredients of this peek at an independent-minded violinmaker. Arizona rosewood? Manzinita tuning pegs?

Jatoba

1993
AL#36 p.50   BRB3 p.420            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison   Debbie Suran                                                                                       

▪ Two luthiers examine an alternative wood and find that their samples do not match each other, and that their research texts don’t match descriptions, either. Two chunks of wood point to a common problem for those who are driven to be different.

Meet the Maker: Tom Ribbecke

1993
AL#35 p.24   BRB3 p.370            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Tom Ribbecke                                                                                       

▪ As an adviser to the trade, a builder of high quality guitars, and teacher, Ribbecke has had a strong influence on the work of many luthiers. This interview sketches his beginnings in lutherie.

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

CITES Tree List

1993
AL#34 p.5               
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Any artifact containing wood from a CITES tree might be impounded at any international border. This list may help you if you travel or do import/export.

Whence Tree Names?

1992
AL#31 p.27   BRB3 p.235            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Those Latin tongue twisters actually mean something. Scholars actually find joy and amusement in many of the scientific names. You might, too.

Review: Identifying Wood: Accurate Results with Simple Tools by Bruce Hoadley

1992
AL#29 p.58   BRB3 p.467            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer decides this book isn’t perfect for the DIY wood analyzer, but it will do, especially since it’s the only game in town.

Opinion

1990
AL#21 p.56               
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Robison is concerned about the plight of the world’s tropical forests, but pleads that a boycott of rain forest wood will backfire on the would-be conservationists.

World Forest Outlook

1988
AL#16 p.33               read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison   Perry Thomas                                                                                       

▪ Only 6% of the rain forest harvest is exported, only 20% is used for timber, and 80% of the trees cut are burned. Pollution may ultimately represent as much of a threat as the chain saw. This article tries to get a handle on the situation.

The Sami-Sen

1987
AL#12 p.18   BRB1 p.452            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Robison offers description, anecdotes, 4 photos, and a drawing of an instrument that might be crudely described as a Japanese 3-string banjo. The plans are a shrunken version of our full-scale Plan #16.

Modified F3 Mandolin

1987
AL#11 p.27   BRB1 p.434            
Robert Steinegger   Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                       

▪ Steinegger made a mandolin based on the work of Orville Gibson, but modified the neck pitch and soundboard arch to make it satisfy contemporary playing standards. He also changed some materials. With 2 photos and a scaled down version of our Plan #15.

GAL Instrument Plan #15: Modified F3 Mandolin

1987
AL#11 p.28   BRB1 p.435            
Robert Steinegger   Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                       

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

Ed Arnold, String Tie Kind of Guy

1986
AL#7 p.21   BRB1 p.248            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison   Ed Arnold                                                                                       

▪ Robison interviews Arnold about harvesting wood in Mexico and dealing it in America.

In Defense of the Amateur

1983
GALQ Vol.11#4 p.30   LW p.127            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Amateurs, by definition, love what they do. Professionals may start out that way and then find out that it’s not so hunky-dory. Amateurs are free to discover, but professionals are locked into the expectations of their clientele. Are we building instruments or are we building a life? Just something to think about.

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

The Case for Using Natural Dyes

1983
GALQ Vol.11#1 p.8   BRB1p.372            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Robison offers a convincing, multi-pronged philosophical stance for using natural dyestuffs that should lodge firmly among the luthiers that build ancient instruments or see them on their repair bench. Or anyone else who admires subtlety more than bright pizzazz.

Glorious Uncertainty

1983
GALQ Vol.11#2 p.12   LW p.123            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The author maintains that if we knew that each piece of work was going to turn out perfectly there would be no reason to continue building. Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how narrowly our lives are focused. We should always be a beginner at something.

Twenty Ancient Dyestuffs and Eleven Mordants

1983
DS#236   BRB1 p.210            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ The dyestuffs are from bugs, flowers, and tree parts. Mordants are chemicals that set the colors and may shift the hue. Dyers’ hip talk is a lot of fun, and the bits of dye history Robison includes add sparkle to a colorful article. Working with these materials could add mountains of snob appeal to a guitar. Rather than describe a three-color ‘burst as yellow/red/brown it might be described as fustic/madder/walnut hull. Be the first on your block to give it a go.

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

Seedlac

1980
DS#150   BRB1 p.121            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Robison insists that as an instrument finish seedlac is superior to shellac in every sense. You never heard of seedlac? Jeez, you better get on the bus! If French polish thrills you but it’s fragility gets up your nose, seedlac could make your day.

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

Gold Leaf

1979
DS#102   LW p.87            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Traditional ways of decorating instruments follow a narrow path. The author uses gold leaf to enhance his inlays. The path grows a little bit wider. Includes 3 illustrations of the steps involved.