As a teenager, longtime GAL member January Williams went around the world in 1963, made a violin as an exchange student in Japan, and sailed west, stopping in Barcelona to visit the Fleta shop and take in some flamenco. A serious armchair luthier since, his garage full of tools and attic full of wood have in recent years coalesced into a lutherie shop. January and his sweetheart Susan are also known as Mr. and Mrs. Finger” at the GAL auctions.
▪ bio current as of 2022
2024
AL#151 p.3
January Williams
▪ A reader asks about the swing-arm binding router shown among Denny Stevens tools in AL#150. Author January Williams gives an informative answer. The tool’s design is a collaborative effort between Stevens and Harry Fleishman.
2023
AL#150 p.4
January Williams
▪ The Hammond Glider saw is a rare and wonderful thing. It was intended to cut type metal, but we get guidance on using it to cut wood. Mentions Ken Parker.
2023
AL#150 p.32
January Williams
▪ Author Williams bought the lutherie estate of the late Denny Stevens several years ago. He has taken an archeological approach to it, pondering over the nicely crafted gizmos he has discovered, and reporting them to us as he figures out the function of the various treasures.
2023
AL#148 p.39
January Williams
▪ Williams purchased the lutherie estate of Denny Stevens. In a sort of archeological exercise, he digs through a pile of jigs and considers their possible functions.
2022
AL#146 p.34
January Williams
▪ Here’s a quick review of how the slack-key guitar got to be a thing. See GAL Plan #81
2019
AL#136 p.22
January Williams
▪ Before there were cheap Spanish guitars from Asian factories, there were cheap Spanish guitars from hard-working Spanish luthiers using traditional methods. If there was an inexpensive classical guitar kicking around your house or dorm room before about 1965, it might very well have been a Tatay. The family business was in Valencia, Spain, but they had an outpost in New York where one of the brothers turned out instruments at an amazing pace.
2019
AL#136 p.28
January Williams
▪ There are Tatay guitars, and then there are Tatay guitars. They could be from Valencia or New York; from one of four generations of the family; from one maker or his brother, father, son, uncle, or cousin. This article helps you sort them out. Photos of representative guitars, and lots of photos of labels from the various eras.
2018
AL#134 p.66
January Williams
▪ There are pencils that do a good job of writing on sawn lumber.
2017
AL#131 p.20
January Williams Peter Tsiorba
▪ Peter Tsiorba began his working life as a teenager making garments in a semi-legit Soviet cooperative. Today he’s a family man and a maker of classical guitars in the lutherie Mecca of Portland, Oregon.
2016
AL#125 p.38
January Williams Patrick Huff
▪ Doc is a self-reliant man, independent thinker, joyful inventor, world traveler, and maker of highly original and unusual frailing banjos using a dizzying selection of gorgeous woods.
2015
AL#123 p.40
January Williams Ken Altman
▪ Ken Altman is a bow maker living in Silverton Oregon, and is part of the group that produces the Northwest Handmade Musical Instrument Show.
2013
AL#116 p.65
January Williams
▪ Brace jacks made while drawing the Stahl style 6 guitar for GAL instrument plan #66, to measure the height of the braces.
2012
AL#112 p.28
January Williams
▪ An extensive profile and appraisal of this Stahl style 6 guitar, an authentic instrument built by the Larson brothers Carl and August in Chicago.
2012
AL#112 p.36
January Williams
▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.