Novice Notes

by Donald Curry

Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly, 5, #3, 1977



Editor’s Note: This column marks the last of the regular “Novice Notes” series which has run in the GALQ for a full year now. Mr. Curry assures us that he will continue to follow the Guild’s activities with interest, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him most warmly for the excellent and reliable manner in which he has presented this informative series.

This final step in the making of an instrument is the finish, which includes preparation of the wood, applying the finishing material, and the final polishing. This subject probably has more diversity than any other in lutherie. Every luthier and every book on the subject differ as to how to produce a proper finish. Many different methods have proved equally successful and for this reason I will not go through a specific procedure but comment on some important aspects often overlooked.