American Lutherie #151 - Spring 2024

Todd Cambio finds inspiration in those inexpensive "catalog" guitars, made in their millions before WWII in American factories using American woods. How do you explain that the glue squeeze-out in some fine old guitars by Spanish masters drips the wrong way? Tobias Braun built a solera like a mysterious century-old example in the shop of Santos Hernández to show how it might have been done. Imagine attending an intensive seminar to build a fine classical guitar from scratch with an instructor who is carrying on the teaching work of José Romanillos; and it's in an authentic castle in Austria, with a gourmet restaurant. Jay Anderson innocently attended a James Taylor concert, and received an epiphany that changed his life; that is to say, he became a luthier. Fourteen-year-old Harry Fleishman found a kindly and perceptive mentor in Seymour Drugan, an older legit jazz player who was running a guitar store. It's never too late to say thank you. StewMac has bought a European wood supply house; meet the new VP of Global Sales. Want to know the breaking point of a particular steel guitar string? Here's the neat and tidy way, using a cell phone. Lee Herron tinkered together a cool bandsaw jig to cut the kerfs in lining strips. Make an action gauge from cheap mail-order stuff. Dan Erlewine and William Eaton remember their friend and guitar repair guru Frank Ford. Plus: a double-sided steel jig to join the halves of a guitar top or back. Mark on dark wood with soapstone, not pencils. Nut-filing guides made on a laser cutter. Fleishman-style swing-arm binding router. See more.

Scheduled to be mailed to 2024 members in late April.