American Lutherie #146 - Summer 2022

Flip Scipio reminisces about the last classic guitar building seminar with his master, José Romanillos. We meet innovative New York electric guitar builder and artist Cindy Hulej. Two members with some professional cred give old-timers advice on how to manage their lutherie estates. John Calkin interviews longtime member David Thormahlen, maker of harps and a wide variety of instruments. January Williams gives us a little history into the development of the twin-soundhole guitar used for Hawaiian slack-key music, and Tim Olsen presents a new instrument plan of a 1982 Douglas Ching slack-key guitar. Lee Herron shows us how he built a special order 7-string guitar. Mark French and Alyssa Fernandez present the science behind measuring the mechanical properties of neck blanks, and they show us how using a smart phone! Richard Bozung shares a new type of instrument he developed called a “Nightingale” that sounds like a guitar but plays like an autoharp. Beau Hannam shows us his better idea for a side-clamping caul. Calkin reviews the O’Brien Guitars’ video course on ukulele making featuring Heidi Litke. Aaron Cash gives new builders, himself included, an encouraging pep talk. Plus In Memoriam for José Romanillos and G.D. Armstrong, the "Worked for Me" column, letters, and more.

Scheduled to mail to 2022 members mid-July