Posted on July 1, 2024May 22, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: First Use of Metal Wire Strings Questions: First Use of Metal Wire Strings by James Buckland Originally published in American Lutherie #100, 2009 Neill Pickard asks: When were metal wire strings first used on a guitar? By what process were these strings produced, and who was the earliest manufacturer? The provenance of the earliest “steel string” guitar would also be of great interest. People have been putting wire strings on instruments since the time wire was readily available, but at some point there would have been a move to commercial string production which would have in turn made possible the appearance of a distinct steel string guitar. James Buckland from Clinton, South Carolina replies: It is probably not possible to say precisely who first strung a guitar with metal strings or when it happened. I do feel confident in saying that the practice was adopted from keyboard instruments such as the clavichord and harpsichord. Two early mandolin methods, the Michel Corrette method of 1772 and the Giovanni Fouchetti method of 1771, refer to the use of brass harpsichord strings on mandolins, although gut was still the most commonly used string material for mandolin family instruments. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Remembering Robert Lundberg Letter: Remembering Robert Lundberg by Bryan Johanson Originally published in American Lutherie #69, 2002 Hello GAL, The first person to catch my eye as I entered the hall was a large, bear-shaped man with several sets of spruce tops securely tucked under his arm. He almost knocked me down. He had spotted an exhibitor’s table of exotic hardwood and was making a beeline for it. For a large man he was moving incredibly fast, and I literally had to jump back to avoid being run down. A woman in her midforties, quickly following in the man’s wake, lightly touched my arm and said “I am so sorry. Please forgive my husband. He gets a little crazed when he is around this much wood.” With that she moved on, and I had arrived at the 2001 GAL National Convention. Instrument makers normally work alone. There are no built-in mechanisms to bring them into the public eye. Conceivably, a luthier could take an order for an instrument, build it, and ship it off without saying a word to anyone. The luthier’s product is something like a ventriloquist’s dummy: someone else has to provide the voice and animation to their creations. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Lutherie in South Africa Letter: Lutherie in South Africa by Rodney Stedall Originally published in American Lutherie #70, 2002 Dear Tim, Ron Bushman was in South Africa recently on a business trip. He’s a part-time luthier living in Fullerton, California (hometown of Leo Fender) with about twenty-five classical and flamenco guitars carrying his label. He also plays flamenco very well. Ron Bushman admires a Portugese guitarra made by François Pistorius. Both photos by Rodney Stedall I took the day off to offer Ron a bit of South African luthiers’ hospitality. After collecting him at his hotel we went off to Silverton Houthandelaars (wood dealers) to look for indigenous woods. He selected some impressive backs and sides from kiaat and a nice piece of tambotie for headstock veneers. We then visited François Pistorius who impressed Ron with his Portuguese guitarra, an offset-soundhole classical, and his famous double-neck steel string/bouzouki combination on which he plays Celtic music that he learned during his apprenticeship in Galway, Ireland. François added to Ron’s load by kindly giving him a back and side set of bubinga (African rosewood). François plays his double-neck guitar/bouzouki. Then to my workshop where we cut the kiaat into luggage-size pieces. I was able to give Ron a nice quartersawn neck set of boekenhout (African beech) with its beautiful flaming as well as some leadwood (hardekool) and black ivory which I had previously cut into thin bookmatched pieces for head veneers. We then treated Ron to a traditional meal of stywe pap (stiff corn porridge) and bredie (tomato onion gravy) with sosaties (shish kebab) braaied (barbequed) on an open fire made from bushveld leadwood. We sent Ron off, fully laden with his stock of South African tonewoods to remind him of his visit to our beautiful country. ◆
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Replanting Rosewood Letter: Replanting Rosewood by Erik Stenn Originally published in American Lutherie #69, 2002 Dear Tim, During my travels I have lived amongst and visited areas that have been heavily deforested. As an ecologist I am painfully aware of the impacts deforestation has on ecosystems both terrestrial and aquatic. As a luthier I am aware of the effects of deforestation on another level, namely the cost and availability of instrument wood. Certainly there are sources available, and I am not writing this to berate an industry — perhaps just a practice. The reality is that more species are making their way onto the CITIES list. What will be left for my children and their children? Through numerous visits to Brazil to visit family, I became introduced to many beautiful hardwoods that are now rare. My guitar teacher works mostly with Brazilian rosewood but laments its scarcity. This situation, in conjunction with my father-in-law’s dream of having his children work his land, generated the idea to reforest the land (forty hectares of old cattle grazing grounds) with hardwoods. This project relies heavily on the participation of the entire family. The children have bought into the concept of replanting (during the rainy season) knowing that at some point in their lives they will begin the selected harvesting and continued replanting and pass this on to their children. Last year we planted twenty or thirty Dalbergia nigra saplings, and this year more of the same, with diversification into other species. In our minds it is not just replanting monocrop style but to approach this by recognizing possible synergistic interactions between species. Repeated studies have demonstrated that monocropped rosewood has lower survivals. Why Brazil? We had access to land that was not being used. If we had the opportunity here in the States we would do the same thing. It is a gratifying project. Strangely, we are capitalizing on the situation, but in the process are giving back and educating ourselves. At the moment it seems like a win-win situation. I just wanted to recommend others trying this too. ◆
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Price of Vintage Instruments Letter: Price of Vintage Instruments by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #61, 2000 Tim, Chris Foss isn’t the only one baffled by the cost of vintage instruments. I’ve wanted to believe right from the start that the vintage scene was a shuck created by a few knowledgeable dealers who spread their gospel from regular columns in the music rags. The truth, no doubt, is that any old thing you can point to is interesting to someone, and that once enough people show an interest that thing becomes collectible and the price shoots up. Some objects are life enhancing, and different people find different objects. Folks who collect old porcelain don’t eat off their collection. Antique chairs may never be allowed to perch a human. There are no doubt instrument collectors who never play their guitars. It’s not a shame, it’s just the way it is. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
