Posted on June 6, 2024May 23, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: North American Wood Questions: North American Wood by Mark French, Ned Steinberger, and Alan Carruth Originally published in American Lutherie #94, 2008 See also, Questions: Nontropical Fingerboard Materials by Tom Theil Larry L. from the Internet asks: I’ve noticed that my choices in materials have evolved over the years to favor wood from North America. At this point I’d like to take the final step and eliminate all tropical hardwood. The two fingerboard materials that make the most sense to me are phenolic impregnated paper or cloth (Garolite, Micarta) and phenolic impregnated wood (Dymondwood, Pakkawood, Staminawood). I think I understand issues with machining these materials and fret installation, but I wonder how differential expansion/contraction with changes in humidity will affect the stability of necks with wood shafts and fingerboards made of these materials. Does anyone have experience here? Mark French from West Lafayette, Indiana responds: Any time you have differential expansion of two materials that are bonded, you have the possibility of large deformations. For example, one type of thermometer works by having a coiled bimetallic strip inside. When the temperature changes, the end of the coil moves a needle. 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 June 6, 2024May 23, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Yellow Pine Questions: Yellow Pine by Bob Gramann Originally published in American Lutherie #94, 2008 Scott Smith from the Internet asks: Has anyone made a guitar using heart pine (long leaf southern yellow pine)? I have some that was cut over 250 years ago. Bob Taylor of Taylor guitars passed on it, so I thought I might attempt to build one myself. It is a fairly dense wood with very high pitch content. Bob Gramann from Fredericksburg, Virginia responds: I made a small guitar with a top of southern pine which was recovered from a submerged crib dam that was built in 1854 and destroyed in 2004. In order to get enough close-to-quartersawn wood for the top, I had to make a 4-piece top. The pine was not nearly as stiff as the spruce I usually use, so I left it a bit thicker. The back and sides of this guitar were made with white oak from the same crib dam. The oak had turned grey from its long submergence, and the pine was green. It was a sweet sounding guitar but not as sweet as the two of the same style and size that I made from Engelmann spruce and Indian rosewood. If it were not for the historical interest, I would not have made a guitar of these woods. It was sold at auction as part of a fund-raiser for Friends of the Rappahannock. ◆
Posted on June 6, 2024January 17, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Vihuela Plans Questions: Vihuela Plans by Alexander Batov, Sebastián Núñez, and Verónica Estevez Originally published in American Lutherie #88, 2006 Chris P. from the Internet asks: Can you help me find construction plans for a vihuela? Alexander Batov from the UK replies: Only four instruments can be considered as surviving representatives of the 16th- to early-17th-century vihuela tradition: a rather large, highly decorative instrument in the Jacquemart-André Museum; an anonymous vihuela Inv. No. E 0748 (otherwise known as ‘‘Chambure”) in the Cité de la musique (both in Paris); a vihuela by Belchior Dias, Lisbon 1581 in the Royal College of Music (London); and a relic altarpiece vihuela from the Iglesia de la Compañiz de Jesús de Quito (Equador). Until recently most modern reproductions were flat-back reduced versions of the Jacquemart-André instrument or simply drawn from existing vihuela iconography. Both the ‘‘Chambure” and the Dias vihuelas* have a fluted-rib back construction, where each individual rib is bent simultaneously in two directions — a difficult technique for a first vihuela. However, the construction process can be simplified by substituting a vaulted or flat back. A number of mid-16th- to early-17th-century Iberian sources confirm the existence of vaulted and flat back vihuelas, with the latter seemingly most common and also serving as a trial-piece model in the examination procedure for the beginning violero (vihuela maker). 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 June 6, 2024May 28, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Measuring Soundboard Vibration Questions: Measuring Soundboard Vibration by Alan Carruth Originally published in American Lutherie #73, 2003 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 Gregory Furan of Toronto, Ontario, Canada asks: Over the past several years there have been numerous articles written in many different guitar mags regarding measuring soundboard vibration, that is, tuning tops. Can you give me a reference for where all of the different elements can purchased? Al Carruth of Newport, New Hampshire responds: For tuning plates on guitars or violins, the equipment you need is fairly simple: a signal generator capable of producing a reasonably “clean” sine wave signal over the range from about 20Hz to 1000Hz, an accurate frequency counter, an amplifier that can boost the output of your signal generator to around 12w or more, and a loudspeaker that is matched to the amp and rated for the power. To be on the safe side, I’d get a speaker that was rated for about 1½ times the nominal power of the amp: sine waves have high peak-to-peak voltages. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of the Articles Online featured on our website for Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 3 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on June 6, 2024May 28, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Power Buffer For Finish Questions: Power Buffer For Finish by Charles Fox Originally published in American Lutherie #79, 2004 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 See also, Questions: Post Buffing Finish Scratches by Brian Boedigheimer Mario from cyberspace asks: I use a power buffer to rub out my finish. It looks perfect to me at the time, but sometimes in other light I can see little tiny scratches that I’ve missed. Any advice? Charles Fox of Portland, Oregon responds: That reminds me of when I brought instruments to my first music trade show a few decades ago. Under the unforgiving glare of the convention center’s halogen lights I was appalled to see that the guitars, which I thought were perfectly finished, were in fact covered with tiny scratches that hadn’t been visible to me under either tungsten, fluorescent, or natural sun light. Now I do all of my finish work beneath halogen work lights. You can get an excellent ceiling shop light with double halogen lamps (part # 73995) from www.Rockler.com for $34.99. ◆
