Posted on June 6, 2024May 27, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Kit Fiddle Drawings Questions: Kit Fiddle Drawings by Robert Hickey Originally published in American Lutherie #90, 2007 ■ Robert Hickey of Liberty, North Carolina asks: Last weekend I learned about “kit fiddles” (also called dancing master’s violins) while visiting the historical area at Williamsburg, Virginia. Where could I obtain detailed drawings of the instrument? Robert Hickey answers his own question: Thanks for passing on the info from Darcy Kuronen at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, pointing to the kit violin at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. Michael Latcham, Curator of Musical Instruments there, mentioned the oddity of this instrument and also that the instrument has no sides, and they are not even sure if it was ever a viable instrument. But he did refer to luthier Claude Lebet in Rome (www.claudelebet.com), who examined their instrument and has information on other such instruments. He has written a book on the subject, La Pochette du Maître à Danser, which includes text in both French and English. It is a history of kit violins from the 1400s to the present with a wealth of photos of instruments held in museums mostly in Europe, but a dearth of drawings from which an instrument could be constructed. These instruments were made in a variety of sizes and styles to no particular standard other than the ability to fit into a coat pocket of the time. This lack of standardization may well be the reason that there are few if any plans available. It seems that the builder is free to do whatever works. I wonder if there was any bracing inside. These instruments were much more than curios for several hundred years. The era’s greatest luthiers made many of them, including Stradivari. Too bad they fell from favor. ◆
Posted on June 6, 2024May 28, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: 3 String Balalaika Tuner Questions: 3 String Balalaika Tuner by Francis Kosheleff Originally published in American Lutherie #71, 2002 Bob Mussro from cyberspace asks: I’m trying to find replacement tuners for a three-string balalaika. Would you have such or know of a source? Francis Kosheleff from Los Gatos, CA responds: The easy solution to the problem is to remove the old tuners, plug the three holes , and get single tuners like Schaller or Gotoh. Drill a hole on the treble side of the peghead for one tuner (steel A string ). Do the same on the other side for the two nylon E strings. The hard solution, if you absolutely need a perfect, identical, replacement is to send somebody you trust to Russia to search for the craftsman or the factory who made your instrument and buy the replacement tuners. (Good luck!) Another (expensive) solution is to have somebody (professional) build a copy of your tuners. And finally you can alter two of the three tuners by making a longer shaft (a small length of thin tubing) that will reach the edge of the peghead from the existing holes. It’s not too difficult to do. I have done that a couple of times. ◆
Posted on June 6, 2024May 22, 2025 by Dale Phillips Letter: Ray Cowell Ukes Letter: Ray Cowell Ukes by Thomas Johnson Originally published in American Lutherie #99, 2009 Dear Tim: A ukulele revival is underway in the U.K. Of special interest here is Ray Cowell, who has crafted a pair of ukes from the Titanic’s sister ship, the RMS Olympic. Captain Edward Smith was the Olympic’s first skipper, and he went on to his last command aboard the Titanic. The Olympic was dismantled in 1937, and local industries purchased salvaged timbers and fittings for further use. Ray worked as an engineer in coal mines in the early ‘60s under appalling conditions. He shifted to the paint manufacturing industry, where he developed specialized machinery; when his job evaporated, he bought and developed his own successful factory that serviced the paint industry. One of the factory’s existing buildings was fitted with materials salvaged from the Olympic: paneling, lighting, floor tile, decking, and even the main staircase. 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: Kauri Wood Questions: Kauri Wood by Laurie Williams Originally published in American Lutherie #95, 2008 Chris Powck asks: Where can I purchase planks or billets of kauri wood? I want to use this wood for instruments other than flattop guitars. Laurie Williams from New Zealand responds: Kauri is the local name of Agathis australis which is endemic to New Zealand. Similar species throughout Australia, the Pacific islands, and Indonesia are sold as Queensland kauri, Island kauri, or Fijian kauri. I will restrict my comments to New Zealand kauri, which is the one you would have heard of in musical instrument circles in the last decade. Aside from the trees growing today, there are also ancient kauri logs that have been preserved in peat swamps in the north of New Zealand. These logs are from 3,000 to 45,000 years old. 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 29, 2025 by Dale Phillips Letter: About Tusq Letter: About Tusq by Roger Sadowsky Originally published in American Lutherie #71, 2002 Dear Tim, In regard to Fred Carlson’s review of Tusq in AL#70, I have recently become a fan of Tusq saddles for under-saddle pickups. I’ve always struggled for good string-to-string balance and have tried every material and every trick in the book. I even published an article in another guitar publication about the fine art of achieving string balance with under saddle pickups. Building my Electric Nylon Guitar gives me an opportunity to evaluate materials under relatively controlled conditions. In the last twelve years I’ve built over 300. For years the best material I used was Micarta, but I frequently had to make three or four saddles per guitar to find the one that had the best string balance. Recently I tried Tusq and had perfect string balance on the first try. I have used it now for about six months and in every situation, I have had perfect string balance with the first saddle I made. For other applications I can appreciate the benefits of bone and ivory. But when it comes to string balance with an under saddle pickup, nothing is better than Tusq. ◆
