Posted on July 8, 2024October 1, 2024 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Chuck Lee Meet the Maker: Chuck Lee by Steve Kinnaird Originally published in American Lutherie #95, 2008 Chuck Lee, versatile fellow that he is, has worn a number of hats over the years. For more than three decades he has been in the plumbing trade, and for the last fifteen has held a Texas Master Plumber’s license. (And he has the dust collection system in his shop to prove his prowess with the pipes.) For seven years he worked with Wycliffe International, an organization engaged in translating the Bible into tribal languages. Currently he’s at the helm of Chuck Lee Banjo Company. Located just south of Dallas, this small firm turns out over eighty open-back banjos a year. Recently, Chuck took an afternoon off from his busy schedule to talk about his work. It was a pleasure to visit with my friend, and learn more of his story. Plus, his tidy shop and efficient use of space are always an inspiration. About halfway through we were joined by his wife Tammy, and the conversation really got interesting. 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 July 8, 2024October 1, 2024 by Dale Phillips Not Only Cones Make It — and Cylinders Almost Do Not Only Cones Make It — and Cylinders Almost Do by F.A. Jaén Originally published in American Lutherie #101, 2010 In the years since Tim Olsen’s article “Cylinders Don’t Make It” appeared in AL#8 (Winter 1986; also BRBAL1) the main ideas presented there have been accepted, developed, and finally, simplified and distorted. Many, including myself, remembered it more like “Only Cones Make It.” The first indication that something in my ideas was wrong was when I made a CAD model of a fretboard some time ago. I wanted it to have a constant curvature radius of 300MM (around 12"). There are many customers that still want that, in spite of offering well-designed conical-shaped fingerboards. My first thought was to draw two circles, 12" diameter, one directly above the other, at the distance from nut to end. After that, I would trace two diverging straight lines connecting both circles and defining both the edges of the fretboard and the widths at its ends. The surface could then be generated by moving one of the edge lines towards the other, using the end circles as rail curves (what is known as a “sweep” command in many CAD packages). 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 July 8, 2024October 1, 2024 by Dale Phillips Pearly Shells and Nichols Pearly Shells and Nichols by David Nichols from his 1984 GAL Convention lecture Originally published in American Lutherie #1, 1985 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume One, 2000 My shop recently did two guitars for the Martin Company which are elaborate enough that they encompass basically all the different techniques used in pearl inlay. We inlaid the tortoise shell pickguards, the rosewood headstocks, ebony fingerboards, and all edgebinding. I photographed many steps in this process, and we can look at these as examples. Here’s a picture of where I’m going to cut the pearl and do the inlay work (Photo 1). I have taken an extra liberty with our cutting board, drilling a series of holes in the back where I can stand all the little Dremel attachments that I’m going to need. When we cut pearl, it is either filed, or ground with the Dremel to an exacting contour after we saw it. It gives you a much better looking job if you touch up the sawn edges of the pieces before you put them in. 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 July 8, 2024October 1, 2024 by Dale Phillips Making a Gothic Harp Making a Gothic Harp by Shaun Newman Originally published in American Lutherie #103, 2010 When my daughter asked me to build a harp, “the sort that angels play,” how could I resist? As a maker of guitars, I knew little of the Gothic or Renaissance harp, but became fascinated as I learned more. The original would have had a soundbox hollowed from a tree trunk, two sides of solid wood, and gut strings — simple but practical. These harps were common in 12th-century Europe onward, but sadly, no original instruments survive. My first task was to find a drawing of the proper size. Mine came from Luthiers’ Supplies, an English firm, and though it provided a guide for construction, it contained critical errors that forced me to remake my first effort. It is not difficult to design your own, but beware of making the top string too short; if you keep that string at least 5 1/2" long, all should go well. Gothic harps can have sixteen to thirty-two strings, with an appropriately sized frame. The one I built, shown in Photo 1, is 32" tall with twenty-six strings. A larger harp is more versatile, but less portable and more costly. Since the instrument is not chromatic and many of the strings are used as drones, much of the upper range is seldom used; some players prefer no more than nineteen strings. 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 July 8, 2024October 1, 2024 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Jose “Pepito” Reyes Zamora Meet the Maker: Jose “Pepito” Reyes Zamora by C.F. Casey Originally published in American Lutherie #88, 2006 I first met Pepito Reyes by phone, when I called him to ask some questions for my review of his book El Tiple Puertorriqueño. About a year later, I had a chance to meet him face to face, at the Tiple Conference in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and later at his home and workshop in Jayuya. As we talked, I gained more and more respect for a man who, after ending one successful career, immediately created a second: to dedicate himself to giving back to the environment and culture that nurtured him. Pepito is a man filled with passion for his cause, which is to ensure that traditional Puerto Rican culture, especially its music, and more especially yet, the Puerto Rican tiple, will not vanish into the mists of time. When did you build your first tiple? I built it in 1989 and I still have it; it’s in good shape. It’s traveled to Texas, Florida, and France, and it’s been used in recordings. 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.
