Posted on January 14, 2010May 12, 2025 by Dale Phillips In Memoriam: Hart Huttig II In Memoriam: Hart Huttig II 1912 — 1992 by R.E. Bruné Originally published in American Lutherie #31, 1992 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Three, 2004 It is with great sadness that I report the passing of my good friend and mentor Hart Huttig II this past July after a long illness. No stranger to this journal, Hart was a selfless contributor since the inception of the GAL and his aficion for the guitar and its construction has been conveyed to all who have read his numerous writings. My first contact with Hart was in 1965, when his article “Guitar Construction from A to Z” appeared in Guitar Review #28. I had just begun trying to make guitars, and in those days, information was very hard to come by. His article was like manna from heaven, and lifted me up from the informational despair I was caught in at the time. Hart Huttig II in Arles, France at a Gypsy pilgrimage being received by the elder Gypsy of the clan. All photos courtesy of H.E. Huttig II. H.E. Huttig on his boat. Shortly after the appearance of that issue, I contacted him on the phone and was delighted to find he was also in the wood business, thus beginning not only a business relationship, but a lifelong friendship. Hart was an avid aficionado of flamenco, and made every effort to meet artists and invite them to his home. I fondly remember many a juerga in his front yard, where in the heat of inspiration, Hart would become so emotionally linked with the flamencos that he would tear his shirt off and cast it into the bushes. I will miss his paella Valenciana, his unique rajo cante jondo, but most of all I will miss Hart. He is survived by a daughter Beth, and his wife Rosa. H.E. Huttig's handwritten recipe for Paella.
Posted on January 14, 2010May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips In Memoriam: Richard L. Schneider In Memoriam: Richard L. Schneider March 5, 1936 — January 31, 1997 by Jeffrey R. Elliott Originally published in American Lutherie #49, 1997 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Five, 2008 I first met Richard in 1964 while accompanying a long-time friend on a chance visit to his Detroit workshop. The three of us spent an enjoyable afternoon taking turns playing his guitars, and I fondly remember Richard’s Mexican folk songs. That afternoon changed my life. My friend left knowing he would have a new guitar, and I left knowing I had to make them. Fate smiled and eventually Richard accepted me as an apprentice, fulfilling my dreams. Many months later Richard began my friend’s guitar. One day Richard asked if I’d like to work on it. I was surprised and delighted with the prospect of contributing to the realization of my friend’s instrument. This thoughtful gesture is typical of the generosity, trust, consideration, and a sense of the poetic that was Richard’s. Photo by Ivan-Roger Sita. I was the first of many who Richard taught over his thirty-five years of guitar making. He was a great teacher, and his enthusiasm was infectious and inspiring. His work exemplified his standard of fine craft and aesthetic harmony combined with imagination and the eternal search for the ideal sound. He was one of the most innovative people I have ever known, and his contribution to guitar making will continue to influence generation after generation of luthiers. Via con Dios, Richard, you will be missed.
Posted on January 14, 2010May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips In Memoriam: Irving Sloane In Memoriam: Irving Sloane April 27, 1925 — June 21, 1998 by Roger Sadowsky Originally published in American Lutherie #55, 1998 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Five, 2008 Irving Sloane, noted author on the art of lutherie, passed away on June 21, 1998 following a three-year battle with renal cell cancer. He is survived by his wife, Zelda Sloane, his children Roy, Linda, and David, and four grandchildren. I had the pleasure to know Irving for fifteen years and would like to share some of those memories. I first discovered Classical Guitar Construction by Irving Sloane in the Whole Earth Catalog back in 1971. I was a graduate student in psychobiology and my interest in guitars was beginning to exceed my interest in graduate school. I remember the page in the Whole Earth Catalog that contained information on Irving’s book, H.L. Wild on East 11th Street in Manhattan as a source for guitar woods, and a section on Gurian Guitars who’s label read “Built on the third planet from the sun.” I can remember reading and rereading that page in the catalog at every free moment I had. Photo courtesy of Roger Sadowsky. Reading Classical Guitar Construction was like entering a new world for me. I can vividly recall the pictures of Irving planing his wood to thickness, boiling his sides in a galvanized pan and bending them over his bending form, joining the top and back, etc., etc. I read the book over and over until every detail and specification was committed to memory, including his list of sources at the back. This book was soon followed by Guitar Repair which transported me to the repair department at the Martin factory and unlocked many “trade secrets.” Next came Steel String Guitar Construction which, in spite of a rather bizarre neck joint, still provided a virtual gold mine of information and provided one of the few documented visits to Jimmy D’Aquisto’s shop. These three books provided me with all of the published information available on guitar making and guitar repair to be had at the time. They were the “Rosetta stones” of guitar making — the only key to unlock the mystery of a craft on which almost no printed information existed. The knowledge extracted from these volumes launched me on what is now a twenty-six-year career. In 1981, I met my wife, Robin Phillips. On one of her earliest visits to my shop, she spied Irving’s books on my shelf and said, “I know him — he was my neighbor when I grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey.” She told me stories of watching Irving build his guitars in the basement and of Irving serenading her on the front porch. Robin’s mother Zelda worked at the Ridgewood Public Library and Irving paid a visit to his hometown around 1983 and dropped in to say hello (he was living in Brussels at the time). She told Irving that Robin had married a guitar maker, and Irv called us up and met us one day in Manhattan. It was a pleasure to meet him and he autographed my copy of Classical Guitar Construction. We heard from Irving the following year. He was moving back to the States and was going to live full-time in a small country house he always had in Millerton, NY. He had designed a new premium-quality tuning machine for classical guitar and had patented the design. He was hand making them for a small number of builders and hoped to increase production as his primary source of income. The gears had the smoothest and most positive mechanism I had ever felt and were much less expensive than Rodgers, the only other quality gear available. Irving had invited Robin and me to come up to the country for a weekend and we had a very nice visit with him. He told wonderful stories of the guitar makers and musicians he had known but his closest relationship was with Bouchet during the years he lived in Brussels. He was also very good friends with the Assad brothers. I also learned a lot about his past. He grew up an orphan on the Lower East Side (10th St.). He spent many years and traveled the world in the Merchant Marines. His primary occupation was as a designer and he worked in the advertising industry, designing product packaging and record album covers. He taught himself metalworking and jewelry making. He designed and made woodworking tools, especially planes, which he sold under the IBEX brand. He was a writer, and in addition to his lutherie books, he had written and published a children’s book titled The Silver Cart. Robin and I encouraged Irving to take her mom Zelda out to dinner. They fell in love like a couple of teenagers and married the next year. There was an incredible amount of “small world” coincidence to realize I had as a father-in-law the man who was responsible for my career path. Irving was a true renaissance man. There seemed to be no limit to the things he could do. He made magnificent fish prints on exquisite paper, did his own catalog-quality photography of his tools, made beautiful jewelry, built a new deck for his home, and played guitar and piano. But perhaps his best skill was his ability to make molds. He was self-taught in this art, but it was the mold making that permitted him to make his fine planes, tools, and the beautiful plates for the classical guitar tuning machines. After failing to find competent workers to produce the tuning gears in his local area, he licensed the gears to Stewart-MacDonald, who now manufacture them at their Waverly shop in Montana. Irving travelled to Bozeman to set up the assembly and train the workers. Waverly then began to produce a variety of steel string guitar tuning gears utilizing Irving’s patented design. Irving had also designed the finest gear available for upright bass. David Gage, ace acoustic-bass guru of New York City, has taken over the assembly and distribution of the bass gear. Most of the other tools are distributed by Bob Juzak of Metropolitan Music in Vermont. Some of his best-known tools are his violin finger planes, bridge clamp, fretting rule, bending iron, rosette cutter, thickness gauge, and crack-splicing set. We are now in the golden age of guitar making. All of us who are in our forties or fifties have been perfecting our craft for the last twenty or thirty years and are just starting to get pretty good at what we do. As I look back over the last twenty years or so, it seems to me that every interview I have read with any guitar maker or repair person contains a line something like “The first book I ever read was Irving Sloane’s Classical Guitar Construction.” We will always be indebted to Irving Sloane for changing our lives forever.
Posted on January 14, 2010May 28, 2025 by Dale Phillips Review: A History of the Lute from Antiquity to the Renaissance by Douglas Alton Smith Review: A History of the Lute from Antiquity to the Renaissance by Douglas Alton Smith Reviewed by Bryan Johanson Originally published in American Lutherie #73, 2003 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 A History of the Lute from Antiquity to the Renaissance Douglas Alton Smith ISBN 0-9714071-0-X Lute Society of America, 389pp. 2002 www.lutehistory.com Being a witness to history is an exciting and dynamic experience. Every day we follow events that shape our future and define our past. Music history during the past century turned out to be one of the most fluid and exciting periods ever experienced. We saw the rise to dominance of the recording industry and the decline and continued struggle of the music-publishing business. Composers, once the driving, creative force in music history, were marginalized by the surge of dynamic performers seeking their turn in the driver’s seat. This new wave of musical leadership created performance vehicles for themselves largely by exploring music of the past. As a result, buried treasures have been rediscovered. The music of Bach is no longer an occasional academic event, but a daily concert hall occurrence. Compositions by great Renaissance composers Josquin, Palestrina, Morales, Gesualdo, and Victoria can now be heard on recordings and in concerts almost anywhere in the civilized world. Performers have continued to reach into the past with courage and curiosity, reviving repertoire like ancient plain chant, early Greek and Roman music, and the mystic compositions of Hildegard von Bingen. There seems to be no limit to the vast musical treasure trove of the past. This rediscovery of early and ancient music was one of the most important trends in the 20th century, and it appears to still be gaining momentum in this new millennium. In this brave new world of early music, scholarship, musicianship, and craftsmanship have become equal partners. One of the most impressive revivals during the last fifty years was the rebirth of the lute and its music. Once the most popular instrument in Europe, the lute was extinct by the end of the 19th century. Of the many thousands of compositions written for the lute, none were in circulation. Of the many thousands of instruments, only a handful survived as antique curiosities. As society entered the 20th century, the lute and its music was certifiably dead. However, a curious thing about musical instruments and their music is that death is not as terminal as it is for us mammals. There is no way to bring back a living dinosaur or any number of extinct species of birds, fish, and animals. But the lute, that’s a different story. With scholars like Douglas Alton Smith, luthiers like Robert Lundberg, and performers like Paul O’Dette working on its behalf, the revival of the lute is now in full flower. 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. Review: A History of the Lute from Antiquity to the Renaissance by Douglas Alton Smith Reviewed by Bryan Johanson Originally published in American Lutherie #73, 2003 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 A History of the Lute from Antiquity to the Renaissance Douglas Alton Smith ISBN 0-9714071-0-X Lute Society of America, 389pp. 2002 www.lutehistory.com Being a witness to history is an exciting and dynamic experience. Every day we follow events that shape our future and define our past. Music history during the past century turned out to be one of the most fluid and exciting periods ever experienced. We saw the rise to dominance of the recording industry and the decline and continued struggle of the music-publishing business. Composers, once the driving, creative force in music history, were marginalized by the surge of dynamic performers seeking their turn in the driver’s seat. This new wave of musical leadership created performance vehicles for themselves largely by exploring music of the past. As a result, buried treasures have been rediscovered. The music of Bach is no longer an occasional academic event, but a daily concert hall occurrence. Compositions by great Renaissance composers Josquin, Palestrina, Morales, Gesualdo, and Victoria can now be heard on recordings and in concerts almost anywhere in the civilized world. Performers have continued to reach into the past with courage and curiosity, reviving repertoire like ancient plain chant, early Greek and Roman music, and the mystic compositions of Hildegard von Bingen. There seems to be no limit to the vast musical treasure trove of the past. This rediscovery of early and ancient music was one of the most important trends in the 20th century, and it appears to still be gaining momentum in this new millennium. In this brave new world of early music, scholarship, musicianship, and craftsmanship have become equal partners. One of the most impressive revivals during the last fifty years was the rebirth of the lute and its music. Once the most popular instrument in Europe, the lute was extinct by the end of the 19th century. Of the many thousands of compositions written for the lute, none were in circulation. Of the many thousands of instruments, only a handful survived as antique curiosities. As society entered the 20th century, the lute and its music was certifiably dead. However, a curious thing about musical instruments and their music is that death is not as terminal as it is for us mammals. There is no way to bring back a living dinosaur or any number of extinct species of birds, fish, and animals. But the lute, that’s a different story. With scholars like Douglas Alton Smith, luthiers like Robert Lundberg, and performers like Paul O’Dette working on its behalf, the revival of the lute is now in full flower. In his brilliant and beautiful new book, A History of the Lute from Antiquity to the Renaissance, Douglas Alton Smith has given us a wonderfullywritten account of the rich history of that once seemingly extinct instrument. Although the lute is most immediately related to the Arabic oud, Mr. Smith takes pains to trace the origin of the lute to much earlier times. The lute’s connection to ancient Greek culture, with its influential philosophy, music theory, and aesthetics, shaped the development of the Renaissance lute as much as its more recent Arabic heritage. Tracing the origin of any string instrument into antiquity is a tricky business. There are many ways in which an author’s narrative can become bogged down in slogging through all the loose ends and fragmented bits. What is so refreshing about Mr. Smith’s book is the strength of its vision. His writing about the lute’s far-distant past is fluid and engaging. Once he moves us into the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, the historical evidence is much less speculative. He clearly traces the rise of the lute’s popularity, country by country. The reader will no doubt delight in the scope of the tale. Mr. Smith has woven many historical threads together to give us a complex and complete picture of the lute as it existed in society. To follow the early history of the lute is to also follow the early history of music. The lute was such an important part of the musical culture of Europe that any musical development was immediately reflected in the lute’s repertoire or construction. In addition to the part played by the lute in music culture and society, Mr. Smith also traces the history of its construction. Once the book gets rolling into the more familiar terrain of the Renaissance, Mr. Smith traces the lute’s history by region and performer. There are chapters on the lute in Italy, Central and Eastern Europe, France and the Lowlands, and England. Naturally we are treated to mini-biographies of such musical giants as the brilliant and influential Francesco Canova da Milano, Vincenzo Galilei, Lorenzino di Roma, Hans and Melchior Newsidler, Valentine Bakfark, Adrian Le Roy, John and Robert Johnson, Daniel Bacheler, and the incomparable John Dowland. In addition to the copious biographical information, Mr. Smith has illuminated many of them with musical examples and illustrations. One interesting addition is a chapter on the history of the vihuela in Spain. As many enthusiasts know, the lute did not flourish in Renaissance Spain. The reasons for this are complex and somewhat obscure. What did flourish was an instrument that looked a bit like the guitar but was tuned and played exactly like the lute. Its history and music often show up in histories on the guitar. But the vihuela’s connection to the guitar is a weak one. The vihuela flourished for a brief period and faded into obscurity before the beginning of the 17th century. The music produced by Luis Milan, Alonso Mudarra, and Luis de Narvaez has long been claimed as transcribed guitar repertoire. However, in the last fifty years, luthiers have begun to construct modern replicas of the vihuela. This repertoire is now being reclaimed by specialists on that instrument. It is not surprising that many of this new generation of vihuelistas are lutenists who have made slight adjustments to their technique to master this distinguished music. Mr. Smith has convincingly claimed that the vihuela is simply a Spanish version of the lute. And, though the vihuela will always remain outside the history of the lute proper or the guitar proper, its temporal relationship to the lute is a more natural historical fit. Mr. Smith’s chapter on this marginally related instrument is an important addition to the vihuela’s history. There are many ways one could enjoy and use this book. It is a remarkable accomplishment in its scope and depth and literary style. For professional musicians, luthiers, and musicologists, this book is an absolute must. It will no doubt become the standard reference work on the subject for many years to come. In addition to use by scholars, luthiers, musicians, and serious-minded students, the book is also an incredibly enjoyable read. On the most obvious level, it can also be savored as a compelling historical narrative. I would suggest that anyone who listens to lute music for pleasure can enjoy this book for the same kind of pleasure. A History of the Lute from Antiquity to the Renaissance is published by the Lute Society of America, and I would like to take a few moments and congratulate them for the look of the final publication. It is a beautifully prepared, edited, and laid-out book. The integration of text, musical examples, and illustrations adds immeasurably to the joy of this book. It was obviously prepared with great care and respect for the material, and the Lute Society of America is to be praised. I can’t begin to express my gratitude to Douglas Alton Smith for his efforts in bringing this book to print. His talents as an historian, scholar, and author are overwhelming. His book is a massive achievement to which the reader can return again and again for information, insights, and pleasure. His efforts on behalf of the lute and its music are inspiring, and I hope that readers of this review will immediately order their own soon-to-be-well-worn-and-well-loved copy of his fine book. ◆
Posted on January 14, 2010May 28, 2025 by Dale Phillips Review: The Guitar of Andres Segovia Hermann Hauser 1937 Review: The Guitar of Andres Segovia Hermann Hauser 1937 Reviewed by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #83, 2005 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 The Guitar of Andrés Segovia Hermann Hauser 1937 Liner notes by Richard Bruné and Don Pilarz Produced by Dynamic S.r.l., Genova, Italy Dynamic catalog number CDS 433 Wouldn’t it be great to have in one source working drawings, textual explanations, photographs, and recordings of one of the most important instruments ever built? Dynamic’s offering does exactly this. Richard Bruné, Don Pilarz, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art collaborated to create a definitive description of Andrés Segovia’s famous 1937 Hauser guitar. The result is a boxed set containing a multilingual pamphlet (Italian, English, German, and French), three sheets of full-scale working drawings, a full-length audio CD of Segovia playing the instrument, and a poster. All this fits into a box that is about 6" × 9" × 3/4". The pamphlet describes Segovia’s challenges to establish the guitar as a serious classical instrument, the requirements for the instrument, technical details about it, and its physical state. One also gets a sense of Hermann Hauser as a builder. It is clear that he did not create great instruments by accident or luck. There are also almost thirty color photographs that display important details of the outside and inside of the instrument that are very useful to a builder wanting to create a Hauser-style instrument. The writing is clear and concise and provides construction details that I have not seen elsewhere. 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.
