Posted on January 11, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Passing of Hart Huttig Letter: Passing of Hart Huttig by Tom Peterson Originally published in American Lutherie #35, 1993 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Three, 2004 Dear Tim and gang, I came into contact with Hart Huttig through Charles Fox when I attended his guitar making school in 1976. I can still see those typed price lists of Allied Traders of Miami with the freighter or the Casa fundada en 1792 crest in the upper right corner. In ’76 or ’77 I went to see him at his daughter’s house south of San Francisco. I sought the advice of a winemaker friend on the best bottle of sherry, and headed off. I soon learned that I needn’t have worried about bribing him or ingratiating myself in order to pick his brain, for his warmth and generosity were immediately evident as we spent a delightful afternoon bantering about everything from Maccaferris to Martins while he kept his family waiting for him to come to dinner. 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 January 11, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips In Memoriam: George Majkowski In Memoriam: George Majkowski 1929 – 2002 by Jay Hargreaves Originally published in American Lutherie #72, 2002 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013 It saddens me to inform you of the passing of my good friend, colleague, and mentor, George Majkowski, on August 5th, 2002. Due to complications from treatments he was receiving for kidney disease, he succumbed to an infection that quickly overcame his already weakened heart. He died peacefully with family at his side. George was born in Poland. While in his teens during World War II, he was captured by the Germans and sent to a labor camp. Upon liberation by American troops, he was adopted by them and learned to speak English in three months. He then went to France, quickly learned the language, and was hired as an interpreter. He also worked repairing electrical motors. He enjoyed visiting the cabarets and hearing Django play. Guitar music became one of his joys in life. He immigrated to the U.S. during the Korean War and was drafted into the army. After the war he was given U.S. citizenship. He began his career at IBM and soon became involved in the installation of mainframe computers throughout the world. His reputation as a brilliant troubleshooter gained him the nickname “Magic.” It was during his travels for IBM that he met his lovely wife, Anna. Photo by Jay Hargreaves Always with him was his guitar. He studied flamenco and would play semiprofessionally, backing singers and dancers. After he retired from IBM, he turned his attention to building harpsichords and guitars. He attended Richard Schneider’s Lost Mountain Seminar for the Guitar in 1991, and built his first Kasha guitar within a year’s time. George became one of Richard’s assistants, bringing with him new ideas in construction and jig design. After Richard passed away in 1997, George was instrumental in a project which involved building ten guitars in tribute to Richard. George and I worked closely together, completing the last three of Richard’s commissioned guitars. When his health prevented him from being at his workbench, he continued to provide ideas and insight into his love of guitar making. George ol’ buddy, you’ll be missed.
Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Guitar Dimensions and Harmonics Letter: Guitar Dimensions and Harmonics by Joe D. Franklin Originally published in American Lutherie #66, 2001 GAL Members, The resonant chamber or soundbox on a guitar is the greater half of its tonal success. If the air enclosed in this box can resonate naturally at some harmonic of the speed of sound, then you have a winner. This is the only part of the guitar that is capable of maintaining polyphony at a level amplitude or volume throughout any given song. Two designs from the past have met these standards, the 1864 Torres and the 1935 Hauser/Torres, and later the 1943 Hauser that used an inversion on the concept of where the fundamental bass might reside. 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 January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Remembering Robert Bouchet Letter: Remembering Robert Bouchet by Philippe Refig Originally published in American Lutherie #71, 2002 Dear Sirs, Coming back to Europe in 1973 from America where I had been working for some years, I had the nasty surprise of opening my guitar case in Paris, to find my Contreras flamenco guitar broken. One of the components of the heel had become unstuck. Cracks were wide open on the ribs on each side of the neck. In those times I used to keep my guitar with me in the cabin without having to pay for an extra seat. But that day they took my guitar just before boarding and put in the hold. I thought I was prepared for all eventualities: I had made a rain cover for the case and put polyurethane under it. I had pieces of foam in strategic places inside the case to keep the guitar steady. Well, apparently that was not enough. I was pretty sad when I saw the damage. 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 January 9, 2010February 8, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Remembering José Rubio Letter: Remembering José Rubio by Keith Watson Previously published in American Lutherie #79, 2004 Dear Sir or Madam, AL#65 was recently passed on to me by Jack Spira of Melbourne, a builder of guitars and related instruments. For several years I had been attempting to find the whereabouts of David Spinks (aka José Rubio) in order to renew a friendship that we had in London in the mid-’50s. I had come to London from the north to study flamenco and wood carving and had started my classical guitar tuition in with Alexis Chesnicov. I then went to Paco Juanos who gave lessons in Hampstead at a coffee house called El Serrano. It was there I met David. 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.
