Posted on January 3, 2010March 11, 2024 by Dale Phillips Review: Classic Guitar Making by Arthur E. Overholtzer Review: Classic Guitar Making by Arthur E. Overholtzer Reviewed by William McCaw Originally published in American Lutherie #1, 1985 and The Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume 1, 2000 Classic Guitar Making Arthur E. Overholtzer Williams Tool Company, 1983 (revised edition) Out of print (1999) For readers who are familiar with the original edition of Classic Guitar Making, this edition is a new printing, using a full-page format instead of the two-column style used in the original, and has about two-thirds of the illustrations (180). As far as I can tell, the text is the same, with some general tightening up of Art’s rambling style. The printing and illustrations are of a higher quality than the original version. The directory of sources for materials and supplies has been expanded and updated. When I first got interested in building classic guitars, I read several books and soon discovered that there were several ways of doing most of the construction operations. At that time, the first edition of this book was out of print. When I finally got a copy through interlibrary loan, it struck me as being the most logical and complete source that I had read on classical guitar building, so I started using Overholtzer methods. His concepts have done well for me and have been a good platform from which to experiment, in building eleven classic guitars, a fingerpicking steel string, and a 34" scale acoustic bass guitar. 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 1, 2010March 11, 2024 by Dale Phillips Three Craftsmen Three Craftsmen by H.E. Huttig previously published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly 10 #3, 1982 See also, “The Guitar & I” by H.E. Huttig “Woes of a Wood Merchant” by H.E. Huttig Just returned from a trip from Miami to Williamsburg, and return with visits to three fine craftsmen. First we visited Allen Chester in Jacksonville. Allen says he was inspired by an early article of mine to start building classic and flamenco guitars. The demand for electrics was much greater, so he changed over and now specializes in them. He is a builder and repairman for quite a few professional groups and is highly esteemed for his work on their instruments. He had tee shirts made up with his logo, and one of the groups wore them when their picture was taken for an album cover. Allen says that he has the luck to be in the right place at the right time. What he doesn’t say is that he has the talent to take advantage of opportunities and the abilities to back up his participation. Allen is multi-talented and experienced in all sorts of mechanical and machine work. He belongs to a sail plane club; not only flied but also builds the sophisticated and super light glider aircraft. He made a rosewood belt buckle with a mother of pearl inlay in the design of a sail plane. It was a gift for a friend, but now he has orders for the belt buckles. He lives in a comfortable house on which he has put additions and restorations. At least half of the building houses his well-stocked workshop. 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.
