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Review: Benedetto Archtop Plans

Review: Benedetto Archtop Plans

Reviewed by Dave Riggs

Originally published in American Lutherie #66, 2001 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013



Benedetto Archtop Plans
Drawn by Skot Koenig
Stewart-MacDonald

Any veteran writer knows it is probably not a good idea to gush praise upon a product which he is reviewing, and I always want to seem professional in the eyes of good writers in case one of them reads this. Therefore, knowing I may go to hell for it, I must warn you all to get ready for the gush.

Although plans have been published of a classic Epiphone by Scott Antes as well as D’Angelico New Yorkers by both Steve Andersen and Tom Ribbecke, the ones recently published by Bob Benedetto are unique among all such plans and are deserving of special mention. Forget that these new drawings are of guitars currently in production by a living luthier and that archtops may not be of interest to all guitar makers. The drawings are worth buying for several reasons, whether or not this particular instrument is of significance to you.

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Review: Acquired of the Angels by Paul William Schmidt

Review: Acquired of the Angels by Paul William Schmidt

Reviewed by Linda Manzer

Originally published in American Lutherie #59, 1999 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Five, 2008



Acquired of the Angels
Paul William Schmidt
Scarecrow Press, 1998
ISBN 1578860024

In the fall of 1983 I had the good fortune to be invited to study in the shop of James D’Aquisto. I confess that while I knew James D’Aquisto was a respected and famous archtop builder, I didn’t know the half of it when I walked through those doors the first time.

As I worked side by side with him, listening to his stories, watching him work, and watching various characters in his life come through the doors of his workshop, I realized I wasn’t just at a workshop but I was witness to a very magical moment in guitar history.

The tools, the woods, the layout of the shop, the music we listened to, the stories he told, and most of all his guitars, all were another world for me. These impressions were the groundwork for my own path as an archtop builder and for many other builders. So when I learned that Paul William Schmidt had written Acquired of the Angels: The Lives and Works of Master Guitar Makers John D’Angelico and James L. D’Aquisto I was very curious to see how his impressions would compare with mine.

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Review: The New Yorker Special by Frederick Cohen

Review: The New Yorker Special by Frederick Cohen

Reviewed by Tim Olsen

Originally published in American Lutherie #9, 1987 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000



The New Yorker Special
Frederick Cohen
Available from Filmakers Library, Inc

This charming little film is a valentine to a guy who deserves one: Jimmy D’Aquisto. Jimmy was my childhood hero, and visiting him in his shop in 1977 only built my admiration and affection for a man that to me is a genuine paradigm for luthiers.

This film is far above the average coverage that luthiers generally get from journalists. You know the type: They breeze in, ask a few irrelevant questions, then write a piece that makes you seem like something between a wacko and a wizard. Frederick Cohen obviously knows something about guitars, as well as being a fine filmmaker. He has succeeded in producing a film which is perfectly suitable and entertaining for the uninitiated, yet one in which the luthier will find many informative gems half-buried.

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Review: Steel-String Guitar Construction by Irving R. Sloane

Review: Steel-String Guitar Construction by Irving R. Sloane

Reviewed by David Riggs

Originally published in American Lutherie #26, 1991 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Three, 2004



Steel-String Guitar Construction
Irving R. Sloane
Bold Strummer, 1990
ISBN 0-933224-19-2

This is a reissue of a book which was originally published in 1975 and was, at that time, just about the only widely available assistance for those aspiring to build a steel string guitar. In its new edition, it is virtually unchanged from its original incarnation and thus is as good or as bad as it used to be. Although some of the book’s information might appear a bit dated to our information-saturated eyes, it does contain at least one essential feature available nowhere else.

The purpose of this book is to give a person with a few woodworking skills the information needed to build a first guitar, and Mr. Sloane successfully covers all aspects of this commission. Good, solid advice is given concerning selection of materials, design requirements, and the processes which will result in a satisfactory effort, whilst avoiding great expense for materials and special tools.

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Review: The Gibson Guitar (Volumes 1 & 2) by Ian C. Bishop

Review: The Gibson Guitar (Volumes 1 & 2) by Ian C. Bishop

Reviewed by Gary Frisbie

Originally published in American Lutherie #28, 1991 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Three, 2004



The Gibson Guitar (Volumes 1 & 2)
Ian C. Bishop
The Bold Strummer, 1990
ISBN 0-933224-46-X (Volume 1)
ISBN 0-933224-47-8 (Volume 2)

These are books from the ’70s, written by an Englishman and intended to provide a wealth of information on the Gibson guitars built from 1950 to the end of the ’70s when the second volume was published. Volume 1 would appear to be the more essential of the two because it covers the major lines of solidbody and hollowbody electrics, plus the jazz and flattop acoustics. However, Volume 2 is really just as important, because the author discusses omissions and inaccuracies which occurred in Volume 1, and also because he covers the Epiphone guitars produced under Gibson auspices, as well as Japanese Epiphones. Also discussed are some off-brand peculiarities such as Kalamazoos and Dwights.

Because there are so many myths and assumed facts regarding these instruments, it is hard to believe that everything written in these books is true. However, a great majority of the material seems to be accurate, and one could do worse than to consult these books as a reference to the authenticity of a given guitar. The author even states that one of his main goals is to provide enough information for a reader to accurately assess a guitar and thereby avoid paying more than is warranted if the guitar is being misrepresented as older and more collectible than it really is.

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