Posted on January 6, 2010May 16, 2025 by Dale Phillips Review: Making Guitar 1 by Daniel Fort and Owen Riss Review: Making Guitar 1 by Daniel Fort and Owen Riss Reviewed by Lloyd Zsiros Originally published in American Lutherie #29, 1992 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Three, 2004 Making Guitar 1 Daniel Fort and Owen Riss Video tape, 60 min. 1990 Building your first acoustic guitar from scratch with no instructor can be a difficult and intimidating task even for an experienced woodworker. We are now lucky enough to have several fine books on the subject, but I was interested to see how well the information could be presented in a video format. Few of us have the luxury of an experienced luthier to guide us along. A video should be the next best thing to being there. According to the narration, Making Guitar 1 documents the first attempts at guitar making by two individuals; one makes a traditional nylon-string classic and the other a steel-string acoustic. Although most construction steps are covered fairly well, this should not be considered a complete do-it-yourself guide to building either instrument. It would not be practical to present dimensions or plans on a video, so a good text is still going to be required for the first-time builder. 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 6, 2010May 19, 2025 by Dale Phillips Review: The Flamenco Guitar by David George Review: The Flamenco Guitar by David George Reviewed by David Macias Originally published in American Lutherie #12, 1987 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000 The Flamenco Guitar David George Society of Spanish Studies Madrid, Spain, 1969 Out of print (1999) Do not let the title of this book fool you. Although it is being reviewed in American Lutherie, this is not a “how-to-build” book. The making of a flamenco guitar, from the tree to the French polishing, is very well described by Manuel Reyes of Cordoba, but in very general terms. Particularly enjoyable to the flamenco enthusiast is a short history of the elusive and mysterious music of the Gypsies of Southern Spain, called flamenco. This book will also be interesting to some classical guitarists who at one time or another have had the urge to try a bit of flamenco, and perhaps it will help to clarify a few mysteries about what flamenco is or is not. To the nonflamenco guitarist, all flamenco guitarists seem to be part of a cult. Perhaps this is because of all the Gypsy lore and legends and the way of life associated with the art of flamenco. Personally, the only way I can explain this cult thing is that because of flamenco’s East Indian, Middle Eastern, and North African origin, it is immediately different to Western ears. 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, 2010May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips Three Holes are Better than One Three Holes are Better than One by Robert Ruck previously published in American Lutherie #91, 2007 See also, “There’s a Hole in the Bucket” by Cyndy Burton “Sideways” by John Monteleone “Herr Helmholtz’ Tube” by Mike Doolin Classical guitar maker Robert Ruck pioneered sideports for nylon string gutiars. He describes how the idea materialized out of several experiences going back to the begining of his career in the ’60s. A strong advocate, he now offers ports as an option on all of his guitars. Since late 1999, I have regularly used sideports in my guitars. My experience with the resulting 150 or so ported classical and flamenco guitars with various designs is consistent, predictable, and all positive. There is an increase in loudness both for the player and for listeners. In listening tests with several fine players, we have concluded that the guitar is louder for the audience, too. The fundamental tone quality of the guitar stays the same, but it is louder, has stronger trebles, and has a more balanced quality for the player, opening up an area of sound around the player that is not normally heard. Since we as players sit somewhat asymmetrically to the guitar and the conventional soundhole is positioned to our right, there is an area on the left side of our heads that does not receive as much sound as the right side. We grow up hearing the guitar this way, so we never question it. Players comment that it’s as if one is hearing the guitar in stereo for the first time. 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.
