Posted on July 1, 2024May 22, 2025 by Dale Phillips Letter: John Calkin Article in AL#99 on Spanish Neck Style Letter: John Calkin Article in AL#99 on Spanish Neck Style by David Freeman Originally published in American Lutherie #102, 2010 Hello Tim — After reading John Calkin’s article in AL#99, I would like to add to the discussion of neck rake. It is true that building in the Spanish integral-neck style allows everything to be attached flat. The top is held flat, more to get the sides on at 90° than to get the neck rake proper. As soon as the body is off the form, the top rises in a curve, depending on the bracing style and relative humidity. These deviations will affect final neck set. The full-size side-view drawing John discusses is a valuable exercise to determine angles to aim for in neck rake. The variable of top arch is the most difficult to determine. In the Spanish style, I will allow 1/16"–1/8" for top arch. This varies with top graduation and brace straightness or taper on the glue edge. Both will add to top arch. I also keep my relative humidity between 40%–50% when assembling the body. I try to dry the top to 25%–30% humidity when I am bracing them. This allows the top to swell considerably and have a lot of shrink before it cracks in dry conditions. 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 June 13, 2024May 30, 2025 by Dale Phillips Routing Neck Dovetails, Part 2 Routing Neck Dovetails, Part 2 by Roy Woltz Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #162, 1980 Here is the simplified method of making dovetail neck joints with a router and dovetail bit. First, figure the depth of the guitar body at the heel. Mine are usually 3 3/8", so I make the dovetail 3" long. It will taper about 1/4" to the inch. The female jig is designed to be used with a holding mold attached to a table. The mold must be fastened to form a 90° angle to the table top and to bring the heel surface of the body into such a position that the jig can be extended over it. The body is put in the mod with the soundboard facing out, and is held in working position with the wedges and rubber bands. 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 June 13, 2024May 15, 2025 by Dale Phillips ‘Doc’ Watson ‘Doc’ Watson by Dennis Siler Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly Volume 10, #4, 1982 Arthel Watson (“Doc” to his friends) was born in Stoney Fork, North Carolina in 1923. At age 13 with two years of banjo experience already under his belt, Doc began to learn the guitar. He has since that time amassed an enormous and growing group of admirers around the world. Doc’s musical background is wide and varied. He began playing professionally in 1953 and played in both country-western and rock groups. In the early ’60s he began to travel around the country, performing folk and traditional music at festivals, folk clubs and colleges. In his present concert tours, Doc plays a wide variety of music; folk, traditional bluegrass, rock-a-billy, blues and almost anything else. He wows the crowd everywhere he goes — young and old alike. 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 June 13, 2024May 6, 2025 by Dale Phillips Mike Longworth: Questions and Answers Mike Longworth: Questions and Answers from his 1978 GAL Convention lecture by Mike Longworth Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly, Volume 6 ,#4, 1978 The Martin research department is much talked about. Can you tell us what effect, if any, it has on the production line? We had a full fledged research department back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At that time, we were experimenting with tuning tops and bodies, and were taking measurements on different kinds of bracing. Two of the models that came out of that were the N-10 and N-20 guitars. The fellow who ran our research and development department went to Europe and his successor eventually became honcho of our sawmill operation. When we go to develop something new, like the new M-38 guitar, he definitely has a hand in it. We are not actively researching at the present 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.
Posted on June 6, 2024May 28, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Simple Instrument Plan Questions: Simple Instrument Plan by Tim Olsen Originally published in American Lutherie #76, 2003 Russell Lee from cyberspace asks: I have no lutherie experience and would like to purchase a plan for a simple instrument. (I know others who have experience and tools who can help.) Which of the bowed instruments for which you sell plans is the easiest to make? Or is some other plan (other than a bowed instrument) much easier? Tim Olsen, our fearless leader, responds: There is only one GAL plan that I would think of as easy to make. Many are simple instruments, but the plans may not include full instructions, or the subtleties of those instruments may not be apparent. So I'd draw your attention to GAL Plan #44, “True Companion” Travel Guitar by John Calkin. Fairly detailed how-to text is included along with several photos of the building process. No side bending is required. An article and reduced plan appear in AL#57. The plan can be ordered directly from our website at www.luth.org and an image of it can be seen at https://luth.org/instrument-plans/guitar-plans/steel-string-guitar-plans/#Plan44. ◆
