Posted on July 1, 2024May 29, 2025 by Dale Phillips Letter: Romanillos Seminar Letter: Romanillos Seminar by Stephen Frith Originally published in American Lutherie #68, 2001 Dear Tim, I joined the GAL a couple years ago, and this philosophy of openness, sharing, and frank exchange is right on the ball. I saw a free ad in American Lutherie: “Master-classes in Spain, make a guitar with José and Liam Romanillos.” A chance of a lifetime? The Romanillos family hosted a fortnight working holiday, which was busy, friendly, happy, and constructive. Set in the Sigüenze hillsides, we were the comfortable guests of the Hermanos Maristas. In the spirit of openness and sharing, José and Liam helped us consider each piece of wood, as we made our guitars. A quote: “If we know, we tell you.” Based on José‘s first successful instrument in the Spanish tradition of Torres, our work was guided with strategies and beliefs. Secrets don’t exist in good news. On the front bench were all the planning forms and construction templates needed to make a Romanillos and Son guitar, and copying of these was firmly encouraged. The method was straightforward, sensible, and uncomplicated, one that can be easily replicated in my own workshop. I’ve brought home my own Frith/Romanillos. Sounds great! Speaking as an old London College of Furniture boy, I have to say the Sigüenza 2001 course was brilliant. The cost was reasonable, and returning next year for some fine-tuning would be exciting for a full-time luthier like me. I hope it runs and runs, there is always more to learn. It was great to meet members from all over: Texas, California, Canada, England, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Japan. Sigüenza 2002? Go for it! ◆
Posted on July 1, 2024May 22, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Double Neck Acoustic Guitar Plans Questions: Double Neck Acoustic Guitar Plans by Fred Carlson Originally published in American Lutherie #100, 2009 Henry Canteri from Brazil asks: Do you have any plans or other information about double neck (6- and 12-string) acoustic guitars? Fred Carlson from Santa Cruz, California replies: With any double-necked instrument, there are a few obvious choices to be made in the design stage: ▶ How much space do you need between the necks? This is crucial for the playability of the upper neck. I think most 6-and-12 double-necks have been solidbody electrics; generally speaking, left-hand technique on electrics tends to use less space (around the neck). The necks are smaller, they are often played in a standing position with a strap; the thumb often wraps around the neck. On the other end of the spectrum, if the player uses a classical position (sitting, guitar on left leg), the fretting arm and wrist extend much further out from the treble side of the neck; you’d need more space between necks if you wanted full utilization of the “upper” neck in that position. In order to accomplish that, the necks may need to be angled, rather than being parallel as is often seen on solidbody 6-and-12 double-necks. Steel-string/folk playing position tends to put the fretting hand somewhat closer to the neck, needing less space than classical, but everyone’s different. 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 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 July 1, 2024May 29, 2025 by Dale Phillips Letter: Disliking Kasha’s Criticisms Letter: Disliking Kasha’s Criticisms by Jason DuMont Originally published in American Lutherie #64, 2000 Dear Tim/Guild, In Michael Kasha’s letter in AL#62, he took what I consider a jab at Mr. Ramírez, stating that Ramírez’ 1986 article “Bars and Struts” (Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume One, p. 292) “show[ed] how far the luthier’s intuition can be from the mechanics of the instrument.” In typical Kasha fashion, he started with his findings that will soon be published, yada yada, yada. I also read an article in Discover magazine in which Mr. Kasha says that “a prominent builder whose design came to him in a dream, will be surprised when our findings show his guitar has no bass.” It was obvious to anyone in the lutherie community that he was talking about Thomas Humphrey’s Millennium guitar. My first instinct was to start bashing the Kasha design, his personality, and the pseudo-science behind his ideas. But it dawned on me that this is a perfect chance for me to contribute to the Guild in a positive way. You see, I’m just an amateur luthier, having built only six guitars. I’ve felt I have nothing of technical worth to offer. I am, however, a professional sales representative for the largest musical wholesaler in the country. I can offer some advice to Mr. Kasha as he tries to “sell” his design theories to other luthiers, players, and instrument brokers. Never, never criticize a competitor’s product. It is so low brow! Even if your comments are true, you come across as a negative person and negativity always repels people. If your product is superior, trust that it will speak for itself and others are smart enough to see it. For example, after reading his comments I plan on using the blueprint of the Kasha guitar that I bought from Luthiers Mercantile as a decorative cover for a computer table that I had accidentally spilled India ink on, rather than giving his ideas a go. My loss? Perhaps. But Mr. Kasha’s rudeness simply turns me off. Incidentally, seeing as how he has commented on Mr. Ramírez’ faulty intuition, I’m compelled to ask how many instruments Mr. Kasha has crafted with his own two hands to develop his superior knowledge of guitar mechanics. Surely tactile input from actually working the wood has had some place in his ground breaking theories, hasn’t it? ◆
Posted on June 30, 2024May 6, 2025 by Dale Phillips Radiation from Lower Guitar Modes Radiation from Lower Guitar Modes by Graham Caldersmith Originally published in American Lutherie #2, 1985 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume One, 2000 Since 1982 when I attended the Estes Park GAL Convention, and subsequently wrote about “Dissolving the Mysteries”1 (of guitar behavior — perhaps a presumptuous title), as a distant but faithful member of GAL, I have followed the developing discussions in the Quarterly about guitar top and back vibrations, how they are excited by the plucked strings and how they generate sound. At our January 1985 Australian Association of Musical Instrument Makers Convention (featuring strong GAL membership) the geometry of the lower vibrational modes of guitars and their appearance in the guitar frequency response records was keenly debated by practicing guitar makers, amply demonstrating luthiers’ adoption of scientific knowledge as part of their working repertoires. Tom Rossing’s contributions to GALQ2, 3 the thoughtful articles by Paul Wyszkowski4, 5, 6, 7 and the monumental “Kasha Guitar Soundboard”8 by Gila Eban, together with some detailed correspondence to me from Gila on her development of the Kasha soundboard all indicate the integration of guitar physics into guitar evolution. I think such unification of science, art, technology (and good ol’ workbench cunning) is healthy and fosters excellence. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of the Articles Online featured on our website for Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 3 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
