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The Business of Lutherie, 1980

The Business of Lutherie, 1980

by Richard Bruné, George Gruhn, Steve Klein, Max Krimmel, and Robert Lundberg

Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly, Volume 9, #4, 1981 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000

See also,
The Business of Lutherie, 1984 by Ted Davis, Steve Grimes, Bob Meltz, and Matt Umanov
Where Are They Now? by Tim Olsen



We luthiers who are part of the late-’60s, early-’70s lutherie boom are now witnessing a remarkable event. A generation of instrument makers is coming of age. We have heard much of late about the steadily improving quality and sophistication of our instruments, and we have seen a number of major talents emerge from the pack to achieve wide recognition and respect. As this maturation of skill develops, business ability becomes the deciding factor between failure and success.

While the discussion of business skills and theories is, in fact, the subject of this article, thoughtful readers will note that a mature attitude toward our craft is beginning to prevail. The naïve thralldom to the instrument is being replaced by a realistic understanding of our limits and abilities, and an unwillingness to suffer simply because of our love of lutherie.

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Building the Kamanché

Building the Kamanché

by Nasser Shirazi

Originally published in American Lutherie #4, 1985 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000



The word kamanché in the Persian language (Farsi) means “small bow.” This instrument, with varying shape, size, and material, is widely used in Middle Eastern countries. The kamanché described in this article is modeled after the Persian (Iranian) instrument.

The kamanché is a very old instrument and possibly dates back as much as 1500–2000 years, being another form of the ancient Indian ravanstron. In 1418 A.D. Ben Abd-ul-Cadir wrote a treatise (the manuscript of which is in the University of Leyden) which shows that its existence today has changed little since that time.

A 16th-century Iranian miniature painting in the Khamza of the poet Nizami shows a kamanché very similar to the one described below. Various early European travelers to Iran have described it also. Among these are Sir W. Ouseley in 1819,1 and Sir Percy M. Sykes.2 Sykes describes a kamanché in Khorasan, an eastern province of Iran, as follows: “...made of walnut wood. The total length is 37", with fingerboard 9" in length. The instrument is handled like a violoncello; but in shape resembles a mandolin with a long spike of worked iron. The belly is constructed from a pumpkin covered with parchment and mounted with stripes of bone radiating from a turquoise. The neck is pierced on each side with three holes, and with a hollow at the back, 3" in length; there are three wire strings and six pegs, three of which are dummies. The bow resembles our double-bass bows and is 22" in length; it is made of gypchin wood and has a strap and a loop with which to tighten the horsehair. To complete the equipment, a bit of beeswax is tied on to serve as rosin.”

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Making a Weissenborn-Style Guitar

Making a Weissenborn-style Guitar

by John Calkin

previously published in American Lutherie #102, 2010



“You shouldn’t write a Weissenborn story,” said Lamar Scomp, “’cuz I don’t want to build one.” Lamar tends to take everything personally, and the rest of humanity be damned.

“You didn’t want to build a dulcimer either, until I twisted your arm. But you had fun with it, didn’t you?” I said.

“Yup.”

“And didn’t you tell me that playing dulcimer was making you a better guitar player?”

“Yeah,” said Lamar suspiciously, like he could see the trap in front of him and knew he was going to step in it anyway.

“Well, a Weissenborn is sort of the ultimate dulcimer on its way to becoming a guitar. The plates are flat, but braced like a guitar. My version has no taper to the sides, just like a dulcimer. Since it’s meant to be played with a slide, there are no frets to mess with, and setting the high action is a breeze. And it’s fun to play. I think you should check out some ace players on YouTube. You’ll be impressed.”

“I don’t believe nothin’ I see online. It’s all computerized trickery,” he said.

“OK, Lamar. But the Weissenborn is your next step on the way to making guitars. I think you need to build one.”

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Violin Q&A, Part One

Violin Q&A, Part One

by George Manno

Originally published in American Lutherie #9, #10, #11, 1987 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000



In the last year I have received many letters concerning the repair articles I have written for American Lutherie. For the most part, the writers have thanked me for my willingness to share with the membership. Along with the comments on past articles, there are always a few questions asking my opinion about what to use or where to buy, and so on. I’d like to share some of those questions, along with my replies.


No matter what I use to polish a violin, it never seems to clean it completely. Do you have any suggestions?

I have never found a product that cleans as well as polishes, although many manufacturers claim that their product will do both. Taking into consideration the instrument’s age, type of varnish, and how dirty it is, there are a number of cleaning products that you can use. Example: a French violin, ca. 1875, covered with a thin spirit varnish, with enough caked-on rosin so that ridges have formed on either side of the fingerboard.

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The Case For KTM

The Case For KTM

by Michael Turko

Originally published in American Lutherie #72, 2002



For ten years now I have been building custom guitars, and I have been using KTM waterborne lacquer as my only finish coat for most of that time. I believe it is an excellent choice for the small custom builder for a variety of reasons.

▶ There is no offensive odor or noxious fumes to create problems in residential neighborhoods.
▶ It may be applied by hand without sprayers or other specialized equipment.
▶ It dries extremely fast, and may be buffed to a high gloss within hours (or less) instead of days.
▶ It builds much faster than solvent-based lacquers, and many coats can be applied on the same day.
▶ No special pore or grain fillers are required.
▶ It dries absolutely clear without adding any tint or shade of its own (although tinting maybe added if desired).

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