Posted on June 6, 2024January 16, 2025 by Dale Phillips Letter: Patents and Acknowledgement Letter: Patents and Acknowledgement by Harry Fleishman Originally published in American Lutherie #81, 2005 Dear Tim, GAL members, and anyone else, Largely because of my involvement in GAL, I have some visible presence in the lutherie community. Because I have always been interested in solving the problems, imagined or real, that I saw in conventional instruments — whether that meant developing a more repair-and-adjust-friendly neck joint or trying to wring a stronger low end from my basses without introducing too much “twang” — I've preferred to take risks, accept failure, and appreciate occasional success. Additionally, and most importantly, I have worked hard over the thirty years I have been designing and building to maintain my integrity as a luthier, if nowhere else in my misbegotten life. (Bear with me, I’ll get to the point.) It is, therefore, with some consternation and much sadness that I have heard rumors questioning the legitimacy of my use of some of these unusual features. To be blunt, I’ve heard accusations that I have ripped people off for their ideas and not given appropriate credit, either in the form of acknowledgment or, in some cases, in the form of required licensing fees. 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, 2024January 16, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Workbench Plans Questions: Workbench Plans by Ellis McMullin and Wolodymyr Smishkewych Originally published in American Lutherie #81, 2005 Kevin from cyberspace asks: Where can I find plans for a guitar builder’s workbench? Ellis McMullin of Kent City, Michigan answers: The short answer is that you can use any workbench with the proper jigs and fixtures. I doubt you will find two identical benches unless they are in the same shop. The longer answer: I recommend The Workbench Book by Scott Landis (Taunton Press, 1998; ISBN: 1561582700) as a guide in choosing a workbench style. In Chapter 14, workbenches used by Dan Erlewine, Ervin Somogyi, Mark Stanley, and Richard Schneider are discussed. A general plan of the bench that Richard used is included in the book. The book is a wealth of information and includes four detailed plans of workbenches in the Appendix. Wolodymyr Smishkewych of Bloomington, Indiana adds: In addition to the Landis book, if you have a spare barber’s or dentist’s chair handy, you might take a look at AL#9, “Barber Chair Workbench” by Michael Sanden (also in The Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume One, p. 343). In the end, your bench will be a combination of your needs, ideas both yours and others’, and the materials at hand. And your needs will be dictated by what you build, as in my case: what is the best bench height for hurdy-gurdies? Good luck!
Posted on June 6, 2024January 16, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Post Buffing Finish Scratches Questions: Post Buffing Finish Scratches by Brian Boedigheimer Originally published in American Lutherie #86, 2006 See also, Questions: Power Buffer For Finish by Charles Fox Brian Boedigheimer of River Falls, WI responds to Mario’s question in AL#79 regarding what to do about tiny scratches in finish noticed after buffing: Charles Fox responded earlier to discuss lighting and I certainly agree lighting is key in so much of the work we do. Another thing to consider is the grading system of the abrasives one chooses to level the finish. There are three systems: CAMI, which is the U.S. standard grading system; FEPA, the European standard; and Micron grading. FEPA P800 is equivalent to CAMI 400. The P indicates the FEPA grading system, which is important because the grit particles are more uniform than in the CAMI system. Therefore there’s less chance of a stray large particle causing a scratch that we won’t see until buffing. So P800 gives you the cutting action of a 400 grit without the stray (larger) particles of the CAMI rating. Micron has the tightest tolerances for particle size, and if you have access to Micron-graded paper, that’s even better than FEPA. The equivalent Micron grade would be around 25 or 20. I recommend the FEPA grading system for abrading coatings until you’re into compounds; then you’re dealing with Micron. When sanding to level finish, the coarsest grit I would use is P400 grit, but typically I start with P600 or higher. I used to go through the process level-sanding with 320, 400, 600, and so on. The problem is, if you miss a 320-grit scratch working through the higher grits, you won’t know it until you buff out the guitar, and only in the right light will you see it. Now when I level-sand my finish before the final coats, I use P800 and spend just a little extra time with that one grit. It really doesn’t take me much longer, and I know those tiny scratches won’t suddenly appear. Then I spray the final two or three coats. Once that’s cured, I only have one grit of wet sanding to do before buffing. At that point I choose P1200. Don’t think that because each layer of nitrocellulose lacquer melts into the previous one, you won’t have stray 320 scratches show up. Even with that specific bond, a stray particle scratch from 320-grit CAMI-graded paper will show up when buffed out. I’ve experienced it. ◆
Posted on June 6, 2024January 16, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Flying With Guitars Questions: Flying With Guitars by David Freeman Originally published in American Lutherie #85, 2006 Woodley White of Portland, OR asks: What's the best way to travel with guitars? I try to carry my guitar on board, but when that's not possible, I wish I had packed it in a box and checked it. What are the best solutions? What does the pressure differential do to a guitar that is not in a pressurized environment? I loosen the strings, is this enough? David Freeman of Tugaske, Saskatchewan, Canada responds: I have flown with guitars for thirty years. In the beginning I could carry my guitar on, and they would store it in a closet. That didn’t last long. There is a copy of a letter on the Internet (www.local1000.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CATSA-Factsheet-for-Musicians_EN.pdf) that states that musicians can bring their instruments on board as carry-on luggage in addition to one bag and one other personal item. I have not tried to use that letter, so I’m not sure that it works. 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, 2024January 16, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Charity Lutherie Questions: Charity Lutherie by Brian Flaherty Originally published in American Lutherie #98, 2009 Christ Kacoyannkis from Springfield, Illinois asks: I am an amateur luthier and I donated the last instrument I made to a charity. Can I deduct the value of the instrument on my taxes, or only the cost of materials? Brian Flaherty, research librarian at the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts responds: Although I, like the GAL, cannot offer tax or legal advice, I can suggest the book The Tax Law of Charitable Giving by Bruce R. Hopkins, which includes this: “An individual may make a contribution to a charitable organization of an item of property that was created by the donor, such as a painting or manuscript. The charitable deduction for this type of gift is not based on the fair market value of the property; instead, it is confined to the donor’s cost basis in the property. This tax result is occasioned by [IRC section 170(e)(1)(A)].” The exception to this is if it’s your stock in trade — if it’s your business. Then you do have “fair market valuation” — which is the “price at which property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller” (the language the court always uses to define “fair market valuation”). ◆
