Posted on October 9, 2025October 9, 2025 by Dale Phillips Calculating Guitar Side Height Calculating Guitar Side Height by Mike Doolin Originally published in American Lutherie #75, 2003 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 Back in American Lutherie #58 (Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Five), Jon Sevy published the article “Calculating Arc Parameters” which described how to calculate the radius, length, or depth of a curve. I’ve used these formulae extensively ever since for radiusing fretboards, making dished workboards, calculating neck angles, and even nonlutherie shop tasks. Recently it occurred to me that one could use them to calculate the height of a guitar’s side at any point. If the guitar has a spherically domed back, the back falls off from its highest point in an arc in every direction, as in the photo. This “high point” is effectively the North Pole of the sphere from which the back arch is taken. If we assume a top whose perimeter is all in the same plane, as in Fig. 1, that plane intersects a line of latitude on that sphere. The high point is therefore the point on the back which is farthest from the plane of the top perimeter. All measurements of side height are then distances between that plane and the surface of the sphere of the back arch. I adapted Jon’s formula to calculate the falloff from the high point on the back to any point on the side: 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. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on October 9, 2025October 9, 2025 by Dale Phillips Classical Cremonese Violin Soundhole Placement Classical Cremonese Violin Soundhole Placement by Michael Darnton Originally published in American Lutherie #76, 2003 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2013 Several systems have been proposed to explain the layout of Cremonese violin f-holes. The only surviving pieces of evidence we have, other than the instruments themselves, are some Stradivari drawings. After passing through the possession of Stradivari’s son Paolo, and a series of Italian connoisseurs and makers, the drawings are now in the Stradivari Museum in Cremona. They are also reproduced in S.F. Sacconi’s book, The “Secrets” of Stradivari. Sacconi also provided photos of marks inside violins which corresponded to some of those in the drawings, but the details of how those drawings were generated and what actual workshop method would have been used for placing the holes on violins is unknown. I believe that some aspects of the drawings are absolutely misleading. 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. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on July 15, 2025July 15, 2025 by Dale Phillips Greven Images Greven Images John Greven Demonstrates His Inlaying and Engraving Methods by John Greven from his 2001 GAL Convention workshop Originally published in American Lutherie #72, 2002 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013 In over forty years in this business, I’ve developed my own way of doing things. Today I’m going to show you my method for cutting the inlay out of shell or laminate, for cutting the hole for the inlay and gluing it in, and for engraving it to bring it to life. “Don’t try this at home, kids.” It’s my own method, not the gospel. I learned this on my own, and it works better than the standard technique of cutting pearl by hand for me. If you want to see the standard way, check out Larry Robinson’s book, The Art of Inlay. It has wonderful pictures. His method for cutting pearl, which is more orthodox, involves a simple cutting table that has a V-shaped cutout with a small hole at the narrow end, and you saw vertically as you hold the piece down on this table. I just never could get the hang of that; it seemed very cumbersome and slow. The one advantage I can see in that approach is that the material is always supported right next to your blade, so you can make little tight cuts with less risk of breakage. 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.
Posted on June 19, 2025September 12, 2025 by Dale Phillips Working with Water-based Finish Working with Water-based Finish by John Kitakis Originally published in American Lutherie #68, 2001 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013 The protective and decorative coating of stringed instruments we call finish work seems to be a never-ending struggle. The battle to produce a beautiful finish and the mental anguish it induces, along with trying to stay healthy while complying with environmental laws makes finish work a challenge, to say the least. Some of us live in areas with strict industrial emissions codes, whereas others live where no one cares. But even in these “country” settings, the fact remains that certain finishing materials are hazardous, both to our bodies and the environment. And since most luthiers love wood, trees, clean air, music, food, children — you know, all of the good things in life — then we should strive to build and finish in a conscientious manner. In the 1970s I began building and restoring furniture, and then eventually stringed instruments. During those years I experimented with oils, varnish, French polishing shellacs, and synthetic lacquers, and still have pieces of furniture in my house twenty-five years later that have beautiful, hand-rubbed finishes. But to be productive (read “to make a profitable living”) I chose nitrocellulose lacquer. And through those years I must have sprayed enough lacquer and polyurethanes (toluene, benzene, xylene, and more) to probably kill all of the laboratory rats in the world. I’m probably alive thanks to my exhaust fan (who knows what happened to the neighbors?), but each night I would have headaches and a crusty irritation in my nose and lungs, along with having to clear my throat every few seconds. My wife could actually smell the fumes exuding from me as we slept. So those who use these nasty chemicals — with or without the benefit of fans and masks — besides dying young, become grumpy, irritable, and perhaps even unwilling sponsors of the drug companies. 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. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on June 3, 2025June 20, 2025 by Dale Phillips An Introduction to Metal Engraving An Introduction to Metal Engraving by David Giulietti from his 2001 GAL Convention workshop Originally published in American Lutherie #68, 2001 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013 Design is always the most important element in engraving. I like a clear, simple design that has a central theme. I like it to have a structure and a pattern that is easily read from across the room, but still looks nice when you get up close. If you don’t have a good plan to start with, any job becomes more difficult. Once you make a mark, it’s there and it is very hard to take it out, so it’s always good to know exactly where you are going to go before you start. It is helpful when starting a design to first look at the big picture before you fill in any of the details. Start with the general shape of the design. You’ve got a box, or a circle, or some kind of shape; no matter what it is, you always want to consider what the biggest lines are, and put them in first. I always draw my largest elements first, clean them up, and then add other smaller elements to the design, and work down from there. In drawing scrolls or people, or any design, it is always the same — start with the biggest elements and work down to fine details. When you work in this way, all of your design aspects come together as a unified whole. Everything flows together. 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. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
