Posted on June 3, 2026June 3, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Flattening a Plank It Worked for Me: Flattening a Plank by Steve Kennel Originally published in American Lutherie #144, 2021 I’m a pathological user of salvage. It can burn up a lot of time, but I’m way past feeling OK about another tree dying for my sins. Plus, I’m cheap. This piece of mystery wood (Photo 1) had been stashed in the rafters of an old chicken house for at least eighty years by the time it found me. It was chicken-house filthy, warped, twisted, and cupped. But as it passed by on its way to the burn pile I was sure that I could see something worthwhile hiding in there. 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 2, 2026June 11, 2026 by Dale Phillips Fitting Flamenco Pegs Fitting Flamenco Pegs by Aaron Green Originally published in American Lutherie #82, 2005 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 While it is the tradition for flamenco guitars to be fitted with pegs instead of machine gears, the historical rationale was economic in the same way as was the choice of cypress for the back and sides. These days the cost difference between pegs and gears is not usually reflected in the total cost of the guitar to such an extent that a guitarist would pick one or the other based solely on their budget. It has been my observation that in the last few years, more and more guitarists are requesting pegs for their guitars. There are some very compelling reasons for using pegs: They are quicker than gears; they are lighter than gears, which can help the balance of lighter cypress-bodied guitars; and from an aesthetic point of view, pegs are hard to beat. 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 May 28, 2026May 28, 2026 by Dale Phillips The Business of Doing Business The Business of Doing Business by Evan Gluck Originally published in American Lutherie #120, 2014 Something really funny happened a few months ago. Erick Coleman texted a screen shot of his computer to me and he said, “Dude! Did you know this?” He had searched for “best guitar repairman in the world,” and my name was #3 on the list. After a little while it went up to #1. I’m not the best guitar repair person in the world. I know that. So something that I did, either knowingly or unknowingly, has made people respond that way. I decided to figure out why that could possibly happen, because it doesn’t make sense to me. Let me give you a little background about myself. I was born and raised in New York City, a geeky kid who built model planes. I got into playing music when I was about ten years old. I started playing bass, and the model-making thing sort of transferred over into taking my stuff apart. I remember pulling the frets out of my P-Bass. I figured out at twelve or thirteen years old that they had to come out sideways. 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 May 26, 2026May 26, 2026 by Dale Phillips Eight Days to a Dream Eight Days to a Dream by David Smith Originally published in American Lutherie #120, 2014 Forty years ago, just after graduating with a degree in music with studies in classical guitar and lute, I wanted to learn to build instruments. With the help of a local luthier, I built a lute, and then life intruded. I collected books and resources and made a couple of attempts at building, but each time I made a mistake or encountered something I didn’t understand, I’d stop. Nine years ago, following the Cumpiano book, I attempted an unserviced classical kit from LMI, and made it as far as the neck before I stopped. Four years ago, I tried an acoustic steel string kit in a class through a local woodworking tools store. The teacher, though, had only built one guitar, and had not put finish on it. The class increased my confidence, but I wasn’t happy with my results: no finish, poor intonation, and a neck joint that almost fit after three tries. During this entire time I read every copy of AL and every lutherie book I could find. If skills were acquired by reading, I’d be a master. 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 May 26, 2026May 26, 2026 by Dale Phillips Uke Making for Guitar Makers Uke Making for Guitar Makers by Bob Gleason Originally published in American Lutherie #96, 2008 Ukuleles come in a wide variety. You’ve probably seen pineapple and cigar box ukes, so you know they are traditionally less defined than guitars. The size of the uke is defined by the scale length. There’s a guy in Japan who plays a baritone-size body with a soprano scale length, but it’s still a soprano uke. The names of the sizes, from smallest to largest, are soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. The first three are tuned the same (GCEA), while the baritone is tuned like the highest four strings of a guitar (DGBE). Traditionally, the shapes of the bodies are roughly guitar-like, though various builders have taken severe liberties with the shapes without incurring the wrath of most uke players. Nothing about uke construction is engraved in stone. 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.
