Posted on May 6, 2026May 6, 2026 by Dale Phillips Seven-String Surgery Seven-String Surgery by Robbie O’Brien with Antonio Tessarin Originally published in American Lutherie #127, 2016 The 7-string guitar is a very popular instrument in Brazil. It is used as an accompaniment instrument for a style of music known as chorinho. However, many classical players also find themselves migrating to the 7-string instruments. So, what do you do if you currently have a 6-string instrument but desire the broader range of possibilities that a 7-string instrument can offer? You take your guitar to Brazilian luthier Antonio Tessarin and let him work his magic. Antonio taught me guitar building years ago when I lived in Brazil and we often exchange pictures and information about projects that are on our benches. The following pictures were recently sent to me by Antonio. They show the process of him converting one of his 6-string guitars into a 7-string guitar. With his permission I am sharing them with the Guild of American Luthiers so that others may benefit. Warning: Contains graphic images that may not be for the faint of heart! 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 4, 2026May 4, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Downdraft Sander It Worked for Me: Downdraft Sander by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #120, 2014 A small downdraft sander that attaches to a drill press is a handy shop item that can be used for shaping and thicknessing. Although there are some very nice commercial offerings, I have found that this homemade one meets my needs. I got the design from a neighbor and made it from pieces of scrap plywood I had on hand. The box is held in place with two cleats that slide into the drill-press table slots and a screw that passes through the table’s center hole into a T-nut embedded into the bottom of the box. The drum-sander hole has a rabbet around it that lets hardboard inserts provide a flat surface with a small clearance around different diameter sanding drums. A 1/8" clearance provides enough support surface and air movement. Suction is created by attaching my dust-collector hose to the box through a side hole. The down draft removes dust as expected and also helps reduce sandpaper clogging. 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 4, 2026May 4, 2026 by Dale Phillips Ultralight Cello and Other Heresies Ultralight Cello and Other Heresies by James Ham from his 2011 GAL Convention lecture Originally published in American Lutherie #112, 2012 Before we begin, I’d like for you to listen to some music. (Behind a curtain on stage, Marshall Bruné plays a short selection on one instrument, then the same selection on a second instrument.) I’m curious. Can anyone tell me what kind of instrument they heard? Audience: A violin. A violin, yes. Did you notice anything else? Audience members: The first instrument had better note separation. The second instrument sounded a little louder and a little deeper. I thought the first instrument had more overtones. The second one sounded tighter. But they both kind of sounded like violins? Well, here’s what you heard. (Marshall steps from behind the curtain, holding Doug Martin’s lightweight violin.) 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 April 30, 2026April 30, 2026 by Dale Phillips Making Bridge Plates: A Huss & Dalton Shop Story Making Bridge Plates: A Huss & Dalton Shop Story by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #75, 2003 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 Consider the humble bridge plate. There’s no consensus on its shape, size, the material it should be made from, or even its real function. Certainly it supports the ball ends of the strings and protects the top wood from damage. But is it a brace that helps prevent top deformation? Does it help shape or alter the voice of the guitar? Does it really give bridge support? You tell me; I really don’t want to get in on the argument. Vintage Martin people have definite ideas about what size and shape the bridge plate should be, and it better be made of maple. Most guitarists probably don’t give a thought to the bridge plate, which places it firmly in the lap of the luthier. 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 April 29, 2026April 29, 2026 by Dale Phillips The Mariachi Humpback The Mariachi Humpback by C.F. Casey Originally published in American Lutherie #116, 2013 MariachI humpback? A sombrero-wearing whale that plays trumpet through his blowhole? A deformed bell-ringer who plays “Cielito Lindo” on his carillon? Nah. Those images would probably be too bizarre even for Disney. “Mariachi Humpback” is a name I use to describe the shape of two related instruments which form the rhythmic foundation of the mariachi band: the vihuela and the guitarrón (Photo 1). The vihuela is a small 5-string guitar with a re-entrant tuning; the pitch names are the same as the first five strings of the regular guitar (ADGBE), but strings 3, 4, and 5 are an octave high. The guitarrón is a bass guitar with the tuning ADGCEA. Though these two instruments are at opposite ends of the sonic scale, they share a number of characteristics. In both, the bridge is a simple bar with string holes and no saddle (like a heavy lute bridge). The guitarrón is fretless, and while the vihuela has frets, often they are tied on (again, like a lute), and frequently there are only three. Traditionally, the binding of both is rope-patterned, and is glued to the surface of the sides rather than inlaid. 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.
