Posted on June 6, 2024May 28, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Where to Get Mandola Plans Questions: Where to Get Mandola Plans by Don MacRostie and Jim Hoover Originally published in American Lutherie #77, 2004 Don MacRostie of Athens (aka Stew-Mac), Ohio responds to Thierry, Bernus Turner, and other's questions regarding where to get a mandola plan. Although I don't know of a plan for a carved-top mandola, the following figures taken from a signed ``Loar'' mandola and a teen's H-1 serial# 75585 should be helpful in proportioning your own from a plan like the F-5 plan from Stew-Mac or GAL Plan #26. Archings on these two instruments were very much like the companion mandolins, and plate thicknesses were essentially the same as for the mandolin. The H-1 had two transverse braces on the top, with the rear brace under the bridge. The Loar was tone-bar braced. The one slightly unusual point on the Loar mandola is that the peghead and the body scrolls were not scaled up with the rest of the instrument. They were basically the same size and shape as those details on the mandolin. The book, The Mandolin Manual: The Art, Craft, and Science of the Mandolin and Mandola by John Troughton is available from Elderly Instruments (www.elderly.com/books/items/542-62.htm). Also, AL#51, Questions column gives some useful information and dimensions. Several websites offer plans for flattop mandolas, though I have not actually seen them: www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk/ttwp2.html secure.mimf.com/order.htm www.art-robb.co.uk/plans.html Jim Hoover of New Holland, PA adds: The book Making Stringed Instruments — A Workshop Guide, by George Buchanan (Sterling Publishing) has a clean, scale drawing of a flat-top mandola as well as drawings of six other instruments, including violin, viola, cello, mandolin, and classical and archtop guitars with step-by-step do’s and don’ts.
Posted on June 6, 2024May 5, 2025 by Dale Phillips Review: Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo Review: Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo Reviewed by James Arial Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Newsletter Vol 2 #1, 1974 Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo Peer International Corporation 1740 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10019 This book was published in 1968. It is a comprehensive study of the 5-string banjo including a very well written adn illustrated chapter on banjo construction. The seventeen pages in this section of the book describe all phases of construction except that of making a resonator. There is an excellent segment on inlaying using a unique technique of sandblasting to carve the recesses for fancy work. The book’s $10.95 retail price might scare off the casual luthier, but if you’re interested in Scruggs type picking as well as banjo making it is well worth the price. The technique used by Scruggs is very clearly described in step by step procedure. Thirty-five of his best known songs are presented in easily read tablature. ◆
Posted on June 6, 2024May 23, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Parlor Guitar Plans Questions: Parlor Guitar Plans by Walter Carter Originally published in American Lutherie #90, 2007 ■ Robert W. from the Internet asks: I have been looking on the web for plans for a parlor guitar with floating bridge and tailpiece rather than a pin bridge. Can’t find them. Any ideas? Could you tell me the names of some of the instruments that used this construction so I can look them up? Walter Carter of Nashville replies: I don’t know of any published plans for parlor guitars with floating bridges. Haynes would be the most commonly seen vintage examples, although they are rare. I came across some others in catalogs from Lyon & Healy, from the early 1900s. One catalog is for distributors. It says nothing about L&H but the guitars are clearly theirs, under such models/brands as Jupiter, Columbus, Lakeside, and Marquette. All are cheap ($7–$13) and all have a simple stamped metal tailpiece. From the same general period, another catalog has Lyon & Healy brand College Line guitars with the same cheap tailpieces, priced $3.50–$10. ◆ Christopher D. Tallon provided this picture of the body of an 1856 Haynes guitar with the back off and the center reinforcing strut removed. Photo by Christopher D. Tallon. A catalog illustration of a Jupiter guitar by Lyon & Healy.
Posted on June 6, 2024May 27, 2025 by Dale Phillips Letter to the Editor: Domino Guitar Article in AL#85 Letter to the Editor: Domino Guitar Article in AL#85 by Scott van Linge Originally published in American Lutherie #88, 2006 Hi Tim, I read with interest the article on resurrecting the ’30s Regal Le Domino guitar in AL#85. On p. 48, the second picture from the top shows the body with the back removed and the remaining two lower bout back braces still in place. What caught my eye is that they were — (drum roll) — parabolic both lengthwise and possibly in cross section, although that aspect is hard to discern. Similarly, the remaining upper transverse brace on the top is also parabolic, lengthwise. While rounded, it is not parabolic in cross section. The replacement back braces, are instead, fashioned after the heavy ones used by Martin in the ’50s, and appear noticeably taller than the original parabolic ones. From my viewpoint, they inevitably will dampen the back, preventing it from having the reinforcing capability that the original parabolic braces would have afforded. In addition to using parabolic braces on the back, Martin used some on the top, specifically the short side braces and the arms of the X brace, during their “golden era” — a fact that most luthiers and companies who copy what Martin did then (including Martin, now) seem to have missed. In fact, I have only revoiced one guitar (a Collings) that had side braces perfectly parabolic and balanced to the forces on them, so that I did not have to reshape them to bring out the highs. Apparently in lutherie, as in politics, certain lessons from the past are sometimes lost or deemed unimportant. ◆
Posted on June 6, 2024May 29, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Les Paul Flametop Plans Questions: Les Paul Flametop Plans by Saul Koll Originally published in American Lutherie #70, 2002 David E. Johnson from cyberspace asks: Is it possible to get plans for a 1959–1960 Les Paul Flametop or 1957 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty? Saul Koll of Portland, OR responds: I am aware of plans for a late ’50s Les Paul Custom drawn by Don MacRostie from Stewart MacDonald, part #857 (800-848-2273; www.stewmac.com). I would recommend this to anyone interested in making electric guitars, even for someone who wasn’t particularly interested in making Les Pauls. There are many internal dimensions and construction details that are quite useful. Good luck! ◆
