Posted on July 4, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: Instrument Plan #36 Questions: Instrument Plan #36 by Scot Tremblay Originally published in American Lutherie #101, 2010 Bob Barnard from Olympia, Washington asks: I just finished making a copy of the 1816 Martínez Salon Guitar from GAL Instrument Plan #36. I strung it up with Aquila Alabastro classical guitar strings (normal tension) to pitch (A440). It was overpowered and did not have the right tone or response. I lowered the pitch a whole step and it improved substantially, leading me to think the string tension is too high. Any suggestions on appropriate string tension for this wonderful little guitar? Plan author Scot Tremblay from Victoria BC responds: My preference in strings for most smaller Early Romantic guitars, including the Martínez, is the La Bella ERG #1 or the La Bella 2001L Light Tension strings. I think it’s best to keep the tension to 5.5–6.5KG/string. Because of the 614MM string length of the Martínez you are going to get closer to 5KG/string which should be fine.
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: Instrument Plan #39 Questions: Instrument Plan #39 by Deb Suran Originally published in American Lutherie #101, 2010 Remco Busink from the Netherlands asks: Two months ago I ordered GAL Instrument Plan #39 of the hammered dulcimer. The instrument is almost finished and I need to know what the numbers are in the string gauge table. Plan author Deb Suran of Deer Isle, Maine responds: The numbers are W&M music wire gauges. I would suggest purchasing plated music wire from a supplier to the music trades (piano / harpsichord / dulcimer strings), and not from a hardware store or industrial supplier. Hardware store wire is oiled, not plated, and will rust.
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: Instrument Plan #33 Questions: Instrument Plan #33 by R.E. Bruné Originally published in American Lutherie #101, 2010 Joe Franklin of Whitesburg, Tennessee asks: Regarding GAL Instrument Plan #33 (1937 Hauser by R.E. Bruné): Are the depth dimensions as annotated on the back view the inside or outside dimensions? Plan author R.E. Bruné of Evanston, Illinois answers: The side measurements given around the circumference of the instrument are the measurements I took of the total outside dimensions at those points, so one would have to subtract the specific top and back thicknesses at those points to arrive at the actual side dimensions prior to cutting the purfling/banding channels. For those making replicas, getting this correct within ±1MM would suffice in my opinion, but I know the favorite pastime of luthiers is splitting hairs and arguing over which is the bigger half. Actually, I suspect the original dimensions may have been slightly bigger by about .25MM to .5MM but have retracted due to shrinkage. There is nothing in the side assembly that would prevent the sides from shrinking from dryness, and they are just about crack-free because of this. It seemed to me that the instrument was originally built under fairly high humidity conditions, or at least part of it. The back has no arch left in it, probably because of shrinkage; this is also a question I have been frequently asked. I drew the instrument as is, where is, with no attempt to “correct” what I thought might have been the original state. I leave this to other scholars.
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Note to Future Repairers of His Instruments Letter: Note to Future Repairers of His Instruments by Bob Gleason Originally published in American Lutherie #101, 2010 Tim — For the past thirty-eight years I’ve been repairing stringed instruments and building a few along the way, too. Occasionally, I’ve run into difficult repair situations. Some natural, like the freak wind gust through the window that blew a Martin 000-41 body off my bench, which resulted in my introduction to doing abalone purfling work. Some man-made, like the first Taylor guitar that was brought to me for a neck reset. No one told me there was a bolt under that label on the neck block. I’d never seen a solid wood guitar with a bolt-on neck. I thought bolts were for banjos! I steamed away like mad on that neck until I managed to break the heel off and discovered the bolt. Any experienced repairperson has a few interesting stories to tell. Today things are getting worse, from a repair point of view. We have bolts, screws, epoxy, superglue, many kinds of white and yellow glues, gorilla glue, synthetic materials used throughout, water base finishes, quite a few concoctions of oil finishes, truss rods of all kinds, myriad electronics, woods from all parts of the planet, real shell, fake shell, semi-fake shell, photo finishes, stainless fretwire, laminated wood that looks like solid wood, instruments that are constructed with materials that were previously only found in the sink cut-out dumpster of the local cabinet shop, real bone, fake bone, and all sorts of other animal parts to name a few. Repair work is getting a little tougher these days! 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 July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: Vihuela Plans Questions: Vihuela Plans by Robert Lundberg Originally published in American Lutherie #60, 1999 Roy Barger of Dayton, TN asks: I’d like to build a vihuela. Trouble is, plans are as rare as hen’s teeth. Do you know where I could obtain a set? Or, someone who owns a representative example of one that would sympathize with my plight enough to assist in the measuring thereof? Bob Lundberg of Portland, Oregon answers: I do not know of any plan you can order. The one extant vihuela in the Jacquemart André Museum in Paris is not typical of most vihuelas built in the 16th century. Raphael Weisman described it in detail for the Galpin Society Journal, Vol. 35 (March 1982) in an article called “The Paris Vihuela Reconstructed.” No plan was made available. ◆ Editior’s note: You’ll find a comprehensive article on the vihuela by John Rollins in AL#10 or The Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 1985–1987.
