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.
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: Double Neck Acoustic Guitar Plans Questions: Double Neck Acoustic Guitar Plans by Fred Carlson Originally published in American Lutherie #100, 2009 Henry Canteri from Brazil asks: Do you have any plans or other information about double neck (6- and 12-string) acoustic guitars? Fred Carlson from Santa Cruz, California replies: With any double-necked instrument, there are a few obvious choices to be made in the design stage: ▶ How much space do you need between the necks? This is crucial for the playability of the upper neck. I think most 6-and-12 double-necks have been solidbody electrics; generally speaking, left-hand technique on electrics tends to use less space (around the neck). The necks are smaller, they are often played in a standing position with a strap; the thumb often wraps around the neck. On the other end of the spectrum, if the player uses a classical position (sitting, guitar on left leg), the fretting arm and wrist extend much further out from the treble side of the neck; you’d need more space between necks if you wanted full utilization of the “upper” neck in that position. In order to accomplish that, the necks may need to be angled, rather than being parallel as is often seen on solidbody 6-and-12 double-necks. Steel-string/folk playing position tends to put the fretting hand somewhat closer to the neck, needing less space than classical, but everyone’s different. 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 Letter: Price of Vintage Instruments Letter: Price of Vintage Instruments by Michael Darnton Originally published in American Lutherie #61, 2000 Tim, Regarding Chris Foss’ letter in AL#60: If Chris would evaluate the pricing of antique instruments from an economist’s viewpoint rather than a politician’s (in the sense of wanting the power to regulate who gets how much of what), he would understand it better. He says he “understand[s] increases in value with increases in utility, but absolutely do[se]n’t understand increases in value with ‘collectability’.” In fact, utility has almost nothing to do with pricing. As any economist will probably tell you, pricing is a factor of supply and demand: if there are ninety-one pre-war Martin D-45s and no one on the face of the Earth wants them, they will be very cheap. But since there are only ninety-one, and everyone wants them, they are very expensive. 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: First Use of Metal Wire Strings Questions: First Use of Metal Wire Strings by James Buckland Originally published in American Lutherie #100, 2009 Neill Pickard asks: When were metal wire strings first used on a guitar? By what process were these strings produced, and who was the earliest manufacturer? The provenance of the earliest “steel string” guitar would also be of great interest. People have been putting wire strings on instruments since the time wire was readily available, but at some point there would have been a move to commercial string production which would have in turn made possible the appearance of a distinct steel string guitar. James Buckland from Clinton, South Carolina replies: It is probably not possible to say precisely who first strung a guitar with metal strings or when it happened. I do feel confident in saying that the practice was adopted from keyboard instruments such as the clavichord and harpsichord. Two early mandolin methods, the Michel Corrette method of 1772 and the Giovanni Fouchetti method of 1771, refer to the use of brass harpsichord strings on mandolins, although gut was still the most commonly used string material for mandolin family instruments. 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.
