Posted on July 1, 2024July 11, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: C.F. Martin Stories Letter: C.F. Martin Stories by Frederick C. Lyman, Jr. Originally published in American Lutherie #93, 2008 Dear Tim, Deb, and Bon, Your recent article about Chris Martin interested me because I used to hang out at the Martin company when I was just getting started. They had a celebrated scrap pile which was a great source of less-than-perfect wood (but not by much — they had very high standards). I learned a lot from their designer at the time, John Huber. He knew a lot and served as a public relations person to deal with the constant stream of admiring visitors, like me. In those days their old original factory was used mostly for storage. The three stories were laden with wonderful highly figured rosewood blanks. One day in 1972 they just said “OK, come and get it. We need the space.” People came and literally trucked it all away. The hard part was schlepping it down the stairs. About that same time the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Classic Guitar Society sponsored a classic guitar recital by Oscar Ghiglia at Muhlenberg College. I sat there with a name tag on my lapel, and in the next seat was an elderly gentleman. It was clear that he had been partaking of fine vintages with his dinner. He looked at my name tag and his own and he just could not get over the similarity. “You are Frederick C. Lyman and I am C. Frederick Martin!” He said this over and over, as if dumbstruck, unable to articulate the coincidence. The one lesson I should have taken away from C.F. Martin, but didn’t, was to place paramount importance on dust control and removal. They knew that sooner or later everyone who breathes that stuff gets sick. As always, congratulations on the quality and consistency of American Lutherie magazine.
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Learning From D’Aquisto and Maccaferri Letter: Learning From D’Aquisto and Maccaferri by John Monteleone Originally published in American Lutherie #63, 2000 Tim – My earliest influence must have been my father, a Renaissance man before I understood what the term meant. He was a classically-trained sculptor, a trade which was falling out of favor by the 1950s, when he had to support and raise four children. His resourcefulness led him to run his own pattern making company. As a little kid I watched him for hours on end as he worked in clay and plaster. I paid close attention to his hands. I was tuned in to people’s hands at a young age. I couldn’t help but notice what creative hands were capable of doing. Some of my dad’s friends were also artists, so I was in this interesting atmosphere of paint, clay, glass, ceramics, pottery, and sculpture. And then I learned the craft of pattern making in my father’s shop. I soaked up everything like a camera and a sponge. 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: Fabio Lutherie Class Letter: Fabio Lutherie Class by Steve Spodaryk Originally published in American Lutherie #69, 2001 Dear GAL, While traveling in Italy this fall, I was fortunate to study with Fabio Ragghianti. Over a two-week period, I was able to see the construction of a flamenco guitar. These beautiful instruments are built one at a time, so seeing this skilled handwork was very educational for a beginner like myself. I also learned to French polish, and saw many useful tools that Fabio has designed. Fabio and his wife Luciana were wonderful hosts. We enjoyed great meals, conversation, and side trips to the surrounding towns and countryside. I am looking forward to returning later this year and building a classical guitar under Fabio’s tutelage. Thank you GAL for fostering these experiences and furthering the art of lutherie. I came home completely inspired, and I am busily working on a new guitar. ◆
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Passing of Carleen Hutchins Letter: Passing of Carleen Hutchins by Aaron Green Originally published in American Lutherie #100, 2009 Hi Tim, I received an e-mail from Al Carruth with the sad news that Carleen Hutchins has passed on. It happened that Al was down in my neck of the woods the other day giving us an increasingly rare opportunity to catch up in real time. As it was, we talked a lot about Carleen. I can count on one hand the number of times I spent any appreciable time in her company and all of them were inspiring. As significant as those times were for me, the first time I met Carleen stands out the most in my memory. In June of 1992 I came along with Al on a road trip to Vermillion, South Dakota, for the GAL Convention. The four days it took us to get out there were an incredible adventure for me. I had just graduated high school (I turned eighteen halfway through the trip) and I was not entirely sure what I was going to do next. By the end of the convention I knew (thanks for that!) and have tried hard since to keep on keeping on. 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: Fleishman and Fabio Lutherie Class Letter: Fleishman and Fabio Lutherie Class by Mike Moger Originally published in American Lutherie #68, 2001 Tim: I was sanding the top of a classical guitar recently with 600-grit paper. When I thought the job was about done, I walked out into the sunlight, held the instrument up to the light, and looked closely. I wasn’t nearly finished, and was glad for having made the trip. It reminded me of Fabio Ragghianti, the luthier who taught me to take that short walk. And of Harry Fleishman, the man who offered me the opportunity to study under him. I encourage anyone interested in becoming a better luthier to take a class. I’d built furniture for many years, and had wanted to build a guitar, but had no idea how even to begin. Books helped , but the class I took this past June in Boulder, Colorado at the Luthier’s School of the Rockies was invaluable. The school was run by Harry, with thirty years of experience in designing and building guitars. Four students worked under Fabio, an Italian luthier who has been building classical instruments for twenty years. Fabio provided the plans and the primary teaching; we used Harry’s tools. Harry looked over our shoulders and constantly added to the exchange of ideas. The rules were easy. You do your best to build a guitar that is structurally strong, with a great sound, and beautiful. Nothing is done without knowing the reason for doing it. One great benefit was to compare Harry’s modern methods and machinery to Fabio’s methods that have been used in Europe for 200 years. Fabio’s quiet patience allowed for mistakes to be made, followed by lessons on how to correct them. Harry’s energy and enthusiasm filled us with different ways to accomplish the same things. And Fabio’s French polishing demonstration alone was worth all that we’d done before it. They are more than creative and quality-driven professionals. They are great teachers, fun to be with, and willing to give us everything we could soak up during the class. So I built my guitar, and will build many more. And each time I walk out into the sun to look closely at what might be a finished job, I’ll remember the class, and thank two good men for what they gave us. PS: Harry has closed the school in Boulder. He’s now the Director of the Luthiers School International. Harry Fleishman 1533 Welter Ct. Sebastopol, CA 95472-2655 707-823-3537 guitars@fleishmaninstruments.com Fabio Ragghianti lives and works in Italy, and can be reached at raguitars@libero.it. ◆
