Posted on October 9, 2025October 9, 2025 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Charles Beare Meet the Maker: Charles Beare by Jonathon Peterson Originally published in American Lutherie #82, 2005 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2017 In the violin world, Charles Beare is one of the people whose opinion matters. His passion for instruments has inspired him to achieve an internationally recognized level of expertise. His London-based business, J&A Beare Ltd., was established in 1865, and he is the fourth generation Beare to sit at its helm. Last November he attended the Violin Society of America’s 32nd Convention to lecture and to help judge their 16th International Competition. He graciously took time out of his busy schedule there to tell me a little about his life and his love for the instruments. I don’t know if you are aware, but you have been in the pages of our journal before. Oh really? When was that? 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 October 9, 2025October 9, 2025 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Pierre-Yves Fuchs Meet the Maker: Pierre-Yves Fuchs by Jonathon Peterson Originally published in American Lutherie #83, 2005 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 I attended the 2004 Violin Society of America Convention and competition in Portland, Oregon, at the invitation of Paul Schuback, who was hosting the event. He offered to arrange interviews with internationally recognized experts Charles Beare (see p. 312) and Bernard Millant, who were there to lecture and judge the competition. However, as both men were very busy with their appointed duties, and everyone seemed to want a piece of their time, I had a lot of time to talk with participants, listen to lectures, peruse the commercial exhibit hall, and generally hang around. The commercial exhibition hall was filled with displays of instruments, tools, bows, wood, and accessories. Many of the displays were amazingly elaborate, which made the table of Swiss bow maker Pierre-Yves Fuchs stand out to me. Here was a casually dressed guy sitting behind a few bows on a black cloth, and that was about it. He didn’t seem to be getting much action, so I stopped to chat. I had to leave before the winners were announced, so I was pleased and impressed to find out that Pierre had won gold medals in all four bow categories —violin, viola, cello, and bass — and he received the honorary designation hors concours (out of competition) from the VSA. He received another gold medal in a competition in Paris two weeks later. 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 July 8, 2024May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips Post-Toronto Reflections Post-Toronto Reflections by Jeffrey R. Elliott Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly 6, #3, 1978 The Canadian-hosted classic guitar festival “Guitar ’78” has left me with several vivid impressions, some of which I felt might merit hearing through the Guild Quarterly. The range and scope of this event was extensive, and to merely remain with the pace was exhausting. While I had hoped to experience something of several other events also scheduled, I soon discovered that to participate in all the luthiers’ happenings meant to forego nearly every other event on the program. With the scheduled four hours of the guitar makers’ workshop each day, meals, the evening concerts, and precious little sleep, any shop talk or visiting with other luthiers meant overlapping with other classes and events. An expected sacrifice from my “Guitar ’75” experience, but extensive and exhausting nonetheless. Of the 600 or so in attendance perhaps 10% were luthiers: having some 60 luthiers around for 24 hours a day, every day for a week, as well as the scheduled 20 hours of lecture-discussion, rendered me totally susceptible and helpless, and I became absorbed in that unique blend of professional and social camaraderie experienced during both the 1977 G.A.L. convention and the “Guitar ’75” festival. Some fine friendships, and solid professional relationships as well, have had their beginnings at these events. The 1978 G.A.L. Convention/Exhibition and the Carmel Classic Guitar Festival ought to round out this year nicely. 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. Members also receive 3 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on June 13, 2024May 16, 2025 by Dale Phillips Octet 2005: First Convention of the New Violin Family Association Octet 2005: First Convention of the New Violin Family Association by Alan Carruth Originally published in American Lutherie #85, 2006 The New Violin Family, also known as the Violin Octet, began more that fifty years ago with a request by composer Henry Brandt to Carleen Hutchins for instruments with the timbre of the violin in other tuning ranges. It has continued to be a collaborative effort between luthiers, scientists, composers, and musicians. The first convention of the New Violin Family Association was intended to extend that collaboration into new generations. The meeting was smaller than a GAL Convention, and this proved to be a plus. Many participants were already acquainted, and the rest soon got to know each other informally. Convention organizing committee chair and NVFA newsletter editor Robert Spear, along with the other organizers, provided ample opportunities for musicians, builders, and “techies” to get together. A good example was a comparison of Octet instruments with their conventional counterparts, where musicians offered critiques of the new 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.
Posted on June 13, 2024May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips Carmel 1978: What it Was Carmel 1978: What it Was by David Russell Young Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly, Volume 7, #1, 1979 The Carmel Classic Guitar Festival (Nov. 3, 4, & 5) provided a valuable opportunity to exhibit guitars to a large number of interested amateurs and accomplished professionals, as well as a chance for interaction among the luthiers. Several guitars were sold or commissioned as a direct result of the exhibition. It was at the previous festival (May ’77) that I first met Jeff Elliott and was talked into joining the G.A.L. Prior to that time, I had worked pretty much in isolation and assumed it would always be like that. Now, through the G.A.L. conventions, the Carmel Festivals, and the friendships that grew out of them, I have a feeling of community with an expanding network of colleagues. The technical information and materials sources that have come out of this have been as valuable as the personal contact has been enjoyable. Another factor, pointed out by Steve Klein, is that being in the G.A.L. is almost like belonging to a union; you can find out what others of comparable abilities are getting for what work, and make appropriate adjustments. This is more important than it might seem at first glance, as some rather great disparities crop up. 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.
