Posted on August 7, 2026August 7, 2026 by Dale Phillips “Restomodding” Wall-Hanger Guitars “Restomodding” Wall-Hanger Guitars by Roger Häggström Originally published in American Lutherie #144, 2021 Cheap guitars were made in great numbers all over the world at the beginning of the last century. In Sweden, the driving force behind a burgeoning interest in guitars was the independent church movement. The prevailing sentiment was that every able-bodied parishioner should be able to play three chords on a guitar at prayer meetings and fundraisers (Photo 1). Many of these instruments still exist, mostly in unplayable condition. I have found ways to restore these wonderful old guitars and make them play and sound better than ever. I love the bass-balanced sound of old-style ladder bracing in a small steel-strung parlor guitar. The complex sounds keep me wanting to play another chord. Modern X bracing gives more bass but also less varied tone, in my opinion. 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 21, 2026July 21, 2026 by Dale Phillips Uncle Dan’s Favorite New Vise Uncle Dan’s Favorite New Vise by Dan Erlewine Originally published in American Lutherie #142, 2021 Howdy, GAL. I miss you all! Some of you may already know about what I am showing here, but I’d be surprised if many did, as it’s so new on the market. It’s the greatest new tool in my shop, and in the shops of several professional luthier pals of mine: The Total Vise, a sturdy pedestal-stand and neck-holding vise that makes so many guitar repair, building, wiring, and setup jobs better, safer, and easier — especially for someone who doesn’t have a good-sized shop, benches, and permanent fixtures. Originally designed as a gun- and bow-making vise, the Total Vise’s maker, Jeff Howard, was surprised and pleased to find that a few luthiers stumbled upon his setup and liked it. Right away, Jeff asked us to help him design a version of it for guitar work, and we all chipped in over the last half year. Finally it’s ready for any professional, part-time, or novice luthier that wants the best setup for holding a guitar for serious business. The Total Vise has been a game-changer for us and we just want to tell the world about it. So here we’ll visit a few shops from around the country and see how the Total Vise is put to use. 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 15, 2026July 15, 2026 by Dale Phillips New Frets in Old Nibs New Frets in Old Nibs by Ben Haskenhoff Originally published in American Lutherie #142, 2021 A 2004 Hamer Monaco Elite recently passed over my workbench for a refret. It seemed like a good opportunity to take some pictures of my process for refretting a guitar while keeping the binding nibs intact. Photo 1. There were deep grooves and flat spots on the first several frets, and the wear went farther up the neck as well. 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 3, 2026July 3, 2026 by Dale Phillips What To Do When Your Head Falls Off: Instrument Repair Tips and Techniques What To Do When Your Head Falls Off: Instrument Repair Tips and Techniques by Brian Michael and Alex Glasser from their 2011 GAL Convention workshop Originally published in American Lutherie #115, 2013 Alex: A peghead reglue is not hard, but it’s a common repair, and one that’s commonly done poorly. We cheated. We took the neck from a broken guitar, removed the tuners, and broke the peghead. Normally, your cracks would be lower, around the nut or volute, but with the tuners removed, it breaks across the tuners. The repair’s the same, though. For most headstock repairs we use hide glue, because it has high heat resistance. We try to make repairs foolproof, so if the customer leaves it in the trunk of his guitar, it won’t break open. 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 May 22, 2026May 22, 2026 by Dale Phillips Restoring a Battle Axe Restoring a Battle Axe by Roger Alan Skipper Originally published in American Lutherie #97, 2009 Some time ago a friend delivered to my shop, in a cardboard box, a 1972 D-28 Martin guitar; a basket would have been a more suitable container. This instrument had experienced some major trauma. From my friend’s reluctance to discuss particulars, I suspected some human trauma had occurred about the same time — that this “axe” had done genuine battle. “This thing has been in my attic for years,” he said. “Salvage the tuners or whatever you can, and throw the rest away.” I glanced at the splintered mess, closed the box, and filed it on a top shelf, out of the way. 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.
