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 31, 2026July 31, 2026 by Dale Phillips Effects of Grain Orientation on Brace Deflection Effects of Grain Orientation on Brace Deflection by Greg Nelson with Benjamin Nelson Originally published in American Lutherie #127, 2016 I have always taken it on faith that perfectly quartersawn wood had to be superior to diagonal- or plain-cut wood when it comes to bracing. I never felt the need to question this common wisdom until when reading The Responsive Guitar, I discovered that Ervin Somogyi had done a test that created doubt about how accurate this assumption might be. He invited further testing, and that is what inspired me to spend some time and material to check things out. I come to lutherie work without any formal scientific training. This sort of testing demands a scientific method, so I invited my son, Dr. Benjamin Nelson, to participate. His field of expertise is astronomy (mostly extrasolar planets), but having grown up in our house, he is not unfamiliar with wooden instrument construction. 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 30, 2026July 30, 2026 by Dale Phillips Review: Acquired of the Angels: The Lives and Works of Master Guitar Makers John D’Angelico and James L. D’Aquisto by Paul Schmidt, third edition Review: Acquired of the Angels: The Lives and Works of Master Guitar Makers John D'Angelico and James L. D'Aquisto by Paul Schmidt, third edition by Mike Doolin Originally published in American Lutherie #143, 2021 Acquired of the Angels: The Lives and Works of Master Guitar Makers John D’Angelico and James L. D’Aquisto, Third Edition Paul Schmidt ISBN 978-0692165515 DHR Publishing, 2018 Paul Schmidt’s Acquired of the Angels was a landmark book when it first appeared in 1991. Schmidt’s research yielded an enlightening portrait of two of the most influential luthiers of the 20th century, whose work largely defined the ideal form of the archtop guitar. Since the 1998 second edition was insightfully reviewed by Linda Manzer in 1999, (AL#59, Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Five) I’ll mostly focus on the differences in the latest, third edition. The biggest change from second to third edition, and maybe the best reason to purchase the latter, is the physical format. The new edition is nearly double the size, more of a coffee-table-book format, and the photos benefit greatly from the expanded real estate. In particular, Josh McClure’s studio shots dazzle with detail, color, and lighting. Closeups of tailpieces and headstocks show the maker’s meticulous attention to detail. The cover photo on the paper jacket will catch most people’s eye as the low E string of the guitar has shifted out of its notch in the saddle. Be sure to read the Unofficial Official Photography Artist section to read the humorous story behind that error. 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 29, 2026July 29, 2026 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: David Wren Meet the Maker: David Wren by Steve Denvir Originally published in American Lutherie #113, 2013 David Wren is a guitar geek, in the most positive sense of the word. He makes them, for the likes of Joan Baez and Bruce Cockburn; he’s sold them, as one of the partners in The 12th Fret, the high-end guitar store in Toronto; he even photographs them, supplying studio-quality shots to a number of his guitar-making peers. And he can talk about them. Forever. About his guitars, other makers’ guitars, the history of guitar making in Canada, what retail customers are looking for, the difference between classical and steel-string buyers, on and on. And he does it with warmth and charm and much humility, not to mention a lot of humor. If I had to put “(laughs)” every time it was appropriate, this article would be half again as long. 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 28, 2026July 28, 2026 by Dale Phillips Review: The Master’s Bench by Paul Schmidt and Arian Sheets Review: The Master’s Bench by Paul Schmidt and Arian Sheets by Mike Doolin Originally published in American Lutherie #143, 2021 The Master’s BenchPaul Schmidt and Arian SheetsISBN 978-0984826940National Music Museum/University of South Dakota, 2016 The Master’s Bench, by Paul Schmidt and Arian Sheets, follows up on the story of the D’As with the fascinating and fortuitous backstory of the National Music Museum’s exhibit of their reconstructed workshop. While most of the book is a visual catalog of the instruments and tools, the early chapters serve as a valuable addendum to Acquired of the Angels. 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.
