Posted on April 24, 2026April 24, 2026 by Dale Phillips Questions: Colors in Abalone Questions: Colors in Abalone by Isabel Roeder Originally published in American Lutherie #109, 2012 Roger Alan Skipper of Oakland, Maryland asks: Do you know any way to keep the colors in abalone and MOP from washing out in a digital photo? I’ve tried everything I can think of, and can never recapture the intense greens and blues, even with some pretty intense color adjustments. Isabel Roeder of Newton, Massachusetts replies: There are many things that can make an image or part of one appear washed out, so first let me cover the basics. First, never use flash or other harsh, direct light. Indirect sunlight works best. If your camera has a saturation and contrast control (Nikon cameras call this “picture control” and generally have an option called “vivid”) you can try increasing both in the camera. You can also try this with photo editing software. Another thing to try in the camera or with editing software is sharpening. 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 April 23, 2026April 23, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Ski Boot Holster It Worked for Me: Ski Boot Holster by Roger Alan Skipper Originally published in American Lutherie #109, 2012 Everywhere in the repair shop of Gruhn Guitars are examples of the little tricks of the trade that develop over time, like this ski-boot-become-cordless-drill-holster. ◆ Photo by Roger Alan Skipper.
Posted on April 22, 2026April 22, 2026 by Dale Phillips Simple Jigs for Making a Pyramid Bridge Simple Jigs for Making a Pyramid Bridge by John C. Bartlett Originally published in American Lutherie #114, 2013 After many years building guitars and mandolins, I had the occasion to build a left-handed guitar for my daughter. She very much liked the pyramid bridge on my personal instrument, a 12-fret 000 slot-head patterned after the 1930s Martins, and asked that I use one on her guitar. That, in fact, was the only pyramid bridge I had ever used on a guitar in over twenty years of building, and I purchased it from Stewart-MacDonald. I’d already decided to use pyramid bridges on my traditional 12-fret instruments going forward when she requested one for her guitar. Although I’d never actually made one, I thought it would be cost effective to make my own. I knew it would be a challenge, so I did considerable research on the subject. I didn’t find much. One Internet posting called for hand carving, and another showed jigs and techniques for shaper tables and table saws. I don’t have a table saw or a shaper table, so I practiced hand carving methods. The results were OK but not really satisfactory, and it was very time consuming. I’d gone through a number of plywood models before carving my first rosewood and ebony bridges when I decided that if I wanted a reduction in hand work and consistency in my results, I should use the tools I have to solve the problem. 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 April 16, 2026April 16, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Knobs It Worked for Me: Knobs by Mark French Originally published in American Lutherie #112, 2012 The shafts on guitar pots come in 1/4" and 6MM diameter. For some reason, I sometimes wind up with the wrong size knobs. In theory, it should be no problem to drill out 6mm knobs to fit 1/4" shafts, but I have had problems holding knobs securely while drilling. Definitely don’t try to hold them in your hand! Last week, I finally found a method that works. The knobs I had were 3/4" diameter, so I drilled a 3/4" hole in a piece of hard scrap wood, adding a notch for the set screw. By backing out the set screw about halfway, the knob won’t turn while being drilled. A 1/4" hole through the center of the larger hole lets a chuck key pop the knob out with no hassle. ◆ Both photos by Mark French.
Posted on April 15, 2026April 15, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Clamping a Scarf Joint It Worked for Me: Clamping a Scarf Joint by Peter True Originally published in American Lutherie #106, 2011 Two wedge-shaped blocks faced with rubber can be used to clamp a scarf joint. Here, they are placed on either side of the joint of a ukulele neck and clamped. The blocks are off cuts from the neck blanks so the angles work nicely. The rubber is car inner tube stuck with contact adhesive. Photo by Peter True. I figure that the wedges ensure that the clamping pressure is perpendicular to the glue surfaces. The rubber stops the blocks from sliding down the ramp on which they rest. In the past I’ve done virtually the same thing using wedge-shaped MDF blocks sacrificially glued to the headstock assembly. As I thought it a chore to chop the blocks off, I experimented with the rubber-faced wedges. This too I’ve found to work. I’ve done about ten assemblies like this and managed to get them pretty much spot on. I ensure that the glue surfaces are wetted by the adhesive, so the joint is not over-lubricated. The tongue is oversize and is planed to the desired thickness when the glue is dry. ◆
