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. ◆
Posted on July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Price of Vintage Instruments Letter: Price of Vintage Instruments by Michael Darnton Originally published in American Lutherie #61, 2000 Tim, Regarding Chris Foss’ letter in AL#60: If Chris would evaluate the pricing of antique instruments from an economist’s viewpoint rather than a politician’s (in the sense of wanting the power to regulate who gets how much of what), he would understand it better. He says he “understand[s] increases in value with increases in utility, but absolutely do[se]n’t understand increases in value with ‘collectability’.” In fact, utility has almost nothing to do with pricing. As any economist will probably tell you, pricing is a factor of supply and demand: if there are ninety-one pre-war Martin D-45s and no one on the face of the Earth wants them, they will be very cheap. But since there are only ninety-one, and everyone wants them, they are very expensive. 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: Price of Vintage Instruments Letter: Price of Vintage Instruments by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #61, 2000 Tim, Chris Foss isn’t the only one baffled by the cost of vintage instruments. I’ve wanted to believe right from the start that the vintage scene was a shuck created by a few knowledgeable dealers who spread their gospel from regular columns in the music rags. The truth, no doubt, is that any old thing you can point to is interesting to someone, and that once enough people show an interest that thing becomes collectible and the price shoots up. Some objects are life enhancing, and different people find different objects. Folks who collect old porcelain don’t eat off their collection. Antique chairs may never be allowed to perch a human. There are no doubt instrument collectors who never play their guitars. It’s not a shame, it’s just the way it is. 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: Scott Chinery Letter: Scott Chinery by Bob Benedetto Originally published in American Lutherie #64, 2000 Dear Tim and Fellow GAL members, My plane just took off from Newark Airport; I’m on my way home to Tampa and thought I would drop you a line. Yesterday I attended the funeral services for Scott Chinery, a man who, in a very big way, touched the lives of so many people. A book can be written (and no doubt will be) on his accomplishments and good deeds. I’ll leave that to the professional and more eloquent writers. Over the years, we have all encountered people who influence and support us, but I can think of no individual who has had such a profound impact on our careers and lives as Scott Chinery. Scott’s Blue Guitar Collection is the most famous guitar collection in the world. It is comprised of archtop guitars made mostly by people who would have otherwise remained in obscurity. Some have probably not made an archtop since and most will never make a living as an archtop maker. Scott Chinery gave us all so much — he put money in our pockets and gave us international acclaim as the finest luthiers in the world. He did for us what none of us could have done for ourselves. Our guitars were on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution not because of our skills as luthiers, but because Scott Chinery commissioned us, then kicked down the doors and forced the world to take notice — a talent none of us have. He will be missed. ◆
Posted on March 6, 2024March 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Ken Parker’s Uncut Personal Take on the Genesis of the American Archtop Guitar Ken Parker’s Uncut Personal Take on the Genesis of the American Archtop Guitar as told to Mike Doolin Published online by Guild of American Luthiers, July 2023 First, let’s note that a well developed, centuries long tradition of plucked, fretted instruments travelled to America from Europe, just like CF Martin did in 1833. He was the key figure in the evolution of the 6-string American guitar, and the importance of his work as a ferocious, persistent, successful instrument inventor cannot be overstated. Although there were other builders who did exceptional work and have had some continuing influence, CF laid the groundwork for the flattop designs we still revere and copy today. There is no analog in the field of archtops, which have kind of stumbled from insult to injury, as I’ll try to explain. It’s my view, and you don’t have to like it, but I’ve been obsessed, and paying a lot of attention for a long time, so I hope you’ll give me your ears. Circa 1890, brilliant oddball Orville Gibson decides to try to improve fretted instruments for his own use as a hobbyist. He played mandolins, which were becoming very popular, and he saw room for improvement and his artistic expression. He didn’t care much about the guitar, and so didn’t make many of them, maybe a dozen, some think even fewer. Orville concentrated his efforts on mandolins and harp guitars. He turned out to be a talented and prolific builder, and was active as a musician and performer. Orville had no training as an instrument maker or woodworker. He grew up on a farm in Western NY state during the second Industrial Revolution, and we all know that farm girls and boys can do a lot with a little. He moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, a fast growing manufacturing center ripe with opportunities, full of startups and others eager to make their mark in the modern world. He was self-financed, working day gigs as a sales guy in a shoe store, then in a restaurant, whatever it took. Sound familiar? He made a close friend, Thaddeus McHugh, an expert woodworker, who may have had some training in Lutherie. Thad had a great singing voice they performed together. More on this important guy later… Orville was a good musician and although I’m sure he knew about violins, when he designed his arched mandolins and guitars, he followed his own design instincts. Some of his innovations were good, and others… well let’s say there was very little that he took from violin family bowed instrument construction. 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.
