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Questions: Amplifying Flattop Bass

Questions: Amplifying Flattop Bass

by Harry Fleishman

Originally published in American Lutherie #65, 2001 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013



Mark Brantley of Appleton, Minnesota asks:

I recently ordered Tim Olsen’s plans for the Flattop Bass (GAL Plan #13). Do you have any advice on a good electric pickup for it?


Harry Fleishman of Boulder, Colorado responds:

It’s difficult to offer too much advice about amplifying your acoustic bass without more input about how loud you need to play, how high a fidelity to the instrument’s actual acoustic voice you want, and what your budget is; but here goes anyway.

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Mossman Truss Rod Adjustment

Mossman Truss Rod Adjustment

by S.L. Mossman

Originally published as Guild of American Luthier's Data Sheet #263, 1983



Explanation of the Truss Rod and how it Works

The steel rod is laid in at a curve. The curve extends from the first fret and tapers off at the ninth fret. Since the rod is anchored at both ends, when the nut end is tightened it simply shortens the rod by pulling the curve out of the rod and straightening itself, forcing the low part of the rod up and pulling the hight point down, which is the point of least resistance, causing a back bow in the neck.

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Improved X Bracing

Improved X Bracing

by Don Musser

Originally published as Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #172, 1981 and in Lutherie Woods and Steel String Guitars, 1997



After building a number of guitars with the standard steel string X-bracing pattern, I noticed some problems. First, even when the braces were precurved to a 25' radius, there was still a deformation just behind the bridge that was caused by the upward pull of the strings on the inner bridge plate. Energy which could have gone to sound production in the whole top was being lost to wood deformation in a small area of the top.

Second, there was always a problem of creating a guitar having both an outstanding bass and treble response. Good bass response requires less or lighter bracing on the bass side of the top. A crisp, well-defined treble requires more or slightly heavier bracing on the treble side. The challenge was to be able to achieve both without retarding either.

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The Bluegrass Dobro

The Bluegrass Dobro

America’s Second Native Instrument

by Bobby Wolfe

Originally published in American Lutherie #5, 1986 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume One, 2000



There is a little ditty known as “The Duck Principle.” It says: If it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck. Well, since the Dobro only looks like a guitar, and even in this respect with significant differences, and doesn’t qualify in the other ways, I say it’s not a duck.

Seriously, in my opinion, the mechanically amplified instrument known as the Dobro does qualify as America’s second native instrument.

This article is designed to acquaint you with the Dobro and to provide information on common repair and setup needs of the instrument. Today, in addition to the members of The Original Family building the original instrument, there are many individuals building their versions. Most of these people have their own ideas and opinions about what works best. Therefore, I am not presenting my ideas, experiences, and working practices as the “last word.”

First, let’s define Dobro. It is a registered brand name that is now also used generically to describe most resonator-type guitars. The name comes from the Dopera (Dopyera) brothers. There are five Dopera brothers. There are five letters in Dobro. The word dobro means “good” in their native Slavic language. Take your pick!

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Commercial Graphite Acoustic Guitars

Commercial Graphite Acoustic Guitars

by John A. Decker, Jr.

Originally published in American Lutherie #31, 1992 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume Three, 2004



Why would anyone want to build an acoustic guitar of graphite? The primary reason is that wooden acoustic guitars (particularly good ones) are fragile. They are especially prone to cracking, warping, and joint separation due to heat, humidity, and water. Graphite/epoxy technology — properly employed, which isn’t easy — can maintain the sound quality of a wooden guitar while completely removing its susceptibility to heat and moisture.

During the past seven years Kuau Technology has been working with luthiers at the firm of Pimentel & Sons, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the development of acoustic guitar technology employing fiber-reinforced resins, particularly graphite/epoxy. Our approach has been to duplicate as closely as possible, panel by panel, the acoustic properties of fine wooden classical guitars, rather than attempt to reinvent the guitar de nova. This work has resulted in the development of the RainSong® Graphite Acoustic Guitars,* which we believe to be the first commercially available all-graphite acoustic guitars.

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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.

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