Posted on June 3, 2026June 3, 2026 by Dale Phillips Big Shop-Made Dovetail Clamp Big Shop-Made Dovetail Clamp by Bob Gleason Originally published in American Lutherie #142, 2021 A friend sent me a link to a New York Times article on the Martin Guitar factory. It had a number of photos, one of which showed a worker fitting a dovetail with a unique clamp. It was a big wooden C-shaped frame with a large screw on the top. It only took a second for me to realize that such a clamp would be useful in my shop. All of my ukuleles and guitars have dovetail neck joints, and I’ve had a number of incidents over the years trying to clamp that joint. Cam clamps have a way of coming loose, as do sliding bar clamps. The clamp in the Times photo seemed like it was just the ticket for that task. 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 June 3, 2026June 3, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Mount Fret Erasers on a Handle It Worked for Me: Mount Fret Erasers on a Handle by Jason Hull Originally published in American Lutherie #144, 2021 I like using Fret Erasers. I also have carpal tunnel syndrome. I drill a hole in a block of wood, glue the erasers to it, and mount the block on my Gurian fret file (Photo 1). I put a rubber cap on the screw, to prevent dinging the frets. Photo 1. Photo by Jason Hull. Voilà! I can dress frets again. ◆
Posted on June 3, 2026June 3, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Tiny C Clamp from Hardware Parts It Worked for Me: Tiny C Clamp from Hardware Parts by Michael Breid Originally published in American Lutherie #144, 2021 I make these little clamps from a 3/16˝ pin anchor shackle and a 5/16˝×18×1˝ Allen screw from the local Ace Hardware store. The larger hole in the shackle can be tapped to 5/16˝×18 to accept the Allen screw (Photo 1). The screw that was provided with the shackle can be run into the smaller hole at the bottom, secured with superglue, and cut off (Photo 2). I put a small leather disk over it. These are great where bigger clamps can’t fit. ◆ Photo 1. All photos by Michael Breid. Photo 2
Posted on June 3, 2026June 3, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Flattening a Plank It Worked for Me: Flattening a Plank by Steve Kennel Originally published in American Lutherie #144, 2021 I’m a pathological user of salvage. It can burn up a lot of time, but I’m way past feeling OK about another tree dying for my sins. Plus, I’m cheap. This piece of mystery wood (Photo 1) had been stashed in the rafters of an old chicken house for at least eighty years by the time it found me. It was chicken-house filthy, warped, twisted, and cupped. But as it passed by on its way to the burn pile I was sure that I could see something worthwhile hiding in there. 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 26, 2026May 26, 2026 by Dale Phillips Uke Making for Guitar Makers Uke Making for Guitar Makers by Bob Gleason Originally published in American Lutherie #96, 2008 Ukuleles come in a wide variety. You’ve probably seen pineapple and cigar box ukes, so you know they are traditionally less defined than guitars. The size of the uke is defined by the scale length. There’s a guy in Japan who plays a baritone-size body with a soprano scale length, but it’s still a soprano uke. The names of the sizes, from smallest to largest, are soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. The first three are tuned the same (GCEA), while the baritone is tuned like the highest four strings of a guitar (DGBE). Traditionally, the shapes of the bodies are roughly guitar-like, though various builders have taken severe liberties with the shapes without incurring the wrath of most uke players. Nothing about uke construction is engraved in stone. 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.
