Posted on June 2, 2026June 11, 2026 by Dale Phillips Fitting Flamenco Pegs Fitting Flamenco Pegs by Aaron Green Originally published in American Lutherie #82, 2005 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 While it is the tradition for flamenco guitars to be fitted with pegs instead of machine gears, the historical rationale was economic in the same way as was the choice of cypress for the back and sides. These days the cost difference between pegs and gears is not usually reflected in the total cost of the guitar to such an extent that a guitarist would pick one or the other based solely on their budget. It has been my observation that in the last few years, more and more guitarists are requesting pegs for their guitars. There are some very compelling reasons for using pegs: They are quicker than gears; they are lighter than gears, which can help the balance of lighter cypress-bodied guitars; and from an aesthetic point of view, pegs are hard to beat. 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.
Posted on May 22, 2026May 22, 2026 by Dale Phillips Peg Shapers That You Can Adjust Peg Shapers That You Can Adjust by David Golber Originally published in American Lutherie #96, 2008 There are two meanings of the word “adjustable.” One is that you loosen some screws, and some part becomes moveable. Then, if you have superhuman fineness of hand and eye, you can put that part in exactly the right place, and then tighten the screws — hoping that tightening the screws won’t move the part out of place again! The other meaning of “adjustable” is that ordinary human beings can get the part into the right place. Photo 1 shows the usual kind of peg shaper on the right. You loosen the screws that hold a blade and then somehow get the blade to exactly the right spot. Some people use these; they don’t work for me. On the left is one of my peg shapers. The crucial difference is the adjusting nuts, which allow mere mortals to actually adjust the thing. 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 21, 2026May 21, 2026 by Dale Phillips Make a Dished Workboard, Freehand Make a Dished Workboard, Freehand by Ryan Schultz Originally published in American Lutherie #99, 2009 As a first-time guitar builder, I bought a kit from LMI and eagerly began to build my guitar. Very early in the process, I realized that I needed to obtain two radiused sanding dishes (30´ for the top and 15´ for the back) for various tasks as the Robert O’Brien DVD suggests. These sanding dishes are not cheap. They generally cost $60 to $80 each plus shipping. So I was determined to make the sanding dishes on my own if I could. My research showed that most people make a router jig with the appropriate profile (see AL#74). But I thought I could make a dish quicker and easier, with no jigs, basically routing it free hand. 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 15, 2026May 15, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Pantograph It Worked for Me: Pantograph by Greg Nelson Originally published in American Lutherie #110, 2012 A pantograph has become my solution for dealing with small pieces of shell for inlay work. This simple device has allowed me to upgrade the quality of my inlay work as well as speed up the process. This is especially true with repeat work such as a logo. The pantograph is simply a series of rods connected in such a way that if one end is anchored and the other moved, a point between will move exactly the same but at a set fraction of the original movement. My pantograph is set up for a 50% reduction in size thereby giving me greater control of my cutting tool. 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.
