Posted on June 30, 2024May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips Dulcimer 101 Dulcimer 101 by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #98, 2009 There's a good reason why dulcimers get no respect. They are most often judged by their worst players. No one faced with a no-talent, beginner guitarist says, “That instrument isn’t worth a damn.” But when confronted by someone trying to strum the dulcimer and warble through “Amazing Grace,” that’s exactly the attitude that most of us adopt — “That instrument isn’t worth my time.” But if you’ve ever heard the likes of Marks Biggs, Leo Kretzner, Harvey Reid, or Janita Baker, just to name a few, you know that the instrument is only limited by the ability and imagination of the player. So please leave your attitude at the door. I quit building dulcimers after about eighty pieces. When I ran out of market I moved on to other instruments. Guitars and banjos may be more complicated, but I never felt that I had outgrown dulcimers. Recently I met dulcimer teacher Dinah Ansley. Teachers of obscure instruments often become hubs of like-minded people. After examining and playing a couple pieces I had left after a decade of nonbuilding, Dinah told me that if I would make dulcimers again she would recommend them to her students. 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. Members also receive 3 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on June 30, 2024May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips Total Flame Out: Retopping a Harp Guitar Total Flame Out: Retopping a Harp Guitar by Harry Fleishman Originally published in American Lutherie #100, 2009 Falling in love causes people to do crazy things. It made me build a harp guitar using a piece of redwood that was so obviously problematic that I should have run from it. But I fell in love with it for its beauty. I should have been faithful to the wonderful straight-grained wood I’d had such success with. But no; I was blinded by its gorgeous curls. Like a C-street politician, I’m paying the price now. Replacing the top on a complicated instrument is no picnic, I can tell you. The harp guitars I’ve made have no actual centerline and no points of symmetry. But once I made the decision to go forward with the retopping, I remembered a cool description of how Taylor Guitars does it. Bob Taylor has the good sense not to trash a guitar just because it doesn’t sound good. He also has the good sense not to sell a guitar that isn’t up to his standards. He also has a CNC machine and interchangeable parts for his guitars. Not I. 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. Members also receive 3 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on June 13, 2024May 30, 2025 by Dale Phillips Routing Neck Dovetails, Part 2 Routing Neck Dovetails, Part 2 by Roy Woltz Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #162, 1980 Here is the simplified method of making dovetail neck joints with a router and dovetail bit. First, figure the depth of the guitar body at the heel. Mine are usually 3 3/8", so I make the dovetail 3" long. It will taper about 1/4" to the inch. The female jig is designed to be used with a holding mold attached to a table. The mold must be fastened to form a 90° angle to the table top and to bring the heel surface of the body into such a position that the jig can be extended over it. The body is put in the mod with the soundboard facing out, and is held in working position with the wedges and rubber bands. 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 June 13, 2024May 15, 2025 by Dale Phillips Fretboard Slotting with a CNC Router Fretboard Slotting with a CNC Router by John Svizzero and R.M. Mottola Originally published in American Lutherie #98, 2009 Lutherie shops with CNC machines use them for a number of applications, some of which are discussed in the article “Desktop CNC Machines” in AL#77. We (authors Svizzero and Mottola) met at meetings of the New England Luthiers and began comparing notes on our shop-built CNCs. Svizzero’s full-sized machine uses Porter-Cable routers as spindles, and Mottola’s desktop machine uses the Proxxon grinder. We have each been using CNC routers in our own shops for slotting fretboards. By CNC routing standards, fretboard slotting is a slow operation due to the small diameter end mills used (typically .022" to .025"), but in our small shops we have found slotting in this manner to be both cost effective in terms of time and to offer some advantages that other slotting schemes do not. With a suitable CNC machine already in the shop, it is possible to experiment with CNC fretboard slotting with a small investment in tooling and time. Our experiences may help others get over some of the startup problems. 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 June 13, 2024May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips Violin Bridge Holder Violin Bridge Holder by Alan Carruth Originally published in American Lutherie #7, 1986 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000 Thanks to George Manno for some feedback on his experience with bridge tuning. Bridges on good violins do tend to be quite similar, but I still like to work them up individually. And he is certainly right about fitting the feet! One dimension he seems to have left out is the thickness of the feet at the bottom of the bridge, generally given as 4.5MM (3/16"). If this is too heavy it can make the instrument sound “closed.” If you don’t want to thin it anymore a bit of wood can be removed from the end of the leg without affecting the stiffness too much. 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.
