Posted on August 5, 2026August 5, 2026 by Dale Phillips Review: Advanced Ukulele Building with Jay Lichty Review: Advanced Ukulele Building with Jay Lichty by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #142, 2021 Advanced Ukulele Building with Jay Lichty Robert O’Brien Video instruction Download from Obrienguitars.com, $277 I have loved books all my life, but when I began having worrisome visions of my house tipping toward the side containing my library I decided to make a change. As I began to shed books, it became easier to do. Most of my lutherie books disappeared via eBay and I have not missed them. Early on I became a fan of video instruction. But videotape was not especially convenient when it came to finding specific information. DVDs were a huge step forward, but then came the automatic download. YouTube provided a world of free instruction, but too often it was unsatisfying and of doubtful veracity. Nothing beats expert instruction that is professionally recorded and expertly edited. It doesn’t come cheap, but I have never minded investing in quality education. 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 July 7, 2026July 7, 2026 by Dale Phillips First Build: A Lumberyard Ukulele First Build: A Lumberyard Ukulele by Steve Dickerson Originally published in American Lutherie #143, 2021 When you’re building your first instrument, there aren’t many options. You can buy a kit, join a class (if you can find one), or build from scratch. Kit building can be enjoyable, as well as educational, but (to me, at least) it doesn’t produce the same satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that comes from starting with nothing but the raw materials. My first instrument, many years ago, was scratch-built, but with a twist: I bought a tenor ukulele kit from StewMac, complete with plans and a how-to DVD. I watched the DVD, studied the plans and manual, but set the kit aside. I then bought materials from Home Depot and made a uke, using the kit’s plans and instructions. I still have my “Lumberyard Ukulele” (Photo 1), and it’s a good reminder of some of the things I did wrong. 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 July 15, 2025July 15, 2025 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Duane Heilman Meet the Maker: Duane Heilman by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #71, 2002 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013 Duane Heilman is a quirky luthier. Though he serves his community in the apple-growing country of eastern Washington doing typical repair work in a normal fashion, his creative bent might run off in any direction when he turns his mind to instrument creation. His Spam instruments have been a hit at several GAL Convention auctions. The Spamdolin is a mandolin that uses a Spam can as a body and resonator. The Spamavarius is a violin made in a similar fashion. They are funny, weird, and fully playable instruments that entice fans of the bizarre into the auction room several times a day to sample them. They always sell for surprising amounts of money. I first talked to Duane across the cafeteria lunch table the first day of the 2001 GAL Convention, and after hearing his tale of successfully marketing ukes on eBay, I knew I’d have to get him to repeat it for my tape deck. So here’s Duane, the first luthier I know to leap willingly into the 21st century. 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 January 13, 2025May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: John Kitakis Meet the Maker: John Kitakis by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #67, 2001 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013 Those who didn’t make it to the 2001 GAL Convention, or have been otherwise holed up in their shops, may not even be aware that we’re in the middle of a rebirth of the ukulele. There are more uke manufacturers than at any time in recent memory, and a growing number of independent builders have surfaced to satisfy the high-end market. The shop of John Kitakis, Ko’olau Guitars and Ukuleles, is a family enterprise that began with guitars but found that the real market was in ukes. His story is a good one, and you’ll be glad you met him here. 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.
