Posted on June 22, 2026June 22, 2026 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Géza Burghardt Meet the Maker: Géza Burghardt by Cindy Burton Originally published in American Lutherie #61, 2000 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Six, 2013 I met Géza and his wife and business partner, Tini, at the 1998 GAL Convention in Tacoma. I’d been hearing about him for several years and was really looking forward to our chat. Three hours whizzed by as Géza told his remarkable story, a true immigrant success story. He, Tini, and their young daughter Eszter arrived in Vancouver, B.C. in 1988 with little more than the shirts on their backs. They spoke very little English. Twelve years later they have a thriving lutherie business, a beautiful shop, and a comfortable life. What follows is Géza’s story in his own words. I was fourteen years old when I became an apprentice in a special woodworking school in Hungary for three years to become a pattern maker. This is an extremely complicated job requiring great precision. We were taught to do everything by hand. We were not allowed to use any power machines, not even a grinder to grind the chisels. After you were done with a job it was sent to a special room for checking. There was no tolerance — not even a tenth of a millimeter. They’d send it back and you’d have to fix it, and your salary went down. 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 1, 2026May 1, 2026 by Dale Phillips Remembering Manuel Remembering Manuel by Eugene Clark, Armin Kelly, Robert Ruck, Jeffrey Elliott, Cyndy Burton, and Paul Szmanda Originally published in American Lutherie #119, 2014 Manuel Velázquez was making fine guitars in the 1940s, before I knew what a guitar was. I had always assumed his presence, that he would always be with us, like the New York Yankees, like the Statue of Liberty. But now he is gone. Manuel visited Tacoma with his son Alfredo in 2006. Alfredo thanked me for recognizing his father in some of my published articles. I explained that Manuel meant a lot to me — not so much for the guitars he made, but for the man he was. I have said to many people over the years that the most important thing in making guitars is the name that is on the label. It is because of Manuel that I have come to that position. Manuel’s guitars do not sound like the work he has copied ever so carefully. They sound like Manuel — warm and loving, very clear, very Latin. His student-grade guitars, better than many first-class guitars, are very popular in New York City. 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 1, 2026May 1, 2026 by Dale Phillips Manuel Velazquez, In His Own Words Manuel Velazquez, In His Own Words by Cyndy Burton and Manuel Velazquez Originally published in American Lutherie #119, 2014 Manuel’s example of excellence inspired all who had the good fortune to know him. On the several occasions he participated in GAL Conventions or gave interviews, he freely advised us on how to carry out the difficult task of finding one’s way in the world of instrument making, and with remarkable generosity, shared the nuts and bolts of that perilous adventure as well. Manuel is quoted directly from the following previously published articles. — Cyndy Burton I am still a student. I will always be a student. From “Manuel Velázquez: An Appreciation,” by William Cumpiano (AL#4, Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One) 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 April 24, 2026April 24, 2026 by Dale Phillips Questions: Best French Polish Procedure Questions: Best French Polish Procedure by Cyndy Burton Originally published in American Lutherie #109, 2012 Enrico Schiaffella from Rome, Italy asks: I am still looking for “the best way” for my French polish procedure. I would like to be assured about one point. Is it correct that French polish expert Cyndy Burton performs the pore-filling step using epoxy? What kind of epoxy? Is it possible to have a short version of her pore-filling procedure? Cyndy Burton from Portland, Oregon replies: Yes, I use Devcon five-minute epoxy, which is readily available in the U.S. A description of my method was published in AL#51 and is available in The Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Five on p. 496. If you have difficulty locating it, please drop me an e-mail (cyndyb@hevanet.com). Caveat: not all epoxies are compatible with shellac.
Posted on April 16, 2026April 16, 2026 by Dale Phillips Remembering Julian Bream Remembering Julian Bream by Cyndy Burton, José Romanillos, R.E. Bruné, Jeffrey R. Elliott, Kevin Aram, Gary Southwell, and Simon Ambridge Originally published in American Lutherie #142, 2021 Julian Bream was born on July 15, 1933, and died on August 14, 2020, one month after his 87th birthday. The accolades that followed were online and in print everywhere, and were consistently filled with superlatives praising his genius as a classical guitarist, his tireless commissioning and presentation of new guitar repertoire from notable contemporary composers, and his teaching and creating opportunities for the next generation of classical guitarists. But commonly overlooked in descriptions of Julian Bream’s achievements in his long career, are the fruits of his relationships with the handful of classical guitar makers he chose to build for him. He sought the best classical guitars possible to serve his musical purposes and, at the same time, inspired their makers to improve their art and craft. We are fortunate that those luthiers are represented here, and that they’ve offered memories of their interactions with Julian Bream. — Cyndy Burton 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.
