Posted on July 8, 2024July 8, 2024 by Dale Phillips Post-Toronto Reflections Post-Toronto Reflections by Jeffrey R. Elliott Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly 6, #3, 1978 The Canadian-hosted classic guitar festival “Guitar ’78” has left me with several vivid impressions, some of which I felt might merit hearing through the Guild Quarterly. The range and scope of this event was extensive, and to merely remain with the pace was exhausting. While I had hoped to experience something of several other events also scheduled, I soon discovered that to participate in all the luthiers’ happenings meant to forego nearly every other event on the program. With the scheduled four hours of the guitar makers’ workshop each day, meals, the evening concerts, and precious little sleep, any shop talk or visiting with other luthiers meant overlapping with other classes and events. An expected sacrifice from my “Guitar ’75” experience, but extensive and exhausting nonetheless. Of the 600 or so in attendance perhaps 10% were luthiers: having some 60 luthiers around for 24 hours a day, every day for a week, as well as the scheduled 20 hours of lecture-discussion, rendered me totally susceptible and helpless, and I became absorbed in that unique blend of professional and social camaraderie experienced during both the 1977 G.A.L. convention and the “Guitar ’75” festival. Some fine friendships, and solid professional relationships as well, have had their beginnings at these events. The 1978 G.A.L. Convention/Exhibition and the Carmel Classic Guitar Festival ought to round out this year nicely. 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 July 1, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: African Wenge Questions: African Wenge by Jeffrey R. Elliott Originally published in American Lutherie #59, 1999 See also, Questions: Wenge by John Calkin Milan Sabljic of Belgrade, Yugoslavia asks: I would like to know is it safe to use African wenge to make classic guitar bridges. Jeff Elliott of Portland, OR responds: I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see any reason not to. It’s dense, it sounds (taps) well, and it’s beautiful. Also, Gibson used it for steel string guitar bridges in the 1970s. I think it would work very well. ◆
Posted on August 1, 2022March 5, 2024 by Dale Phillips Potassium Dichromate, Oxalic Acid, and Carnauba Wax Potassium Dichromate, Oxalic Acid, and Carnauba Wax by Jeffrey R. Elliott Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #52, and #55, 1977 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume One, 2000 Potassium dichromate. European luthiers commonly use potassium dichromate to give that nice, brown “aged” look to lighter, newer woods. It can be used by itself or mixed with aniline dyes for additional color tints. Primarily it has been used to darken the interiors of violin-family instruments, although I know of many who have used it on the exterior to darken spruce and maple. I have used it both inside and out to create a “naturally aged” looking wood on guitars. Potassium dichromate is a chemical activated by light from the sun, sunlamp, or infrared lamp, but direct, natural, full-spectrum sunlight is best. Beware: Indirect light will not activate it, and the solution will tend to color the wood a murky green. The solution is rather weak — two tablespoons to one gallon of water. It can be applied by brushing or by wiping it on with a cloth (wear gloves). Although I have never tried it, I imagine a spray method would work as well. Whichever method is used, a light, even coat is recommended. 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 May 6, 2021March 6, 2024 by Dale Phillips Accident Prevention: A Case History Accident Prevention: A Case History by Jeffrey R. Elliott Originally published in American Lutherie #14, 1988 Aa a luthier who has repaired several thousand guitars over the past 20 years, I have developed a growing obsession over guitar care and safety. Much of this is due to my realization that nearly half those repairs may not have been necessary had they been properly handled. Significantly, they were often not in their owner’s possession at the time of “the accident”. In such a case a few years ago, the culprits appeared to have been the baggage handlers of several airlines during a rigorous two month international tour. The owner took all the proper precautions before and after each flight, and the guitar was in an expensive custom case made especially to accommodate its shape and dimensions. So I was upset, but not surprised, when I learned of the first incident, as airline handling of instruments remains notoriously poor. However, upon learning of three more identical mishaps, I became increasingly concerned for the instrument. 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 November 14, 2019March 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips North American Softwoods North American Softwoods by Ted Davis, Bruce Harvie, Steve McMinn, Byron Will, and Dave Wilson, moderated by Joseph Johnson from their 1990 GAL Convention panel discussion Previously published in American Lutherie #31, 1992 and The Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume Three, 2004 Why don’t each of you tell us who you are, where you’re from, and a little bit of what you’ve done. Ted: My name is Ted Davis and I live in Tennessee near the Smokey Mountains. The Smokeys have red spruce in them and when I found out this wood was useful, I started pursuing it. In the last two years, after a ten-year search, I have managed to find and cut a small amount of red spruce. It was the wood that was used by Martin and Gibson around the turn of the century, up into the 1940s. Bruce: My name is Bruce Harvie and I have a company called Orcas Island Tonewoods in the San Juan Islands of Washington. I have spread myself very thin cutting all the Northwest species — western red cedar, Port Orford cedar, Sitka spruce, Engelmann spruce — and I’ve just returned from cutting some red spruce. Byron: I’m Byron Will and my interest is more from an instrument maker’s point of view. I started building harpsichords in 1975 when I moved to the Pacific Northwest from Wisconsin. I wasn’t very satisfied with the woods I had been using. After seeing these gorgeous Northwest trees I started wondering about their physical and acoustical properties and how useful they’d be in my work. I decided to try some of the local softwoods and learned quite a bit through the years. 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.
