Posted on July 7, 2026July 7, 2026 by Dale Phillips Vise on a Stick Vise on a Stick by Harry Fleishman Originally published in American Lutherie #143, 2021 I tend to work in terribly uncomfortable and physically damaging postures, thanks to the inevitable mismatch between where the work is, where it would be comfortable to work on it, how my body is shaped, and my inherent laziness. In spite of that, about thirty years ago I decided to design a jig that might help in a few types of work. These include neck shaping (where clamps tend to be in the way, and the work keeps needing to be moved), and bridge, saddle, and nut work (where I like to get it up closer to eye level). As those of you who have read my articles in the past know, I started out when there were virtually no off-the-shelf jigs and tools for lutherie. To some modern luthiers that may seem like a deprivation; I believe there was a benefit to having to figure out how to make them. It made one more inventive, and for me, that carried over to my design work. 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 March 26, 2026March 26, 2026 by Dale Phillips Multiscale Peghead Scarf Joint Multiscale Peghead Scarf Joint by Harry Fleishman Originally published in American Lutherie #118, 2014 MultiScale fretboards, once so unusual and exotic, not to say controversial, are becoming more accepted as their potential benefits are enjoyed by many musicians. I personally find that the multiscale board is especially beneficial for multistring basses, where it can give the low B a longer, more massive scale, thereby giving a deeper, more massive tone. Similarly, on the guitar, a longer-scale low string countered with a shorter-scale high string can give a nice smooth transition from the deeper low range to the sweeter high range. Obviously, there are many ways to realize a multiscale instrument, from the decision about which, if any, fret is perpendicular to the centerline; to what scales to choose for the long and short of it. As one of the developers of the multiscale fretboard in the modern era, with arithmetician John Starrett, I have done a great deal of experimenting with it and the many ways to do it. 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 March 19, 2026March 19, 2026 by Dale Phillips Multiscale Fretboards and Fingerboards: The Long and Short of It Multiscale Fretboards and Fingerboards: The Long and Short of It by Harry Fleishman Originally published in American Lutherie #119, 2014 The idea of using a longer scale for low-ptiched strings and a shorter one for high-pitched strings goes back centuries. The earliest harps employed this concept and, of course, pianos and harpsichords are all graduated-scale-length instruments. The earliest fretted instrument I’ve found employing this concept is the orpharion from the 17th century, pictured in this advertisement for a book of “tabliture.” How popular the instrument was I cannot say; but books containing “fundrie forts of leffons” were apparently “fold at his shop... in Gracious ftreet.” (Why shop, not fhop?) 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 March 3, 2026March 3, 2026 by Dale Phillips Half-and-Half Tops Half-and-Half Tops by Harry Fleishman Originally published in Lutherie Woods and Steel String Guitars, 1997 About five years ago I made a significant change in the way I make my guitars. For twenty years, or so, I had used Sitka spruce exclusively for both classical and steel-string instruments. I had good supply of nice wood and had become accustomed to the tone of the guitars I made with it. After reading several articles about makers using cedar and even redwood for their tops, with their glowing reports of quick response and interesting tone, I decided to try and experiment of my own. I built two instruments as identical as I could, using the same rosewood for the sides and back, as well as bracewood and neck material, respectively, from the same boards. When the guitars were strung and played in a bit, it was instantly noticeable that the redwood guitar had a warmer, more intimate, darker tone that was both inviting and extremely pleasing. The spruce, by contrast was sharper, brighter, and more clear in its upper partials, and had better projection. It lacked the warmth, but excelled in volume. Each guitar was missing what the other possessed. 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 January 15, 2026January 15, 2026 by Dale Phillips Electric Bass Design Consideration Electric Bass Design Consideration by Veronica Merryfield, David Minnieweather, and moderator/organizer Harry Fleishman from their 2008 GAL Convention panel discussion Originally published in American Lutherie #99, 2009 Harry Fleishman: We’re going to talk basses. Veronica Merryfield is here to talk about the transition from acoustic to electric upright. David Minnieweather is going to talk about bass design from a player’s standpoint, and I’m going talk about thinking in terms of design and making materials choices. So without further ado — do you want further ado? — here is Veronica. Veronica Merryfield: This is my twenty-fifth year of making instruments. I was doing analog synths in my early teens and I needed a bass for the sound I was after. I bought a cheap bass and it was rubbish. Right then, Ned Steinberger brought out this beautifully designed bass but I just couldn’t afford one, so I started building. I made a bass and played it for fifteen years, despite all its problems. Now I use it to show students that their stuff’s really not all that bad. 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.
