Posted on March 1, 2025May 13, 2025 by Dale Phillips Thoughts on 12-String Guitars Thoughts on 12-String Guitars by Roger Alan Skipper Originally published in American Lutherie #113, 2013 We at the Guild of American Luthiers are quite often asked about 12-string guitars: What should be done to beef up a 6-string guitar plan to make it suitable for a 12-string configuration? What have the major builders done in the past, and how successful were their efforts? What are current builders doing? To find the answers to these questions, we queried several experienced luthiers: Dana Bourgeois of Pantheon Guitars in Lewiston, Maine ◆ Frank Ford of Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, California ◆ Charles Freeborn of Freeborn Guitars in Portland, Oregon ◆ David Freeman of Timeless Instruments in Tugaske, Saskatchewan ◆ Evan Gluck of New York Guitar Repair in Manhattan, New York ◆ John Greven of Greven Guitars in Portland, Oregon ◆ George Gruhn of Gruhn Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee ◆ Arnold M.J. Hennig of Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan ◆ Bruce Petros of Petros Guitars in Kaukauna, Wisconsin ◆ Andy Powers of Taylor Guitars in El Cajon, California ◆ Tim Shaw of Fender Guitars in Scottsdale, Arizona ◆ Marc Silber of Marc Silber Music in Berkeley, California ◆ Robert Steinegger of Steinegger Guitars in Portland, Oregon. Though this article is arranged as though we were having a roundtable discussion, it was assembled from individual responses; differing opinions are simply the results of varying experiences, rather than dissension. 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 January 19, 2010September 15, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Freezing Hide Glue Questions: Freezing Hide Glue by Frank Ford Originally published in American Lutherie #79, 2004 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 Peter from cyberspace asks: At one of the discussion groups on-line I read about making a batch of hide glue, freezing it in ice cube trays, then microwaving it to thaw each cube as needed. Doesn’t freezing it change the texture, and therefore how well it will work? Likewise, doesn’t microwaving it change it molecularly? Has anybody done any testing? Frank Ford of Palo Alto, California responds: It’s long been standard procedure to mix up hide glue and keep it in the refrigerator for future use, but I don’t know anyone who freezes it routinely. For general interest I recently froze a batch and I saw no difference in its working properties once it was melted in the microwave. But I won’t be likely to freeze glue in the future as it’s more difficult to judge its progress as it melts. Sure, it does mold over with time because it’s food, but it lasts a couple of weeks and I’m happy with that. I have been microwaving hide glue as my only method of heating it for about fifteen years. It’s a good way to avoid the mess of a glue pot. By heating the glue just before use, there’s no chance to overcook it and reduce the molecular strength as I might if I left it day after day in a glue pot. I just heat 1/2 oz. of glue in a “portion cup” (the kind that hot sauce comes in at the local taco stand) until it melts. Then, I float the cup in a regular coffee cup filled with boiling water to carry over to my bench for use. After I use the glue, I toss the excess. The “experts” I’ve talked to agree that my method is the most conservative and the most unlikely to result in degradation of the glue. We’re taught to keep the temperature under 150°F, but it’s clear from the literature that the temperature is far less significant if the time under heat is reduced. And I do get great results with my hide glue! ◆
