Posted on January 16, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips In Memoriam: Ken Goodwin In Memoriam: Ken Goodwin 1948 – 2013 by Harry Fleishman Originally published in American Lutherie #117, 2014 One of my oldest friends in the lutherie community died recently. Kenny Goodwin, a Guild member when he could afford it, and a one-time convention attendee, died suddenly in August of leukemia. He and I met in the early ’70s when he came in to my first shop to ask for help with a guitar he was making. He and I became close friends and mutual advisors and ignorers. We gave and received advice from each other for decades about life, love, depression, acoustics, coffee, Chinese food, and hot water. We even took that advice sometimes. We spent hours turning to prunes as we bounced ideas back and forth while soaking in the Boulder Rec Center hot tub. He was the best person I’ve ever known for providing a sounding board for concepts about pickups, guitars, basses, and processes. Ken Goodwin (center) with Bob Benedetto (left) and Harry Fleishman at the 2001 GAL Convention in Tacoma. Photo by John Leach. Kenny was also a very fine guitar player, described in a review in the Denver Post as a guitarist who could “make the guitar lovely.” And this was in punk bands! He was also a self-taught organist. I believe Kenny only made one guitar, but he was a true luthier in spirit.
Posted on January 11, 2010March 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Review: The Art of Modern Violin Making by Ricardo B. Flores Review: The Art of Modern Violin Making by Ricardo B. Flores Reviewed by Ken Goodwin Originally published in American Lutherie #82, 2005 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 The Art of Modern Violin Making Ricardo B. Flores CD-ROM www.modernviolins.com I’m a longtime woodworker who has built a few guitars and knows next to nothing about violins. I can’t offer an expert’s analysis of the procedures presented here, but I can give you my opinion of the clarity of the instruction as well as some thoughts about the CD as a medium of information exchange compared to a book. Mr. Flores has set up his CD as a large website. No need to connect to the Internet — it’s all self-contained on the disc — but you view it in your browser and you move around by clicking on links. The typical page has a link at the bottom to move to the next page in sequence or to return home to the index page from where you can get to any section you wish. Within the text of each page various phrases are highlighted. When you click on them you are taken to a photograph illustrating the item being discussed. You go back and forth between photos and text by toggling the “back” button. 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.
