Posted on September 24, 2026September 30, 2026 by Dale Phillips Charles Fox’s Superglue Binding Method Charles Fox’s Superglue Binding Method by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #76, 2003 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 My first binding effort was done using basic tools and materials — a gramil, chisel, yellow glue, and masking tape. I sweated bullets carving out those channels! Then came the gluing: wet sticks going everywhere but in the channel, tape sticking to gluey fingers and then peeling off and making a mess of fragile purfling strips. Somehow it worked out. Since that first experience, I’ve gotten enough control over the task that it’s an orderly process these days. However, I still have a little foreboding when I start binding an instrument. Based on the amount of discussion about binding methods that I’ve encountered, I think this may be true for others as well. When I saw that Charles Fox was offering a course at American School of Lutherie (ASL) about his binding methods, I jumped at the chance to attend. I had taken some other courses from Charles and had seen some of his earlier methods demonstrated. I knew that Charles would have about as foolproof a setup as anyone and that his methods would be easy to incorporate into my own shop. 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 August 21, 2026August 21, 2026 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: William Eaton Meet the Maker: William Eaton by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #116, 2013 The open spaces of Nebraska were perfect for a young William Eaton to follow his innate inclination to explore the natural world, providing terrain for cross-country runs that led to the far hilltops from which more country could be viewed, or climbing high in trees to enjoy the sensation of swaying in the wind. Organized sports and music also became integral parts of his life. Golf and pole vaulting were especially appealing and he learned his first ukulele piece at the grand old age of seven, taught to him by an uncle. William filled his life with music and movement, something that continues into the present. By the time William was in high school, he excelled at pole vaulting and was in a band with his brother that played Top-40 music at dances. As college age approached, William felt that it was time to move on, to become an adult and prepare for a career. His career choice was pragmatic. An understanding of business seemed to have universal application, so he decided to pursue a business degree. Feeling it was time to get serious, he put aside his guitar and headed off to Arizona State University where he won a track scholarship with his pole vaulting skills. He was thinking that when he completed his studies, he might follow his father’s footsteps and go into banking. 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 July 31, 2026July 31, 2026 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Alan Carruth Meet the Maker: Alan Carruth by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #112, 2012 If curiosity really did kill the cat, the cat should have talked things over with Alan Carruth before the situation got so desperate. Alan has been curious all his life and has not only survived, but thrives on it. Fortunately for us, Alan’s curiosity has been regularly applied to the musical instrument world for around forty years and he likes to share what he learns. He has been actively involved with the Guild for at least thirty years, researches musical acoustics, teaches lutherie, produced a DVD demonstrating his method of free plate tuning, and can be found providing lots of information in various Internet venues for instrument builders. He also produces a line of imaginary tools, but you will need to go to his website to learn more about them. I got a chance to sit down with Alan several times during the last GAL Convention to find out more about what makes him tick. Tell us a little about your formative musical interests? I mostly listened to classical music as a kid, but like lots of other people, I got interested in folk music when the ’60s folk scare happened. That’s when I got my first guitar, which was a cheap nylon-string Japanese import called a Howard, named after the son of the guy who imported it. I wanted a guitar with nylon strings because that’s what Paul of Peter, Paul, and Mary played. Or was that Peter? I can never keep those guys straight. 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 8, 2026May 8, 2026 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Jayson Bowerman Meet the Maker: Jayson Bowerman by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #120, 2014 few years ago at the Northwest Handmade Musical Instrument Exhibit held at Marylhurst University near Portland, Oregon, I was drawn to the workmanship and aesthetics of Jayson Bowerman’s instruments. I did not get a chance to talk with him until the following year. When we finally talked, I found Jayson to be a friendly, easy-going guy who is quick to pick up an instrument for an impromptu jam with anyone who is willing. His relaxed friendliness belies his strong drive and ability to come up with a well-considered plan to achieve his dreams. Jayson’s directed approach has gotten him into the arena of world-class professional kayaking and surfing, made him a very effective and respected community activist in his town of Bend, Oregon, and helped him rise from an intern at Breedlove Guitars to their Head of Research and Development. In 2010, Jayson launched out on his own and started Bowerman Guitars. In spite of running a one-man shop, Jayson still carves out time to ski, bike, stand-up paddleboard, and play fiddle and mandolin with his band, Pitchfork Revolution. I got to talk with him again in his shop about life and lutherie earlier this year. As we talked, Jayson demonstrated his prowess and efficiency by continuing to work at the bench without missing a beat. 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 5, 2026May 5, 2026 by Dale Phillips Carl Samuels: Lutherie Before the Information Age Carl Samuels: Lutherie Before the Information Age or The Pilot, the Brain Surgeon, and the Pole-Vaulting Banker by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #116, 2013 Since the inception of the Roberto-Venn School, thousands of students have gotten their start in the lutherie world by following its well-thought-out curriculum under the guidance of experienced instructors. But what was John Roberts’ introduction like? More generally, how did the small club of DIY guitar builders get their start back in the days before there were instruction books, classes, or the Internet? GAL member Carl Samuels was one of those rare folks, and he related an interesting story that fills in some of the answers. His experience involved a broken $5 classical guitar from Nogales, Mexico, a job hunt, and the three freight-train boxcar loads of wood that John Roberts hauled back from Nicaragua. Samuels started playing violin at the age of five and was playing with the pit orchestra for Handels’ Messiah by the age of eight, a job he kept for the next seventeen years. He started college with a violin scholarship playing in the college symphony while studying biological psychology. His master’s degree research studied the behavioral effects of psychedelic drugs on animals and an attempt to isolate that portion of the drug molecule responsible for the behavioral effects. He later got a PhD studying the effects of selected drugs on the nervous system. 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.
