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.
Posted on May 4, 2026May 4, 2026 by Dale Phillips It Worked for Me: Downdraft Sander It Worked for Me: Downdraft Sander by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #120, 2014 A small downdraft sander that attaches to a drill press is a handy shop item that can be used for shaping and thicknessing. Although there are some very nice commercial offerings, I have found that this homemade one meets my needs. I got the design from a neighbor and made it from pieces of scrap plywood I had on hand. The box is held in place with two cleats that slide into the drill-press table slots and a screw that passes through the table’s center hole into a T-nut embedded into the bottom of the box. The drum-sander hole has a rabbet around it that lets hardboard inserts provide a flat surface with a small clearance around different diameter sanding drums. A 1/8" clearance provides enough support surface and air movement. Suction is created by attaching my dust-collector hose to the box through a side hole. The down draft removes dust as expected and also helps reduce sandpaper clogging. 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 Taming the Wild Wood Binding Taming the Wild Wood Binding by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #114, 2013 Like many folks, I built my first guitar following the book Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology by William Cumpiano and Jonathan Natelson. Every task had me holding my breath and hoping for a good outcome. It pretty much worked; by the time I finished the book, I was the proud owner of what could be the world’s ugliest guitar, but it was still a guitar. The book’s introduction to the binding and purfling process states, “Purflings should be restricted to veneer lines around the soundboard, back, and back stripe.” I followed the dictum, completing my first guitar blissfully unaware of the pitfalls awaiting me when I would attempt to add side purfling. I didn’t have long to wait. Guitar #2 was my first attempt to incorporate side purflings. I wish I could jump in the Wayback machine and review the disaster that unfolded. It never crossed my mind to try to bend them to shape before attempting to glue them in with the binding. What a mess. There were also gaps between the plates and the bindings that had to be filled. Gaps continued to be a problem for a number of my beginning instruments. 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 April 23, 2025June 20, 2025 by Dale Phillips Bog’s Way Bog’s Way An In-Depth Hands-On Review of John Bogdanovich’s Making a Concert Classical Guitar DVD Set by Tom Harper Originally published in American Lutherie #113, 2013 Almost all of my classical guitars built over the last decade have used Jeff Elliott’s open transverse brace design and been built with methods learned mostly from classes taught by Charles Fox. I’ve been very pleased with the results and work flow, but have been toying with the idea of temporarily leaving my lutherie comfort zone. John Bogdanovich’s ten-DVD set Making a Concert Classical Guitar looked like it could provide the change I was looking for. The introduction says the course is for experienced woodworkers, but I feel that anyone comfortable using the required tools and looking for an in-depth project will also enjoy it. Bogdanovich uses a broad repertoire of skills — lamination, bending with heat, carving, inlay, tool making, and more. Who would not benefit from experimenting with such a diverse set of activities? 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.
