Posted on May 21, 2026May 22, 2026 by Dale Phillips The Megas Touch: Violin Style Purflings on Archtop Guitars The Megas Touch: Violin Style Purflings on Archtop Guitars by Jonathon Peterson Originally published in American Lutherie #104, 2010 When I was in Ted Megas’ shop a few months ago,one of the things that interested me was the way that he does his purflings and bindings. His routing setup is unique to what I have seen, as is his use of violin-style purflings on his archtop guitars. Ted agreed to let me know when he would be installing some purfling so that I could watch him work. Let’s start with a brief overview of the process. It all starts with the design and the materials you want to use. As I mentioned in our interview (AL#101) I have several bandsaws. One is a 14˝ Delta from the ’30s that is set up with a really fine 24 tpi blade just for cutting binding. For plastic bindings I buy sheets and cut my own strips. For hardwood bindings I cut my own veneers and rip them into stock for purflings and bindings. 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 20, 2026May 20, 2026 by Dale Phillips Making Mother-of-Pearl Nuts Making Mother-of-Pearl Nuts by Ted Megas Originally published in American Lutherie #101, 2010 Mother-of-pearl nuts are a beautiful accent to a custom instrument. I used to make all my own. Now you can buy them for 6-strings, but I still make them for 7-strings. Shells that are big enough are getting harder to find, but I still have a few. I’ll walk you through the process. Photo 1 shows a section from the hinge of a cut shell on top of a half shell. The hinge is the only part of the shell thick enough for nuts. 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 11, 2026May 11, 2026 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Ted Megas Meet the Maker: Ted Megas by Jonathon Peterson Originally published in American Lutherie #101, 2010 Tell me about your life. Start from the beginning. I was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I lived there until I was five, when my father got transferred to Buffalo, New York. He was a metallurgist at Bethlehem Steel. When you were growing up, Bethlehem was a working industrial town. It had Lehigh University, where my father graduated. That is a prestigious engineering college, and then they had the steel mill, so it was pretty industrial, but now that the steel mill is gone it is actually a really scenic place. Because it’s Bethlehem they have a Christmas festival with lots of music, and there are other things going on. I guess I was an independent kind of kid. I remember playing, and I remember getting stung by bees. I remember the house we lived in, which my father built. I have gone back to visit it, but I don’t remember too much from those years. 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 1, 2022May 28, 2025 by Dale Phillips Questions: Ebony Tailpiece Cracks Questions: Ebony Tailpiece Cracks by Ted Megas Originally published in American Lutherie #73, 2003 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015 Susan from cyberspace asks: I have a new custom-made archtop and the ebony tailpiece has developed a few very thin/small cracks. Should I use lemon oil on it? I have a humidifier in the room, but it seems impossible to keep the humidity at a constant level. Ted Megas of Portland, Oregon responds: I would be concerned that the structure of the tailpiece is undermined. A cracked tailpiece is potentially a very dangerous situation, since it’s under a lot of tension. I’ve even heard of tailpieces exploding. Lemon oil will neither fix the cracks nor prevent further cracking. You need to be in touch with the maker of the guitar or a reputable repairperson. 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.
