Posted on June 30, 2024May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Bernard Millant Meet the Maker: Bernard Millant by Jonathon Peterson Originally published in American Lutherie #86, 2006 In 1973 I was a dance student at Juilliard, in New York. One of the best parts of going to school there was walking past the practice rooms and hearing some of the finest student musicians in the world at their work. One day I passed a couple of violin students who were inspecting a bow that one of them had recently acquired. I heard the other student gasp, “How much? $2,400?? I can’t believe it! What a deal!” I was living hand-to-mouth, and I was shocked. I knew that fine violins were expensive, but $2,400 in 1973 dollars for a hank of hair and a stick? Then the blinding light of stupidity hit me, and I realized that without a bow there is no violin, no cello, no viola, no orchestra, and none of the musical literature which relies so heavily on those instruments. I have been curious about bow construction ever since. Paul Schuback hosted the 2004 Violin Society of America Meeting and Competition in Portland, Oregon. When he invited me to attend and gave me the opportunity to meet Bernard Millant, an internationally recognized authority in the field of bow making, I jumped at the chance. Mr. Millant was both lecturing and judging, so he was a very busy man during the conference, but he was kind enough to meet with me one evening in his hotel room and tell me a little about his life in the craft. 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. Members also receive 3 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on March 7, 2024May 12, 2025 by Dale Phillips Meet the Maker: Byron Will Meet the Maker: Byron Will by Jonathon Peterson Originally published in American Lutherie #31, 1992 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume Three, 2004 Why are you building harpsichords and how did you get started? I studied climatology for two years at the University of Wisconsin. I was really interested in long-range weather forecasting. However, you cannot be a climatologist and not work with computers. Now I think that computers are great, but this was the dark ages of 1970. I hated key-punch cards, writing programs, rewriting programs, sorting cards, and computer rooms, but a lot of the upper-level classes I was taking required this work. I found myself taking more and more music classes, and I started taking harpsichord lessons with one of the music professors. I really enjoyed it. I love the music of the Baroque Period, and I became more and more interested in the harpsichord. After a semester I switched majors to music history and literature, and I studied harpsichord. During that time I built a small harpsichord from a kit so I’d have something to practice on at home, and I really enjoyed that. It was an early Zuckermann kit. Not a slab – (straight) sided one; this was after David Way took over. It was a Flemish II or something. 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 May 1, 2023March 23, 2026 by Dale Phillips Fall Collection 2024 Articles Online Fall Collection 2024 GAL Members – Login first before clicking on article titles to read the full articles. Not a member? You can join or renew here. Radiation from Lower Guitar Modes by Graham Caldersmith (1985) Caldersmith discusses the efficiency and pattern of sound radiation in the classic guitar produced by the four lower resonance modes, which he calls monopole, cross dipole, long dipole, and tripole. Inside Pacific Rim Tonewoods by Steve McMinn (1993) McMinn’s lutherie wood business has turned out to be a pretty big deal. Here we gain perspective by seeing it at the very beginning. The Great White Sitka by Jeffrey R. Elliott (1993) Holy Moby Spruce! How does one hack a log that’s eleven feet wide into 4000 guitar tops? Very carefully! By the way, this is a log that Steve McMinn rescued from the pulp mill. Meet the Maker: Bernard Millant by Jonathon Peterson (2006) Millant is a violin maker, a bow maker, an appraiser, an author, and a man of high repute within the violin world. The depth of training behind many old-school fiddle people will astonish most guitar makers, and it makes for entrancing reading. Meet the Maker: Dmitry Zhevlakov by Federico Sheppard (2007) This is not only the story of a Russian luthier who also makes beautiful rosettes for other builders, but is another example of how the Internet has changed the world — in this case for better. Aluminum Sonatas: A Brief History of Aluminum Stringed Instruments in the Last 120 Years by James Condino (2007) Every luthier knows how fickle and finicky the market is, so it’s no wonder that musical instruments made of aluminum didn’t catch on. Examined here are a violin, a mandolin, and a pair of bass viols. Fun stuff! Mechanical Compliance for Soundboard Optimization by David Hurd (2007) Hurd believes that the fastest way to great instruments is science, and it’s hard to argue with such a rational man. His jigs measure the deflection of top plates while under tension, and once he carves the top and braces to the numbers he wants, he’s done. This could be math heavy, but he offers an Internet spread sheet to ease the pain. Construction of the Colombian Tiple by Anamaria Paredes Garcia and R.M. Mottola (2007) Cross a 12-string flattop with a classical guitar and you get the Colombian tiple. The tiple has four courses of three steel strings, but on the inside, it’s a classical. Follow Alberto Paredes as he builds the instrument in this photo tour. See GAL Plan #51. Meet the Maker: Mervyn Davis by Rodney Stedall (2007) Davis’ South African upbringing inspires a wonderful decorative sense in his instruments. He’s built a ton of different stuff but may end up best known for his wildly unique modular guitars called Smooth Talkers. Cricket: A Reclaimed Salvage Recovery by James Condino (2007) Condino’s mandolin is made from recycled materials, mostly Douglas fir and katalox. It is unique and beautiful, and the story behind it is pretty cool, too. Grading on the Curves: Fitting Bars and Bridges on Archtop Guitars by Steve Andersen (2007) This is a very detailed look at how a notable builder of archtop guitars fits tone bars and bridges to his instruments. The Venezuelan Cuatro by Aquiles Torres (2008) Traditionally, this instrument is a small 4-string guitar with 14 frets clear, no frets over the body, a flush fretboard, and a large veneer tap plate. Note that the cuatro built for the article has 17 frets clear of the body. See GAL Plan #58. The MacRostie Mandolin Deflection Jig by Don MacRostie (2008) MacRostie’s clever jig measures the top deflection of a carved mandolin under string load at any stage of its construction. It is a valuable tool within the reach of any luthier. The “Corker” Guitar: A Sideport Experiment by Alan Carruth (2008) Carruth built a classical guitar with many small ports drilled in the side. By plugging the ports in various combinations he investigated the usefulness and physics behind them. Though this guitar did not make a believer out of him, he admits that his results are somewhat inconclusive. Electric Guitar Setup by Erick Coleman and Elliot John-Conry (2009) Two disciples of Dan Erlewine explain the latest techniques of setting up the electric guitar. All the details and specs are there, as well as a bit of philosophy. Dulcimer 101 by John Calkin (2009) Dulcimers are needlessly maligned and in need of advocates, and the author is a strong one. Tools and jiggery are kept to a minimum to make construction of this entry level instrument as accessible as possible. The Guitar as a Structure and Some Practical Information on Bracing by James Blilie (2009) A structural engineer and guitar builder sees the guitar as a thing buffeted by forces and stresses. Total Flame Out: Retopping a Harp Guitar by Harry Fleishman (2009) Harry replaces the failed soundboard on a complicated instrument with as little refinishing and other stress as possible. Strings: The (Often) Forgotten Accessory by Fan Tao (2010) D’Addario's resident scientist Fan Tao helps us understand string issues in relation to custom instruments and customized tuning. Practical Acoustics by Michael Cone (2010) Cone describes his advanced apparatus and method for acoustically testing classical guitars. Meet the Maker: James Ham by Roger Alan Skipper (2010) Ham operates from a shop in Victoria, B.C. where he repairs and restores violin family instruments and constructs world class double basses. It’s All About the Core or How to Estimate Compensation by Sjaak Elmendorp (2010) Mathematics and parameters used to address the problem of string compensation estimation. Articles Online Fall Collection 2024 Radiation from Lower Guitar Modes by Graham Caldersmith (1985) Caldersmith discusses the efficiency and pattern of sound radiation in the classic guitar produced by the four lower resonance modes, which he calls monopole, cross dipole, long dipole, and tripole. Inside Pacific Rim Tonewoods by Steve McMinn (1993) McMinn's lutherie wood business has turned out to be a pretty big deal. Here we gain perspective by seeing it at the very beginning. The Great White Sitka by Jeffrey R. Elliott (1993) Holy Moby Spruce! How does one hack a log that’s eleven feet wide into 4000 guitar tops? Very carefully! By the way, this is a log that Steve McMinn rescued from the pulp mill. Meet the Maker: Bernard Millant by Jonathon Peterson (2006) Millant is a violin maker, a bow maker, an appraiser, an author, and a man of high repute within the violin world. The depth of training behind many old-school fiddle people will astonish most guitar makers, and it makes for entrancing reading. Meet the Maker: Dmitry Zhevlakov by Federico Sheppard (2007) This is not only the story of a Russian luthier who also makes beautiful rosettes for other builders, but is another example of how the Internet has changed the world — in this case for better. Aluminum Sonatas: A Brief History of Aluminum Stringed Instruments in the Last 120 Years by James Condino (2007) Every luthier knows how fickle and finicky the market is, so it’s no wonder that musical instruments made of aluminum didn’t catch on. Examined here are a violin, a mandolin, and a pair of bass viols. Fun stuff! Mechanical Compliance for Soundboard Optimization by David Hurd (2007) Hurd believes that the fastest way to great instruments is science, and it’s hard to argue with such a rational man. His jigs measure the deflection of top plates while under tension, and once he carves the top and braces to the numbers he wants, he’s done. This could be math heavy, but he offers an Internet spread sheet to ease the pain. Construction of the Colombian Tiple by Anamaria Paredes Garcia and R.M. Mottola (2007) Cross a 12-string flattop with a classical guitar and you get the Colombian tiple. The tiple has four courses of three steel strings, but on the inside, it’s a classical. Follow Alberto Paredes as he builds the instrument in this photo tour. See GAL Plan #51. Meet the Maker: Mervyn Davis by Rodney Stedall (2007) Davis’ South African upbringing inspires a wonderful decorative sense in his instruments. He’s built a ton of different stuff but may end up best known for his wildly unique modular guitars called Smooth Talkers. Cricket: A Reclaimed Salvage Recovery by James Condino (2007) Condino’s mandolin is made from recycled materials, mostly Douglas fir and katalox. It is unique and beautiful, and the story behind it is pretty cool, too. Grading on the Curves: Fitting Bars and Bridges on Archtop Guitars by Steve Andersen (2007) This is a very detailed look at how a notable builder of archtop guitars fits tone bars and bridges to his instruments. The Venezuelan Cuatro by Aquiles Torres (2008) Traditionally, this instrument is a small 4-string guitar with 14 frets clear, no frets over the body, a flush fretboard, and a large veneer tap plate. Note that the cuatro built for the article has 17 frets clear of the body. See GAL Plan #58. The MacRostie Mandolin Deflection Jig by Don MacRostie (2008) MacRostie’s clever jig measures the top deflection of a carved mandolin under string load at any stage of its construction. It is a valuable tool within the reach of any luthier. The “Corker” Guitar: A Sideport Experiment by Alan Carruth (2008) Carruth built a classical guitar with many small ports drilled in the side. By plugging the ports in various combinations he investigated the usefulness and physics behind them. Though this guitar did not make a believer out of him, he admits that his results are somewhat inconclusive. Electric Guitar Setup by Erick Coleman and Elliot John-Conry (2009) Two disciples of Dan Erlewine explain the latest techniques of setting up the electric guitar. All the details and specs are there, as well as a bit of philosophy. Dulcimer 101 by John Calkin (2009) Dulcimers are needlessly maligned and in need of advocates, and the author is a strong one. Tools and jiggery are kept to a minimum to make construction of this entry level instrument as accessible as possible. The Guitar as a Structure and Some Practical Information on Bracing by James Blilie (2009) A structural engineer and guitar builder sees the guitar as a thing buffeted by forces and stresses. Total Flame Out: Retopping a Harp Guitar by Harry Fleishman (2009) Harry replaces the failed soundboard on a complicated instrument with as little refinishing and other stress as possible. Strings: The (Often) Forgotten Accessory by Fan Tao (2010) D'Addario's resident scientist Fan Tao helps us understand string issues in relation to custom instruments and customized tuning. Practical Acoustics by Michael Cone (2010) Cone describes his advanced apparatus and method for acoustically testing classical guitars. Meet the Maker: James Ham by Roger Alan Skipper (2010) Ham operates from a shop in Victoria, B.C. where he repairs and restores violin family instruments and constructs world class double basses. It’s All About the Core or How to Estimate Compensation by Sjaak Elmendorp (2010) Mathematics and parameters used to address the problem of string compensation estimation.
Posted on July 1, 2022May 19, 2025 by Dale Phillips Let’s Get Busy Let’s Get Busy Chris Brandt Says You Can’t Succeed in Business Without Really Trying by Jonathon Peterson Originally published in American Lutherie #26, 1991 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Three, 2004 When he was eleven, Chris Brandt converted a $13 guitar into a 12-string by installing autoharp pins. He now owns a successful repair shop in the Portland area. I visited him there to find out how he makes it work. Chris, you have almost always worked with other luthiers, either as an employee, in a cooperative shop, or as an employer of several repairmen. You seem to prefer working with others. Why is that? There are a lot of benefits to working in a shop with other repairmen. It’s a rich learning situation. You are exposed to so many more instruments. It enables you to specialize more, and conversely, to not specialize where you don’t need to. There are a lot of jobs which I don’t do anymore simply because I don’t need to and they’re not my preferred jobs. 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 16, 2010May 13, 2025 by Dale Phillips In Memoriam: Jess Wells In Memoriam: Jess Wells 1953 – 2010 by Jonathon Peterson, Eric “Rico” Meyer, Ed Geesman, David Kerr, and Hiram Harris Originally published in American Lutherie #105, 2011 My dear friend Jess Wells died at home of cancer on December 13, 2010. Jess was a big-picture kind of guy, with a real awareness of the interconnectedness of things. He was a fine craftsman with expertise in, among other things, violins, lutes, viola da gambas, bamboo fly-fishing rods, custom interior woodworking, and pipe organ construction. Our conversations always branched to music, food, religion, art, history, politics, social responsibility, sustainability of resources, local agriculture, and other big and small topics. I visited with him at shows, in shops, at his home, and too many times in the hospital. He knew what was coming, and faced death with grace, humor, and dignity. Jess is one of my heros. — Jonathon Peterson Photo by Jonathon Peterson Jess and I shared shop space several times in the ’80s. During one of those periods in the back room at Kerr's violin shop, I was trying to make an archtop guitar. The juxtaposition of our benches was a model of contrast: his meticulous and orderly, and mine, well, not so much. After listening to me curse and grouse and fix my own mistakes, he gave me the most left-handed compliment I’ve ever had. He said, “Rico, how the hell can you wind up with something so nice after screwing up so much along the way. It’s not fair.” He also kind of half cajoled, half exampled me into giving up a traditional Thanksgiving Day to serve dinners and wash dishes at a homeless mission. I’ve been delivering Meals On Wheels for over fifteen years. Thanks Jess. I guess most of us are ultimately self-absorbed. Jess may have been the exception. — Eric “Rico” Meyer I remember Jess having a very strong sense of social awareness. Although he was a live-and-let-live sort of guy, he had no patience with somebody taking advantage of his fellow man. Definitely a child of the ’70s, with a healthy Oregonian essence. I enjoyed his upbeat attitude and was inspired by his positive nature. I will miss seeing him. — Ed Geesman I remember Jess having a mischievous side. You could tell when he was up to something when he all of a sudden had this Cheshire Cat grin, halfway between a seven-year-old boy’s glee and the devil. When we were apprentices I had spent nine months making my first violin and had just glued the top on with great satisfaction. The next day I came in and Jess had filled the insides with as many wood shavings as he could possibly fit through the f-holes. I was both despondent and furious. He spent the next three hours pulling them out with a pair of tweezers, all the while grinning from ear to ear! — David Kerr I first met Jess in 1975 when I came to Portland to apprentice for Paul Schuback. Jess and the other apprentices welcomed me and took me into their homes or apartments even though we were all strangers. Jess was one of the older apprentices, and he and Dave Kerr looked after the younger ones to make sure we understood how the program worked. Jess was married and in that first year he and Beth had their first child, Megan. Jess was the first person I knew near my age to become a father. After Megan’s arrival, Steve Moore renamed Jess “Dad” Wells. This nickname and Jess’ obvious joy at her arrival is what I remember most from those days. Jess left the apprenticeship in 1976 to make viols on his own and work for Bob Lundberg. He had the highest respect for Bob and was proud to say that he was the only person to work full time with Bob in his shop. Jess told me that almost everything he knew about instrument making he learned from Bob. In the early ’80s Jess also worked part time in Dave Kerr’s shop. He drove an old VW van. Megan would frequently accompany him at the shop and draw or play. One of her drawings became Kerr Violin Shop’s first t-shirt. It was a sketch of three people: Dave, Jess, and me. Jess was a fine craftsman with an exacting eye and high standards. He never made much money on his viol work because he either didn’t charge enough, or he spent too much time trying to get them just right. I remember Dave telling him once that no matter what business Jess was in he would find a way to lose money. Jess liked to tell that story with a laugh and an acknowledgement that Dave was probably right. He and Beth helped set up a soup kitchen at St. Francis church in southeast Portland. Giving back to the community and helping those less fortunate was a big part of Jess’ life. Jess was quite active in his church. Faith played a huge role in his life, and it was reflected in how he handled his terminal illness. He saw death as a transition to a new beginning and a way to get closer to God. I spent a month with Jess last summer. It had been years since we had seen each other, but this was of no importance to Jess. He was friendly and open to all no matter how long he had known them or their station in life. I never saw him down or depressed, even though at times he was in a lot of pain. He could have easily, understandably, felt sorry for himself, but he did not. His main concern as always was for his family. Jess was decent, kind, generous, warm, and a true man of all seasons. I remember how he tilted his head just so when he was engaged in conversation, and the twinkle in his eye when an idea particularly struck him. He had a ready smile and made you feel wanted. He loved life fully and deeply, and embraced death with the same intensity. Above all, I will remember him as a family man with a strong faith in God and a true love for his fellow man. Rest in peace, Jess. — Hiram Harris
