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Letter to the editor by Ernest Nussbaum
Nussbaum offers corrections to the "Fiddle Facts" article found in American Lutherie #8.
The Paul Schuback Story by Paul Schback
In this fascinating lecture from the 1986 GAL convention Schuback speaks of his apprenticeship to a French violin maker in 1962, then goes on to offer details about instrument construction, wood, and a Q&A session.
Cello Soundpost Crack repair by Tim Olsen and Don Overstreet
Three photos and a concise description explain a repair done in the Schuback shop.
Arched Plate Copier by Steve Grimes
Grimes' pantograph for routing archtop plates is heavy duty and not real cheap if you have to job out the welding, but it accurately removes 90% of the excess wood. Several drawings accompany the detailed description.
Simple Carving Machine by Richard Ennis
Ennis' carving machine is not as straight forward in use as Grimes', but it's construction should be within the reach of most luthiers. A router mounted in a carriage rides over template rails to cut the contours into the plates of an archtop instrument.
Don Teeter: Cussed and Discussed by Don Teeter
How does an Oklahoma farm boy become a luthier? How does that same luthier become a writer and mentor to a generation of guitar repairmen? Teeter's 1985 convention lecture tells all, then goes on to update his neck resetting procedure and his method of eliminating dead notes on the fretboard.
Building the Flattop Bass by Tim Olsen
Olsen offers the philosophy, theory, construction details, and plans for a new instrument. The plans are a shrunken version of full scale GAL Instrument Plan #13. Though Olsen and a few others began building flattop basses in the 1970s, in a real sense this article is the birth certificate of the instrument. The flattop bass is a flattop guitar on steroids, not to be confused with the bass viol.
Compensating Classic Bridge by H.M. Kolstee
Kolstee's adjustable bridge saddle is made of bone, except for the locking set screw. It is easily adjustable for intonation and uses shims to adjust the string height.
Restoring the Paisley Tele by Dave Schneider
A '68 paisley Tele is reborn, complete with Parsons B and E benders and a complete refinishing from the foil on up.
Musical Strings by H.E. Huttig
Have you ever wondered how cat gut strings were named? This article suggests an answer as it delves into some string facts and fictions.
Our Great Spherical Friend, Part III by Frederick C. Lyman, Jr.
When an articulate violin-family maker discusses his craft he sounds much like a professional wine taster. Lyman is articulate. This segment of his series deals with plate tuning.
Cutting Classic Head Slots by Richard Jordan
Jordan's article outlines all the steps he uses to shape a classical headstock. He cuts the slots with Dremel router, router base, and fence, and they come out very clean.
Durkee's Patent Bridge by Tim Olsen and Robert Steinegger
Here's the low-down on a trick Washburn bridge from 1897. A photo and drawing explain the plot line, but the mystery remains.
Violin Q & A by George Manno
The GAL's resident violin expert of the time answers questions about cleaning violins, top reinstallation, domestic tool sources, domestic wood, and treating potassium silicate (a wood sealer) with tea to keep it from staining spruce green
African Rosewood by John Jordan
Jordan catalogs and describes nine rosewoods from Africa, and nine false rosewoods. Some max out too small for instruments but are of interest to wood collectors. Others should interest the open-minded luthier.
Plywood Bass Top Repair by Dale Randall
Randall finds an inventive way to fix a bass that's been dropped on its top, but the repair leaves a 1/4" hole through the top that must be plugged and disguised.
The Spanish Patron by William Conrad
A Patron is the workboard used to build a guitar in the Spanish style. Conrad explains how to build one, and the reasoning behind it.
Barber Chair Workbench by Michael Sanden
An ex-barber turned luthier converts his old chair into a sturdy, adjustable workbench with 360° of accessibility.
Review: Jose Oribe: The Fine Guitar. Reviewed by C.F. Casey
The reviewer believes that the book may help an experienced luthier adjust his "attitude" toward his craft and thereby make a better instrument. The beginner may not find it so useful.
Review: From the Pages of Experimental Musical Instruments, Volume 1, by Experimental Musical Instruments. Reviewed by Tim Olsen
The reviewer is enthusiastic about the mind-opening possibilities of this booklet/cassette combination.
Review: Guitar and Vihuela: An Annotated Bibliography by Meredith Alice McCutcheon. Reviewed by Joseph R. Johnson
The reviewer finds that the book "falls short of being a thorough international bibliography, but will prove valuable to guitar and vihuela teachers, students, and luthiers."
Review: The New Yorker Special by Frederick Cohen. Reviewed by Tim Olsen
The reviewer has high praise for this 28-minute film about famed archtop builder Jimmy D'Aquisto. As well as being a "valentine" to D'Aquisto, this film offers a tasty repast for information-hungry luthiers.
Calculating Radii, Again by Tim Olsen and Chris Foss
This is a correction and clarification of the article found on page 48 of American Lutherie #8.
This issue is no longer available individually. Its contents are
included in The Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Vol. 1.
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