Guitarmaker Issue 25

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Monteleone Grand Artist archtop guitar

John Monteleone

Cover photo of Monteleone's Grand Artiste archtop guitar with a scroll top.

guitar, archtop

Letters

Mark Sosici, George Youngblood, Sam Heath, Allison Dowsett, Paul McGuffin, Ervin Somogyi, Mike Longworth, Tom Mathis, Matthew Venendaal

Sosici completes his first guitar and is ready to go into business. Youngblood clarifies his information in the ASIA directory. Heath is glad to have discovered ASIA. The Strad Directory offers free listings. McGuffin contradicts Sharon Isbin's comments about cedar soundboards in Acoustic Guitar Magazine. Somogyi announces the formation of the Bay Area Stringed Instrument Society. Longworth comments of the negative letters by Calkin and Hurd in issues 23 and 24. Mathis asks for information regarding wooden pickguards. Venendaal gives a short bio.

ASIA; tonewood; soundboard; club; directory

Follow-up

Gila Eban, John Ryan III, Craig Carter

Eban comments on comments (in issue 24) on John Gilbert's assertion in issue 21 that sinking in soundboards has no effect on sound. Eban asserst here that runout is more important than perfectly quartered wood. Ryon offers suggestions for improving A.B. Acker's fret-spacing program listed in issue 24. Carter offers a correction to his tip on runout from issue 24.

tonewood; soundboard; fret; errata

Members' Spotlight

Matthew Venendaal, Jan Burda, Whitney Lake, Ruth Plasecki, Didier Bordeau, Bill Hollenbeck

Each author talks briefly about his luthiery. With 12 photos.

biography

Wood Has a Soul: The Origin of Tone

Dick Boak

Boak postulates that wood has a soul and believes that we should reflect and contemplate ins origin with respect. With 1 illustration

tonewood

Perspective: Spruce Species

Richard Jagels

Comparison of four spruce species used for boat spars and guitars. Reprinted from Wooden Boat magazine. With 1 table.

tonewood

Bookshelf

A list of eight books of interest to ASIA members from Timberwood Industries.

book

How to Choose and Care for Your Guitar

C.F. Martin III

A venerable guitar maker's views on what to look for in a quality guitar. With 1 photo.

guitar, steel string

Talking with the Women of ASIA

Linda Manzer

Entertaining and enlightening results of a survey of women ASIA members. With 7 photos.

ASIA; business

Nightmare on Elm Street

Jeffrey Reed

Reed builds a combination case/stand/herniator. He says every effort is worthwhile even if only to serve as a bad example. With 1 photo.

humor

Insurance for ASIA Membership

Ellis Hershman

Heritage Insurance Services insurance plan for ASIA members. Other options can be found in issue 24.

business; insurance

Classic Guitar Making

John Gilbert, Grit Laskin

Gilbert's talk at Symposium 93. He talks about "art vs. science," or more specifically the importance of measuring and understanding strength, weight, and thickness. He also talks about some of the tools he purchased or built.

guitar, nylon string; tonewood; tools, hand; toosl, shop-built; symposium

Multi-Laminate Electric Bass

Dick Boak

Boak builds a 32.5-inch scale fretless bass with 127 pieces of wood in 25 species from 5 continents. With 2 photos and 1 illustration.

guitar, electric; guitar, bass

Spanish Luthier Ricard Margarit Creixell

Arif Verner

Verner visited the shop of Creixell in Les Pobles, Spain. With 2 photos of a prototype instrument that was influenced by the lute, sarod, theobore, and classical guitar.

guitar, nylon string, biography

The Best of String Instrument Craftsman

Ken Donnell, John Kitakis

Donnel describes the causes of cracks, while Kitakis describes repairing instruments that were previously repaired by amateurs. Reprinted from The Sting Instrument Craftsman.

finishing; repair; humor

Odds & Ends

Matthew Venendaal, Cary Clements, Evan Skopp

Venendaal seeks an apprenticeship. Clements seeks information on the Stroviol. Skopp announces Seymour Duncan's aged vintage pickup.

apprentice; electronics; violin

Report on ASIA Summer Sessions

Rick Turner, Joe Konkoly, David Vinopal

ASIA sponsored several classes during the summer of 94. Here are reports on them Turner covers the Telluride Bluegrass Academy Mandolin Building Class while Konkoly covers The Great Northwoods Building and Repair Seminar. Vinopal covers the Peter's Valley Guitar Making Course and Grit Laskin's Advanced Inlay Seminar.

school; ASIA

Orville Gibson Day

Residents of Gibson's hometown honor him with a festival, planned to be an annual event.

memorial; event

Laskin Sculpture

Grit Laskin

Laskin's created his first non-functional work of art for the Woodworker's Alliance for Rainforest Protection. WARP is offering if for sale.

inlay

“ASIA is an organization where you not only grow your skills, but grow your extended family. I have met so many wonderful, knowledgeable people through this organization.” ~Michael Dickinson, Martin Guitar