Twenty-year GAL member Jay Scott Hackleman makes his impressive American Lutherie debut in this issue. He's a graphic arts pro in his day job.

sitar-tabla.com/hacklemancontact.htm

this info updated 2001

Seven-year Guild member John Hagen lives in a neighborhood surrounded by dozens of small lakes, near the western shores of one of the biggest lakes of all, Lake Michigan.

this info updated 2006

Greg Hanson is a full-time Assistant Professor of German at Kutztown University when he's not building classical guitars part-time.

this info updated 2008

Jay Hargreaves has been a member of the GAL for most of the past twenty-nine years. When asked if he has photos of his guitars, Jay pulls out a little photo album titled "My Family."

www.jthbass.com

this info updated 2007

Tom Harper is an eleven-year Guild member, building primarily classic guitars. Attendance at several ASL classes has allowed him to combine the formidable techniques of some great builders with his own mistakes and misunderstandings to create a building style. His past is riddled with quixotic pursuits that include bicycle frame building, ski mountaineering guiding, and climbing instruction.

www.harperguitars.com/

this info updated 2006

Bruce Harvie grew up surfing and listening to Dick Dale in Southern California in the 1950s and '60s, then escaped north to Berkeley, ostensibly to study law.  He wound up studying the Jefferson Airplane.  He started building mandolins in the '70s, and after moving to Orcas Island, Washington, in 1979, realized that he lived in the middle of a forest of tonewoods.  After hanging out with luthiers who really knew what they were doing, Bruce soon realized that he'd better stick to cutting wood, and has done so for the past twenty-five years.

www.bruceharvie.com/; www.rockisland.com/~tonewoods/Home.html

this info updated 2007

David Hawley decided to become an amateur luthier while fulfilling a debt to society. Keep up the good work, Dave!

this info updated 2003

Eight-year GAL member and California native David Haxton built his first guitar in 1971, but didn’t build his second until 1995. Since then, he has built twenty. When not engaged in luthier-related activities, he enjoys walking in the Seattle sunshine and listening to live music whenever possible.

www.davidhaxtonguitars.com/

this info updated 2002

Richard Heeres started guitar making at David Freeman's school in 1992. Like many luthiers, he can't remember what some of the jigs in his shop are for. When he’s not building archtops or classical guitars he can be found sailing, playing with his band, or thinking of that one jig that will make all the others superfluous.

www.heeresguitars.nl/

this info updated 2008

Herringbone trim is too bold for many of us. Eleven-year GAL member Duane Heilman scoffs at such timidity, opting for hand-painted graphics, far-out inlays, and sculpted tuner knobs.

this info updated 2002

Twelve-year member Skip Helms builds mostly classical guitars and plays mostly steel strings in Asheville, NC.  His day job is running a wealth management practice at a national financial firm.  Skip's wife Nancy runs a cats-only kennel.

ziaguitars.com/

this info updated 2008

Keith Hill offers this insight: "I am an aesthetic scientist. Aesthetic science is the 'scienta' in the motto Ars nihil sine scienta est. My work is a reflection of my aesthetic science, in other words, it reflects the attention I pay to how I hear, what I hear, how I see, what I see, how I sense, what I sense, and how and what intuitions arise from such attention. I use harpsichord, fortepiano, violin, and guitar making as well as my music, painting, and decoration to express the principles of aesthetics as I understand them from my experience paying attention. Even the fifty chickens, twenty geese, thirty-six ducks, and eight cats I keep are subjects for my aesthetic study."

this info updated 2001

Guitar maker Kenny Hill first joined the GAL in the '70s. Now thirty-five years into his lutherie career, he designs and builds classical guitars, manages Hill Guitar Co. in the USA and New World Guitar Co. in China, writes for several publications, and occasionally teaches guitar making. He keeps up his classical guitar chops and is a pretty fair pipe organist, too. He lives and works with his four children and new wife, Roberta, in the coastal hills near Santa Cruz, California.

www.hillguitar.com/

this info update 2007

Eighteen-year GAL member Paul Hill is a luthier and cabinetmaker in Moscow. Idaho, where he moved to escape the bugs. He plays Doggone Sophisticated bluegrass with his band Steptoe, enjoys the small-town life with his wife and daughter, and goes trout fishing whenever he can.

this info updated 2007

Benjamin Hoff, author of The Tao of Pooh, is a former recording guitarist, singer, and songwriter who owns (among other instruments) two custom guitars — a "theorbo" ten-string and a six-string classical, both by Jeffrey R. Elliott.

www.benjaminhoffauthor.com/

this info updated 2001

In his professional life, Rob Hoffman is an archeologist and an antiques features writer, working part time in vintage guitar sales and restoration. He also plays guitar with the Southernaire Blues Band, and is into competitive springboard diving.

this info updated 2007

Six-year Guild member Jim Hoover built his first guitar in 2003 and hopes to build many more. To keep food on the table he works full time for a pipe organ company.

this info updated 2004

From 1985 to 1999 Bart Hopkin edited the quarterly journal Experimental Musical Instruments. He has written several books on instrument construction, produced several CDs featuring the work of innovative instrument makers worldwide, taught, and lectured widely. Bart makes no claim to fine craftsmanship; his primary interest has been in exploring diverse acoustic systems.

www.windworld.com

this info updated 2006

Jay Hostetler has been the friendly face of Stew-Mac for most of the company's impressive thirty-four years of continuous GAL membership.

www.stewmac.com

this info updated 2007

Twenty-three-year member David "Kawika" Hurd is a full-time ukulele maker and a former oceanographer.  His informative website at www.ukuleles.com will be of interest to luthiers of all persuasions, especially those who wish to learn more about the application of scientific and engineering design principles to lutherie.

this info updated 2007

Twelve-year GAL member Peter Hurney learned to make ukuleles in Hawaii when the surf was down. He now builds ukuleles under the 'Pohaku' name in Berkeley, California where he attempts to remain apolitically creative. He also produces specialty shows and spins ukulele records at KALX radio in Berkeley.

www.pohakuukulele.com/

this info updated 2008

Although twenty-eight-year GAL member Carleen Hutchins did not take up a string instrument until age forty, she has now been in the forefront of research into the physics of violins for over fifty years. She is a founder of the Catgut Acoustical Society, the first editor of its journal, and a developer of the New Violin Family octet.

www.newviolinfamily.org/

this info updated 2006

Classic guitar maker Paul Jacobson has been a Guild member for nineteen of the last twenty-one years. He used to be workin' on the railroad. Now he's strummin' on the old banjo. Well, not exactly but you see what I mean. And who is Dinah, anyway?

this info updated 1998

Twelve-year GAL member Chris Jenkins builds guitars in his attic each evening between the hours of 7:00PM and midnight.  During the day he works as a veterinarian to support his lutherie habit.

www.cjenkinsluthier.com/

this info updated 2007

In addition to running a full-time finishing supply company, Homestead Finishing Products, Jeff Jewitt finds time to re-finish, write, and teach.  He has written extensively for Fine Woodworking magazine for over twelve years and has written articles on finishing for other magazines.  He has developed finishing products which are sold all over the world under the “Homestead” name and is the author of four books: Hand Applied Finishes, Great Wood Finishes, The Complete Guide To Finishing (Taunton Press) and Furniture Repair and Refinishing (Handyman Club of America) as well as two videos: Coloring Wood and Applying Topcoats (Taunton Press).
 
 www.homesteadfinishing.com

this info updated 2007

Twenty-year GAL member Bryan Johanson is chair of the Department of Music at Portland State University where he has taught since 1978, and directs both the classical guitar and composition programs. In addition to teaching, performing, recording, composing, and writing, he directs the Portland Guitar Festival. Current extracurricular activities include running marathons, distance cycling, and learning to play the pipa.

this info updated 2006

Richard Johnston co-founded Gryphon Stringed Instruments in 1969 with long-suffering partner Frank Ford.  After nearly twenty years of repairing guitars, he jumped the good ship of lutherie to swim the shark-infested waters of retail.  Around the same time, he began writing about American acoustic guitars, and related music history, for Acoustic Guitar Magazine.  He has authored books on the Martin Guitar Company, and writes for the Fretboard Journal and other publications as well.  He has largely given up playing guitar, preferring to ride bicycles in his spare time as that requires far less manual dexterity.

www.gryphonstrings.com/about_gryphon/contact.html

this info updated 2007

Bob Jones has been on the New York scene for many years. He does stringed instrument restoration and repair out of his home in Brooklyn. Don’t worry, it’s all legit.

this info updated 2005

A Guild member for twenty-five out of the last twenty-eight years, Steve Kauffman lives with his wife and daughter in a home he rebuilt, and works in an adjacent shop that he designed and built.

this info updated 2005

His friends may call him an armchair luthier, but Armin Kelly spends his real time at Guitars International (www.guitarsint.com) on the telephone match making guitars to players while at the same time encouraging guitar makers to produce their very best work for him. He considers his efforts successful when all parties concerned are happy.

www.guitarsint.com/

this info updated 2004

David Kempf is a lifelong woodworker. He picked up a Silvertone at age thirteen, but made his first guitar at age forty-four. He has now been a guitar maker for two years and says his "only desire is to build a world-class guitar, not for profit or gain, but for the purity it provides."

this info updated 2000

For fifteen years geologist/violin maker Dick Kern has worked as a resource conservationist. He has taken a sabbatical to study lutherie under Paul Schuback, but he still collects rocks and does flint knapping in his spare time.

this info updated 2001

Nine-year GAL member David King grew up in a musical family where rock was taboo. Now he makes and plays electric basses.

www.kingbass.com/

this info updated 2006

Nineteen-year member Stephen Kinnaird pastors a small church in East Texas.  In his spare time he builds and repairs steel string guitars.  His output has been quite low, being hampered somewhat by the pressures of reality.  Since he started building in 1980, his numbers should be up in the hundreds, but are actually in the thirties.  Steve feels that the GAL is both great and good.  It's a great way to further one's grasp of lutherie.  And good to acquaint you with some of the most talented (and interesting) people around.

www.kinnairdguitars.com/stephen_kinnaird.htm

this info updated 2007

John Kitakis bade adieu to mainland USA in the '70s to settle in Hawaii (tough choice!), where he eventually met his wife, raised a family, then incorporated them into his stringed instrument business, Ko'olau Guitars and Ukuleles. He has been a Guild member nineteen of the last twenty-four years.

www.koolauukulele.com/

this info update 2008

Twenty-five-year Guild member Steve Klein might have been running a ski shop today, if not for a meeting with Dr. Michael Kasha arranged by Steve's famous scientist grandfather, Joel Hildebrand. Maybe you have heard this famous quote from Dr. Hildebrand: "Very few people do anything creative after the age of thirty-five. The reason is that very few people do anything creative before the age of thirty-five."

this info updated 2003

By day, long time guild member, GAL lecturer, American Luthiere contributor, Saul Koll designs and builds stringed instruments in Portland, Oregon. By night plays punk rock guitar in unsafe stinky places.

www.kollguitars.com/

this info updated 2008

Francis Kosheleff joined GAL in 1979 and has maintained his membership continuously ever since. He joined the human race (some doubt it) when he was born in France in 1929 to French and Russian parents. A compulsive inventor and part-time luthier, he builds mostly instruments that no other luthier would build: balalaikas, domras, packaxes, and others with folding, adjustable, or detachable necks.

this info updated 2008

Peter Kyvelos has been making and repairing stringed instruments for over thirty years. His ship Unique Strings in Belmont, Massachusetts, is considered to be the epicenter of instrument-making by Greek, Armenian, and Middle Eastern musicians around the United States.

this info updated 2007

Johannes Labusch divides his time between illustrating children's books, working as a freelance graphic designer, and playing guitar in his band, Glory Pugs. The article in this issue is his first work of journalistic writing.

this info updated 2005

Kevin La Due's day job is teaching high school kids to make guitars and other things. When not at Vestal High, he can be found creating his next guitar, building furniture, teaching guitar, and playing at church. He still finds time to design more guitars, jigs, and fixtures and recently has begun writing music. Oh yeah; he also plows the driveway in winter and mows the lawn in summer.

this info updated 2005

Like many of us, thirteen-year GAL member Del Langejans built his first guitar with a little help from Irving Sloane's Classic Guitar Construction. But not many of us have a Merchant Marine captain's license. Del does.

this info updated 2005

A builder of steel-string, classical and flamenco concert instruments since 1971, William "Grit" Laskin is the first musical instrument maker to receive (in 1997) Canada's prestigious Saidye Bronfman Award For Excellence In Craft. He is the originator of built in Armrest and Ribrest body bevels and co-originator of the sideport soundhole.  He is also known for the groundbreaking inlay art he does on many of his instruments.  Additionally, Grit is an active folk music performer and recording artist, and part owner of Canada's first national folk label, Borealis Records, in Toronto.

http://www.williamlaskin.com/

this info updated 2008

In the middle of teaching Astronomy and Physics at a local university, four-year member Sam Littlepage builds classical and steel string guitars. (He has been caught building a few banjos, a dulcimer, and even a 12-string tenor). He is experimenting with new ways of doing guitar necks, bridges, soundboards, and so on.

this info updated 1998

Jeff Liverman, Executive Director for the Danville Science Center, has worked in the science museum environment for over twenty years. Having a masters degree in Physics and a background in music, Jeff is interested in the intersection between music and science. Before moving to Danville VA, in 2003, he spent ten years repairing and building steel string instruments. Jeff also spent much of his semiprofessional life writing, playing, and recording music with the band Dirtball.

this info updated 2008

Adrian Lucas began making guitars around 1990 under the tutelage of Roy Courtnall. During this time he illustrated Roy's books Making Master Guitars and The Art of Violin Making. He builds flat top acoustics and classical guitars to his own designs, which are influenced by his former life in architecture. He lives in Lincoln, England and plays in a couple of bands.

www.lucasguitars.co.uk/

this info updated 2008

While studying for a music degree, Anne Ludwig took up the classical guitar and has been hooked ever since. She is a professional guitarist, an enthusiastic member of the Guild of South African Luthiers, and the founder of Guitar Talk magazine.

this info updated 2003