Historical Lute Construction: Practicum Part Seven by Robert Lundberg
The greatest part of this segment is spent getting the belly attached to the bowl. This complete series is 19 segments in length.

Free Plate Tuning, Part One: Theory by Alan Carruth
Most acoustic scientists are not prepared to reduce their work to a plane-by-the-numbers chart of an instrument top. Neither is Carruth. It remains to be seen what improvements free plate tuning will offer to the average guitar, but there is every chance that luthiers who ignore the work as an inartistic invasion of the craft and art will be left in the dust. Carruth invites you to get on board right now. Parts 2 & 3 are in American Lutherie #29 & 30.

Entrepreneurs In Spite Of Ourselves by Ralph Novak
If you build instruments for money you should learn about running a business. Novak relates his good experiences at a college workshop for entrepreneurs.

A Talk with Bob Taylor by Phillip Lea
Few people in Guitarland are as outspoken and clear-headed as Bob Taylor. Others might say he's just opinionated. He believes a good guitar is a good guitar, no matter if it was whittled by Gepeto or cranked out by a dozen computer-guided milling cutters. This article offers a peek into the Taylor factory and a guided tour through one man's thoughts about the contemporary guitar.

Peg Hole Bushing and Cheek Patching by Al Stancel
A master fiddle surgeon explains a common operation. With 11 drawings to help guide you through the procedure.

Meet Michael Darnton by Jonathon Peterson
Peterson gives us the biographical scoop on American Lutherie's violin Q&A man.

Questions edited by Cyndy Burton
Roger Siminoff delivers an answer about graduating the top plate of an F5 mandolin.

Violin Q & A by Michael Darnton
Why are bridges always made of maple? Why do fiddles have points? How does one tune a fingerboard? Do epoxy or superglue have any accepted uses on the violin? Darnton furnishes answers.

It Worked For Me
Tips on cutting pearl, altering a stock Fender trem unit, repairing worn bridge plates, epoxy for tropical wood, making a stationary instrument bench-clamp from a Klemsia clamp, and vacuuming out the interior of a guitar.

Space Bass by David Riggs
A luthier volunteers for the space program in this humorous piece.

Review: The Gibson Guitar (Volumes 1 & 2) by Ian C. Bishop. Reviewed by Gary Frisbie.
The reviewer decides that these books are mostly accurate, and a useful alternative to exposure to the actual guitars. Volume 2 offers corrections to Volume 1. These may not be books for the guitar scholar.

This issue is no longer available individually. Its contents are
included in The Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Vol. 3.
(excluding any of the Historical Lute Construction articles by
Robert Lundberg which are available in a book by the same name)