Meet the Maker: Jim Williams by Todd Brotherton
Australians continue to make a mark in the evolution of the guitar. Williams made his mark as an author, as well. He discusses his background and his instruments.

Lattice Bracing Guitar Tops from a 1992 convention lecture by Jim Williams
Williams discusses the building style he has borrowed from Greg Smallman for classical guitars.

Ebony and African Blackwood: Rare Gifts of Nature by Nicholas Von Robison
Both of these woods have recently become available as body wood for stringed instruments. Robison offers a technical look at two beautiful woods, and tries to predict their futures.

Meet the Maker: Jess Wells by Jonathon Peterson
Wells specializes in the creation of early stringed instruments. Here he discusses that particular market, his training, and the history of the viola da gamba.

English Treble Viola da Gamba: An Instrument Plan by Jess Wells
This is a reduced version of GAL full-scale Instrument Plan #40.

14th National Convention/Exhibition Coverage
An in-depth description of the 1995 Guild convention in Tacoma.

Calculating Fret Intervals With Spreadsheet Software by Wayne Kelly
If you have access to a PC (and you obviously do) you can use this article to set up your own fret slotting system. Not about how to cut slots, but where to cut them.

Product Reviews by Harry Fleishman
Fleishman examines and enjoys two tools from Stewart-MacDonald, the Bridge Saddle Routing Jig and the Adjustable Fret Slotting Saw.

Electronic Answer Man by Rick Turner
Turner talks about the Grateful Dead and some of their gear.

Violin Q&A by Michael Darnton
What is Nussbaum? Is there such a thing as irrepairable damage?

Questions edited by Cyndy Burton
Members help each other with information about lutherie schools, specialized planes for lute work, and building pedal steels.

It Worked for Me
A column of helpful hints and timely tips. Readers offer info about routing the ledges of violins, locating a new brace in the top of an old mandolin by passing thread through tiny holes in the top, making your own abrasives, roughing out an archtop plate with dado blades in a table saw, making a glue roller, arching fingerboards with a router, making a tool to remove banjo tone rings, mitering purfling, saving a classical guitar top from cave-in, and making an instrument stand from PVC pipe.

Review: Electric Guitar Setups by Hideo Kamimoto reviewed by John Calkin
The reviewer finds that this should be a useful book for any but the most experienced repairman.

Review: Checklist of Technical Drawings of Musical Instruments in the Public Collections of the World by Rob van Acht reviewed by Robert Lundberg
The reviewer finds that this book is too limited in its scope, and recommends against its purchase. However, he maintains that a sensibly revised edition would be an important and welcome resource, and that such a revised edition is in the works.

First Annual NCAL Award by Ervin Somogyi
NCAL is the Northern California Association of Luthiers. Who says luthiers have no sense of humor? They certainly do. It's just twisted, that's all.

This issue is no longer available individually. Its contents are
included in The Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Vol. 4.