Letter to the editor by George Diamesis
Diamesis writes about the lutherie scene in Greece, and sends two photos of ethnic instruments he and his students have built.

Letter to the editor by Rudy Walker
Walker sends photos and a description of an electric guitar designed around the Monkees logo of the mid-'60s.

Letter to the editor by Kerry Char
Char sends several photos of a unique resophonic mando-cello he made for Gregg Miner.

Cranking Out Baroque Guitars by Lawrence K. Brown
Brown made the elaborate trim for 27 Baroque guitars, then spread the actual construction over a year and a half. All the details are included. He believes that too much patience stands in the way of making a living. This is an article with attitude.

Meet the Maker: Bishop Cochran by Jonathon Peterson
Cochran is a player/maker of electric and acoustic/electric guitars who uses machine shop equipment and supplies to create his instruments. The emphasis is on precision work, duplicable procedures, and practical designs.

The Guitar Neck: Its Design and Physics by Ervin Somogyi
This 1995 convention lecture covers the physical nature of the neck. Not how to do the work, but how to make a neck for maximum playability and instrument performance. Both steel string and classical guitars are discussed.

Meet the Maker: John Mello by Cyndy Burton
Mello is a repairperson, guitarmaker, restorer, and instrument dealer. He apprenticed under Richard Schneider and worked with Jeff Elliott before opening his own shop. Much of the interview dwells upon the restoration of an 1862 Torres guitar.

Accurate But Overengineered Dovetail Resetting Jig by Frank Ford
Ford built an elaborate jig for resetting the necks of valuable and delicate guitars where a slip of the chisel can't be risked. The contrary nature of guitars may dictate that some hand fitting is required after the jig is used, but much of the danger is removed.

Water-base Lacquering on a Budget by Christopher Luck
How to get a good CrystaLac finish in a small shop on a tight budget.

Two-Part Dovetail Jig by Phillip Murray
Even in this age of the bolted on neck, there are plenty of guitarmakers who'd rather use a dovetail. Murray's well thought out jigs cut both the male and female portions of the joint.

Reviews by John Calkin
Reviewed here are six videos, one about violins set ups, one about French polishing, and four about guitar repair. All are found worthy, though two of the repair tapes are for the inexperienced luthier.

Product Reviews by Harry Fleishman
The GAL's Toolman/stand-up comic checks out a potpourri of rasps, a pair of small drawknives, and a specialized chisel, and suggests what you should do with your junky Model 3 or 4 Dremel tool.

Sources: Plans edited by Cyndy Burton
A list of all the instrument plans that Burton could track down, and where to buy them.

Violin Q & A by Michael Darnton
Look out for buzzy nuts. Why might violins sound too dark? What fiddle books should be purchased? The book discussion is especially worthy and entertaining.

It Worked For Me
Guild members offer tips about fret dressing, buying tools from a welding supply store, touching up synthetic finishes with lacquer, putting a new handle on your peg-hole reamer, making a dust containment tent for your shop, installing binding, shipping violins safely, and using liquid masking agents during instrument finishing.

Questions edited by Cyndy Burton
Readers help out with information about the rule of 18, a source for custom pickups, and sources for decals.

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