The cover shows twelve sympathetic strings emerging from their tunnel through the neck of a Sympitar. Fred Carlson describes the evolution of his extra-string guitars in this issue.
Scale Length and Tone by Ralph Novak
Scale length is seldom used as a design criteria to achieve a given tone, but Novak shows that a given set of strings behaves differently according to the scale length it is stretched over. There are reasons to change other than player comfort. Impress your friends with your knowledge of the evil clang tone.
The Design and Construction of an Eccentric Guitar by Kevin B. Rielly
One guitar, two necks, and two distinct functions...half solidbody with magnetic pickups, half hollow with a piezo pickup. Not to mention a look you haven't seen before.
Binding Router Jig by David Grey
Grey's nifty jig uses a table router to bind guitar bodies. The classiest part is the micrometer adjustments built into the jig.
Meet the Maker: Hermann Hauser III by Armin Kelly
The name Hermann Hauser needs no introduction in the classical guitar world. Here Hauser #3 talks about heritage, learning the craft, wood, and closing in on the perfect guitar.
Rocky Mountain Tonewood Alternatives by Don Musser
Musser offers a peek at varieties of top wood you may never have considered, and finds them promising. The varieties are white fir, subalpine fir, Colorado blue spruce, and one that may be a hybrid.
Meet the Maker: Boaz Elkayam by Jonathon Peterson
Elkayam grew up as a luthier, built guitars as he traveled half the world on a motorcycle, never stopped learning, and seems never to have met a challenge he didn't welcome. High class lutherie skills don't necessarily make a person interesting. If Boaz quit the trade today he'd still be someone you'd like to seek out. Check out his classical guitar with two fingerboards (but only one neck). With 24 photos of beautiful instruments, beautiful places, and beautiful women.
Finger Planes, the Cheap and Easy Way by Nathan D. Missel
You can build these little hollowing planes for a dollar or two and very little time. With 3 drawings to show you the way.
Of Sympitars and Suzalynes by Fred Carlson
Inspired by his fiddle-building partner, Suzy Norris, Carlson has created a guitar that utilizes a large number of sympathetic strings. The obstacles that had to be overcome were significant, but "angel voices" never come easy to us Earth folks. With 10 photos and a pair of drawings of how things work.
Meet the Makers: Jeffrey Huss and Mark Dalton by John Calkin
Virginia luthiers Huss and Dalton show off their shop and talk about the business of going into business. They make 7 high-end acoustics per month, and they make it sound easy.
Review: Musical Instrument Design by Bart Hopkin. Reviewed by John Calkin
The reviewer likes this book about instrument creation. The book deals lightly with the physics of music and lightly with the concept of craft. Hopkin's real message is that musical instruments are everywhere on the planet, not just in the guitar shop, and he happily guides the reader through the creation of dozens of them. Deals with wind and percussion instruments more than with strings, but the string section is useful.
Review: Things About the Guitar by Jose Ramirez III. Reviewed by Bryan Johanson
Though taken aback by the ego of the author, the reviewer decides the book is invaluable to his enjoyment of the guitar. "If you care about the guitar, you should own this book."
Review: Woodshop Dust Control by Sandor Nagyszalanczy. Reviewed by John Calkin
The reviewer likes the informal structure of this book about an important health consideration in any woodshop. Shop dust can be controlled on a low budget when necessary, and many collectors and aids can be made in the shop.
Review: Gibson's Fabulous Flat-top Guitars by Eldon Whitford, David Vinopal, and Dan Erlewine. Reviewed by Woody Vernise
The reviewer especially raves about the photography included in the book, though his assessment of its value to the working luthier is not so hot.
Review: The Ukulele, A Visual History by Jim Beloff. Reviewed by John Calkin
The reviewer enjoyed his time spent with this book, but decides its appeal will be to those who are already ukulele enthusiasts. If you aren't one, it probably won't make you one.
Review: Guitar Electronics with Lindy Fralin. Reviewed by John Calkin
This video is about designing, making, and repairing pickups, starting at the bottom. The reviewer enjoyed the tape and found that it taught him new material in a manner that didn't frighten him off.
Violin Q&A by Michael Darnton
Straight talk about why slab-sawn wood is a poor choice for violin necks, boiling down an alcohol solution, getting a chin rest to stay on a fiddle, and making lake pigments.
It Worked for Me
Readers furnish tips about adding frets to a completed mountain dulcimer, making a wooden tailpiece for archtop guitars, fitting strap buttons, making side templates for guitars, sharpening bandsaw blades, and buying cases in small quantities.
Sources: Glues and Finishes by Cyndy Burton
Burton lists 2 pages of suppliers and manufacturers of finish and glue, and offers more than a page of useful tips gleaned from many luthiers.
Questions edited by Cyndy Burton
How does one refit the back to distorted mandolin sides? Bring out a dead note on the fingerboard of a classical guitar? Find mandola plans? Readers offer solutions.
Product Reviews by Harry Fleishman
The Guild's tool buster tames two new offerings and enjoys the ride. The first is a knife for opening cracks in guitar tops. The other is jig that thins and shapes the splints to be put into the slots cut by the knife. Along the way he examines the catalog of Luthiers Mercantile International.
This issue is no longer available individually. Its contents are
included in The Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Vol. 5.
