Volume I is a collection of articles from the Guild of American Luthier’s American Lutherie volumes #1-12, published in 1985, ’86 and ’87. Included are many articles from the Data Sheets and GAL Quarterly published before 1985, and about 200 articles on a wide variety of topics related to the art, science, and history of lutherie. Highlights include the Hauser tradition by Jeffrey Elliott; violin sound physics by Carleen Hutchins; pearl inlay by David Nichols; air resonance by W.D. Allen; tuning violin plates by Keith Hill; the business of lutherie with Gruhn, Klein, Lundberg, Krimmel, Brune, Meltz, Grimes, Davis, and Umanov; guitar sound physics by Caldersmith; rosewoods by John Jordan; Ramirez workshop by William Tapia; the Dobro by Bobby Wolfe; guitar frets by Roger Sadowsky; violin acoustics by George Bissinger; Paisley Tele by Dave Schneider; epoxy by Paul Jacobson; vihuela and viola da mano by John Rollins; evolution of the hammered dulcimer by Sam Rizzetta; temperaments by Edward Kottick; bracing and guitar resonance by J. and O. Jovicic; thoughts on new guitar designs by Steve Klein, Gila Eban, and Fred Carlson; flattop bass design thoughts by Harry Fleishman, Tim Olsen, Richard Ennis, Bill McCaw, and David Freeman; detailed drawings of 1918 Martin 1-18, 1932 Martin C-3, Kamanche, Kasha guitar soundboard, 1943 Hauser Sr. classical guitar, flattop bass, tar, modified F-3 mandolin, and sami-sen; and meet makers C.F. Martin III, C.F. Martin IV, Manuel Velazquez, William Del Pilar, John Monteleone, Paul Schuback, Harvey Thomas, Jeffrey Elliott, and Robert Steinegger.
Indexed by topic and author, 524 pages, hardcover.
Volume II in the American Lutherie series contains articles collected from the Guild of American Luthier’s American Lutherie volumes #13-24 published in 1988, ’89 and ’90. Like volume I, this volume contains articles from before 1985 as well. Highlights include voicing the steel string guitar by Dana Bourgeois; making mandolins with Steve Andersen; W.D. Allen on air resonance; Larrivee factory tour; Al Stancel on violin cracks; French polishing with Burton, Byers, Steinegger, and Vineyard; string bass design by Fred Lyman; pickup design by Tim Shaw; lute making by Lawrence D. Brown; small-shop lutherie in Japan; fretted dulcimer design by Bonnie Carol; guitar acoustics by Tom Rossing; the Strad mystique; violin varnish by Geary Baese; new classical guitar family; mandolin orchestra history; folk harp design by R.L. Robinson; D’Addarrio strings tour; a new mandolin family; violin varnish by Michael Darnton; American patent zithers; detailed drawings of D’Angelico New Yorker, prima balalaika, Loar F-5 mandolin, hammered dulcimer, Baroque guitar, low-cost double bass, and Irish bouzouki; and meet makers Manuel Davila, Robert Lundberg, Hammond Ashley, H.E. Huttig, Hermann Hauser II, Victor Gardener, Fred Lyman, Les Paul, Frank ”Andy” Johnson, Ralph Rabin, Stewart Pollens, Dana Bourgeois, Hartley Peavey, and Ivo Pires.
Indexed by topic and author, 524 pages, hardcover.
Volume III in the American Lutherie series is a compilation of articles from American Lutherie magazine #25 - 36 published between the years 1991 - 1993. Highlights include Jean Larrivee on steel string guitars; Carruth on free-plate tuning; Warmoth guitar factory tour; Al Stancel on violin pegbox repair; organizing work space with Elliott, Somogyi, Brune, Brandt, Schneider, and Wilson; Taylor factory tour; Selmer guitars; harp guitars, old and new; graphite guitars; North American softwoods; Gibson factory tour; Brune restores a Torres guitar; Geary Baese on the finish of the Rawlins Strad guitar; Jeffrey Elliott replaces a guitar top; Michael Darnton on violin setup; alternative lutherie woods; finishing to hide repair work by Dan Erlewine; guitar dynamics and design by Somogyi; Hardanger fiddle by David Golber; detailed drawings of 1973 Romanillos guitar, prima gusli, Dyer harp guitar, Segovia’s 1937 Hauser, Klein harp guitar, kabosy, and 1816 Martinez guitar; and meet makers Dan Erlewine, George Gorodnitsky, Donald Warnock, Herb David, Hideo Kamimoto, Michael Darnton, Maurice Dupont, Richard Schneider, Ren Ferguson, H.E. Huttig, Guy Rabut, Michael Sanden, Tom Ribbecke, and Ervin Somogyi.
524 pages, hardcover.
Volume IV of this series contains about ninety articles from American Lutherie issues #37-48, published 1994 through 1996. Highlights include Jimmy D’Aquisto’s archtop guitar construction; Bryan Galloup resets a neck; Robert Ruck on tailoring classic guitar sound; Dan Erlewine on vintage Fender finishing; hammered dulcimer making; Felix Manzanero’s antique guitar collection; Guy Rabut’s innovative violin design; flattop guitar manufacturers’ forum with Collings, Ferguson, Hoover, Larrivee, and Taylor; Making Baroque guitars with Lawrence K. Brown; Neapolitan mandolin by Robert Lundberg; lattice bracing; classic guitar intonation; flattop guitar brace shaving; detailed drawings of Martin tiple, Segovia’s 1912 Ramirez, Hammered dulcimer, and English treble gamba; Michael Darnton’s Violin Q&A series; Rick Turner’s Electronic Answer Man column; and meet makers Nick Kukich, Eric Meyer, Bishop Cochran, Henry Strobel, Leo Fender and Doc Kaufman, Jim Williams, Jess Wells, Manuel Velazquez, Michael Gurian, Saul Koll, Geoff Stelling, Marc Silber, and John Mello.
522 pages, hardcover.
Volume V contains articles dating from American Lutherie Magazine issues#49-60, (1997-99.) Highlights include: building sound in classic guitars with Jeffrey Elliott; Jimmy D’Aquisto’s archtop guitar design evolution; Joseph Curtin updates the viola; French polishing with Eugene Clark; making compensated saddles; resetting a neck with Jeff Traugott; violin scroll carving with Guy Rabut; using hide glue; modern mandolin family; Frank Ford’s fretting process; restoration of Barrios’ Simplicio guitar; wood identification; detailed step-by-step guitar making tutorials with Charles Fox (flattop), Boaz Elkayam (Kasha/Schneider style), Rene Baarslag (classical), and Tom Ribbecke (archtop); detailed drawings of Martin uke, Barbero flamenco guitar, concert zither, and travel guitar; Michael Darnton’s Violin Q&A series; and meet Augie LoPrinzi, Bonnie Carol, David ”Kawika” Hurd, David Gusset, Fred Carlson, Gary Southwell, Grit Laskin, Judy Threet, Hermann Hauser III, Joseph Curtin, Paul Jacobson, Joshia de Jonge, Kent Everett, Linda Manzer, Michael Hornick, Paul McGill, Huss&Dalton, R.E. Brune, Shelley Park, and Steve Kauffman.
524 pages, hardcover.
