LMI Help Center

Articles and Blog Index

STOP – READ THIS FIRST!
We’ve created this list in alphabetical order to help you navigate through our articles and blogs and find items of interest to you. In addition, you can use the search box to the left to search by words or phrases. Our articles and videos are an accumulation of data covering years. They may not always be contemporary and may contain items we no longer carry, but we will continue to publish them for their archival value and to provide information for customers who may have purchased discontinued items in the past.

10 WAYS TO AVOID TRUSS ROD DISASTERS -DECEMBER 2016

2019 ASIA SYMPOSIUM

3 CHEERS FOR THE RED, WHITE AND UKE! – JULY 2014

ACOUSTIC GUITAR PICKUP CHOICES

ALTERNATIVE TONEWOODS

APPROACHES TO STRINGED INSTRUMENT VOICING

APRIL IS UKE MONTH

BACK TO LUTHERIE SCHOOL – SEPTEMBER 2015

BENDING HINTS WITH A FOCUS ON FIGURED WOOD

BENDING SIDES – WHAT ARE THE EASIEST AND MOST DIFFICULT  TO BEND WOODS?

BINDING AND PURFLING INSTALLATION TIPS

BUILDING ON A BUDGET

CARDINAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COATINGS NITROCELLULOSE LACQUER FINISHING PROCESS

CITES & INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS – SEPTEMBER 2016

CITES – ONE YEAR LATER

CLAMPING STRATEGIES FOR CLOSING THE BOX

CLIMATE CONTROL – JULY 2016

COLOR TO DYE FOR – OCTOBER 2016

CRYSTALAC APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

DEALING WITH MINERAL DEPOSITS – MAY 2016

DEFINING AND PHOTOGRAPHING BEARCLAW SPRUCE

DO PROS ORDER KITS? – AUGUST 2014

DOVETAIL VS. BOLT-ON NECK JOINTS – APRIL 2016

EBONY GRADING

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY AND THE LACEY ACT

ESSENTIAL LUTHERIE TOOLS

FEATURED TONEWOOD — MACASSAR EBONY – MAY 2015

FILLING PORES WITH LMI WATER-BASED PORE FILLER

FINISH COMPATIBILITY

FINISHING OPTIONS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

FRENCH POLISH FINISH INSTRUCTIONS

FRETTING TOOLS – APRIL 2017

FRETWIRE SIZES AND SLOT WIDTHS

GLUING OPTIONS FOR PLASTIC BINDING

HEALDSBURG GUITAR FESTIVAL – JANUARY 2015

HEADPLATES—DO THEY AFFECT THE TONE OF THE GUITAR?

HEROES’ VOICES: TOUCHING THE LIVES OF VETERANS WITH THE GIFT OF MUSIC – DECEMBER 2014

INLAY MATERIAL & TOOLS -NOVEMBER 2016

KERFING CHOICES

KERFING DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

KIT FAQ’S

KTM9 FINISH INSTRUCTIONS

LMI, LUTHIER COMMUNITIES AND THE UPCOMING GAL CONVENTION – JUNE 2014

LMI ADHESIVES

LMI TAKES THE SHOW ON THE ROAD – JUNE 2017

LMI VIDEOS – MARCH 2015

LMI’S WOOD DRYING & PREPARATION – MARCH 2014

LOOKING AT BRACEWOOD CHOICES

MAN-MADE ALTERNATIVE FINGERBOARDS

MEASURING FRET DISTANCES AND SCALE LENGTH

MORE ABOUT EBONY…

NAMM SHOW 2016 – FEBRUARY 2016

NECK WOOD ALTERNATIVES – APRIL 2014

NECK WOOD: BUILDING FOR STABILITY

NEW EBONY

NEWS FROM THE NAMM SHOW – FEBRUARY 2015

NITROCELLULOSE LACQUER FINISH INSTRUCTIONS

NORTHWOOD’S SEMINARS – OCTOBER 2015

NUT POSITION – JULY 2017

ONE-STOP SHOPPING – JUNE 2016

OUR EXPANDED SHOP, PROFESSIONAL TOOLS, AND LMI SHOP SERVICES – MAY 2014

PEGHEAD DESIGN

PLASTIC BINDING LENGTH

PREPARING YOUR BACK

PURFLING CHOICES AT LUTHIERS MERCANTILE

PURFLING, IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

RADIUS CHOICES FOR YOUR TOP AND BACK

REPAIR SHOP’S BREAD & BUTTER

REPAIR STUFF – SEPTEMBER 2014

REPORT FROM THE ASIA SYMPOSIUM – JULY 2015

ROSETTES – JUNE 2015

ROSETTES #23

ROSETTE INSTALLATION

ROSEWOOD RESTRICTIONS – JANUARY 2017

ROSEWOOD SUBSTITUTES – MARCH 2017

SCALE LENGTH AND INTONATION FOR BEGINNERS

SIDE BENDING TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

SOUNDBOARD EXPERTISE – CHOOSING THE PERFECT TOP

SPRING IS HERE — AND THE SCENT OF GLUE IS IN THE AIR! – APRIL 2015

STEEL STRING TUNING MACHINES – AUGUST 2017

THE EFFECT OF GUITAR DESIGN ON TONE – MAY 2017

THE LMI CATALOG … AND BEYOND! – MARCH 2016

THE LMI TOP-SECRET WOOD VAULT! – OCTOBER 2017

TONEWOODS ADDED TO THE 2023 CITES APPENDICES

TOR-TIS™ PICKGUARDS – NOVEMBER 2014

TRUSS RODS – JULY 2019

TUNING MACHINE RATIOS AND GOTOH’S INNOVATIONS

TUNER NO-NOS

UKULELE SIZES

WATER-BASED FINISH UPDATE – August 2018

WHAT ARE MEDULLARY RAYS?

WHAT MAKES A GOOD GLUE JOINT

WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY TUNERS? – AUGUST 2016

WHERE TO BEGIN

WHO IS ROBBIE O’BRIEN

WHY BUY BONE FROM LUTHIERS MERCANTILE?

WHY ORDER SECOND GRADE WOODS – SEPTEMBER 2017

WHY USE CARBON FIBER REINFORCEMENT?

WOOD DRYING AND STORAGE

WOOD FIGURE – FEBRUARY 2017

WOOD GRADING

WOOD OR PLASTIC BINDING?

WOOD SCARCITY

WORKING WITH PRE-BENT SIDES

YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO MEASURE STUFF!