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Thirteen-year Guild member Glenn Uhler was born and raised about five miles from the Martin Guitar factory, but he keeps getting involved in other projects that keep him away from lutherie. The complete restoration of a flooded 1975 sailboat has taken much of his spare time for the last six years. That project is now drawing to a close and he can start working with tonewoods again, instead of marine plywood and teak. this info updated 2007 |
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14-year GAL member Wilfried Ulrich from Germany has been a high-school art and shop teacher for 32 years. He began making instruments in 1977 after seeing a televised course in making a fretted dulcimer by John Pearse. He has made Medieval fiddles, Viols da gamba, Harps, and Dulcimers, but Hurdy-gurdies were his favorites for a long time. 2006 he could elaborate the title of a master luthier in Markneukirchen. His latest interest is in Hummel - instruments, the great grandfathers of the Dulcimer. He could restaure several museumsinstruments of this type. this info updated 2004 |
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Six-year GAL member Sheldon Urlik is a businessman and former Air Force fighter pilot. His passion is classical and flamenco guitars: collecting them, playing them, and listening to them. this info updated 2000 |
Ehud "Udi" Vachterman is an army man, student, world traveler, and music lover. He learned lutherie in Argentina, where he read recycled copies of American Lutherie. He keeps on building and keeps on learning in Israel. this info updated 2004 |
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Veteran American Lutherie author, convention presenter, and thirteen-year member Scott van Linge has been revoicing guitars for twenty-five years, following the work of Jon Lundberg. He built his first guitar in 1999, and has finally finished #16, after reaffirming the rule about not fixing something not broke. this info updated 2008 |
First time author Ed Vande Voorde is a eighteen-year Guild member. this info updated 1988 |
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Welcome first-time author James Vanderplas! this info updated 1995 |
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Born in Brooklyn, Joe Veillette has been a builder since learning from Michael Gurian in 1972, an experience that quickly led him away from the field of architecture which he’d trained for. He’s built acoustic and electric guitars, basses, mandolins, and the occasional tres. He’s done a lot of experimenting over the years with different scale lengths, tuning ranges, and double and triple string courses. He’s also been performing steadily in a wide variety of musical genres. Having recently realized that he’s probably ADD, he’s no longer feeling guilty about his tendency to spread himself too thin. this info updated 2010 |
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Alfredo Velázquez made his first guitar at age twenty-one, but he found his father’s workshop irresistible as soon as he could walk, and has spent much of his adult life at the workbench alongside Manuel. He builds guitars in the tradition taught to him by his father, but with, inevitably, his own characteristic sound. this info updated 2012 |
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Manuel Velázquez is a classical guitar maker on whom words of respect and praise seem dwarfed by the largeness of the man himself. In his ninetieth year at the 2006 GAL Convention, he spread joy and enthusiasm for the classical guitar with unassuming humility and grace. this info updated 2008 |
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Carol Ventura received her PhD in Art from the University of Georgia. She currently teaches Art History at Tennessee Technological University. this info updated 2008 |
Peter Vilé‚ has been building lutes and guitars since retiring in 1992 from IBM Netherlands, where his work as a systems engineer involved design on an architectural level combined with a strong interest in details. This two-level approach he feels, also applies to lutherie because it requires understanding the theoretical aspects as well as acquiring manual skills. this info updated 2008 |
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Jason Villa began repairing and building instruments at the age of fifteen and went on to work for Ernie Ball Music Man Guitars until 2001. After a few years as an elementary school teacher, he took his current position as Product Specialist at Kala Ukulele Company in Petaluma, California. There he leads his team building and setting up ukuleles and U-Basses. this info updated 2015 |
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David Vincent is a full-time lutherie teacher. this info updated 1991 |
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Buzz Vineyard joined the Guild in 1976 and has attended and exhibited at several GAL conventions going all the way back to 1977. this info updated 1997 |
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Gernot Wagner has been building instruments for thirty years and has been a GAL member for twenty years. He started with lutes, but now concentrates on a scientific approach to making classical guitars, including the use of sandwich tops with Nomex honeycomb. “I like constructing gadgetry,” says Gernot, “but that’s an occupational disease I suppose.” this info update 2004 |
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Kevin, Jon, and Erick Waldron, and David Miller are as wet behind the lutherie ears as fish. These old woodmen-turned-luthiers have a rich background in woodcraft and fine furniture. Kevin, the senior administrator, taught vocational woodworking, then progressed to computer drafting and many “cutting edge” machining advances over two decades. Their education, they say, is “from Middle Tennessee by all accounts and is varied from electrical engineering to Biblical studies.” Lutherie turned from hobby to business almost overnight, but they remain a family business: father, sons, and son-in-law. this info updated 2010 |
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Kevin, Erick, and Jon Waldron, and David Miller are as wet behind the lutherie ears as fish. These old woodmen-turned-luthiers have a rich background in woodcraft and fine furniture. Kevin, the senior administrator, taught vocational woodworking, then progressed to computer drafting and many “cutting edge” machining advances over two decades. Their education, they say, is “from Middle Tennessee by all accounts and is varied from electrical engineering to Biblical studies.” Lutherie turned from hobby to business almost overnight, but they remain a family business: father, sons, and son-in-law. this info updated 2010 |
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Kevin Waldron has a rich background in woodcraft and fine furniture. He taught vocational woodworking, then progressed to computer drafting and many “cutting edge” machining advances over two decades. Lutherie turned from hobby to business almost overnight, but it remains a family business: father, sons, and son-in-law. this info updated 2013 |
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John L. Walker has enjoyed a distinguished career as a performer, composer and musicologist. A native of Iowa, he received a Bachelor’s degree from Drake University. He continued his musical studies at Temple University in Philadelphia as a student of Philadelphia Orchestra member Louis Rosenblatt. In 1995, he graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nebraska after completing a dissertation on Latin American chamber music for the oboe. Walker has held many professional positions, including principal oboe of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Guadalajara, the USAF Heritage of America Band and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Ecuador. While in Ecuador, he performed the world premiere of Desafio X by Brazilian composer Marlos Nobre and was recognized as an “American Cultural Specialist” by the U.S. Embassy in Quito. He was also on the faculty of the National Conservatory, where he taught oboe, forms and analysis, and music appreciation. In the United States Walker has maintained a prominent profile as a soloist and recitalist. He is principal oboist of the University City Symphony Orchestra and in 2007 he performed the Mozart Oboe Concerto with this orchestra. As a musicologist, he has published articles about Latin American and Ecuadorian music in several well-known music journals and has presented papers at a number of international conferences. The recipient of a Fulbright award, Walker will be in Ecuador during the next two summers performing, conducting research and teaching. Walker joined the faculty of St. Charles Community College, a two-year junior college near St. Louis, Missouri, in 2003 as associate professor of music and instrumental music program coordinator. He is also the director of the SCC Concert Artist Series, which presents a yearly slate of accomplished local and regional artists. this info updated 2008 |
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Marilyn Wallin was raised in the organized chaos of music and sawdust, so it was inevitable that the two would meet and that violins, violas, and cellos would emerge. Member, Board of Directors of the VSA and of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers. Marilyn just makes new instruments, as many as possible, as often as possible. this info updated 2007 |
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Jacky Walraet started building guitars in 1987 while studying at the renowned Centre for Musical Instrument Building (Cmb) in Belgium. Having completed courses in guitar and violin making, he has been teaching at the Cmb since 1990. Jacky specializes in the making of archtop and steel string guitars and is a founding member of the LGR Project. sites.google.com/site/jackywalraet/ this info updated 2015 |
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Strat-compatible-parts pioneer Ken Warmoth is the founder, mastermind, and head honcho of Warmoth Guitar Products. this info updated 2018 |
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Viol maker Donald Warnock lectured at Guild conventions in 1979 and 1990, and has been a GAL member sixteen out of twenty-one years. this info updated 1991 Donald passed away in 1997 |
Peggy Warren works at hammond Ashley Associates, a violin family making and repair shop specializing in bass. She's a violinist. The shop has maintained Guild membership for the past twenty four years. this info updated 1993 |
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David Warther is a full-time ivory carver for a nonprofit museum in Ohio’s Amish community. He is a supplier of bone, legal pre-ban ivory, and mammoth ivory to restorers at the Smithsonian and Colonial Williamsburg as well as to luthiers and other artisans. He has helped wildlife conservation efforts by providing expert testimony in Federal court against smugglers, and has worked as an informant to federal wildlife agents against traffickers in illegal ivory overseas and in the USA. www.guitarpartsandmore.com/ this info updated 2012 |
Ten year GAL member Jim Watts lives and works in the mountains of northern New Mexico. He splits his time between engineering during the day and lutherie at night. Last year he started a small business supplying carbon fiber to luthiers with his daughter Rebecca. www.jameswattsguitars.com/LAC.htm this info updated 2007 |
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Paul Weaver builds classical guitars using mostly hand tools. He enjoys tropical fish keeping, chess, and playing guitar. His favorite tree is the chestnut and he enjoys the sounds in the desert. this info updated 2013 |
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A luthier since 1973, Jess Wells has quit his job at the pipe organ company and is back to focusing on 'gambas. His real love, however, is making split-bamboo fly rods. Jess passed away in 2010, read his memoriam. this info updated 1996 |
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Sylvan Wells was a practicing trial lawyer until 2003, building acoustic guitars as a diversion. His article on “String Spacing for Guitars” was published by American Lutherie way back in 1978, when it was still the GAL Quarterly. He now lives in Massachusetts and builds guitars under the Bay State brand. this info updated 2011 |
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Thirty-six-year member Stan Werbin is not a luthier himself, but has been privileged to employ a number of excellent makers and repair persons. In his 40th year as the owner of Elderly Instruments, Stan is an expert on vintage fretted instruments of all sorts. Before opening Elderly he studied biology at Queens College in New York and biological chemistry at the University of Michigan. this info updated 2011 |
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GAL convention lecturer, AL author, and five-year member, Dr. James Westbrook is a British-based organologist who is particularly interested in guitar construction. He is a part-time luthier and restorer, and a consultant and specialist for Brompton’s (a London auction house that specializes in musical instruments). He is a frequent lecturer and consultant on various topics related to guitars and their history. James is currently a member of the music faculty research staff at the University of Cambridge, and holds a Wolfson College (Cambridge) research fellowship for the purpose of investigating the life and work of David Rubio. this info updated 2015 |
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Twenty-two-year Guild member Woodley White retired from his day job as a Presbyterian minister in Portland, and moved to Hawaii to enjoy the simple life and build acoustic and classical guitars, harp guitars, and ukuleles. Life at the southern end of the Big Island on an active volcano provides fresh fruit, sunshine, island breezes, starry nights, great music, and lots of aloha. this info updated 2015 |
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David Wiebe studied his craft at the school for violin making in Mittenwald, Germany in the early ’70s. He returned to his home state of Nebraska where he worked for about thirty years before moving to his current location in Woodstock, New York in 2002. David works in the tradition of the Italian Masters, making violins, violas, cellos, and occasionally basses to special order, mostly on his personal model. this info updated 2011 |
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Steve Wiencrot has been a GAL member since 2000. He builds ukuleles and mandolins and rescues old guitars. this info updated 2007 |
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Byron Will has been involved with the Guild as well as building harpsichords since 1975. His lifelong interest in photography took a digital turn in 2000. He is currently teaching digital photography and Photoshop at Portland Community College in Portland, OR. www.byronwillharpsichords.com/ this info updated 2005 |
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As a teenager, longtime GAL member January Williams went around the world in 1963, made a violin as an exchange student in Japan, and sailed west, stopping in Barcelona to visit the Fleta shop and take in some flamenco. A serious armchair luthier since, his garage full of tools and attic full of wood have recently coalesced into a lutherie shop. January and his sweetheart Susan are also known as “Mr. and Mrs. Finger” at the GAL auctions. this info updated 2018 |
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Thirty one -year Guild member, guitar maker, and book author Jim Williams tells his life story in this issue. this info updated 1995 |
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Laurie Williams has been building instruments of indigenous timbers for over fifteen years in his one man workshop nestled between giant Kauri forests and the pristine beaches of New Zealand's Far North. An upcoming documentary film The Song of the Kauri featuring Laurie's use of kauri is due for international release in 2008. this info updated 2008 |
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Dave Wilson works at Hammond Ashley Associates, a violin family making and repair shop specializing in bass. He's a former nuclear metalurgist. The shop has maintained Guild membership for the past twenty-four years. this info updated 1993 |
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Twenty-five-year GAL member James Wimmer performed in an old-time string band in Germany in the 1970s. Subsequently, he worked in the violin shops of Wolfgang Uebel and Rainer Knobel for three years before returning to Santa Barbara, California, where he has been making violin-family instruments since 1986. He also teaches a violin repair and restoration course in Chennai, India. this info updated 2017 |
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Jimmi Wingert did her first inlay in 2002 and has been addicted ever since. this info updated 2008 |
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Sixteen-year GAL member Kathy Wingert did her time in boot camp and around-the-clock lutherie. Sixty-three issues of American Lutherie in her mailbox haven’t shown the error of her ways, so she continues to do what she does in her small southern-California shop. this info updated 2012 |
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Darryl Wolfe is the publisher of The F5 Journal and a mandolin player of note. His father Bobby Wolfe is a past author and a six year member. this info updated 1989 |
Four-year Guild member Brian Woods is an engineer in the auto-parts industry who enjoys guitar making as a hobby. As such, fixtures for low volume production (and low cost!) are a key interest, and he says he has benefited from numerous ideas and inspirations from fellow GAL members. this info updated 2006 |
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A four-year GAL member and relative newcomer to the lutherie scene, Paul Woolson has hit the ground running. Building under the company name Woolson Soundcraft, Paul is constantly obsessing over how to make building easier and more accurate. But aren't we all? this info updated 2004 |
Marc Worsfold studied instrument repair at Merton College in Surrey and violinmaking at the London College of Furniture. He has been building acoustic and electric guitars since 1975. this info updated 1994 |
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Finding Irving Sloane’s Classic Guitar Construction in his late teens started it all for seven-year GAL member David Worthy. Not being a fan of the dreaded nought, most of his efforts have been focused on small-bodied fingerstyle guitars. For the past ten years he has been trying to swap his "real" job as a touring theater production manager for a quieter life in the workshop. this info updated 2006 |
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David Wren stayed behind in Toronto when the rest of the Larrivée crew moved west in the ’70s. It worked out OK. He’s made a name for himself as a maker of fine steel string guitars. When not making his own guitars, he can be found photographing those of his friends. this info updated 2015 |
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Thirty-year member Rossco Wright has been involved in stringed instrument repair and other guitar-related businesses for twenty years. In his current endeavor he builds and sells cool practice/travel guitars with partner Frank Nakatsuma. In his spare time he enjoys fly fishing and playing jazz guitar. this info updated 1994 |
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George Wunderlich was recently featured on the PBS show "The Woodwright's Shop." www.banjodatabase.org is an all early banjo (1600-1870) image database with extensive information on original banjos, 19th century images and texted based banjo information that will be helpful to luthiers, researches and historians. this info updated 2008 |
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The Guild's only member in India, Dominic Xavier has a high-ranking day job with the National Drinking Water Mission. Read about his lutherie obsession in this issue. He's also the only GAL member with a name beginning with X. this info updated 1997 |
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Seventeen-year GAL member Brian Yarosh began his lutherie journey as a student of Harry Fleishman back in 2000 and has never stopped building. He currently constructs custom steel string and classical guitars in his basement workshop. Brian is often seen at the local Colorado luthier get-togethers (and GAL Conventions). this info updated 2014 |
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Michael Yeats has been an instrument maker since 1975. He started his career as an apprentice lute maker, and has made and repaired instruments ranging from concertinas and guitars, to pipe organs. He focused on bows in 1987, moving to New York City, where he worked for 15 years, making, repairing, and restoring bows for musicians from all over the world. He is now making bows in Portland, Oregon. In addition to bow making, Michael enjoys a good mystery, and a great fountain pen. this info updated 2011 |
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Thirty-eight year Guild member Peter Yelda makes and repairs guitars. He is an NEA recipient in guitar making and a six-year Artist In Residence with the California Arts Council. See the film about him on Youtube called A Fair Exchange. He cofounded the Blue Note guitar shop in San Luis Obispo. He exhibited at the 1978 and 1980 GAL Conventions and has not punched a time clock since he joined the Guild. this infor updated 2015 |
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Twenty-year Guild member Jeffrey Yong travels from Malaysia to GAL Conventions, a twenty-hour flight each way. He’s an urbanite who traverses the jungles in search of tonewood. He’s a guitar maker and a teacher of lutherie, and he welcomes visitors. this info updated 2013 |
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David Zachman is a graduate student at Purdue, specializing in mechanical design and robotics. He’s an amateur musician and fan of guitar-centric music. While taking a class with Prof. Mark French, he helped design a linkage to approximate curves for guitar soundboards. this info updated 2018 |
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Dmitry Zhevlakov is the son and grandson of luthiers, making guitars and decorative mosaic work. He is the only current GAL member in Russia. this info updated 2007 |
Since 1974, Dale Zimmerman has worked at Franklin International, makers of Titebond glues, serving as a technical specialist since 1990. He has consulted on numerous adhesive-related articles and publications and served as a technical advisor to Popular Woodworking magazine. www.franklininternational.com/Home.aspx this info updated 2010 |
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David Zogg has been a guitarist since 1962, an amateur luthier since 1987, and a full-time pro doing repair and restoration since 1993. He was previously a designer of industrial robots and the like. this info updated 2000 |
Twenty-one-year member Lloyd Zsiros is a composer expert, a guitar maker, and a maker of small intricate boxes. this info updated 1992 |
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