The contents of this issue are in
Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven
It is no longer available as a back issue
American Lutherie #80
Winter 2004

This issue's cover shows the neck angle adjustment mechanism of an 1830 René Lacôte guitar. To find out how it works and see photos of the disassembled mechanism.
Carving the Lute Rose by Ervin Somogyi
Ervin Somogyi has been decorating his steel string guitars with lute roses and other fine chip-carving techniques for years. In this issue we get a close-up look at just how he does it.
Meet the Maker: Frank Ford by Jonathon Peterson
Seems like guitar repair guru Frank Ford is everywhere: At lutherie conventions, in catalogs, at lutherie schools, and on the Internet. And now he's in our Meet the Maker column as well. The photo shows Frank in 1974.
A Savart-Style Upright Bass by R.M. Mottola
R.M. Mottola is on a lutherie quest. A quest to make a bass that plays like an electric bass and sounds like a bass fiddle. This solution uses a simplified body inspired by Felix Savart and strings made for an electric. This is presented as GAL Instrument Plan #50.
Meet the Maker: Armin Kelly by Cyndy Burton
How did Armin Kelly go from being an English teacher to a successful dealer in fine classic guitars? It had a lot to do with impulsively ordering guitars that he could not afford. We meet him in this issue and get the rundown.
Removable and Adjustable Necks for Classical Guitars by Alain Bieber
Alain Bieber tells us all about the adjustable neck joint systems used by Staufer, Lacôte, and others in pre-Torres guitars. He takes a special look at a 1806 Fabricatore instrument which is fully adjustable, but not fully a guitar. Bieber, left, confers with Joël Dugot at the Musée de la Musique in Paris.
Essential Tools: Scratches and a Detail Knife by Eugene Clark with Jonathon Peterson
What the heck can you do with a one-toothed saw? Plenty, if you are Eugene Clark! Or if Eugene has showed you how, as he does in this article.
Experiments in Audio Spectroscopy by John C. Moore
You might have the necessary stuff lying around the house to do some pretty spiffy audio spectroscopy. John Moore describes some simple experiments with guitars and free plates.
Product Review: Stew-Mac Measuring Tools by Harry Fleishman
Harry Fleishman reviews the latest measuring tools from Stewart-MacDonald.
Making Patterns for an Access Panel by Lloyd Marsden
Lloyd Marsden saw a recent American Lutherie article about making an access panel in the tailblock of a guitar. He refined it for those wishing to have the side material run continuously across the panel.


It Worked for Me by Brent Benfield and Dale Randall
You know those wedges that some classic guitar makers use to fit the sides to the heel? Bent Benfield shows a quick and accurate way to cut them. Dale Randall shows us how to make a syringe that will force glue down a long tube into inaccessible crannies, say in the interior of a double bass.

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