Guitar Show & Custom Luthier Magazine Spring 2020 Issue

Spring 2020

Lance Gregory

Also in this issue...

Like a Bridge Over Troubled Soundboard...

Jay Richard Ask-A-Luthier

Steve Mason Adventures in Acoustic Repair

U.S. Regional Guitar Show List and the Professional Luthier Directory

Mike Nash

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2020 Spring Issue

Vol. 6 Num. 1

IN THIS ISSUE...

Left-to-right - Duane M. Evarts, Editor-in-Chief of Guitar Show Magazine with Lance Gregory of Rebirth Guitars and contributing editor Mike Nash of the Alien Guitar Factory at the 2018 Colorado Guitar Show & Custom Luthier Expo

I first met Lance Gregory at the 2018 Colorado Guitar Show & Custom Luthier Expo. He seemed to have a great personality and!.. his guitars were very nice too.

However, I sensed something about Lance that was beyond him just being a guitar builder.

But I wasn’t certain what it was.

Fast forward to June 2019 Lance shared with me that he didn’t think he’d be able to attend the 2019 guitar show because he and his wife were in the process of becoming foster parents , with the intention of adopting not one, but two, children!

I have a personal conviction that there is a special place in heaven for people who have the selfless “Spirit of Adoption” and take on the responsibility of raising someone else’s children as their own.

As it worked out, Lance was able to attend the 2019 guitar show. In that year between the two shows, Lance had also come a long way in wood finishing. So much so, that I began to ponder if I might just be looking at the next Paul Reed Smith! Only time will tell.

Editor’s comments!

5 Like a Bridge Over Troubled Soundboard Jay Richard, contributing editor, discusses the difference between acoustic and electric guitar bridges .

6 Ask-A-Luthier Luthier Steve Mason answers your questions.

8 Meet the Luthier Lance Gregory, owner of Rebirth Guitars builds custom guitars from reclaimed materials.

10 Adventures in Acoustic Repair Mike Nash shares his experiences as a professional luthier.

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Upcoming Regional Guitar Shows in the U.S. A list of guitar shows, expos and festivals…many at which you can pick up a hard copy of Guitar Show & Custom Luthier Magazine.

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The Professional Luthier Directory A list of verified individuals actively involved in the professional art of “lutherie”.

Cover Photo - courtesy of Rebirth Guitars.

Guitar Show & Custom Luthier Magazine is published bi-annually and distributed at regional guitar shows, festivals, expos, by direct mail and better music-related businesses. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission from the publisher.

Advertising - Promoting your business to guitar-buying enthusiasts is critical to growth. Guitar Show & Custom Luthier is one of the best ways to help you reach your target audience in a nationally distributed publication. Information about advertising is available online at www.guitarshowmagazine.com

Until next time…”play skillfully with a loud noise on an instrument of strings.” - Ps 33:3

The views expressed are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or staff. All advertising material is subject to publisher’s approval. Guitar Show & Custom Luthier welcomes, but assumes, no responsibility for loss or damage to any and all unsolicited articles, photographs or art. If you would like to be highlighted in a future “Meet The Luthier” article, contact:

Duane M. Evarts, editor@guitarshowmagazine.com WEBSITES / SOCIAL MEDIA: www.guitarshowmagazine.com

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4 The Spirit of Adoption

Spring 2020

Guitar Show & Custom Luthier Magazine

Like a Bridge Over Troubled Soundboard...

By Jay Richard - Luthier at Highlands Ranch Guitar Repair The bridge of a guitar is the starting part of the string, opposite the tuning keys. There are several variations, but I’ll discuss the most common features.

Acoustic and electric guitar bridges are very different. Let’s start with the acoustic.

An acoustic bridge usually is a large rectangular shaped piece of wood that is glued to the face of the guitar. It has a component on it called a ‘saddle’, which is usually a long slender white piece within the wooden bridge.

The bridge is usually the same kind of wood used on the fret board. It can be a very simple shape, or it can be elaborate to compliment the design of the guitar. The saddles can be made of bone, plastic or corian and if your refer to my previous article about nuts, it can impact the tone of the guitar.

The mechanics of an acoustic bridge is based upon tension. The peg anchors the string and the string goes over the saddle. The tension of the string holds it in place. This is why a saddle can wear out.

Here is a side note: If you are not going to play your acoustic for a while, or you plan on it going through different environments, store it with the strings loose. The strings WILL pull the bridge off the face of the guitar. This can be repaired, but it’s best to not have this problem if you can avoid it.

Now for electric guitar bridges.

There are many types of bridges, but I’ll discuss the most common. The biggest difference is that electric guitars have metal bridges. Unlike acoustics, the bridges are screwed into the guitar. They can be in different colors, but I think you’ll find the most common is chrome.

Electrics have saddles too, but they are also metal. As in the picture below, the saddle is not one piece, but there are individual saddles for each string. Since each string has its own saddle, it allows each string’s action to be adjusted.

The mechanics of an electric bridge is based on tension too, but the saddle is designed to hold the string in place. Often you can see a small groove in each saddle for the string to reside. The more the string stays in place, the more accurate tuning you will have.

Since everything is made of metal, wear on the bridge reduced significantly.

Not all bridges are the same. Some electric saddles share 2 strings. Some bridges don’t have individual height adjustments. The good news is that there is a large aftermarket for bridges. Many times you can find one that will fit your guitar while using the existing screw holes so that you don’t have to alter your guitar.

When I’m asked about recommendations for replacement bridges, I have 2 suggestions.

First, go with individual saddles for each string. Second, the heavier the bridge the better. I prefer a nice solid heavy bridge so that it will hold your string in place and not move.

The overall purpose of a bridge, electric or acoustic, is to support strings and allow the tuners on the opposite end of the guitar, to put tension on the strings. The strings are then able to vibrate and create music.

The saddle should NEVER be glued into the bridge for 3 reasons. First, some pickups are located under the saddle. They look like a very thin piece of metal sitting in the same notch as the saddle. If you want to add electronics to an acoustic guitar, I suggest an under saddle type pickup.

Secondly, like nuts, saddles can wear out.

Over time, strings will cut into the saddle and it will need to be replaced. Saddles are much easier to replace than nuts.

Thirdly, the saddle is how you adjust the string’s height, also called ‘action’. If your strings are too high, it can be adjusted by carefully shaving off some of the saddle. I don’t recommend trying this at home.

Lastly, the strings are usually held into place with ‘pegs’. Pegs are usually plastic and have a ball on the end and taper to a smaller point on the opposite end. The peg will wedge the string in place. When changing strings, the peg will need to be pulled out. Sometimes they can be very snug. You should always try to put the same peg back into the same hole.

Since string sizes vary, the pegs tend to wear into the shape of the string. www.GuitarShowMagazine.com

In addition, each saddle can move horizontally, meaning either toward the tuning pegs or back to the other end of the guitar. This moving back and forth feature allows the guitar to fine tune the intonation. In the simplest terms, intonation refers to adjusting the length of a string so that each note, such as the open E and the 12th fret E, are in tune. It’s doesn’t take more than 1 or 2 mm to impact the intonation, so I would suggest having this professionally done.

Strings usually fit through the bridge and the end of the string, which has a small metal piece called a ball. The ball works like an anchor that fits against the bridge and holds the string in place.

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highlandsranchguitarrepair.com

With over 20 years experience in woodworking, Jay specializes in guitar and bass repair and has been professionally trained in the art of luthierie.

Jay is the owner of Highlands Ranch Guitar Repair in Highlands Ranch, Colorado

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Ask A Luthier…

Answers to Questions on Stringed Instrument Building and Repair—by Steve Mason

Arch Top Guitar Question...

Hey Steve, I really like your guitars and they sound AMAZING! But I was wondering... have you ever built an archtop? If so, how much can you change the sound of one to make it sound more like a Martin D-18?

Really loud and great for taking leads and soloing.

- Julian The Arch Top Guitar is the product of a misunderstanding of acoustics. A violin is much louder than a guitar. People, through the years, have thought that if they could make a guitar more like a violin, it would be louder. But the difference between a violin and a guitar is the violin bow.

On a guitar, you pluck the string once. The guitar is designed to use that one pluck as efficiently as possible. Every molecule of rosin on a violin bow is like plucking the string once. A violin gets thousands of times the energy input that a guitar gets.

So, the design of the violin wastes lots of this input to produce the desired tone. All the hanging down parts of the bridge act as mutes. The strings have muting winds between the core and inner winds and (flat) outer winds. An arched top caries vibration less efficiently than a flat top. And, on a violin, a sound post connects the top and back, requiring the strings to drive both plates.

Folklore says that an Arch Top Guitar is louder and richer than a flat top, but have you ever played one that was?

The best sounding arch top that I ever played 6

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was a D'Angelico, that sounded like a D-28. Not the best D-28, just a D-28. In fact, most arch tops are from “mid-rangey” to “tinny”, and none can compete with a flat top for power.

So, the answer to your question is no. Are flat tops better than arch tops? It is like saying a flute is better than a trumpet. They both have completely different overtone signatures. They sound different.

You may prefer one tone or the other, but neither is innately superior.

An example that I like to use is Django Reinhardt's guitar (which was a flat top and sounded terrible for lots of reasons not covered in this article). His guitar sounded bad, but it sounded uniquely bad, and if you heard one note, you knew that you were listening to Django. You should use an arch top because its unique tone serves the sound that you want to make. If you are looking for the tone of a D-18, get one. They are fantastic. And, much cheaper than the comparable Arch Top. - Steve Mason About the author: For a day job, Steve is a luthier: one who repairs, improves and creates stringed instruments. To make a guitar, he starts with a tree and carves away everything that doesn’t look like a guitar. He plays fiddle, guitar, bass, mandolin and sings in the Alferd Packer Memorial String Band: alferdpackerband.com. Steve also maintains a wealth of information of interest to luthiers on his website: ask-a-luthier.com

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By Duane M. Evarts

www.rebirthguitars.com What did you do before becoming a luthier?

I was the guitarist for Tyler Ward. We did several large tours across the U.S. and Canada. I became rather disenchanted with the whole “rock star" lifestyle, so I made the choice to leave the band.

I had been an onagain, off-again music teacher between tours and really have a passion for teaching kids. So, I decided to pursue that as a full time career. I’ve been a music teacher for over ten years now and still actively teach students of all ages. Some of my very first builds were for some of my students.

Share about circumstances leading you to become involved in the art of lutherie.

I kind of fell into building by chance. I needed a new outlet for my creativity since I was no longer writing and recording music. I decided to try building a “partscaster” guitar and that’s when I really started catching the bug.

The only real woodworking experience I had prior was a woodshop class in high school, so I really had a steep learning curve.

Having only been a guitar player, I never truly appreciated the level of craftsmanship involved in building. The more I learn, the more I realize just how much more there is to learn!

What was the defining moment where you realized that you were going to become a professional luthier?

Probably with the sale of my first guitar. It really gave me the confidence that I could do this and enjoy it. The custom-build guitar industry is extremely competitive and I feel blessed that I’ve been able to do this.

So... when did you actually begin your career as a luthier?

I’m a newbie by comparison! I built my first guitar around five years ago and started Rebirth Guitar Company the following year.

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What do you believe sets you or your guitars apart from other fine luthiers and their creations?

I’m constantly in experimentation mode. I enjoy trying new ideas and techniques. I’m not afraid to fail while also trying to push the limits of my capabilities. I’m always searching for interesting woods that really speak to me.

I use a lot of locally sourced woods that come right out of Denver neighborhoods. Trees that have a long history with a story all their own.

What’s the story behind the name Rebirth Guitars?

It's held different meanings to me over time. The original concept was a rebirth of my own creativity. As I started moving towards reclaimed and local woods, it took on a new connotation... the "Rebirth" of unwanted woods into highly desirable guitars.

Ultimately, it denotes the bringing of new life to things and to myself. Besides, it makes a great slogan for the guitars I build...“Experience a Rebirth!”

What qualities should a professional luthier have?

Probably #1 would be customer service skills - LOL!!!

Working with wood and metal is one thing, but truly understanding what a customer wants can be very challenging at times. I really enjoy building relationships with the folks who buy my instruments.

What do you do when you’re not building guitars?

I am a foster parent so all my free time goes to my two great kiddos and my wife. It’s one of the most difficult and yet rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life.

Any final thoughts that you would like to share?

Be kind to yourself.

Woodworking takes years of experience and constant learning. It’s the journey that matters most… so enjoy it!

And follow my Facebook page www.facebook.com/ Guitar Show & Custom Luthier Magazine rebirthguitars

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Adventures in Acoustic Repair

By Mike Nash, Luthier & Owner of Alien Guitar Factory The instrument in this article was a heavily modified acoustic guitar. The owner, Gary, had removed the kerfing under the entire top, and the upper bout had been reduced to naught.

Some quick but careful Dremel sanding removed the old glue from the relevant surfaces. I chose to use scrap bits of poplar in place of the kerfing to perform the repair. The plan here is to provide a bit more glued surface than Gary had left himself, so that the top would not separate again.

To start with, I cut poplar into strips, 1/8 inch thick by 3/8 wide. This allowed for both strength and flexibility. Rather than measuring the strips for their length, I chose to first bend the strips along the outside of the instrument, placing them roughly where they would be glued later on the inside of the body.

I marked the length needed, cutting it with a chisel. With such small pieces, this saved the time and effort of using a saw. You must always test-fit dry pieces to understand the problems you may run into while gluing.

While clamping without glue, I saw that my strips were not conforming to the contour of the body at every point. So I cut two more wood strips to act as flex rods. This way, as the clamps were being placed, I could use the flex rods to push the last bit of the repair strips against the side of the body, in between my clamps where some space still existed.

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Now with my clamping and gluing plan in place, I used some simple poplar scraps to prop open the body so I had space to work inside. I placed my clamps in reach, and began applying glue.

When you attempt any glue job, your goal is to stay even with a given surface as you go. You must always glue your pieces in slightly “higher”, later sanding them flat to match the existing surface. Trying to glue it in perfect place will always result in minor imperfections in height that affect overall results.

I then slightly backed off the pressure on two of the clamps so that my strips had a little freedom of movement, and placed my flex rods for pressure on the strips in between the clamps to get them to conform to the side of the guitar body. I used the thickest part of the sidewall, opposite of that, to give the flex rods a strong place to push from.

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In case the glue wasn’t cured enough, I left the strips on overnight so they wouldn’t spring back out.

The following day, I chose to shore up my new glue surfaces with some more, shorter strips. This to add just a little more to glue-joint strength. After allowing those to dry for half a day, I again used a small Dremel sanding drum to flatten my new strips.

The gluing of the top was elementary after that. I applied the glue, smearing it with my finger to cover all surfaces completely, including the large block in the bottom. There were other small repairs done as well but I don’t have the space here to explain them.

I used Tite-bond original, as I do for all my repairs. This may not be recommended on acoustic instruments, due to its lack of flex (something I rely on in electrics) but glue made from horses is traditionally used.

Gary has said that the guitar has thus far passed the road test, and he’s happy to have her back!

Editor - Mike Nash builds custom guitars under the name “Alien Guitar Factory” based in Castle Rock, Colorado.

For more information about Mike’s current projects and available instruments, contact him at: alienguitarfactory@gmail.com or look up Alien Guitar Factory on Facebook.

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Fri-Sun, January 31- Feb 2, 2020 Orlando, FL - Orlando International Guitar & Music Expo - http://www.guitarexpo.net/ Sunday, February 15, 2020 Walker, MI -West Michigan Musician's Swap Meet - https://www.facebook.com/westmichiganmusicianswap/ Sunday, February 23, 2020 Canonsburg, PA - Greater Pittsburgh Guitar Show - https://guitarshowusa.com/

Sat-Sun, March 14-15, 2020 Fletcher, NC - Carolina Guitar Show - http://www.bee3vintage.com/ Sunday, March 22, 2020 Greensburg, PA - GuitarFest PA - https://guitarfestpa.com/ Sat-Sun, March 28-29, 2020 Franklin, TN - Amigo Nashville Guitar Show - https://www.amigoguitarshows.com/nashville-2/ Sunday, March 29, 2020 Lansing, MI - Lansing Music Instrument Swap - https://www.musicinstrumentswap.com/ North Dartmouth, MA - South Coast Guitar Show - https://sixstringmusiccompany.com/ Saturday, April 4, 2020 San Luis Obispo, CA - Central Coast Guitar Show - http://unfinished-business.org/guitarshow.html Sat-Sun, April 4-5, 2020 Danville, IN - Indiana Guitar Show - https://www.facebook.com/theindianaguitarshow/ Sunday, April 19, 2020 Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Guitar Show - http://cincyguitarshow.com/ Denver, CO - Colorado Guitar Show & Custom Luthier Expo - http://guitarshowmagazine.com/coloradoexpo.html Denver, CO - Vintage Voltage Expo - https://www.danacainevents.com/

Sat-Sun, April 25-26, 2020 Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Guitar & Drum Festival - https://tacomaguitarfestival.com/ Sunday, May 3, 2020 Natick, MA - Northeast Guitar Show - https://northeastguitarexpo.com/ For more information about any of these and other upcoming shows visit: www.guitarshowmagazine.com Not all events listed are distribution partners of Guitar Show & Custom Luthier Magazine. Thank you to all the event organizers that do share this magazine with their vendors, attendees and other guitar enthusiasts across the nation!

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Get listed in our Professional Luthier Directory! For more info visit: guitarshowmagazine.com/advertisers.html

ARIZONA Lund Guitars - Chandler, AZ lundguitars.com

FLORIDA (cont.)

Virgil Guitars - Tampa, FL virgilguitars.com

OHIO McKnight Guitars - Morrel, OH mcknightguitars.com

CALIFORNIA California Guitars - Belmont, CA calguitars.com

GEORGIA Baruke Guitars - Gainesville, GA barukeguitars.com

Rhinehart Guitars of Athens, Ohio - Athens, OH fishguitar.com

Luttrell Guitarworks - Petaluma, CA http://sfguitarworks.com/

IDAHO Tonedevil Guitars - Sandpoint, ID tonedevilharpguitars.com

COLORADO Alien Guitar Factory - Castle Rock, CO Search on Facebook Andy Bennett Guitars - Manitou Springs, CO https://reverb.com/shop/vital-sounds-ltd August Guitars - Loveland, CO Augustguitars.com Blindworm Guitars - Colorado Springs, CO blindwormguitars.com Castle Creek Guitars - Gunnison, CO castlecreekguitars.com Conery Guitars - Boulder, CO coneryguitars.com Guitar Repair Doc - Franktown, CO guitarrepairdoc.com Highlands Ranch Guitar Repair - Highlands Ranch, CO highlandsranchguitarrepair.com Rebirth Guitars - Denver, CO Rebirthguitars.com Texas Toast Guitars - Arvada, CO texastoastguitars.com Victor Guitar - Denver, CO victorguitar.com Xentric Guitars - Windsor, CO xentricguitars.com CONNECTICUT Occhineri Guitars - Bloomfield, CT Search on Facebook Stol Guitars - Guilford, CT stolguitars.com FLORIDA D Guitars Miami, LLC - North Miami Beach, FL dguitarsandlutherie.vpweb.com/

ILLINOIS Vibrance Guitars - Danville, IL vibranceguitars.com INDIANA RockRabbit Guitars - Valparaiso, IN rockrabbitguitars.com IOWA Tree Guitarworks - Des Moines, IA treeguitarworks.com/home.html KANSAS Steve Mason Luthiers and Violin Shop - Lawrence, KS ask-a-luthier.com

PENNSYLVANIA Beardly Customs - Washington, PA beardlycustoms.com Bucks County Folk Music Shop - New Britain, PA buckscountyfolkmusic.com Naugler Guitars - Green Lane, PA nauglerguitars.com RHODE ISLAND Holcomb Guitars - Providence, RI holcombguitars.com TEXAS David Newton Guitars - Beaumont, TX davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com

MASSACHUSETTS Forbidden Fruit Guitars - Cambridge, MA forbiddenguitars.com

Shaw Handcrafted Guitars - Waco, TX shawguitars.com

MINNESOTA Tim Reede Custom Guitars - Minneapolis, MN reedeguitars.com

UTAH Joe's Guitars - Sandy, UT joesguitars.com

MISSOURI DJP Guitars - St. Louis, MO djpguitars.com

KSM Guitars - Logan, UT ksmguitars.com

Franklin Guitar Company - Rocheport, MO franklinguitarcompany.com NEVADA Galaxy Guitar Products USA, LLC - Las Vegas, NV galaxyguitar.com Vegas Guitars Custom Shop - Las Vegas, NV vegasguitars.com

NEW HAMPSHIRE King Blossom Guitars - Grantham, NM kingblossomguitars.com NEW MEXICO Longbow Guitars - Rio Rancho, NM http://longbowgtr.wixsite.com/john-longbow-designs

Glen Perry Guitars - Miami, FL glenperryguitars.com

NEW YORK Guitar Specialists Inc. - Goldens Bridge, NY guitarspecialist.com

Lowe Custom Guitars - Oldsmar, FL lowecustomguitars.com

H.F. Eibert Stringed Instruments - Syracuse, NY https://www.facebook.com/HarpUke.and.More/

Sam's Quality Guitar Repair - Ocala, FL https://www.facebook.com/SamsQualityGuitarRepair

NORTH CAROLINA Koback's Custom Guitars - Claremont, NC https://www.facebook.com/KobacksCustomGuitars

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OREGON Cerny Guitars - Bend, OR Cernyguitars.com

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Steve Fischer Guitars - Cedar City, UT stevefischerguitars.com VIRGINIA Hawkins Guitar - Virginia Beach, VA hawkinsguitar.com WASHINGTON Bright Guitars - Bellingham, WA brightguitars.com

Stehr Guitars, LLC - Spokane, WA stehrguitars.com Stuart Keith Guitars - Nine Mile Falls, WA Find on Facebook WEST VIRGINIA Agape Guitars - Morgantown, WV agapeguitars.com WISCONSON Petros Guitars - Kaukauna, WI Petrosguitars.com CANADA MacPherson Guitars - Penticton, BC macphersonguitars.com

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