Recommended reading?

Johni

Active member
Joined
Mar 21, 2019
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
Anybody have a favorite book to recommend?
I'm new to lutherie but hoping for a little more than "how to." I'd like to understand more theory and why things are done the way they are.

Thanks
 
This isn't going to be specifically very helpful, but read all you can on all kinds of strings instruments.

Books I recommend to everyone are
1- The Somogyi books (2 Vols)
2- The Gore/Gilet Books (2 vols)
3- Roy Courtnall - Making master guitars

Those 3 alone will set you back about $500

This 4th book is a GREAT buy for $25
4- John S. Bogdanovich - Classical Guitar Making: A Modern Approach to Traditional Design.

5- Graham Mcdonald is final drafting a modern Ukulele building book which will be the best one specifically on ukes. Not sure when It comes out, but i've read it and it's very good.

PS- Anyone who says that you can't learn and apply to ukes anything from guitar making (classical or steel string) is a fool.
 
Last edited:
I have the Somogyi books which are good but pricey. As a good starter on construction and methods I found Guitarmaking, tradition and technology by Cumpiano an easier read than the Bogdanovich book which I also have. Another book I found very interesting was Siminoff's Guide to Building Great Tone in Acoustic Stringed Instruments but this is not the easiest read.
 
I'm loving this thread.

What about Acoustic Guitar Making: How to make Tools, Templates, and Jigs by Brian Gary Forbes? I ran across it and the description really called out to me. Can anyone who's read it provide an opinion?

Then there's The Uke Book Illustrated: Design and Build the World's Coolest Ukulele (Fox Chapel Publishing) Graphic Novel Format Shows Every Step of Construction with 1,500 Beautiful Watercolor
by John Weissenrieder (Author), Sarah Greenbaum (Illustrator) due to be released next month. The concept of watercolor illustrations sounds cool, but I wonder if it would enhance or hinder using this as an actual reference book?
 
Last edited:
I'm loving this thread.

What about Acoustic Guitar Making: How to make Tools, Templates, and Jigs by Brian Gary Forbes? I ran across it and the description really called out to me. Can anyone who's read it provide an opinion?

Then there's The Uke Book Illustrated: Design and Build the World's Coolest Ukulele (Fox Chapel Publishing) Graphic Novel Format Shows Every Step of Construction with 1,500 Beautiful Watercolor
by John Weissenrieder (Author), Sarah Greenbaum (Illustrator) due to be released next month. The concept of watercolor illustrations sounds cool, but I wonder if it would enhance or hinder using this as an actual reference book?

Sometimes illustrations can show something much better than photographs.
 
Anybody have a favorite book to recommend?
I'm new to lutherie but hoping for a little more than "how to." I'd like to understand more theory and why things are done the way they are.

Thanks

This is more an observation than anything else, I hope that it is useful.

On any topic there are large variations in skill and experience, a reference text that’s right for one person might not be right for another of higher or lower expertise.

Personally I’d be interested to read a good entry level book, but for someone who’s already built a few instruments that ideal book for me would be too simplistic for them.
 
I'm loving this thread.

What about Acoustic Guitar Making: How to make Tools, Templates, and Jigs by Brian Gary Forbes? I ran across it and the description really called out to me. Can anyone who's read it provide an opinion?

Then there's The Uke Book Illustrated: Design and Build the World's Coolest Ukulele (Fox Chapel Publishing) Graphic Novel Format Shows Every Step of Construction with 1,500 Beautiful Watercolor
by John Weissenrieder (Author), Sarah Greenbaum (Illustrator) due to be released next month. The concept of watercolor illustrations sounds cool, but I wonder if it would enhance or hinder using this as an actual reference book?

I have the Forbes book and enjoyed it. If you want a foretaste of his work check out his web site https://westfarthingwoodworks.com/
 
This is more an observation than anything else, I hope that it is useful.

On any topic there are large variations in skill and experience, a reference text thatÂ’s right for one person might not be right for another of higher or lower expertise.

Personally IÂ’d be interested to read a good entry level book, but for someone whoÂ’s already built a few instruments that ideal book for me would be too simplistic for them.

Hi and thanks.
I agree completely. My personal situation is stringed instruments are new to me but woodworking isn't. I'm currently using a very good *how to* book from hana lima and working through the process of building a tenor from scratch. It's great and I'm enjoying going through the various steps. I've found the actual woodworking, thus far, fairly routine. One exception was bending with a heated pipe and steam. In the past, I'd laminate to produce curves. Incidentally, learning to bend has been my favorite part so far. It's great to begin practicing and working to acquire a new skill.

Making an instrument involves many of the same techniques I've learned over the years BUT, there's one thing foreign and mysterious. All my past projects had a goal of being visually pleasing and of course, pleasing to touch. What's challenging for me now is the additional aim of making something that sounds good. So, my ears perked up when "Parto" recommended "Building Great Tone in Acoustic Stringed Instrument." (I'm sure the other books also address tone even while not specifically included in the title.)

Thanks .

I'm going to be 55 this month and I'm hoping one of these books will be wrapped up and waiting for me on the breakfast table.
 
As a lutherie author, it kills me to say this, but the printed word is dead. Where instrument making is concerned, theory is just another word for guessing. Which, of course, leaves only the how-to aspect, and for that, video beats books hands down. I eBayed my entire collection of lutherie books except the collected GAL material and Graham McDonald's books. I'll buy Graham's uke book when it comes out (it's a loyalty thing). I'll also buy The Uke Book Illustrated, mostly because I'm curious about the format and it's been on my Amazon wish list for years without coming to production. Before spending $500 for books I would get Heidi Litky's beginner vids (though I hate that she uses the classical neck joint) and Jay Lichty's advanced video set. Both were produced by Robbie O'Brien. Jay's course will make your head spin if it is your first introduction to lutherie. I could recommend other video series but they aren't strictly ukulele oriented.
 
As a lutherie author, it kills me to say this, but the printed word is dead. Where instrument making is concerned, theory is just another word for guessing. Which, of course, leaves only the how-to aspect, and for that, video beats books hands down. I eBayed my entire collection of lutherie books except the collected GAL material and Graham McDonald's books. I'll buy Graham's uke book when it comes out (it's a loyalty thing). I'll also buy The Uke Book Illustrated, mostly because I'm curious about the format and it's been on my Amazon wish list for years without coming to production. Before spending $500 for books I would get Heidi Litky's beginner vids (though I hate that she uses the classical neck joint) and Jay Lichty's advanced video set. Both were produced by Robbie O'Brien. Jay's course will make your head spin if it is your first introduction to lutherie. I could recommend other video series but they aren't strictly ukulele oriented.

Interesting thoughts, thanks.
I'll admit, YouTube helped me tremendously with learning to bend. I'm definitely a visual learner and *seeing* helps me emulate movements and get a feel for it. Still, a well written passage can also create a *picture* of what's going on. Maybe in the same way a well crafted watercolor can be better than a photo. Here's an example....there's some boat building authors who manage to speak to me through their writing as though they're standing beside me. Its almost magical. Written words aren't yet "dead," for me at least.

Regarding theory, I mentioned bending above. Why am I bending with steam vs laminating? Is that simply tradition or is tone involved. At places selling instruments, they say it's about tone. Is that a "sales ploy?" I understand much of this is subjective.

Beau Hannan's videos have been helpful. If you're reading,
thanks Beau. In one video he described slightly scewing a tone bar so it isn't parallel to the top plate book match joint.... I'm sure builders are all over the place as far as how they do things...hana Lima doesn't mention doing this, I'm curious to learn why that might be done and why it might make a difference.

Thanks again for your thoughts.
 
Last edited:
Beau Hannan's videos have been helpful. If you're reading,
thanks Beau. In one video he described slightly scewing a tone bar so it isn't parallel to the top plate book match joint.... I'm sure builders are all over the place as far as how they do things...hana Lima doesn't mention doing this, I'm curious to learn why that might be done and why it might make a difference.
.
In regards to the middle brace, I just tilt/skew/angle it slightly so the brace edges aren't running along/parallel to the tops grain lines cuz when you glue wood to another piece of wood along grain lines that is where is will likely crack. You see this a lot on fingerboard ends (mostly guitars)- It's just a simple, logical, common sense thing I don't that no one else seems to bother with.
 
Making an instrument involves many of the same techniques I've learned over the years BUT, there's one thing foreign and mysterious. All my past projects had a goal of being visually pleasing and of course, pleasing to touch. What's challenging for me now is the additional aim of making something that sounds good.

There are many stories of luthiers being approached by a first time builder who is an experienced woodworker who presents an absolutely gorgeous instrument that sounds absolutely awful. These instruments are derisively called "boat paddles" or simply "furniture". The problem lies in that a woodworker instinctively builds for structure strength and integrity rather than for acoustic response and thus the ukuleles tend to be massively overbuilt with a dead, unresponsive sound: Kathunk.
 
The long awaited The Uke Book Illustrated by John Weissenrieder (Luthier) and Sarah Greenbaum (Illustrator) is supposed to be in print this June. This is an illustrated book on how to build a uke. Sadly, John passed away in 2017, before the book could be published.

I’ve seen some of chapters in pdf, and it looks very interesting. Not sure about recommending it, without seeing the final completed book.
 
On second thoughts I'll not write the book or make the video - y'all seem to be doing a great job of it already..... and by the time `I get around to it there will be so much information out there I'll just confuse the issue.
 
On a whim, I checked some of these titles on Amazon and found Cumpanino’s Guitarmaking for $2.50. It’s the older edition and used, but what a bargain! Even with shipping, it was under $7. I also pre-ordered The Uke Book Illustrated, which is a steal at $13. I may spend $500 on luthier books someday. But not, I think, today.

By the way, Illustrated is being released June 10. That was just announced.
 
In regards to the middle brace, I just tilt/skew/angle it slightly so the brace edges aren't running along/parallel to the tops grain lines cuz when you glue wood to another piece of wood along grain lines that is where is will likely crack. You see this a lot on fingerboard ends (mostly guitars)- It's just a simple, logical, common sense thing I don't that no one else seems to bother with.

That does seem logical ... stops a crack from “running out” along the grain line. Sorry if I somehow missed an explanation of purpose in your posted video. Thanks.
 
There are many stories of luthiers being approached by a first time builder who is an experienced woodworker who presents an absolutely gorgeous instrument that sounds absolutely awful. These instruments are derisively called "boat paddles" or simply "furniture". The problem lies in that a woodworker instinctively builds for structure strength and integrity rather than for acoustic response and thus the ukuleles tend to be massively overbuilt with a dead, unresponsive sound: Kathunk.

“Boat paddles” I imagine I may end up with a few of those. I’m trying follow Hana Lima’s instructions closely. I did alter the recommended thickness of the top plate a little. Instead of 0.08” I went with 0.25” ...saved on a bunch of thicknessing and should be much stronger too.

Just kidding
 
Top Bottom