I have both Somogyi and Gore/Gillet sets - both a wealth of knowledge, but I'm hungry for more.
Have any of you watched the Stew Mac DVDs on Bridge Repair, Neck Resets, Fret Work, Steel String Maintenance and Setup?
Are they a valuable addition to your library, or are books / YouTube a better bet? Looking for deeper details and unique tips, as I've got a pretty good handle on the basics.
Any recommendations are welcomed.
Stew Mac DVDs/Books - any reviews?
Re: Stew Mac DVDs/Books - any reviews?
Daniel,
Stewmac's book "player repair guide" is nice, but their book "guitar finish step by step" is great.
Herman
Stewmac's book "player repair guide" is nice, but their book "guitar finish step by step" is great.
Herman
Re: Stew Mac DVDs/Books - any reviews?
ken cierp
http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/
Store Front
http://www.cncguitarproducts.com/
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http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/ki ... ckage.html
http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/
Store Front
http://www.cncguitarproducts.com/
KMG Guitar Kit Information
http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/ki ... ckage.html
Re: Stew Mac DVDs/Books - any reviews?
For any repair/restoration task that interests you, I don't see how you could go wrong with Dan Erlewine's books and/or videos. I have his Bridge Repairs (1 & 2), Frets (several), Neck Resetting, and Maintenance videos, as well as the first edition of his Finishing book and the Maintenance book.
Michael Collins has a book and DVD set on Selmer style that is extremely coherent. His methods can be used for many other styles.
My fellow Okie John Mayes (anyone know what happened to him?) did a series of DVDs on new builds that is interesting and funny at the same time.
For the joy of building, the best book I ever read was the first one I read, by Arthur E. Overholtzer. He did not build many guitars, but served, I think, as the emotional fountainhead for a lot of what goes on today. You can still get it reasonably priced used, and for more $$, new.
Ervin Somogyi's design book does the best job of presenting the puzzle of making a guitar that I have. I read and re-read it constantly to keep my brain ticking. He is somewhat controversial, but then so was Socrates. There is one sound on his DVD that made the whole disc worth it to me. (That DVD is out on loan to forum members right now.)
Don Teeter, another fellow Okie, wrote two books that I will never part with. Even his widely "discussed and cussed" epoxy method of fretting is worth reading about, though I would never use it in a new build.
David Russell Young made a successful argument for building rationally, although if you follow his instructions exactly for a 6-string, it will be overbuilt (but durable). Although he abandoned making guitars for violin bows, his guitar book set a tone for concise writing and efficient techniques that persists to this day, 40 years later.
If you want to do a carved top, Robert Benedetto is the gold standard teacher for that, at least his stuff does that within my library. Has a book, DVD set, and plans.
My latest book is by John Bogdanovich and a real bargain at $22. Lots of color photos for every step in his process.
The Gore books, like Somogyi's, are expensive but worth it.
Somewhat in the vein of yet another Okie, Will Rogers, I never read a lutherie book I didn't like.
Michael Collins has a book and DVD set on Selmer style that is extremely coherent. His methods can be used for many other styles.
My fellow Okie John Mayes (anyone know what happened to him?) did a series of DVDs on new builds that is interesting and funny at the same time.
For the joy of building, the best book I ever read was the first one I read, by Arthur E. Overholtzer. He did not build many guitars, but served, I think, as the emotional fountainhead for a lot of what goes on today. You can still get it reasonably priced used, and for more $$, new.
Ervin Somogyi's design book does the best job of presenting the puzzle of making a guitar that I have. I read and re-read it constantly to keep my brain ticking. He is somewhat controversial, but then so was Socrates. There is one sound on his DVD that made the whole disc worth it to me. (That DVD is out on loan to forum members right now.)
Don Teeter, another fellow Okie, wrote two books that I will never part with. Even his widely "discussed and cussed" epoxy method of fretting is worth reading about, though I would never use it in a new build.
David Russell Young made a successful argument for building rationally, although if you follow his instructions exactly for a 6-string, it will be overbuilt (but durable). Although he abandoned making guitars for violin bows, his guitar book set a tone for concise writing and efficient techniques that persists to this day, 40 years later.
If you want to do a carved top, Robert Benedetto is the gold standard teacher for that, at least his stuff does that within my library. Has a book, DVD set, and plans.
My latest book is by John Bogdanovich and a real bargain at $22. Lots of color photos for every step in his process.
The Gore books, like Somogyi's, are expensive but worth it.
Somewhat in the vein of yet another Okie, Will Rogers, I never read a lutherie book I didn't like.
Last edited by John Link on Fri Dec 09, 2016 8:24 pm, edited 3 times in total.
John
Re: Stew Mac DVDs/Books - any reviews?
About YouTube lutherie: Be careful. Anyone can publish. Not everyone knows what they are doing.
The Harmony database site has a very interesting section called "Kitchen Kamikazie Lutherie" or some such. http://harmony.demont.net/kamikazie.php You might not want to use their techniques on a pre-war D-28, but they make sense when friends want you to fix their guitars for nothing. (And you are to supply the parts.)
The Harmony database site has a very interesting section called "Kitchen Kamikazie Lutherie" or some such. http://harmony.demont.net/kamikazie.php You might not want to use their techniques on a pre-war D-28, but they make sense when friends want you to fix their guitars for nothing. (And you are to supply the parts.)
John
Re: Stew Mac DVDs/Books - any reviews?
Ken, I love these videos by George Lowden - watched them more than a few times - maybe it's just his voice, but also some great insight about pairing tonewoods.ken cierp wrote:
Re: Stew Mac DVDs/Books - any reviews?
Herman - thank you.Herman wrote:Daniel,
Stewmac's book "player repair guide" is nice, but their book "guitar finish step by step" is great.
Herman
It doesn't sound like you're widely impressed with the "Player Repair Guide"? - maybe I should keep looking.
I just found the "Guitar Finish Step By Step" in my library - I had bought a few collections of books from retiring luthiers, and this one must have been in there - not sure how I missed it. I'm going to make sure to rad through it.