imiltoMmgalkeiPTHE ASSOCIATION OF STRINGED INSTRUMENT ARTISANS Laminate Trimmers David LaPlante's "Spanish Connection" Yuri Dmitrivsky's Interview James D’A Environmental Control In A Small Shop by Richard Mermer Roger Sadowsky's Symposium Transcription On "How To Deal With Your Most Neurotic Customers" and much more... The Association Of Stringed Instrument Artisans BOARD MEMBERS If you have input, concerns or suggestions about the association, ssociation of you are welcome to contact any of the board members to discuss your ideas: James Rickard; President mfringed 600 Wildcat Hill Road; Harwinton, CT 06791 (203) 485-9809 shop Duane Waterman; Treasurer nstrument 1027 S. Sierra Madre; Colorado Springs, CO 80903 i (719) 473-8444 shop William Cumpiano; Secretary rtisans c/o The Luthier’s Collaborative ES 31 Campus Plaza Road; Hadley MA 01035 (413) 253-2286 work PURPOSE William Laskin; Vice-President The Association O f Stringed Instrument Artisans, a non­ 192 DuPont Street (rear); Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M5R 2E6 profit trade organization under the provisions of Section 501 (c) (416) 923-5801 work (06) o f the Internal Revenue Code, was established in 1S>88 to Roger Sadowsky; Public Relations help provide a sense o f community and professionalism to the 1600 Broadway #1000B; New York, NY 10019 field of stringed instrument making and repair. The goals o f the (212) 586-3960 association provide for but are not limited to: the establishment of a comprehensive database of resources, supplies and technical Dick Boak; Editor; Exectutive Director information; a means of providing multi-level education within c/o Church Of Art, 14 South Broad Street; Nazareth, PA 18064 the profession; assistance in marketing and promotion; health (215) 759-7100 home; (215) 759-2837 work and insurance packages at group rates; repair or service certification; an advertiser’s marketplace; and the publication of Yuri Dmitrievsky; Correspondant in Leningrad informative newsletter/joumal. Jon Natelson; Legal Advisor Annual Membership is $35.00 plus a first year processing fee of $15.00. Donations and subscriptions are not HONORARY MEMBERSHIPS deductable as charitable contributions. (Membership application on inside o f back cover) Lifetime Achievement Awards James D ’Aq u isto A.S.I.A. Bi-Monthly Newsletter #9 Mario Maccaferri Copyright © October 1990 “A.S.I.A.” Manuel Velezquez “Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans” Awards for Excellence in the Field All rights including editorial are reserved. John Monteleone No part of this journal may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. All submissions will be juried. We strongly encourage submissions from all ON THE COVER ________________ members, but we will not be responsible for loss or non-return of New York City luthier/repairman Roger Sadowsky pictured unsolicited photographs or manuscripts. Address all correspondence and subscriptions to-. here against his wall of satisfied customers. Note Paul Simon, Lou Reed and Billy Squier in this tiny section. Roger has personal Association Of Stringed Instrument Artisans testimonials from just about everyone. He is known fo r his 14 South Broad Street Nazareth, PA 18064 quality and his trustworthyness. A specialist in setup, his "Sadowsky" brand guitars and basses are owned by top CALL FOR ARTICLES/PHOTOS musicians: Sting, Mick Jagger & Keith Richards to name a few. Roger's Symposium '89 talk is featured in this issue. Look fo r an As a member generated publication, we greatly depend upon the submission of articles and photographs for use in our in depth interview in the next issue (# 10 ) o f Guitarmaker. Roger publications. Please do more than consider what part you can has been serving as a member o f the A.S.I. A. Board o f Directors play in the "coming to fruition" of this association. since last March. 2 The Association Of Stringed Instrument Artisans for Elderly Instruments, he has been doing some of the best LETTERS repair work on vintage instruments in the country, and has built a number of wonderful guitars as displayed at the last Symposium BIG APPLE REBUTTAL His Brazilian Rosewood 5 Style Ukulele is extremely beautiful (too new to have made it to the Symposium). W e’ve been talking Dear Guitarmaker: about numerous exciting ideas and plans that bode well for the Thank you for your efforts in producing the best issue of future. His “new blood” will be a welcome transfusion into Guitarmaker (#8). I ’m afraid, however that I’m going to have to Schoenberg Guitars. take you to task for your absurd comment regarding next years Plans are basically to continue operation as before, working summer NAMM show: "....middle America dealerships are with C. F. Martin as the manufacturer of all Schoenberg Guitars petrified at the prospect of getting mugged and swindled in the with a unique collaboration between factory and luthier big apple.” developed by Dana and the people at Martin. We will continue As a native New Yorker who both lives and works in building instruments designed primarily for fingerstyle playing. Manhattan, I am genuinely offended by your remark. First of all, These are designs that have grown out of our love for the the convention is being held in Manhattan at the Javits Center, smaller-bodied instruments made by Martin over the years, so far one of the major conference facilities in the world. It is NOT concentrating on the OM and 12-fret 000. Sincerely, being held in Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, or in South Bronx Eric Schoenberg where your remarks might have some legitimacy. Second, New Schoenberg Guitars York is much safer than the media portrays it to be. I personally 38 Shore Drive know more people outside of NYC who have been robbed, Concord, MA 01742 raped or otherwise been victimized by criminal elements. Third, (508) 369-2272 anyone who plays "Three Card Monty” on the streets of New York or allows themselves to be swindled in any other way is just GABRIEL BLODGETT plain dumb and deserves what they get! Fourth, we are proud of the term Big Apple, and you should have capitalized the name, as Dear Guitarmaker, it is a proper name synonymous with Manhattan! I’m a little late in responding for renewal because my second The bottom line is that traveling in any major urban center in son: Gabriel, was being born on August 7th. He and my wife, the world requires some heads up consciousness regarding Cindy are doing quite well and things are beginning to settle criminal elements and swindlers. And editing a journal requires down around here. W e’re looking forward to Symposium 91. And some heads up consciousness as well! With great respect and I’m in favor of the switch to recycled paper; great idea! Regards: affection: John Blodgett Roger Sadowsky; Professional Guitar Services 6 Lake Road 1600 Broadway; R oom 1000B Rockland, ME 04841 New York, NY 10019 (212) 586-3960 ENJOYING OUR INTERVIEWS Believe it or not, A.S.IA. B oard Member Sadowsky can be Dear Guitarmaker, seen on page 25 o f Guitarmaker #7 being happily embraced by I just wanted to add a note with my renewal check to let you the editor whose questionable comments have inspired the letter know how much I ’ve been enjoying Guitarmaker. Its quality and above. You will also fin d an article containing Roger's wisdom professionalism are getting better and better. I ’ve particularly beginning on page 13 o f this issue. been fascinated by the interviews in the last couple of issues. Elaine S. Hartstein SCHOENBERG UPDATE 57-07 225th Street Bayside, NY 11364 (212) 210-5283 days CASES ANYONE ? Guitars, Inc. Dear Guitarmaker, Dear Guitarmaker, Here's a suggestion for a topic that may be of interest to Just a quick note to inform you about the progress so far members: a review of case makers... particularly the high end with our reorganization. Schoenberg Guitars has incorporated ones. Thanks for your continuing efforts to maintain a high recently, following a split of the two owners, Eric Schoenberg quality and relevant information network. and Dana Bourgeois. Dana has accepted a position with Paul Abraham Wechter Reed Smith, designing and building acoustic-electric guitars. I 35654 32nd Street have stayed with the company and will be continuing operations Paw Paw, Ml 49079 much as before. Working with Dana has been a rewarding experience, and he is responsible for much of what our company If you would like to review case makers, correspond with us, has become. His drive and energy will be missed. or express your opinions about some of the articles or interviews As for the future, I am thrilled to say that D a n a ’s vacancy will contained in Guitarmaker, please don't hesitate to send them to: be filled by T. J. Thompson of Lansing, Michigan. T. J. has been making the beautiful pyramid bridges on Soloists all along, as A. S. I. A. Letters well as working on various other aspects of the manufacturing 14 South Broad Street and warranty repairs of Schoenberg Guitars. As head repairman Nazareth, PA 18064 3 The Association Of Stringed Instrument Artisans FOLLOW-UP TIPS Dear Guitarmaker, Clothes Pin Modification I am writing with some suggestions regarding Michael While teaching my guitarmaking course at the P e te r ’s Valley D r e sd n e r ’s Tips column on “Calculating Neck Resets" which Craft Center in Layton, NJ (See Page 7), it once again became appeared in the *8 issue of Guitarmaker. I always find Michael’s painfully obvious that the traditional wooden clothes pins (as writing to be as helpful as it is well written. Since I have my own they are purchased) are quite unsuitable for use in gluing ribbon methods for determining how much to take off the heel of a linings, without a minor and fairly simple modification; the neck, I was fascinated to leam of a formula which could generate purpose of such modification to allow the clothes pin to clamp a number or measurement to use for this purpose.