PAUL VERNON CHESTER

Manouche Maestro
 

Django's 'French' Luthier's

A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. The word luthier comes from the 19th Century French word luth meaning "lute"

Julian Gómez Ramirez was born in Madrid in 1879. About 1892, he began an apprenticeship with Agustín Andrés. By 1910, however, he was working as a journeyman in the shop of José Ramirez I.   Although  not related to Ramirez, the Ramirez family claims him as a disciple of Ramirez I. According to Robert Bouchet, Julian told him he had worked for Manuel Ramirez before coming to Paris around 1914.  He remained in Paris until his death in 1943. Julian Gómez Ramirez was befriended by Robert Bouchet (1898-1986), and was a frequent visitor in Julian's tiny, dark and jumbled workshop, and credits Julian with inspiring him to become a guitar maker. Despite the working conditions in his shop, Julian Gomez Ramirez produced guitars of genuine quality. Among the players who owned his guitars was the concert guitarist Ida Presti (1924-1967).

All Sicilian luthiers were born in Catania, at the foot of Etna, the volcano.  The poor economy of the region highly contributed to the huge migrant wave in the 20s towards France that gave birth to an extraordinary school of French luthiery. The luthiers from Catania are to be mentioned: Pappalardo, Antonio Di Mauro, Amico, Anastasio, Bernabe 'Pablo' Busato, Bucolo, Castelluccia, Favino, Olivieri, Burgassi, Martella, Grizzo, Rossito, Petillo...among many others.

Joel Laplane

School of Luthier Skills
-Totnes School of Guitar Making

Collins Road, Totnes, Devon, England, TQ9 5PJ
+44 (0)1803 865255
info@totnesschoolofguitarmaking.co.uk
www.totnesschoolofguitarmaking.co.uk

Three times a year, the Totnes School of Guitar Making runs a 12-week course for up to six people. Each of them has chosen what kind of guitar they want to make, and leaves at the end with the finished instrument. Beautiful work and fine craftsmanship are regularly achieved.

Beginners and advanced students work in one group. Some beginners have no previous woodworking experience at all. Even so, they can make almost any kind of guitar or related instrument. All students on a course share the goal of finishing their instrument by the end of the 12 weeks.

For some it is the beginning of a life-long interest which may, or may not, be professional. For others it is an opportunity to make a guitar just once - to bask in the pleasure of having and playing an instrument you yourself have made. Not only is the course open to anybody who is taken by the idea of building a guitar, it also gets a good deal of energy, invention and balance from students having very different aims.

Women are as welcome as men. The minimum age is sixteen. There is no upper age limit.

The qualifications for admission to the course are

1. Wanting to build a guitar, and
2. being willing to work at it

The Results

The Totnes School of Guitar Making was established in 1985.

Norman Reed, founder of the school in 1985 and tutor until 2003 died on 4th May 2008.  A fine instrument maker, a patient and inspirational teacher, and a wonderful man, Norman will be sorely missed.  Norman was always self-effacing, giving others space to develop and reach their potential. He engendered respect and affection in equal measure.  Phil Messer, Tutor

Luthier's Supplies

Setting Up the Gypsy Jazz Guitar with Jamie Boss - Vol.1 and 2
A 2 x.2 hour two DVD set made for gypsy jazz guitarists that will show you how set-up the gypsy jazz guitar. The video covers many of the guitar's weak points and is perfect for the gypsy jazz guitarist that wants the best out of his guitar. All avenues of improving the playability and sound are covered. Filmed at his guitar building school in Milford, Connecticut, the entire process is broken down into individual steps. The videos differ from other similar videos on the market because they utilize two cameras during the filming process, allowing them to make real-time close-up shots during the presentation. Jamie Boss is an experienced luthier and selling and repairing gypsy jazz guitars for years.
The DVDs include:
The History
1. Review of types of gypsy guitars available
2. Brief history of the Selmer guitar
3. Francois Charles Selmer-Maccaferri book
The Tuners
1. A review of the many types of tuners available
2. Grinding the post length
3. Explanation of the poor tuners found on the Cordoba and Aria guitars
4. Explanation of the installation of Miller tuners
5. Drilling oversize post holes
The Nut
1. Explanation of the zero fret
2. Protecting the fret during levelling
3. Strings spacing
4. E-string fall off
5. Nut removal
The Fretboard
1. Explanation long and short scales
2. Fret-board radius
3. Radius gauge
4. Purpose of neck relief
5. Adjusting neck relief
6. Truss-rod adjustment
7. Fret height problems
8. Fret polishing
The Bridge
1. Various types of bridges available
2. Bridge weight
3. Neck angle and bridge height
4. Sound transfer and contact pads
5. Raising and lowering bridge height
6. Intonation vs moustache position
The Tail Piece
1. Various types of tail pieces available
2. Tail piece problems
3. Improvements with tail pieces
The Set-up
1. Fret levelling
2. Fret crowning
3. Fret polishing
4. Neck angle vs string height
5. Fretboard radius
6. Radius sanding block

http://www.hotstringsguitar.com/

http://www.hotstringsguitar.com/dvd-gypsy-jazz-guitar-setup.php

http://www.hotstringsguitar.com/dvd-building-selmer-guitar.php

http://www.hotstringsguitar.com/free-guitar-video-lessons.php

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.channel&ContributorID=35035620

Mail jazzmaster@jazzeddie.f2s.com with questions or comments about the format of this web site.
Last modified: 27/02/2010