Luthiery

I’m On Substack

Wilson Burnham Guitars -

 Yes, I have an account on Substack.com. All you have to do is type my name, Wilson Burnham, into the search engine on Substack and you will find my first post. 

I’m not leaving Blogger, I will post about my new guitars as they come available and maybe a post or two about woodworking. And to let you know when I sell some of my vintage tools on eBay.

The main reason for starting a Substack is to attract more classical guitarists, and those who are interested in guitars, maybe engage a few of them and gain a few more customers. 

Enjoy your week working in your shop!



Cocobolo tonewood for sale

A Luthiers Blog -

Cocobolo tonewood for sale

I’m thinning out my tonewood collection and offering two sets (back and sides) of wonderful Cocobolo for sale. I’ve made a number of great sounding mandolins from similar wood and I’m sure it would be suitable for other smaller instruments too.

I’ve had this wood in my humidity-controlled workshop for many years, so it’s ready to use.

I originally purchased it from Andy at Prime Timbers and if you know of him, you’ll know that you won’t find better quality or better prepared wood anywhere.

Beautiful, quarter sawn wood, ranging from warm orange to rich brown: can only be described as master grade!


Set #1

 

Back (each piece) 380 x 165 tapering to 155mm. 4mm thickness

Sides (each piece) 610 x 100 tapering to 92mm. 4mm thickness

 

Set #2

Back (each piece) 380 x 155mm. 4mm thickness

Sides (each piece) 620 x 92mm. 4mm thickness

 

I’d like £100 per set or £180 for both, plus whatever the shipping is. I can only ship this within the UK.

 If you’re interested, you can find my email address here and I can send you some more photos too.

Thanks Gary.

What’s On The Bench, And What’s New In My Dulcimer Making Adventure – February 29th, 2024

Doug Berch -

On the bench is what will be a 3-string cherry bass dulcimer with walnut binding. The back and sides are complete, and I’ve started work on the fingerboard and soundboard. This cherry bass dulcimer is also last on the list of advance and customer orders I have been working through for several years. I had … Continue reading What’s On The Bench, And What’s New In My Dulcimer Making Adventure – February 29th, 2024

What’s On The Bench, And What’s New In My Dulcimer Making Adventure – February 29th, 2024

Doug Berch -

What’s On The Bench, And What’s New In My Dulcimer Making Adventure – February 29th, 2024 On the bench is what will be a 3-string cherry bass dulcimer with walnut binding. The back and sides are complete, and I’ve started work on the fingerboard and soundboard. This cherry bass dulcimer is also last on the list of advance and customer orders I have been working through for several years. I had … Continue reading What’s On The Bench, And What’s New In My Dulcimer Making Adventure – February 29th, 2024

European Spruce/Canada Cypress Classical Guitar Available at Savage Classical Guitar

Wilson Burnham Guitars -

My 2021 European Spruce/Canada Cypress classical guitar is available again at Savage Classical Guitar!







 

European spruce top 

Back and sides are triple laminated : cypress, birch, curly maple

654mm string length

52mm wide fretboard at nut

62mm at 12th fret

59mm string spacing at bridge 

490mm body length

278mm upper bout 

245mm waist

372mm lower bout

Ebony fretboard

East Indian rosewood bridge

Schaller GrandTune tuning machines with bearings

A beautiful instrument with a gorgeous voice that is loud and projects, classical guitarist Alfredo Muro declares “it is a marvelous guitar!” 

Classical Guitar Binding Ledges Routed

Wilson Burnham Guitars -

Binding ledges routed this afternoon, bindings are thinned and BWBWB purfling is made.




These two photos garnered a lot of interest on my Instagram account this week, and I am a little baffled by the interest. I assume that it is because very few people get to see what a guitar looks like before the bindings are installed. This isn’t a guitar that I made, it was built by a very, very well known European guitar maker and was horribly mistreated by its previous owner. I purchased this guitar and now in the process of restoring it. It has an Italian spruce top and East Indian rosewood back and sides. I may make it available to purchase, if you are interested in learning more about it, please contact me at highcountrylutherie@gmail.com

First, I set the router bit to the depth and height to match the binding, in this case, some hard maple, and rout out the channels/ledges/rebates/rabbets, or whatever term you wish to use, on the guitar’s top and back. Once that is done I proceed to the next step.

Second, I set the height and depth of router bit to match the purfling which is .03mm thick black and white strips of veneer laminated together. Only the top on this guitar receives the purfling. It is much easier to glue up a lamination of veneers, when I first started making guitars I would have glued five separate strips of veneer and the binding at the same time. It was a very messy and nerve wracking way to the job.

The back binding is on…


 …and I hope to get the top binding and purfling on today. We have a new puppy, she’s five months old and takes up most of my time during the day. Quality time in the shop only happens when she is asleep or outside, and as I write this, we are getting dumped on with snow!

Our puppy, Tula!

Books for Sale!

Norse Woodsmith -

Books for sale on Ebay:  I'm going though my book library and paring it down.  The subject matter will vary, as my interests and studies have over the last 30 years - some are from my architectural studies, others deal with woodworking, gardening, or are either practical, whimsical, or reference books I have that I wish to part with.  If you have any interest, please bid!  This all goes to help pay for web site hosting (and gaining back some space!),  More to come next week, to include back issues of some woodworking magazines.

A couple of these are high end classic books, worth well more than what I'm asking.

Thanks for looking!

 

MARQUETRY & INLAY HANDBOOK By Zachary Taylor

MARQUETRY & INLAY HANDBOOK By Zachary Taylor

 

The Gentleman & Cabinet-Maker's Director - 9780486216010, Chippendale, paperback

The Gentleman & Cabinet-Maker's Director - 9780486216010, Chippendale, paperback

 Gardening by Philip Edinger and Scott Atkinson (2003,...

Trellises and Arbors : Gardening by Philip Edinger and Scott Atkinson (2003,...

 

Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide by George Hepplewhite (2012, Trade...

Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide by George Hepplewhite (2012, Trade...

 

 The Notebooks of Alexander G Weygers - GOOD

Sculpture, Form and Philosophy: The Notebooks of Alexander G Weygers - GOOD

 

2005 Means Building Construction Cost Data Estimating

2005 Means Building Construction Cost Data Estimating

 

 ILLUSTRATED BY By Raphael Brandon

THE OPEN TIMBER ROOFS OF THE MIDDLE AGES: ILLUSTRATED BY By Raphael Brandon

 

 Problems of Induction by Lynch, Kevin; Hack, Gary; Third Edition

Site Planning: Problems of Induction by Lynch, Kevin; Hack, Gary; Third Edition

 

The Architects studio Companion by Edward Allen & Joseph Iano - 1989

The Architects studio Companion by Edward Allen & Joseph Iano - 1989

 

 An Introduction

Site Reconnaissance and Engineering : An Introduction

 

1921 The Disston Saw, Tool, & File Book by Raymond Deneen

1921 The Disston Saw, Tool, & File Pamphlet by Raymond Deneen

 

 46 Full-Size Patterns with Complete Instructions

Glass Etching: 46 Full-Size Patterns with Complete Instructions

 

Thomas Sheraton's Classical Revival Furniture Designs

Thomas Sheraton's Classical Revival Furniture Designs

 

 

Marquetry by Pierre Ramond (2003, Hardcover)

Marquetry by Pierre Ramond (2003, Hardcover)

 

Practical Veneering by Charles Harold Hayward (Hardcover) 1951

Practical Veneering by Charles Harold Hayward (Hardcover) 1951

 

Chilton's Repair Manual for 1983-96 Ford Thunderbird & Cougar, US & Canada #8268

Chilton's Repair Manual for 1983-96 Ford Thunderbird & Cougar, US & Canada #8268

Good start to the year’s work.

A Luthiers Blog -

With most of the construction on the e-mando now complete, it’s time to concentrate on the tailpiece and bridge and getting the mandolin set-up. And that’s exactly what I look at in this video!

And just in case you’ve been wondering……..here’s the latest Standard. It’s rosewood body has been fully bound in cocobolo and the next step is fit the neck.



Phil Hare

A Luthiers Blog -

Amanda and I have just heard the sad news that Phil Hare passed away last night.

He was so thoughtful and kind and we always enjoyed his visits to our home/workshop, not only to hear him play but also listen to his anecdotes. He will be sorely missed by all those who knew him and enjoyed his virtuoso playing.

If you don't know of  Phil you should

RIP Phil, we’ll miss you.

Recent Acquisition

A Luthiers Blog -

 

I’ve just been lucky enough to get my hands on this lovely vintage bass guitar. Although it’s lost its head badge/logo, I do know it’s a “Top Twenty” made in 1968/9. These were made in Japan by Teisco at a time when they were being taken over by Kawai. This brand was sold via Woolworths in the UK, and I can distinctly remember seeing Top Twenty Guitars along with Audition amplifiers in my local branch.
Whilst researching, I came across this interesting catalogue page.
It seems the bass originally costs around £29, which according to the Bank of England inflation calculator equates to £400 today (2023): so, not exactly a cheapo!

First impressions?
The build quality is generally very good, with nice details such as the use of faux tortoise shell for the pickguard and the chrome “Jazz” bass control plate. The body is around 6mm thicker than the Kay bass I had recently, and that extra mass makes this one feel a more substantial guitar. It has a nice, real rosewood fretboard and the thumb rest is also solid rosewood. All this helps to give the impression of quality.
The bass is generally in good condition for its age with its original finish albeit with a few dings! However, it’s in dire need of a re-fret; the frets have clearly been levelled many times over the years and are now so, so low!
In spite of the frets, I’ve had a go at playing it and I’m really happy with the tone of the single coil pickup.
Unfortunately, as with the majority of used bass guitars, the tailpiece cover is missing: where do they all go?
I’m sure I’ll discover a few more issues once I dig and delve. But that will have to wait until the New Year and my current projects are complete!

1912 Ex-Segovia Cedar/East Indian Rosewood Classical Guitar

Wilson Burnham Guitars -

Inspired by Andrés Segovia’s famous 1912 Manuel Ramirez guitar, I chose Western red cedar top and East Indian rosewood back and sides from my collection of tone wood once owned by the late John Weissenrieder, an American guitar maker who lived in Italy.

It has three piece twenty-plus year old Western red cedar top, a Simplicio style rosette and an East Indian rosewood bridge with a Mother of Pearl/bone tie block cover. 


The back and sides are East Indian rosewood that was milled in Milan, Italy in 2001. This wood was once owned by late John Weissenrieder, an American guitar maker who lived in Italy. I purchased this wood several years ago from his father, Lynn Weissenrieder. This rosewood is dark with tight grain, it is nearly impossible to find rosewood this nice these days!





I stayed faithful in most respects to the design: the top and back kerfing, pillarettes and transverse bars are shaped as the original, the end block and the “Spanish slipper” of the neck match the original dimesnions. The top bracing is not what was used on Segovia’s Ramirez, it is a bracing system that I developed that helps create a magnificent sounding guitar! 


I tune the back so it is about one step higher in tone than the guitar top, I accomplish this with judicious spot sanding of the rosewood and carving of the back braces.


The headstock crest is a copy of the original Ramirez crest. 


The rosewood binding and maple purfling match the original and the guitar is fully French polished.

The voice of this guitar is lyrical and beautiful with an incredible amount of depth and just a little bit of growl to it, it is beautifully balanced giving you most anything you could want from a top tier instrument. 

It is currently available and everyone is welcome to stop by my studio in Taos, New Mexico to try it out!


Subscribe to Norse Woodsmith aggregator - Luthiery