Hand Tool Headlines
The Woodworking Blogs Aggregator
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:14
Be sure to visit the Hand Tool Headlines section - scores of my favorite woodworking blogs in one place.
Wilson Burnham Guitars
Made in Taos, New Mexico
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger472125
Updated: 12 min 10 sec ago
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Merry christmas!
Though there is no snow
for northern new mexico
this christmas,
i hope you have a wonderful time
with friends and family!
Categories: Hand Tools, Luthiery
My Latest Guitar - A Concert Size Stella Guitar
He played a Stella, and I had a Stella. Charley had a Stella.
Son House, bluesman, 1966 interview, mentioning Willie Brown and Charley Patton
Stellas-they all played the cheap old Stellas, across the board.
H.C. Speir, owner of Speir Phonograph Company. He recorded many of the great blues singers and musicians during the 1920’s-1930’s.
My first guitar was Harmony made Stella guitar. My mother played guitar, my father played the harmonica and at the age of four, I wanted to play the guitar in a bad way. My mother bought the guitar from one of her nephews, he wanted a better guitar and was willing to part with it for $5. It was painted black with white paint binding and a white pick guard, I thought I was in heaven as I banged away on that guitar until my mother showed me how to play some chords, the G, C, D7 chords and then that really tough chord, the A7. Those steel strings were hard on my fingertips, and I kept at it. The one day, an older cousin who stopped by to visit my parents, seeing that I had a guitar he asked to borrow it and proceeded to played a flamenco “bulería” on it! I was amazed and immediately demanded that I needed a classical guitar so I could learn flamenco. If you have read my other posts, you will know that I went on to study the classical guitar.
I gave that old Harmony Stella to a friend who said she really wanted to learn how to play the guitar. She did become rather proficient on it and because she played it so much it was amazing to hear a great sound come out of that guitar. Unfortunately, the arthritis in her hands became so bad she quit playing, and the guitar was put into storage. Several months ago, I asked if she and her husband could ship or bring the guitar to me so I could make a copy of it, they are still trying to dig it out of storage. I figured that since I am a guitar maker, I can make a guitar based on that old Stella.
All the parts for this guitar are made, they are waiting for me to assemble them simply, on an open work board with the intent to create beauty.
The top is Sitka spruce, the back and sides are black cherry from Missouri and the neck is Port Orford cedar.
Just like the original guitar, this guitar will have ladder bracing!
Unlike my old guitar, this guitar will have a slotted head stock, I have made too many classical guitars to make a neck any other way! Cutting out the headstock slots with a vintage coping saw.
A very simple rosette adorns this guitar top!
Now, go listen to some Son House, Charley Patton and Skip James!
Categories: Hand Tools, Luthiery
What’s On My Workbench - Sitka Spruce/California Laurel Requinto Guitar
Last week I closed up a requinto guitar, a custom order I accepted back in May 2025. A requinto is a very small guitar with a very short string length of 560mm (basically 22 inches). Compare that of a standard classical guitar string length of 650mm (25 5/8 inches). The body depth of this guitar is the same as standard classical guitar of around 4 inches deep. The requinto strings are tuned to a higher pitch than a regular guitar, put a capo on the strings of your guitar at the fifth fret and that is how a requinto is tuned.
The requinto guitar was popularized by Alfredo Gil, a member of Los Panchos. You will find it used in guitar orchestras, guitar quartets and mariachi bands.
The client who ordered this guitar was already playing a requinto that was tuned down to standard guitar tuning. This person wants a guitar that sounds better and is more responsive than their current guitar.
Categories: Hand Tools, Luthiery