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Wilson Burnham Guitars
Made in Taos, New Mexico
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Updated: 5 min 52 sec ago
Walnut Handle for a Fretsaw
A very long time ago, when I first started making musical instruments, I bought a Deer brand, made in Germany fretsaw from the now defunct Luthiers Mercantile Incorporated, to saw fret slots in the fret boards of the mountain dulcimers I was making at the time. The saw had a "gent's saw" handle on it and I didn't like the handle, it wasn't very ergonomic. Aldren Watson had a plan for an open handle in his book, Hand Tools, and I like the look of it. I took a piece of black walnut that a local sawyer gave me and I fitted a handle to that saw. The saw was easier to use with a new handle. I still own that saw.
I do own a very expensive, custom made fretsaw that works well, though I have to reset and sharpen it after cutting slots in just two ebony fretboards. The saw is a little too heavy for my taste and the handle is hung a little too low, when I deepen the 13th through 19th frets on a classical guitar, the lower part of the handle hits the side of the guitar. That is not a good thing. I have thought about re-handling that saw, but I won't because I know if I do re-handle it, it will lose much of its resale value.
There is a luthier supply company that sells fretsaws that are made in Sheffield, England.
The saws aren't sharp upon arrival and I have to give the teeth more set so they will cut proper sized kerf required for the fretwire I use. And the saw blade is backwards, the teeth cut on the pull stroke, but they are not filed and shaped like a Japanese saw. I was always told by old time carpenters that that fancy bit of folded brass on the saw's back is supposed to help keep the saw cutting straight, and they said there was no need for a Westerner to cut on the pull stroke.
I took one of the saws and dismantled it. After looking it over, for the price a person has to pay for these saws one would think the fit and finish would be better, and the blade be of better steel.
I shortened the brass back bar and trimmed the saw blade, which it hindsight I didn't have to do. Next time I do this I will leave the saw blade saw and then do some tricky ripsawing on the handle to make the blade fit.
The completed saw handle mounted on the saw with split nuts. Please note that the saw's teeth are properly oriented to cut on the push stroke.
If you have any question and you want an answer, please send it to me at highcountrylutherie@gmail.com
If you put the question in comments, I won't answer it. Thanks!
Categories: Hand Tools, Luthiery
New Substack - Building a Guitar Without Instructions
Check out my latest Substack post!
New steel string acoustic guitars in progress, will be available for sale by the beginning of summer!
Stayed tuned for updates!
Categories: Hand Tools, Luthiery
New Videos On My YouTube Channel!
Hi, Everyone!
I just added two new shorts to my YouTube Channel, that feature the wonderful guitarist, Juri Yun.
I attended the 2025 Denver Guitar Festival as a vendor and Mr. Yun stopped by my table to try out the guitars I brought to the festival and he was very impressed with my work!
Go to my YouTube Channel page on this blog to see videos of other great guitarists playing my guitars!
Categories: Hand Tools, Luthiery
My Latest eBay Listing - A Vintage Stanley No.7 Jointer Plane
I am selling my Stanley No. 7 jointer plane, “Made in England”, with it’s original chip breaker and iron, and I am including a Hock Tools 01 carbon steel iron and chip breaker to use with the plane. I originally purchased this plane from Garret Wade in 1994, it came with a plastic tote and knob that I replaced with, at the time, a new rosewood knob and tote, also purchased from Garrett Wade. This plane is in excellent condition, still has some of the original factory grind marks on the sole and the sides, 99% plus of the original japanning on the body. The knob and tote are in great shape, though the original lacquer finish has cracked giving the rosewood a vintage look.
I used this plane on a regular basis in my guitar shop for jointing guitar tops and back plates after I tuned it up and it performed flawlessly for me. Yes, this plane was “Made in England”, but it is a superb user tool!
Here are some of my posts that feature this plane:
Good luck on your bidding!
For those of you who are new to my website, here is a little more information about a jointer plane:
Stanley No. 7 Bench Plane, widely known as the Jointer Plane, is one of the most important tools in traditional hand-tool woodworking. Designed for edge-jointing, flattening large panels, and truing long surfaces, the No. 7 is an indispensable plane for furniture makers, joiners, and serious hand-tool enthusiasts.
At 22 inches long with a 2⅜-inch iron, the No. 7’s length allows it to bridge high spots and shave down low spots, producing dead-flat edges ready for gluing. Its precision, weight, and stability make it ideal for preparing long edges and wide panels.
At 22 inches long with a 2⅜-inch iron, the No. 7’s length allows it to bridge high spots and shave down low spots, producing dead-flat edges ready for gluing. Its precision, weight, and stability make it ideal for preparing long edges and wide panels.
Categories: Hand Tools, Luthiery