Wilson Burnham Guitars

Looking for a new home is my old vintage Stanley No. 9 1/2  low angle block plane, “Stanley” logo in white on lever cap, “Made in England” in raised letters on bed, “GFW  3” stamped in plane bed. No other markings or number designations on the plane. Brass adjusting knobs, original blade marked “Made in England”. This plane is in excellent condition, there are a few minor scratches on the sole, some slight discoloration on brass knobs and one side of the plane, 85% or more of the Stanley logo remains on the lever cap.  Some small tool box dings in the japanning, 99% of japanning remains on body.

I purchased this plane at McGuckins Hardware in Boulder, Colorado in 1994, I think I was working on making my fifth or sixth mountain dulcimer at the time. It’s a great little plane and I know it will help you with all of your woodworking projects!

I originally posted this August 2022 as my wife and I watched smoke columns rise from the Calf Canyon/Hermit Peak fire that was three miles from our house. And today, there is talk in Washington, DC about selling all of our public lands, yes, all of our public lands to the highest bidder, and opening them up for development. 

Something to think about.

“Forests are of great value from their effect upon the climate, making it more equable. They tend to cause abundant and needed rainfall and to preserve the moisture when fallen, releasing it to the rivers gradually, and thus preventing abnormal freshets and extreme droughts. By absorbing and parting with heat slowly they cause the changes of temperature to be less sudden than in the open country. They temper the heat, and they serve as a protection, or "wind-break," to adjacent land. Trees, with other vegetation, are essential to the purification of the air. All this is in addition to the obvious uses of supplying fuel and wood for an almost endless variety of purposes, not to speak of the value of trees for shade and as features of the landscape.

The reckless rate at which the forests of the United States are being destroyed is becoming a serious matter, not merely because of depriving wood-workers of the materials with which to work, but because of the influence of the forests upon the climate, the soil, etc., upon which so much of the welfare of mankind depends. At the present rate of destruction many generations cannot pass before the supply of wood will be practically exhausted. It is every year becoming more difficult to obtain native lumber of the best quality and large size.

One of the most serious aspects of the matter, however, is in regard to the washing away of the soil, which owes not merely its origin but its preservation to the forest and other vegetable growths. Professor Shaler tells us that ‘it is in this action of the rain upon the bared surface of the ground that it is in this action of the rain upon the bared surface of the ground that we find the principal danger which menaces man in his use of the earth.’

The individual wood-worker may not have control of any forest or wood-lot, but he can at least use his influence indirectly, when opportunity offers, toward needed legislation to restrict, or at least regulate, the improvident waste now going on, and he can in many cases take advantage of Arbor Day to plant at least one tree toward preserving the balance required by nature.” 

Charles G. Wheeler

Woodworking for Beginners, 1899

My latest eBay listing - a Veritas Inlay String Thicknesser, apparently I purchased it before Veritas renamed the name, it is now called an Inlay String Scraper!

Lightly used, near mint in original box with wrapper and instructions. Aluminum body with brass hardware and hardwood handles. Scraper blade has original factory grind marks on bevels with original blade protectors. A great tool for someone who wants to get into string inlay techniques!

I have listed one set of Lie-Nielsen bed/tenon floats, one push float, one pull float. Both are mint, unused, never sharpened, in their original wrappers with original instructions. I don’t know when these floats went out of production, these have been sitting in my tool chest for nearly ten years, time for them to go to a new home.

It's like this, truth is: it's looking out while everything
happens; being in a place of your own,
between your ears; and any person
you face will get the full encounter
of your self.

William Stafford, Tuned in Late One Night, from A Glass Face in the Rain, 1982

I was very fortunate to attend the August 1980 Christopher Parkening master class at Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana. At the time I was studying classical with Bob Backes, who had studied with Mr. Parkening, Mr. Backes encouraged me to audition for the master class. He arranged a recording session for me, we made a tape, sent to Mr. Parkening and I accepted. I had just graduated high school. My parents drove me out for the class in their 1963 Plymouth Station Wagon, what a hoot that was! My mother took the photo, at least she didn't cut off any heads in this photo. 

 

New Substack post.

Check it out and be sure to subscribe!

Up for auction of eBay!

I am selling my vintage Stanley No.5 Jack Plane with corrugated sole. Type 9, manufactured between 1902-1907. 85%+ japanning remains on bed and frog. Fine condition, very few scratches to metal, the rosewood knob and tote are visually stunning, both pieces of wood have incredibly fine grain. There are four short incised lines in front of the brass screw on the tote, possibly marked by a previous owner. 

I am including four plane irons, they are stamped:

 STANLEY PAT APR 19 92

STANLEY NEW BRITAIN CONN USA 

STANLEY RULE LEVEL Co. NEW BRITAIN CONN. USA 

The fourth iron is an unmarked toothing plane purchased from a dealer in England. 

One of the cap irons came with the plane, I don’t remember which one, the lucky bidder with have two cap irons!

I used this plane for many years in my guitar making shop, it is time for it to grace another woodworking shop. Good luck!

I am selling my 2015 Lorenzo Frignani classical guitar, it is a copy of an original 1910 Manuel Ramirez guitar. I took this guitar in trade, it had been badly mistreated by its previous owner and was unplayable. I refreshed the guitar and it is playable once again, and what a guitar!

Serious inquiries only! Shipping only to addresses in the USA!

IF INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL AT HIGHCOUNTRYLUTHERIE@GMAIL.COM

DO NOT LEAVE A COMMENT IN THE COMMENT BOX OF THIS POST! I WILL NOT READ IT!

 

Those of you who have followed me over the last 18 years know that every now and again I sell off parts of my tool collection.

Every now and again has arrived.

I will post a link to an eBay auction for a LN No. 212 small bronze scraper plane today. More auctions will follow.

Some of the tools that I may sell are:

Stanley No.5 jack plane, type 11

Stanley No. 3 smooth plane, type 11  

Stanley No. 9 1/2 low angle plane purchased in 1994

Lie-Nielsen floats, never used, never sharpened with original packaging material and instructions

Maybe some vintage socket chisels, maybe some vintage Disston hand saws.

Why am I selling all these tools and more, it’s called downsizing. I have all the tools I need to make my beautiful guitars.

My latest classical guitar. 

The guitar is assembled and waiting for me to start the French polish, which is a beautiful finish created with shellac and all work done by hand. I put the two “E” strings on this guitar to check the action and boy, is this guitar loud!

Approximate date this guitar will be available is May 30, 2025.

 

Check out my latest Substack! I discuss guitar making through “the scientific method”!

Rudeness is a weak man’s imitation of strength.

Eric Hoffer, American philosopher

A young man approached my table and asked me a few questions about guitar construction, but before I could answer the questions he answered them himself. I knew he was young and excited to be talking to guitars, but it was rude for him to talk over me. So I asked him how many guitars he had made.

“None” was his answer.

“None? The answers you just gave to your own questions makes me to think you had made at least ten guitars,” I replied.

“I have read a lot about guitar making. Now, which tone wood really is the best for a guitar top, spruce or cedar?” he asked.

“Let me answer that with a question to you. If you have a molecule of wood and, oh, dissect it, is it possible to separate the lignin from the cellulose in that piece of wood without destroying either element?”

“What?”

“Okay. Can you tell me the difference between an angiosperm and gymnosperm?”

“Huh?”

“Let me make this simple. What are the functions of the xylem and phloem in a tree?”

“What in the world do these questions have to do with guitar making?”

“You have to love forest first in order to make quality guitars. To know a forest is to know the trees and all the plants, animals, insects and other living things that make the forest a living breathing entity. If you aren’t interested in what makes a forest work then you need to re-evaluate your connection to the guitar. Now, I have made more than a few guitars so I can answer your questions, or…”

The young man was smart enough to realize he was starting to annoy me and moved to the next table. 

I later learned that this young man was in the guitar competition at the festival and was very rude to several of the judges. He was asked to leave.