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Makes me regret not having known Bill Collings.

There's a fellow in these parts who specializes in the Viola da Gamba. That's pretty much the definition of a narrow market niche. But he builds on commission and they don't gather any dust.
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Okay, James, good point. I am satisfied with my purchase and will not complain again.

Stew-Mac sells luminescent side dot material. Also comes in blue. Quite effective.

"Spend your energy on getting a well responsive box with the scale and air cavity combination that work well together, not the fanned fretboard distraction. If you don't get those two combinations,...

I mainly use a home-brew compressor, built on an 80-gallon tank with a big Baldor 5hp motor and a two-cylinder pump. It produces 16 SCFM at 90 PSI, which is sometimes needed to run a 1" impact gun. ...

No water, no oil. Heat and time only. The wet instrument neck will likely require a refret.

@atsunrise, same reason you don't want to be too frequent or aggressive in oiling a fingerboard. Too...

My "neck-straightening machine" is a length of aluminum I-beam (just because it was on hand) and two leather-faced cauls. Pressure is applied at the appropriate point with a C-clamp backed by...

Okay, since there's been such an enthusiastic and helpful response to this inquiry, tell you what I'm gonna do. I'll meet with the guy, get some photos of the instrument in question, and post a...

@Sevelos, You're most welcome, and good going! Any successful repair that requires no effort on my part is a victory :grin:.

So many of these problems come back to quality control during assembly.

In the past couple of years, I've noticed a lot of variability in quality and life of batteries. There are people selling "old" batteries (that is, approaching their expiration date) as new. My...

That's a good tip, Levi. As a new Performax owner, you'll probably find Joe Woodworker's ideas on modifying the machine and aligning the drum useful. (https://www.joewoodworker.com/performax.htm) ...

I bought one of that type a few years ago, and it has worked fine in occasional use. That said, mine is wired for 230 volts at 50 Hz, and it requires a transformer. (An oversight on my part, having...

Jim, I think you'll be really happy with that saw. You might enjoy the results from retrofitting a set of silicone rubber bandsaw tires (about $20). Definitely makes the blade track better; no...

I clearly need to revise my earlier answer to Jim's question. The answer is, you can never have a big enough bandsaw.

Armrest design is up to you. The top/outside edge should describe the corresponding edge of your instrument. Length and width is a matter of personal taste. Thickness needs to be just enough to...

You don't have to be a member to buy plans. But the membership is a really good deal if only for their excellent quarterly journal. You can learn an enormous amount from reading it.

If anybody wants to nerd out on the nature of humidity and its measurement, an engineer from Vaisala is doing a free webinar at 9:00EDT on September 12. Here's a link to register:...

For whatever it's worth, Stew-Mac is currently running a deal on their aluminum radius beams. (Not cheap, but strong and accurate.) I mounted one on a modified straight-line (i.e. autobody) air...

"I have a 2 yr old Gibson Fern..."

Hence the substance of my suggestion. Gibson would likely agree that the plating on their components shouldn't fail after two years. Gibson instruments carry a...

Mr. Tichenor suggested I post these photos.

Back on February 29 this year, my old buddy Todd Sears set out from Springer Moutain, Georgia to walk the length of the Appalahian Trail. That’s no...