Everyone should visit a master luthier's workshop at least once.

[fscotte]

And today I will be doing just that - going to be spending a little time with the one and only Don Macrostie. And even doing a little deflection testing on my current build and an '89 Gibson of mine. It will be very interesting to see how my numbers match up to his since I do deflection testing as well.

I've conversed with him via email, but nothing beats one on one. Needless to say I will have an assortment of questions for this Master. BTW, super nice fella. He even called me back to set up the visit.

[Timbofood]

It's even fun for non builders to hang out with talented luthiers in or out of the shop.

[Ron McMillan]

I hope you can give us a report with some workshop photos.

rm

[Bernie Daniel]

And today I will be doing just that - going to be spending a little time with the one and only Don Macrostie. And even doing a little deflection testing on my current build and an '89 Gibson of mine. It will be very interesting to see how my numbers match up to his since I do deflection testing as well.

I've conversed with him via email, but nothing beats one on one. Needless to say I will have an assortment of questions for this Master. BTW, super nice fella. He even called me back to set up the visit.

Be looking forward to a report. Nice day for a drive in the Hocking Hills!

[fatt-dad]

yeah, my buddy Dave Cohen is always a fun visit!

f-d

[Steevarino]

Well, they don't come any better than Don. Hope your visit there is/was a great one!

[rockies]

Well I'm quite fortunate living in driving distance of two great luthiers. Michael Heiden is about a 90 minute drive and has a wonderful shop to visit, lots of eye candy and wonderful looking wood. Always something different in progress. And Jamie Weins is about 20 minutes away and always fun to visit his shop. Always Loar copies in progress and a few times even a real Lloyd Loar on the premises. Also some beautiful guitars. All I need is a better pension and I could take things home. Sigh
Dave

[DHopkins]

The late Mac McCormick of Columbus, Ga, was an excellent luthier. His shop was located in an old warehouse building and definitely would not be featured in Architectural Digest. He had a 2 1/2 year waiting list for guitars when he passed away. I can't believe his shop never went up in flames because he was a heavy smoker and he did most of his finishing with nitrocellulose. His wife worked with stained glass and the three main rooms in his shop were littered with glass, window frames, musical instruments that were beyond repair, musical instruments that no one wanted, boxes and a variety of unidentifiable items. His main work area was a room about 8'X12'. Even so, he managed to make some of the best-looking and best-sounding guitars you ever saw.

As far as anyone knows, he only made three mandolins and I have two of them.

[fscotte]

Well I have to say what a pleasure it was to be in the midst of humble, gracious man that is Don Macrostie. He met me outside at my door, shook my hand, and gave me a warm welcome into his shop. Didn't feel I was intruding at all - even though I knew I was. We went straight to the deflection device. I must say that I've come away with some knew ideas after seeing how well refined this device is. Why use weight when you can just pull down on the lever until you see 25 lbs? That's how Don did it.

I've also come away with some new thoughts on the back plate. Simply put, it can be a bit stiffer than I thought, or not. That's the great thing - a wide range of color can be created with the back plate. If you want it to cut through the mix, go stiffer.

I left a whole lot sooner than I wanted. What I really wanted was to sit down with Don over a cup of coffee and talk about building mandolins. But I knew I would come back again soon, and Don indicated just that - come back any time.

[Denny Gies]

Agree, it's a good idea if a builder is near you. I had the pleasure to visit Randy Wood's store and workshop when picking up my mandolin. He was open, gracious and welcoming.

[chris storz]

When I get my Big Muddy, I plan on picking it up in person. Hopefully Mike will have a few minutes to show me around his shop.

[Dick Hutchings]

Not a master by any means but when I was building for a friend and he came over to watch, I put him to work with a finger plane on the inside of the back. He didn't come over again :-)

[ollaimh]

I have know ted tompson, ed myroniuk, jay witcher Edward rushnak, and others, and visited their shops. you learnan amazing amount listening to great lutheirs.

[David Houchens]

I had the privilege to work with John Hamlett in another setting years ago, and learned new things most days. Shame my memory isn't better. Always seemed happy to see me when i would come by. Of coarse I called ahead.

[Tobin]

I had a blast and learned a lot when I visited Tom Ellis and Pava Knezevic last summer at their shop, and they were both gracious enough to show me anything I wanted to see. For those of us who aren't builders or mandolin mechanics, seeing the inside of a master luthier's shop is very insightful. Getting to "talk shop" and learn all the hows and whys of their craft is very educational, not to mention fun.

[Timbofood]

It is so amazing to see a stack of stock become a beautiful instrument in the hands of someone with skill, it's been years for me but, I had the incredible good fortune to be young and hang out with a guy who absolutely LOVED building banjos, and still does actually. As well as spending time with Bill Halsey when we all were in the same shop. Honestly, I think that was, in so many ways, the happiest time of my life. Young, full of juice, playing three to five nights a week, girls, young......
Yes the luthier aspect was incredible!

[chuck3]

Great thread. About once a month I visit the shop of the luthier who works on my basses - now he has one of my mandos (actually a mandola) and we will see how that goes. He always has dozens of instruments in progress, and unusual ones too (generally not made by him - he does a lot of repairs and reworkings on guitars and basses). In any event, I rarely get out of there in less than 45 minutes as we just get started talking about instruments and time flies ...

[zedmando]

Could be cool.
I enjoy build threads, even if I could never do it and normally don't comment--but it would be cool to watch.

[sherrie]

I visit Troubadour Music in Corvallis, Oregon nearly daily. I work around the corner and Kent, the owner, is such a welcoming and friendly person - Everything is "please touch" and the shop dog, Buddy, is awesome.