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Links
Each of the links below will open in a new window ... enjoy the detour but ya'll come back now, y'hear!
Guilds & Forums | Players & Makers | Suppliers
GUILDS & FORUMS
Australian / New Zealand Luthier's Forum (ANZLF)
A great bunch of makers getting together online to share information on over 8,000 topics covering everything from instrument building to tutorials, tonewood fact pages, sourcing tonewoods and tools, plus from time to time the members collectively source overseas supplies in bulk. They even have an 'Anything Goes' and a 'Cricket & Footy' discussion board. Very user-friendly registration process.
Delcamp
Commited to classical guitar players around the world, delcamp.net is managed by Jean-François Delcamp. This multilingual site is moderated by approximately one hundred volunteer-guitarists on a daily-basis. Their collaborative philosophy is mostly one of sharing: higher level guitarists provide encouragement to beginners which in return, within a few years, will then have the skills to help newcomers. Thus, whether you are an amateur, a never-ending beginner or a professional, delcamp.net members will readily offer support, understanding and availability.
Guild of American Luthiers (GAL)
THE foremost stringed instrument makers' forum ... all kindsa stuff.
Official Luthiers Forum (OLF)
An extremely useful site partly underwitten by generous lutherie suppliers and moderated by makers in the USA. All kinds of useful information
covering tools & jigs, inlay projects and a 'work-in-progress' Guitar Project. The site also has libraries of plans and mp3s. Very user-friendly registration process. Pages require scrolling down each time to get past sponsors' banner ads, but it's a small price to pay for using this excellent knowledge base.
PLAYERS & MAKERS
Australian Bluegrass Blog
For all lovers of Bluegrass music ... gigs, bands, new releases, links to Australian luthiers, embedded YouTube vids, and much more. Worth a bookmark.
Genevieve Lacey
Genevieve is an acclaimed recorder virtuoso performing music spanning nine centuries with commanding passion. Genevieve travelled with recorder-maker Joanne Lacey to join us at Playmakers '08, and we will never forget her enthusiasm for her craft, and her masterful performances throughout the weekend.
Gilet Guitars
Gerard Gilet is a Sydney based guitar maker who has been at the forefront of acoustic guitar design in Australia for over 30 years of experience.
Nice instruments. Some pages still under construction.
We scored an order for supplies from Gilet's off-shoot company Guitar Woods to build our first instruments in 2005.
Joanne Saunders
Joanne specializes in making exquisite Baroque Recorders at her workshop at the historic Abbotsford Convent in Victoria. We had the great pleasure of listening to Joanne talk of her experiences at Playmakers '08, and were extremely blessed to have a fellow worker-in-wood in our midst.
Paul Duff
This amazingly talented guy gave up being a high school teacher to make exquisite mandolins and tour with his band Bluegrass Parkway. We had a fantastic time listening to these guys perform at Playmakers 2008. During that weekend Paul collaborated with Scott Wise to run the Master Class where we listened to these two luthiers talk about their years of experience. We haven't been put-off.
Robin Thomson
Going by several aliases this guy has made sensible life choices in middle age. Trained at the WA Conservatorium of Music he teaches classical guitar and plays a 2004 Simon Rovis-Hermann creation. Robin also teaches Information Technology, runs a web design service, pursues a passion for surfing, and regularly posts to his blog (recommended categories/great clips: classical guitar, electric blues, and music).
Rod Vervest
The greater Albany community owes a lot to this guy, who has brought culture by the bucket loads to the region for years as Gt. Southern Program Manager of the Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF). We as a group of makers are indebted to him for the encoragement & support he has demonstrated towards the group. Rod got us involved in Playmakers 2008 and very kindly turned up to our inaugural end-of-course BBQ to strum a few tunes on our new instruments; he was suitably impressed. A virtuoso finger-picking guitarist, with a highly creative and entrepreneurial mind, Rod also pioneered The Harboursound Festivals in Albany and continues to perform and record with two other notable West Australian musicians, Dave Clark and Peter Grayling, as Clark's Gray Vest.
Scott Wise
WA-based luthier ... has been doing it for years; Scott has built a diverse mix of instrument types and styles for more than 30 years, and his site is a great knowledge base and source of supplies.
Simon Rovis-Hermann
Fremantle luthier, has been making classical guitars for almost 20 years and playing for 25 years. Wonderful site - nice style ... specs, images and well-explained construction methods.
Tom Hall
Tom Hall is a media artist based in Brisbane, Australia.
Emerging over the past few years, Tom's strong interest in the 'everyday' has meant his practice has involved into an ongoing exploration into place, space and time in our direct environments. We got to know Tom when he dropped by the workshop early in 2008 to record sounds of us tap tuning various bits of tonewood, and also using hand tools. Tom then spliced these various sounds into a performance piece that he presented at Playmakers a week or so later.
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SUPPLIERS
Lutherie
Allied Lutherie - USA
Have been serving the stringed instrument industry for over 30 years; great site and prompt online assistance given the geographic difference to WA. Plenty of informative data. Several of our members regularly shop @ AL.
Australian Luthier Supplies - Australia
Run by the Hancock family in Queensland, all reputable players and makers in their own right. Comprehensive range of bits. Good online service - seamless shopping cart so we recommend you register as a user if wanting to source 'bits'.
Guitar Woods - Australia
An off-shoot of a long-standing crew of east-coast luthiers (Gilet Guitars), from whom Maurie organised to buy most of the bits to make our first instruments. Great service. Good range.
Stewart MacDonald - USA
Referred to as 'Stewmac' ... American supplier since the 60's; newsletter informative; good overseas service; great tips pages. Catalogue full of specs on various instrument bits. Currency Converter on site.
Strings by Mail - USA
A great internet-based source of one of the most important components in an instrument - strings! Founder Richard Cyr's mission is to "provide Classical and Acoustic guitarists with the very best products available, at low prices, while maintaining the highest standards of customer service." Huge selection ... check it out!
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The Wood
Australian Tonewoods - Australia
Run by high school manual arts lecturer Tim Spittle, a great mate whose knowledge of exotic timbers is legendary; lots of good bargains. Images on Tim's site have been known to excite.
Djarilmari Timber Products - Australia
Djarilmari takes pride in collecting & supplying exotic Western Australian timber in ways that conserve the environment. Timber is salvaged from farm clearance and from road construction sites and sourced under license, and where long term sustainability of the resource is a priority.
Djarilmari has an established client base that continues to grow with the recognition of the unique qualities of West Australian timbers.
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Tools & Other bits
Carba Tec - Tools for Wood, Perth
Good range, catalogue makes good bed-time reading. Register for their e-newsletter.
Timbecon Tools - Perth
Good selection of reasonably priced wares; good online ordering system. Another must-have catalogue. Register for their e-newsletter.
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