Official Luthiers Forum!

We would like to let you all know about a semi-annual learning event we host at our shop called the Northwoods Seminar.
The Northwood’s Seminar™ is a four day event put together by Dan Erlewine and Bryan Galloup focusing on demonstration and lecture of luthiery techniques in an actual shop setting. Our goal is to bring in domestic and international instructors who are the best in their field and at the top of their game. For the student, this is a rare opportunity to learn from the “best of the best” in an intimate shop setting.
Dates: August 21-24, 2017
Location: The Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair
10840 Northland Dr.
Big Rapids, Michigan 49307
Cost: $1,000.00
Included: Daily demonstration and instruction from featured luthiers, all instructional material with a catered lunch and dinner each day with nightly entertainment.
The enrollment will be capped at around 40 students. We already have an extensive student wait list and expect the available student enrollment to fill quickly.
Dan and Bryan have put together a great list of instructors for the event.
This is a list of confirmed instructors attending and some of the topics covered.
Jim Baggett – Repairs and restorations
Ian Davlin – New neck reset method, and vintage touchup
Tim Frick – Hand tools for building and repair
Dana Bourgeois – guitar top voicing
Bob Taylor – The future of Ebony
Andy Powers – The future of Taylor guitars
Richard Hoover – Detailing setup for Santa Cruz guitars
Damon Mailand – Arch Top guitar making
Gary Brower – Guitar Electronics
Joe Glaser – Repair shop software for the modern shop
Paul Heumiller – Customer relations
Chuck Erickson (aka) Duke of Pearl –Importing/exporting
Dick Boak – 4 decades of Martin guitars and future goals
Michael Gurian – The man who supplied an industry
Eric Coleman – Vintage guitar repairs do’s and don’ts
Rodger Fritz – Breathing new life into Kay guitars
Bryan Galloup - tone wood management
William Hilton - CNC for the small shop
Sam Guidry - Acoustic instrument voicing
For more information contact:
Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair
1-800-278-0089
school@galloupguitars.com
or
https://www.facebook.com/NorthwoodsSeminar

Here are some photos of past seminars.

I'm thinking I am going to have to try and get myself locked into this. Sounds like one heck of an opportunity.

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jw ( o)===:::

Hey Joe!

It's likely one of the best opportunities for Luthiers and those who provide services to Luthiers that there is. Northwoods used to be invitation only as well and has been one of the most looked forward to gatherings for Luthiers ever put together.

Dave Collins is often a presenter but not this year, he will be out of state star gazing a historic event but may make the last day.

Sadly I'll be minding the fort but with the Northwoods group in spirit. I've been told that the evenings are the best but no one can remember them enough to get specific.....

Highly recommended!

Northwoods Update 2017

Michael Gurian has confirmed to join us in August for the Northwoods Seminar.

Michael is a pioneer of the boutique guitar movement of the early 60’s, building one of the most distinctive steel-string acoustic guitars of the time and a major player in the supply chain of custom parts to guitar makers worldwide.

Michael is a “Brooklynite” of Armenian descent who in his early days played multiple instruments as well as studying sculpture at Long Island University. With his studio apartment for a workshop, Michael built his first classical guitar, and in 1965 he moved to a three-room shop in Greenwich Village where he began building classical and traditional steel-string guitars incorporating his unique take on instrument construction and his own distinctive body shapes and designs.

The industry crutches on Michael to supply countless items that most builders and manufactures either don’t want to, or can’t make. So much so, that his announcement of retiring from the supply business sent the industry into a tailspin. Michael’s work ranges from dead on vintage accurate purflings and marquetry to custom items made to the luthier’s personal specifications.

“The amount of stuff Michael has under his belt is incredible. When I’m around him I generally try to shut up and pay attention. An everyday conversation with Michael is loaded with nuggets of information you can’t get anywhere else”.

-Bryan Galloup

Northwoods Seminar Update 2017

Damon Mailand- Carrying on the Tradition of Benedetto Guitars.

Born and raised in Harlem Montana, Damon’s father, a gunsmith by trade, impressed upon him at an early age the pride in creating things with your hands, and the necessity to be very detail oriented in doing so. His love for lutherie was sparked during a tour of Gibson Guitar’s acoustic division while he was attending Montana State University, Bozeman. Damon applied for a position working with world renowned archtop maker Bob Benedetto, and after one face-to-face interview, Bob immediately hired Damon as the new shop’s first employee and Bob's personal apprentice. After the interview Bob's was quote was; "in my opinion, this may perhaps be the next generation’s greatest guitar maker". Not bad for a kid from Harlem.

Damon is today the head Luthier at Benedetto Guitars. Along with Howard Paul, the two of them now carry on the tradition of excellence that Bob put into motion decades ago. During his lecture, Damon will cover what it was like apprenticing with Bob Benedetto, and what he learned that separates the classic Benedetto from the rest of the archtop market. In addition, Damon will discuss his insights of tone, stability and playability of archtop guitars.

“Damon and I had a chance to hang in Memphis eating dry rub ribs at The Rendezvous, fried chicken at Gus’s, and talking nonstop guitars. It didn’t take long to realize this guy had a lot under his belt for how young he was. That, coupled with his easy natured, approachable personality makes him a natural in a crowd of guitar geeks, I for one am looking forward to his presentation”.

Bryan

Northwoods Seminar Update 2017
Along with exceptional instruction during the day, the Northwoods Seminar puts together top notch entertainment for the attendees in the evenings.
billk by sam guidry, on Flickr
red by sam guidry, on Flickr
Tele Galore
Bill Kirchen and Redd Volkaert have agreed to perform for the Northwoods dates.
Bill Kirchen was named a “Titan of the Telecaster” by Guitar Player Magazine, he celebrates a musical tradition that embraces rock ‘n’ roll, blues and bluegrass, Texas Western swing and California honkytonk. Bill is an architect of what is now known as Roots Rock ‘n’ Roll and Americana, and still continues to be one of its most active proponents, playing, writing and performing throughout the world.
Redd Volkaert is best known to country audiences as being the lead guitarist since 1997 for Merle Haggard's band the Strangers. Prior to that in the '90s, he had done sessions in Nashville for artists like Ray Price, Clinton Gregory, Dale Watson, and Lacy J. Dalton. In the late '90s, Volkaert also began a career as a solo artist with Telewacker.
Together they will provide what will prove to be a bonafide evening of pure Telecaster overload.

Northwoods Seminar Update 2017
jim bagget by sam guidry, on Flickr
Jim Baggett has confirmed for August 21st through 24th dates
Owner and founder of Mass Street Music Jim Baggett is a pre-war Martin aficionado, experienced luthier and instrument appraiser. Jim served as a consultant to Martin when they sought to refine the design of their D-18 and D-28 Authentic 1937 guitars, and he has collaborated with other builders on designs requiring extensive vintage knowledge. His expertise in instrument appraisals landed him a gig on the great PBS series, "Antiques Roadshow", appraising instruments from guitars to violins.
At the 2017 Northwoods Seminar Jim will give us his insights on balancing repairs and restorations with everyday life in one of the country’s premier music stores and the integrity of repairs and how they affect the value instruments.

We are honored and exited to have Richard as a guest instructor for the 2017 Northwoods Seminar
richard hoover by sam guidry, on Flickr
Richard Hoover 40 years on the front line and counting

Richard Hoover founded the Santa Cruz Guitar Company in 1976, and was one of the pioneer guitar makers that brought boutique instruments to the forefront of the steel string guitar business. His approach to guitar making has always been a little different from the start. Richard has always been concerned with making the best possible guitars from premium materials while doing so in an environmentally responsible fashion.

Richard is one of the handful of established Luthiers that have always made themselves available to the new generation. In addition, Richard runs as deep in repairs and restorations as he does in the history of Lutherie. Now in his 40th year at the forefront of the business, Richard’s conversations could meander from tonewood to tap tones, or sunbursts to shipping & receiving.

It’s hard to say, but it’s always a great journey.

If anyone else is going to Northwoods, I would like to hear from you so I can be sure to meet you there.
Dave

I'm registered.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Northwoods Guest instructor Update 2017
Paul Heumiller
paul h by sam guidry, on Flickr

The New Normal for Guitar Shops

Paul Heumiller founded Dream Guitars together with fingerstyle guitarist Martin Simpson. Their goal was to gather the finest guitars in the world and to offer them in an honorable fashion with real expertise and guidance. What they brought to the table was a passion to seek out the finest Luthiers in the world, not by price point or bling, but as players. The business was founded by players for players; that’s their edge and it has served them and their customers well. They understand that it’s about the music first and all of the other stuff later.

To date Dream Guitars has grown from modest beginnings to a full blown guitar shop dealing in custom commissions, vintage sales, custom accessorizes, and a full service repair shop. What their customers get is one-stop-shop experiences to test drive the very finest examples the market has to offer, along with an on-the-spot expert to guide them through the ultimate guitar shopping experience.

“Today’s guitar market has changed drastically from what the business was even a decade ago. Over the past 20 years I have watched all traditional retail businesses struggle as the pressure of competing online traffic has exponentially increase around them. But Paul has systematically stitched together an ideal combination of an online presence with a personal approach that has not just worked, but has flourished. I chose Paul because he is at the top of the list of the modern guitar shop model and he is always spot-on with his assessments of the mark place”.
-Bryan-

Bump...

Any other OLF folks going to be there next week?

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Dave will be showing up at least one day. Me.... I have to stay here in A2 minding the shop as my evil Mother and sisters go to the dance...... Glad I have a size 9.5 shoe.....

On my way back to Ohio on Friday I will bring you some lunch! In exchange you have to let me watch you work for a bit.

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If you bring him lunch you won't be able to get him to do any work

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Brad my friend you are always welcome and lunch is never required

Hey Brad!
I'm heading up there to drink from the fire hose too.
I'm really looking forward breaking my geographic isolation and meeting a few brethren. Glad to hear you going!

Dave F. and Brad. Have you guys received any information sent in advance or do we just show up and go from there? So far the only info I received was an email about shuttle schedules.
Looking forward to netting you and Dave C. as well.
Dave

Funny, I had the same conversation with Dave in PM. The information provided in mail has been scarce. I emailed about a fulll agenda but didn't get response just yet. Let's just show and see what happens.

Im at the holiday inn. How about you?


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I look forward to meeting you Dave B.
I'm taking it as a good sign the Gallops folks don't seem to be a slick machine!


ps. Lance K., time to cut off signup of new members named Dave!

Holliday inn also. I am flying in on Saturday and renting a car so if either of you will arrive that day and want a ride to Big Rapids let me know.
Dave