Category Archives: Musical Instruments
The Stradivarius of Drums
By David J. Petro-Roy
I restored my 1837 Eli Brown rope tension drum using WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy to repair a longitudinal crack running about a third of the way around the drum shell. Continue reading
The Eat a Peach Tribute Guitar
A Marquetry Love Letter to the Allman Brothers
By James Macdonald
The design features my marquetry rendition of some of the original artwork by Wonder Graphics on the inside cover of their epic Eat a Peach album, released in 1972.
In the early days of my woodworking career, beginning in 1981, I spent time as a boatbuilder at Wood Boats, a restoration yard in Norwalk, Connecticut. From the first day of my job there I learned the importance of epoxy in all aspects of boatbuilding. Inspired by reading Mother Earth News, I moved to rural Maine, built my own home, and got a job at another boatshop (this one in a huge, defunct chicken barn) in Lincolnville, Maine. I started my own woodworking shop in 1988. Continue reading
Drumming In Circles
By Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor
Cover Photo: A variety of drums made by Technical Advisor Tom Pawlak.
In 1991, during testimony before the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart stated:
”Typically, people gather to drum in drum ‘circles’ with others from the surrounding community. The drum circle offers equality because there is no head or tail. It includes people of all ages. The main objective is to share rhythm and get in tune with each other and themselves. To form a group consciousness. To entrain and resonate. By entrainment, I mean that a new voice, a collective voice, emerges from the group as they drum together.” Continue reading
Repairing an Edison Concert Phonograph
By Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor
Ronnie Janowicz, a good friend of mine, called to say the wooden horn on his antique Edison Concert phonograph was cracked. I had Ronnie bring it by so I could take a look.
I told him it could be repaired very nicely with epoxy if that is what he wanted to do. “Why wouldn’t I want it repaired that way?” he asked. I explained that repairing an antique with epoxy may affect its resale value if the potential purchaser objects to the repair. Some collectors take a dim view of wooden antiques being repaired with epoxy because repairs are not easily reversible like they would be if hide glue was used for repair instead.
Guitar Hero
Curt Wilson Loves Guitars
And to many others who love guitars, especially classic old electric guitars, Curt Wilson is a hero. Curt combines his knowledge of epoxy and guitar anatomy with acute attention to detail and the skills of a surgeon to bring back to life guitars that should have played their last note. Continue reading
Upright Bass Repair
by Bruce Niederer — GBI Technical Advisor
Above: I brushed WEST SYSTEM® 105/206 onto both of the upright bass’s repair surfaces and fit the joint together.
Just by luck, I was in the right place at the right time to purchase an old upright bass from the local school system for $50 because, sadly, the orchestra (stringed instruments) program was being discontinued. The bass needed strings and a new peg but was in decent shape—until I got my hands on it! As it was standing in the corner of my room patiently waiting for me to get to it, a gust of wind got there first, knocking it down and breaking the neck at the heel. Continue reading