Official Luthiers Forum!

Association of Stringed Instruments Artisans or Guild Of American Luthiers? I'm going to join one of them. Which should it be and why?

All though both are great magazines, I have always found GAL to be more informative.
Another great thing GAL his is the Big Red Books. A condensed hard back book of
the best articles from issues past. There are five volumes and everyone is worth reading.
Even more than once!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I want to take this opportunity to offer a plug for ASIA!

I just attended the first meeting of the new Board of Directors of ASIA and am pleased to tell you that we have some very exciting things planned for the organization. We are committed to adding a number of useful and valuable resources for luthiers and players alike during the coming months.

The following new ASIA Board members were present for the March 11th meeting in Malone, NY:
Bill Tippin, Tippin Guitars - http://www.tippinguitars.com
Paul Heumiller, Dream Guitars http://www.dreamguitars.com
John Hall, Blues Creek Guitars http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
Tony DiDomenico, DiDomenico Guitars http://www.didomenicoguitars.com
Mike Franks, M.J. Franks Guitars http://www.mjfranksguitars.com

Remaining Board Members include:
David Nichols, Custom Pearl Inlay, http://www.cpinlay.com
Dick Boak, CF Martin Guitar, http://www.martinguitar.com
Dan Erlewine, Stewart MacDonald, http://www.stewmac.com
Alton "Bear" Acker, Editor, Guitarmaker Magazine http://www.guitarmaker.org

I would encourage you to support ASIA and partake of the benefits offered including the fabulous ASIA Guitar Maker's Symposium.

Mike Franks
http://www.mjfranksguitar.com

Certainly, support both if you can. If it has to be one, my sense is that it's GAL. We'd all like to see ASIA be vital and the magazine to be consistent, but at the moment it's GAL that's out front.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Both are great. I was working for Bill Moll when he was head of ASIA and can't say enough of where he took it. He spent countless hours every day working on the website, the Guitar Maker, and every other kind of issue that came up. For two years he worked on it to make it a great org. Thankless job to boot. Some of folks now there wouldn't take out advertisements, or participate, but that is another issue. These folks work hard for it. I don't know what Guitar Maker is doing now, but the GAL mag is great.

I belong to both. I don't see where GAL is out front at all. ASIA magazine is on time now and lot's of great articles.
What they need is more members to contribute articles. The symposium is fantastic and I would join ASIA for that reason alone.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

The only thing I've read about ASIA and Guitarmaker online was about a small snafu a few years back regarding subscriptions as part of the 'bonus' package for OLF 'subscribers' so I really know next-to-nothing about them. I know some members I respect here at OLF are big fans of Guitarmaker.

I've been a GAL member off-and-on for years. The 'Data sheets' back in the 70s-80s were really at the core of information sharing from pros to amateurs for me and many other 'older' amateurs I've talked to, and this tradition continues today with American Luthierie mag- a nice mix of amateur hints, academic/historical info, international connections, plans, answers to questions, etc. (It is strange that the mag with the 'American' in its title is the one that has the strong international flavour..)

I don't know what caused the 'split' that created ASIA- perhaps some 'old hands' here can explain why it makes sense to have two 'struggling' organizations like this for the field - though (from what I can tell) ASIA is much more oriented toward pro builders and small factories. It may be an East coast-West coast thing??

I've had a look (a few times) at the ASIA website, and though it may well be a wonderful organization, it just doesn't look very welcoming for people like me- amateur dabblers and builders. (No useful search for info on articles, no 'sample issue' of Guitarmaker mag (online or available by mail at reasonable price), no publications for sale other than a few back issues...). The very low-res pics of magazine covers on the website seem to show a focus on 'industrial' guitar building, but who knows?
Perhaps the Board at ASIA could have a look at the websites (GAL and ASIA) and make some (easy-) changes there. For now, there's not much motivation for me to join another organization - it's expensive (and the standard 'Canadian surcharge' doesn't help - anybody think it costs the same to send a magazine from NY to Canada as to Botswana??) and I just don't see the value for me.
My magazine budget is limited and there is no way I will be traveling across the continent to attend a 'Symposium' so I don't see the return on the $$.

So, a definite vote for GAL from me- though I'm open to have my mind changed!

Cheers
John

John I throw away more money in soda and water bottles (lost deposit) than what it cost to subscribe to either group.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Good for you, Bob!
I guess I should charge more when I decide to sell some wood!!
For me, $75 Cdn is serious change for 4 magazines.

Cheers
John

Neither - they both can drink paddy water for all I care......

Seriously though both are great organizations and highly recommended!

Now which one has materials that will be easier for me to read with my new OptiVisor.....

JohnAbercrombie asked:
"I don't know what caused the 'split' that created ASIA- perhaps some 'old hands' here can explain why it makes sense to have two 'struggling' organizations like this for the field..."

It doesn't, IMO, and never did.

Y'know, I tried, but it's hard to think of a way to tell the story that won't make folks on both sides of the divide unhappy. Suffice to say that there were mistakes made on either side by well-meaning people who, from their own perspective, tried to do things that would improve the world of lutherie. The 'east vs west' nature of the outcome was partly geographic accident, and partly an attitudinal difference. It's too bad it came out the way it did, but there you are.

One thinks of the split between the AF of L and the CIO: if that could be papered over, maybe there's hope for us? Perhaps it would be easier if there had not been lawsuits involved, but that's the nature of modern American society, I guess. Heck the French and the Germans (sort of) get along (especially if they're talking about the Americans), so why not?

Wouldn't it be nice, though, to have Conventions/Symposia somewhere in the MIDDLE of the country? How about a nice, neutral site with educational possibilites like the National Music Museum in Vermillion, S.D.? I know that makes too much sense, but...

There you go again, Alan, being reasonable!

Oops i didn't realize you were in BC.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Awfully tough to recommend one over the other. They're both great, and different from each other. I've enjoyed and gotten a lot out of both magazines and conventions. One thing that distinguishes the two is that the GAL is run by a sort of benevolent dictatorship if you will, whereas ASIA is more of a collective effort (that's they way I see it, anyway). Neither of these is inherently a better or worse thing, but the GAL has been really consistent over the years, whereas ASIA has had its ups and downs and can tend to be somewhat rag-tag. The GAL puts on a truly outstanding convention every time - extremely well organized, well attended, excellent presentations and concerts, tons of fun, etc. I have to admit - sorry to hurt any feelings! - that I have traveled across the country many times for the GAL shindig, and haven't missed one since I got into guitar making; I've missed a few ASIA Symposia, even though they're much closer to me. So, that says something about my experience and feelings about the two. If you want to really get actively involved in an organization and help it grow and improve, ASIA is your scene. OTHO, you can certainly get involved with the GAL, too, through writing articles and other ways. If you're on the west coast, it's kind of a no-brainer, IMO.

All that said, JOIN BOTH! I really think you'll be glad if you do. I certainly have no intention of allowing my membership in either to lapse. I've written for AL, and plan to again. I haven't yet written for Guitarmaker, but I probably will, sooner or later.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

They did have it in Springfield MO when Bill did symposium. Lot of hard time and work went into that. It would be great to have some stuff not on one of the coast all the time. I do know Bill's thing was to redo Guitarmaker into a nice magazine and he did that. He also got it where it went out on regular time. I do GAL, but am getting back to join ASIA also. I do know also getting folks to do articles was not easy particularly in making of shop jigs, and other things. I don't know if it is better now and those running it can comment on that, but if want to have great publication, needs participation from others. It took a lot of work to get the forum up and then very few showed up.

I recommend both if you can afford it. They are both great. I kinda favor GAL though because it had covered more then just guitars and have been a member for many years before i joined ASIA. ASIA seemed more guitar oriented like their namesake Guitarmaker magazine but have lately been covering more then just guitars...Mike

I am into my 3rd year of GAL and joined ASIA last month. I bought #4 and 5 Red books and plan to get the other 3 when I get a little cash ahead. It must be remembered that all these things cost a lot more for us Canadians, though our Dollar is catching up lately.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

join both. Ive been a GAL member for 4 years and joined ASIA last year and went to the symposium great people and a great time . Dont let the money stop u. I've been unemployed for the last 15 months and still renewed. Lets all help keep both of these great organizations alive.

Brent

Another vote for both.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Agree. This is the best solution.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

There is talk 'everywhere' about how the Internet is going to be the death of traditional newspapers and magazines, so perhaps the luthier mags are not immune to this? One would hope that the printed magazines have a bit more 'peer review before publication' going on, compared to information on the 'net.

Good historical/ 'academic' info on stringed instruments seems to be not very readily available on the internet (with a few notable exceptions), and that's one thing I like about AL and the 'BigRedBooks'.
The fact that Guitarmaker doesn't appear to 'do plans' is a negative for me. The (reduced, I know) plans and descriptions of historical instruments in AL are some of the most interesting articles , IMO

For 'instant answers' and troubleshooting , online resources are great.

Something that the plan vendors (including GAL, MIMF, OLF) could do to move into the 21st century would be to provide (full size) pdf files of plans for download at a reasonable price. I can email the file to my local copy center and pick up the printed output a few hours later. (No waiting for weeks and paying for shipping, mailing tubes, etc). Some 'amateur' plans are available (free) online this way. Sorry to wander off-track here.....
Back to the scheduled program....

Cheers
John

For the Canadians out there who are balking at the extra charge to send issues to Canada - I recently joined ASIA and was told that they do not consider Canada to be in their "international" category, so I was charged the rate for the USA. That was a nice surprise. I received two issues of Guitarmaker in the mail two weeks later (the standard amount of time it takes to send magazines through the border) and enjoyed reading both of them.

Kathy

I should add that part of the deal for new members of ASIA is that you get one year's free subscription to Acoustic Guitar magazine as well.
I'm not proposing that one group is better than the other - just letting you know what I got with my ASIA fee.

Kathy

Good points John,

Any organization who's main purpose is to organize and disseminate information, is going to have to embrace technology, and learn how to adapt to the Internet to support whatever it's model is.

GAL is doing a decent job of this, with their online ordering and stuff, but they really need to take this to the next level and start providing an online service as well as their print publications.

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Jim Hansen

Kathy-
Thanks for that info.
I don't know which is worse- being charged extra for postage or having Canada considered to be part of the USA!
They really do need a 'third category'- Canadian subscribers, or just call it 'North American'.
Cheers
John