Upcoming Events



General Interest
  • SIMSCal Quarterly Meeting - June 29
  Alternative Finishing Techniques


Classical Guitar

 
Steel String / Fingerstyle Guitar


SIMSCal Exhibit
at
Lord of the Strings Concert Series


Many thanks to Tim Johnson, founder and president of the Lord of the Strings Concert Series for inviting SIMSCal to exhibit and display our lutherie skills at a recent concert in Mission Viejo by the renowned Andrew York.  Andrew is the Grammy award winning composer and artist, and former member of the highly acclaimed LA Guitar Quartet (LAGQ).

As Andrew is primarily a classical guitar artist, he attracted predominately that type of audience.  As such, SIMSCal member classical guitars were prominently on display.  However, the steel string builder contingent of SIMSCal was very well represented by SIMSCal member, John Fitzgerald, with two of his instruments - one of which he had Andrew sign after the concert.

As SIMSCal will have more opportunities to exhibit at upcoming Lord of the Strings concerts, dust off some of your completed masterpieces, or finish up some projects that you are working on - we'd love to have more SIMSCal member instruments to show off in the future.






SIMSCal
Stringed Instrument Makers of Southern California
Lord of the Strings founder and President, Tim Johnson, with SIMSCal President, Mónica Esparza, in front of the SIMSCal exhibit.
SIMSCal exhibitors with Andrew York
From left to right:  Chris LaBonte, Mónica Esparza, Andrew York, Bill Gourlay, John Fitzgerald
Photos from 4Q 2008 meeting "Fretting with Kathy Wingert"
In addition to the fretting demo Kathy treated us to some playing on one of her fabulous harp guitars.
Photos from 1Q 2009 meeting "Final Set-up and Intonation"
Thanks to Eric Nichols, Jim Ellsberry, Kathy Wingert, and Monica Esparza for their excellent presentations.
Photos from October Meeting "Ervin Somogyi on Guitar Voicing"
Many thanks to Ervin for his extremely informative presentation.  For more on Ervin or to purchase his book(s) - The Responsive Guitar and Making the Responsive Guitar, or his new DVD Voicing the Guitar, please visit his webpage www.esomogyi.com
Photos from 1Q 2010 Meeting "LMI's Chris Herrod on Tonewoods"
Chris brought A LOT of wood for us!!
This is just a small portion - tops, backs and sides, necks, and fretboards.
Thank you, Chris, for a great presentation and sale.

SIMSCal 2Q 2010 Meeting

Cutaway Side Bending
Laminating Sides
AND
SIMSCal Swap Meet


At the SIMSCal 2Q 2010 meeting on March 27, members and guests were treated to both a swap meet and a side bending and laminating demo by RC Allen.  RC is a well renowned Southern California luthier who has been building guitars since the early 1950s - well before many of our members were even born.  His friends, acquaintences, and early mentors read like a "Who's Who" in the world of guitars, with names like Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Paul Bigsby...and the list goes on and on!














RC pointing to a photo of himself
with the 2nd Bigsby solidbody ever made
(He still has it...along with about 3000 other guitars in his collection)

For more information about RC and his fantastic guitarmaking career, here are several links you might find of interest.

http://www.bobfelten.com/rcallen.htm
http://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/r-c-allen


Minutes from the SIMSCal 2Q 2010 meeting on March 27, 2010

SIMSCal Quarterly Meeting

Alternative Finishing Techniques

WHEN:    Tuesday, June 29, 2010
TIME:       6:30pm-9:00pm
WHERE: Woodcraft
         12781 Beach Boulevard
  Stanton, CA click here for map   

This quarter’s meeting topic will address some of the alternatives to nitro-cellulose lacquer finishes including waterborne finishes, gun-stock oil, pore filling with epoxy along with a number of other tips and techniques.  Our presenters will be Larry McCutcheon and John Fitzgerald, both of whom have considerable experience in the use and application of such finishes.  With the restrictions on getting nitro-cellulose, the equipment required, and the health issues presented when applying it, there is a good case to look into various other methods of finishing an instrument. 

In addition to the above presentation, we will be voting on the acceptance of the SIMSCal Bylaws.  The Bylaws, as proposed, are posted on the website http://www.simscal.com/Bylaws.doc  Please take a few moments before the meeting to familiarize yourself with the Bylaws so you can be ready to vote on them.

Because not everyone has the necessary equipment or appropriate facilities for spraying lacquer, along with the health hazards it poses, this promises to be an important and informative meeting for all of us.  No refreshments will be served at this meeting.  However, as always, if you have a recently completed instrument or one that you are working on, please bring it along to share with the group.