Читать книгу The Uke Book Illustrated - John Weissenrieder - Страница 5

Rosewood, walnut, mahogany, and cypress.

I smelled the woods. Chisels, knives, saws, brushes, and glue. I saw diligence and passion.

I am naturally a curious person. Coming out of art school, the world felt like my canvas.

My senses were struck with curiosity the first time I entered John Weissenrieder’s workshop in the historic part of Florence, Italy. There were unfinished instruments hanging from the walls, scraps and shavings from spruce wood layered the floor. This was where John and I first met, in his workshop, in what he considered to be his sacred space to focus, build, and play.

I was fascinated by John’s knowledge and deep understanding of his materials. Not only was he incredibly well versed in the history, methods, and theories of guitar making, but he was willing to share everything he knew. He spent time talking with me about the distinguishable characteristics of wood, like the tightness, the directionality, and the color of the grain. John would often tell me stories of his travels around the world searching for the old methods used by practicing guitar makers hundreds of years ago. When he finally moved to Italy to study with Andrea Tacchi, to whom he dedicated much of his practice, he found his home and decided to stay there.

After a few visits to the workshop and a couple of cappuccinos in the piazza, an idea sparked, to combine our skills and knowledge and create an illustrated book about how a musical instrument is made. The idea was for the book to not only stand or sit as a manual, but to also be an artistically conceived and executed book that portrayed the poetry and mystery of the ancient trade of lutherie. It gives insight to the innumerable practical aspects of the preparation and selection of materials, assembly and construction, the tools and jigs, and how to approach the work clearly.

Every step is explained through concise instructions and informative drawings.

Artists, craftsmen or craftswomen, instrument makers, DIY enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to use this book as a guide or manual will be able to proceed chapter by chapter and drawing by drawing during the realization of his or her own instrument. It is a challenge that anyone can complete, whether it’s in a woodworker’s shop or perhaps in a small bedroom with a tabletop to work on, like the desk John helped me build while I was learning and drawing the methods.

In 2015, a year and a half into the development of this book, John was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. During the last several months of his time in Florence, he spent countless hours devoted to this book, making sure there were no gaps left unfilled. John was determined to share his knowledge with other luthiers and anyone wanting to gain insight into the craft. It was an honor to work one-on-one with John. He taught me how to see the details in the handmade and to have the boldness and confidence to chisel, saw, and sand wood step-by-step toward beautiful results. John passed away in the early summer of 2017.

I thought the age of passing knowledge through apprenticeship and barter had faded into our pedagogical history. John was a joyful reminder that these teachers are out there, teachers who want to share what they know for the love of the craft. Though he won’t be able to hold a copy of this book in his hands, I know how happy he would be to see it in the hands of so many others.

–Sarah Greenbaum

NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR ON HOW TO APPROACH THE WORK

1. Begin with a clear idea. Know what it is you are aiming for, be it the exact location of a cut, the thickness of the soundboard, the curves of the heel, the smoothness and/or flatness of a surface, or something else.

2. Think globally. Imagine the task at hand in the broadest possible context. For example, if you’re working on a fret, be aware of the frets around it, the surface of the fingerboard, etc.

3. Check what you are doing. You want to sand something flat? Check to see that the sanding block is flat, that the straightedge is really straight, that the square is square, that your rulers agree with each other, and so on.

In this manual, each step will begin with a detailed, very carefully prepared drawing that should serve to communicate the clear idea to have in mind throughout the sequence. This will be followed by some notes about the big picture: the who, what, where, when, and why of that step. Then there will be some hints about how to proceed and how to evaluate the progress with respect to the goal.