Category Archives: Guitar

New plans! A 19th C. Stauffer-style guitar by Ries

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

One of the perks of my job is that people bring in unusual and interesting instruments to work on. Some of them are so interesting that I document them to share with others in the form of building plans. A … Continue reading →

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A beautiful Baritone Ukulele

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

“The Gift of Music Lasts a Lifetime” that’s how the musical instrument page of the 1952 “Christmas Catalog” of Sears & Roebuck opens. On the page there is the crème de la crème of 1952 teenage dreams: accordeons, three guitars, … Continue reading →

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Voboam: Guitars fit for a king

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

It’s probably the most well known name when it comes to baroque guitars: Voboam. Rather than a single maker, there is a whole dynasty of luthiers, spanning almost a century. It started with pater familias René Voboam, whose 1641 guitar … Continue reading →

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14 Histoires de Guitares

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

At the 8th of january an enveloppe fell on my doormat. So far nothing unusual, that happens regularly, but this time it contained a nice surprise: the new cd “14 Histoires de Guitares” by Canadian guitarist David Jacques. Over the … Continue reading →

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New plans: Gosewyn Spyker – a guitar from 1760…

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

Today I will give a lecture for the Dutch Lute Society about the oldest surviving guitar from the Netherlands. Made in 1760 in Amsterdam by Gosewyn Spyker. This guitar was preserved in the collection of Duivenvoorde Castle, where it was … Continue reading →

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“The other Dual Tone”; Guyatone LG-60

Posted on August 3, 2019 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

About a year ago, a friend contacted me about an old guitar he found in the trash. He wanted to fix it himself, but lack of time had put it in a corner for years. If I took it in, … Continue reading →

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Digital Guitar and Lute Plans

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

You probably know my guitar and lute drawings. They’re quite (in)famous in the lutherie community. I’ve made them for a couple of years now, and literally hundreds of instruments have been constructed after them. Anything from Stradivari reconstructions to Danelectro … Continue reading →

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FREE Vihuela plans!

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

Yes you read it correctly. As a summer surprise I’m giving away one of my plans for free… A year ago some of my students at the Bouwerskontakt lutherie course asked whether they could make some historical instruments. A baroque … Continue reading →

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A special parlor: The Grunewald “Harp-Guitar”

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

One of the perks of guitar making are the special guitars that sometimes pass the shop. And being a somewhat quirky person I somehow manage get some of the oddest pieces of guitar history. Like this 10-string “Harp-Guitar” made by … Continue reading →

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Stradivarius guitar plans

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Jan van Cappelle (Javaca)

You probably know the name Stradivari as the most famous violin maker that ever lived. But it is lesser known that the great master also made guitars. Only five guitars survived to this day, in museums and private collections around … Continue reading →

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