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| Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=47269 |
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| Author: | Hesh [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 8:02 am ] |
| Post subject: | Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
Here is an interesting link to an interview with Master Luthier TJ Thompson that I enjoyed when I first heard it some 8 or so years ago now. My hope is that you will enjoy it too. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6665726 |
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| Author: | JSDenvir [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:43 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
That was great. Thanks Hesh. |
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| Author: | Woodie G [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 11:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
Thank you Mr. Breakstone - despite the NPR interview being intended for that outlet's audience, it is a marvelous bit of reportage on an amazing talent. Fretboard Journal #26 has a massive 22 page article that has author Allen St. John revisiting T.J. Thompson's shop to update us on the luthier introduced to the general public in St. John's book, Clapton's Guitar. I thought FJ's podcast which accompanied the article to be the definitive Thompson audio piece, though, and was on my very long list of required sources and readings from the boss. My favorite Thompson quote (I have a habit of collecting useful quotes) was in response to St. John's question on what separates a truly magical guitar from a merely great one. After mucking about with some ideas that have been incorrectly characterized as "...be a nicer/better person...", Thompson cuts to the heart of the thing with: Quote: If you're rigid or you're distorting reality it goes into the guitar. And when you play it, it comes back out. It's disturbing. - T.J. Thompson So not so much a better or - goddess forbid - a nicer person as one that possesses a clarity of vision, a high degree of self knowledge, and a certain flexibility of mind. Some other T.J. Thompson bits and pieces I've found interesting: As mentioned above, the definitive T.J. Thompson podcast: http://www.fretboardjournal.com/podcast/podcast-55-luthier-tj-thompson A very cool Thompson version of a parallelogram top-riding binding machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo_WJRmZFws Mr. Thompson discussing tone wood, as seen in the YouTube clip of the Allen St. John/Seth Connelly/T.J. Thompson reading of the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6muU3E7WIg |
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| Author: | George L [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 7:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
Yeah, Hesh, this is/was a good interview and it's nice to find it brought back to the fore again. Thanks. Woodie G - I'm not sure I clearly understand your comment: Quote: "...despite the NPR interview being intended for that outlet's audience, it is a marvelous bit of reportage ..."
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| Author: | Ken McKay [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 7:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
I will definitely listen to this thank you Hesh. I had dinner with him this past summer and we talked about various things. Not too much about guitar making we talked a little bit about his plek machine that he uses with specific purpose since he installs straight frets. He's a very interesting person much like some of the violin makers that I know. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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| Author: | Woodie G [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 8:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
Quote: Woodie G - I'm not sure I clearly understand your comment: Quote: "...despite the NPR interview being intended for that outlet's audience, it is a marvelous bit of reportage ..." I suppose it's the difference between the expected audiences for a general news and entertainment outlet such as NPR that must produce content understandable to the target demographic and an enthusiast outlet such as Fretboard Journal, where producers may safely assume a certain level of subject knowledge. Despite an audience which I'd assume to be composed mainly of non-guitarists, the NPR piece was surprisingly relevant to builders and repairmen - nearly as much 'luthierish' content as the much more narrowly focused FJ podcast. Certainly worth considering for the 'read and listen' list, which was reflected in my statement of gratitude to the author of the original poster. I hope this satisfies your curiosity - thanks for the opportunity to provide some needed clarity, Beyond that, I am pleased to see how rapidly Mr. Thompson's words of wisdom have been adopted by other luthiers - quite amazing! |
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| Author: | Terence Kennedy [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
Nice stuff, thanks for posting the links. Interesting that he builds at 28% (I am assuming for clients that live in the northeast). I most admit I like to build dry as well but not that dry. The big problem I have seen is that so many clients that buy expensive handmade guitars are humidity freaks and will be inadvertently running their cases at 60%+ They complain about high action and you look at the guitar and it's swelled up like a balloon. Never really completely goes back to where it was. Wonder if he has had problems with that? |
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| Author: | Woodie G [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
What relative humidity do you brace at, Dr. Kennedy? Could the low relative humidity that Mr. Thompson uses be more a consequence of a traditional approach to using bracing to radius the top rather than radius dish? |
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| Author: | Terence Kennedy [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
Woodie G wrote: What relative humidity do you brace at, Dr. Kennedy? Could the low reletive humidity that Mr. Thompson uses be more a consequence of a traditional approach to using bracing to radius the top rather than radius dish? I'm usually around 38-40%. Most of my stuff stays in the Midwest so unless it's over humidified it works pretty well. I do use radius dishes. I'm not sure about how the bracing technique would affect response to humidity. I suppose it's possible. Does he build under tension? |
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| Author: | George L [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
Woodie G wrote: I suppose it's the difference between the expected audiences for a general news and entertainment outlet such as NPR that must produce content understandable to the target demographic and an enthusiast outlet such as Fretboard Journal, where producers may safely assume a certain level of subject knowledge. Got it. That makes sense and I agree. |
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| Author: | Woodie G [ Sun Feb 14, 2016 9:38 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Hear The Wood - TJ Thompson NPR Interview |
Just a quick note to say that Issue 26 of Fretboard Journal with it's massive article on Mr. Thompson is still available as a back issue from the publisher for $16 postpaid (in the States), and as a bonus, includes a very interesting article on Jeff Traugott. https://www.fretboardjournal.com/store/issue-26 We recently had two Somogyi and three Traugott guitars in for work (all in and gone the same day...so sad), and the Traugotts were by far my favorite 'collector' custom-builts I've had a chance to examine - clear standouts! The owner was kind enough to allow me to ask some pointed questions on why this and not that, and it became apparent that - while all of the instruments were investments - the Traugotts were his players. At some point, I am going to have the boss walk me through an engineering assessment of the floating center-line back brace on the Traugotts versus Somogyi's heavier construction and beefier neck joint vis-à-vis neck resets. Off to the archives! W |
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