Iving Sloane was born on this day, April 27, 1925. He was a self-taught luthier whose practical books on guitar building and repair were a determining factor for many luthiers of my generation in particular. Being a self-taught luthier, just like him, it was mainly his book “classic guitar construction”, bought around 1978, that became my bible for so many years, and without which my career path would probably have been very different. Another of his opuses, “Guitar Repair”, dealing specifically with the repair and restoration work carried out by the craftsmen of the famous “Martin” guitar factory, was also of great importance and a source of inspiration in my learning. Since then, the covers of his books have remained engraved in my mind, and inevitably, when I reach the stage of a skeletal guitar, the iconic cover of his “classic guitar construction” pops up again. I had the opportunity to speak with him in the 90s, about his famous “Sloane” mechanicals and other things. He had kindly sent me photos of his model-to-be. A few years later, I learned of his death via the lutherie community. I always enjoy using his Ibex ruler and small planes. So today I pay tribute to him with this testimonial and a nod to my favorite book. Here’s a link to an article about him that appeared in the New York Times on July 3, 1998, a few days after his death on June 21, 1998. Greetings! https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/03/nyregion/irving-sloane-73-self-taught-guitar-maker.html
