Irving Sloane was born on this day, april 27th in 1925.
He was a self-taught luthier whose practical books on guitar construction and repair “paved the way” for many luthiers of my generation.
As a self-taught luthier like him, it is mainly his book “classic guitar construction” that I bought around 1978 which has become my bible for so many years and without which my journey would have been very different.
Another book from him,”Guitar Repair”, giving us the way to learn from the many fine craftsmen of the C.F. Martin Organization, was also of great importance in my learning.
I have always had the cover of his books strong in my mind and inevitably, when I reach the step having the neck & guitar ring tied together, the iconic cover of his “classic guitar construction” lights up strong again.
I had the opportunity to speak with him during the 90s about his famous “Sloane” tuning machines among others. He was kind to sent me some early photos of his current model on the way.
It is only few years later that I was aware of his death from the lutherie community.
I still use his Ibex rule and small planes.
Here below there’s a link to an article about him from the New York Times published on July 3, 1998, few days after his death on June 21.
Greetings.
https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/03/nyregion/irving-sloane-73-self-taught-guitar-maker.html
