Mottola’s Cyclopedic Dictionary of Lutherie Terms

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The dictionary intends to provide conventional spelling and short descriptions of the most common terms used in modern lutherie (construction of stringed musical instruments) as well as historical terminology that a modern luthier may come across in plans and other media. Luthiers, musicians, and others that read or write about stringed musical instrument construction should find it useful. Lutherie beginners who are attempting to navigate a mass of unfamiliar terminology will find the dictionary particularly useful. Use of the dictionary will increase the rate of understanding for the new luthier. As with any such work appearing in book form there is a trade off between completeness and accessibility. Although it certainly is possible to include a lot more terms than currently appear, doing so would make for a larger and more expensive book and it would make looking up terms more time consuming. The number of terms presented offer a good balance.