A.E. Overholzer Jigs

[Shann Miner]

Hey gang, I am new to the board and want to say hi and thanks for letting me participate. I have some A.E. Overholzer classical guitar bending and building fixtures that I acquired and don't know a whole lot about them. I was hoping someone could shed some light as to their history (A.E. Overholzer), value and relevance to today's building techniques. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Bob Hammond]

A quick and dirty Google search shows some info about A.E. Overholzer, including a book that he authored. I'll bet that there are some clues in the book. Hmm, have you tried them out yet, after inspecting them?

If you're more interested in selling them instead of using them, then maybe you should post a message in the Classified Ads section.

[Shann Miner]

Thanks for the response. I have done the Google thing but info is pretty sketchy. I was hoping to find someone that has actually used them. I bought them from a guy that came into my shop with the idea of making some classical guitars with redwood I bought about 30 years ago but alas that never happened.

[Dennis Weaver]

I started with Art Overholtzer's book. He had a page in it about ordering those jigs and molds etc.. I know years ago one of the molds and some stuff , maybe the peg head slotting drilling jig, etc... was on Ebay for auction and went for BIG MONEY. What you have is of some value just because of what it is. It's not just what use it is or how good it works, it's Art's stuff and he is dead now and you get the drift.

[Michael Lewis]

Post some pics, it may help with your quest.

[Dennis Weaver]

I scanned 4 pages from my old book of the jigs you could order. Here are two segments. Need any more let me know.
As one can see, people are still making versions of what Art sold many years ago.

[Bill Raymond]

As I recall, Art's book pretty much covered all one needs to know about using these jigs. They weren't cheap to purchase even when new. I have the electrically heated inside mold, have used it, and find it is a good bender if you don't mind being limited to Art's plantilla. Plug in the waist caul, crank it slowly down when the wood is warm and compliant, then unplug the waist caul and plug in the inside form to bend the upper and lower bouts. It's really quite easy to use. What more would you like to know? The outside mold seems pretty straightforward, though I've never seen one nor used one; use it as you would any outside mold to maintain the shape of the sides while working on the guitar. The peghead jig and drill guide is also pretty straightforward. It is used with a router to cut the string slots and the sides of the head, and there should be a removable piece that can be cut to use as a router guide for shaping the top of the head to whatever shape you decide to produce. Use a drill through the guides in the side to drill for the tuners. The 4 thumbscrews position the guide on the head blank. It's really all pretty self-explanatory. As far as their origins, I believe that Art had these gizmos made originally for his own use, then had then produced for sale, later, I think, his son-in-law (I believe) took over production, but I believe production halted some time ago. As to their present day value: whatever a willing buyer will pay for them; they _may_ have some value as "collectors' items"--someday they'll be "antiques", "rarities" etc.. As for their utilitarian value, most builders will prefer a Fox-style bender or a hot pipe and their own shopmade jigs.

[Bill Raymond]

I should add that both the waist caul and the internal mold of the bending machine have thermostats that can adjust the temperature of these parts. It's accessible via a hole through which one might insert a screwdriver. Also, to elaborate on the origins: These jigs were made for and sold directly by Art Overholtzer at first, then the sales (and production, I believe) were taken over by his son-in-law. There was also a router guide for cutting the binding/purling ledge(s). Most of the items were a bit pricey, being cast and milled aluminum, and satisfactory tools for these tasks could easily be fashioned by individuals in wood, making them not indispensable tools to have.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I'm always amazed, and pleased at the knowledge that comes out of this forum.

[Bill Raymond]

As an afterthought, I would be remiss in not warning that when in use the electrically heated bending mold MUST have a separate grounding wire. The thermostat has a small porcelain nib that prevents the adjustable contact from touching the frame; this piece of porcelain can be easily fractured when adjusting the thermostat should one bear too hard with the screwdriver (I've done that!). In that case, depending on the polarity of your line cord (it's not polarized), the unit can be electrified with mains current and cause injury or death to someone touching the mold if it is not grounded.. I found it helpful to mark the cord with the proper polarization so that I avoid the spark and tripped circuit breaker attendant upon plugging the unit in the wrong way, and always make sure the unit is grounded securely.

[Dennis Weaver]

Yea says you have to add a ground wire in instructions like Bill stated.
Here is also pic of router attachment Bill mentioned. He also sold other molds and a fret slotting box.

Art seemed like a very likeable guy who wasn't formerly trained in guitar making (I think) , but everyone carried his book back then and many started out with it.

I think he'd love to be alive today to see all the things going on. He was an innovative thinker himself.

[Bill Raymond]

Art was a very likeable fellow. Though I never met him in person, I did have a long (several hours long) telephone conversation with him once and found him to be very likeable and engaging. He didn't have any formal training in lutherie, but had been a professional woodworker before he retired and took up guitar making. He was an innovative thinker, but so many of his notions about building, though maybe not terrible ideas, weren't necessarily good ideas. His book is useful, but one has to take some of his notions cum grano salis. I think he started with Irving Sloane's book and developed his own methods from there. Though he acknowledged Sloane's contributions, he told me that he thought "Sloane didn't make very many guitars" and apparently felt that Sloane was therefore not as knowledgeable about guitar making as thought; he apparently developed the notion that his (Art's) theories, as oddball as they might have been, were thus superior to Sloane's methods. Nevertheless, he didn't seem dogmatic about this and his book does deserve a place in a luthier's library.

[Shann Miner]

Sorry for the delay in responding, christmas and all, but I want to that you all very much for your input!

[David Boehnker]

There is a cool photo in his book of him loading a dolly with Brazilian rosewood lumber at the local wood dealer (or maybe it was right off the boat dock, I don't remember). He said he picked through the stuff and only took the most uniform quarter sawn pieces. I can't imagine how much really figured pieces he passed over.

[Jim McConkey]

A few years back I almost bought a house from a guy who turned out to be the wood buyer for a major guitar manufacturer. The house was floored with Brazillian cherry picked up on one of his latest wood buying jaunts. His pile of firewood (literally) put my modest lutherie wood collection to shame! I had to exercise some serious impulse control not to take a little firewood home with me.