content: Mr. Siminoff's book addresses the the critical information of how the various components of a stringed musical instrument function. He also explains why certain elements (bracing, truss rods, etc.) are designed in a given arrangement to accent different tonal qualities. Armed with this information, a builder should be able to make informed and more successful decisions on modifications to existing designs, or on new instrument designs. The differences of how fixed and movable bridge systems function was very informative and useful.