Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm seriously thinking about doing a two-week training program to learn the basics of guitar construction, repair, and set-up. I've found a few that seem to fit the bill. I like the idea of making a guitar while you're there, and having something to show for your efforts. I don't have all the info I will need on these yet, but the ones that seem to be the best fit for me are listed below. Most are around $2300-3000 for two week of training. If anyone can recommend one of these programs, or offer any insights or experience, I would be very appreciative!

Summit School of Guitar Building and Repair, Qualicum, BC, Canada (2-week program, build a guitar from scratch)

Riznayi Guitars, Pinehurst, NS, Canada (2 weeks, build a kit guitar)

The American School of Lutherie, N. CA (2 weeks, build a guitar from scratch)

Vermont Instruments, Post Mills, VT (2 weeks, build a guitar from scratch)

Leeds Guitarmakers School, Northampton, MA (2 weeks, build a guitar)

Gitana Stringed Instruments and Luthier's Workshop (1 week, 9-day, 1 month)

Everett Guitars, Chamblee GA (5-day, work on 'class' guitar)

I can wholeheartedly recommend Frank Finnochio's class in Easton, PA. It is a one-week class in which you'll build an OM style guitar to take home with you. The only thing left to do is put a finish on it.

Frank is a great teacher and can answer any of your guitar related questions. He even buys your lunch!

Costt when I went was $2500 I think. And worth every penny.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

I would also call Frank Finocchio and talk to him. He is in Eastern PA. Ask him if you can have a "private" class to build a guitar. He usually runs a few students at a time, but if you get him 1:1 you can probably build just about anything you like in 7 working days. Frank is great guy and a really good builder. Most of his professional work is repair and education, but the guitars he builds are really fantastic.

I also have heard rumor that Kevin Gallagher might be starting some training, and that would be worth looking into as well. You might give him a call and get the skinny on that.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Since our new sponsor, Ervin Somogyi, only holds advanced classes where you do not learn basic guitar construction, may I recommend another luthier to add to you list of candidates: William Cumpiano. If you can afford the extra time (11 or 12 days, as opposed to 7), his class is $3000, and that includes materials. William Cumpiano School of Lutherie.

I only personally know one guy that went to Cumpiano's class, but he highly recommends it.

Dennis

Edit: I think I misread about the materials being included. I now see info at Cumpiano's site stating $350 to $600 for materials, or BYO.DennisLeahy38648.6720949074

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Frank told me that is a great class too... so that gives you an idea of the quality when another luthier is recommending it.

However, it was my understanding that W.C. was booked completely through 2006 and taking reservations for 2007.

Brock Poling38648.6690856482

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

You can go to Wade Sylvester's page from WC's site, who also built a guitar under his guidance.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I've taken the "Luthier's School International" course from Harry Fleishman www.fleishmaninstruments.com and highly recommend it. My guitar sounds better than it has any right to sound, considering I built it.

   If you are looking for a good school I suggest DAVE NICHOLS's OF Custom pearl in Malone NY 518-483-7685
   You can learn not just building and repair but Inlay and more.
   His price is more than reasonable. Call and ask.
John hall

I know Frank does a great class and is short term one. Long term Bryan Galloup can't be beat.

the first formal training I ever had was with Mike Jarvis of the Summit School. To this day he's been a huge influence on the way I work, and he's a really great guy.

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

Al Carruth offers a class as does Tom Knatt. They are both in New England.

I studied with Kent Everett in Atlanta years ago. I highly recommend his course. I suggest you at least contact him for more information.   

Wow... thanks to everyone who has responded. There were several answers withing the hour! I'll follow up on all the suggestions.

I'm so glad that I found this forum!

Ken

Ken,
It's the best danged forum on the net!

Ken,

Another Canadian option is David Freeman of Timeless Instruments in Saskatchewan. He lives in a remote little town and has accommodations as well. I have not taken his course but those that have that I have talked to like it. I stop in and see David (and usually drop of some tops) every year as I pass through to Manitoba. He is also a nice guy, that must be a luthier's affliction! David's classes are small groups where everyone builds a guitar (or other stringed instrument) of their choice. Search for him at Timeless Instruments.

William Cumpiano is a great choice if you can get in. His shop is quite small so he just takes one student at a time, a great way to learn. He still builds pretty much as he descibes in his book though. No moulds, all bending done with a pipe, no go-bar decks. So you should also consider where you want to go with your building and what process you are interested in using when you make your selection, if you think that you want to build one off customs Cumpiano would be a good choice, if you think you will be using go-bar dishes, rim sanders, bending machines and moulds, he doesn't use them so you should seek someone who does. One thing about Cumpiano though is that he shares a shop with another luthier, Harry Becker, they have been working togther for approaching three decades, so you might get the insight of two great luthiers rather than one.

It's late, I'm rambling..

Good Luck

Shane

Shane Neifer38649.1712268519

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Canada

One more vote here for Harry Fleishman... He's not too far from Allied and LMI so you can go spend too much money on wood and stuff on your day off.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Does Harry teach the semi-hemispherical fretting technique in his class?

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Fleischman's class is excellent, from what I've heard -- I know a guy who recently completed it and was quite happy about the experience.

Another fellow to consider, who is a friend of Harry Fleischman's and who lives in the same part of the country as he does is Brian Burns. You can reach him at burnsguitars@aol.com.

Brian specializes in building classicals and flamencos. He also is an acknowledged expert at doing acoustical analysis of tonewood.

I spent 10 days in Ft. Bragg, CA last year, taking private lessons from him. It was a great experience. We started from the very beginning, which was what I needed. First thing I learned was how to true up a plane sole and how to sharpen a plane iron and chisels. Brian's buildling methods are rather traditional in some ways and quite idiosyncratic in others. On the traditional side, no drum sanders, for example. I thicknessed my tonewood with a plane. No heating blankets and molds, either. I learned how to bend sides and binding on a hot pipe. As for his idiosyncratic approach -- Brian is a gadget nut. For example, he has almost completely outfitted his shop with all sorts of vacuum hold-downs. He has built them for tops and backs, and for sides -- even for headplates.   His neck construction methods depart somewhat from tradition as well.

Brian charges $150 a day. He knows Todd at Allied, and can order the materials you need from them. The prices are not included in his charges, but Allied provides a 10% discount to Brian's students. I took advantage of this when I was there, and just ordered all my tonewoods from Allied.

If you're up there in the off-season, he has made arrangements with a nice little motel close to his place that will provide a further discount from their off-season rate. The room I had had a small refrigerator and a microwave, so I was able to prepare some meals, and was not totally dependent on local restaurants. Saved a lot of money that way.

Best,

Michael
Michael McBroom38649.4118981482

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Live to Play, Play to Live

If I remember right, he told us about that hemispherical fret-end method and maybe showed how to do it, but that's not the method we used on the guitars in class. I didn't get past just installing the frets in the slot while in class... I fussed too much with other minor stuff earlier on in the class and ran out of time at the end (which Harry had warned us about many times). I think he has started offering a three week course to avoid the stressful rush the last couple days.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

This thread is a wonder - it turns out Kent Everett is less than 5 miles away
& I never even heard of him before now!

REALLY!!

how lucky you are. I wish I had an instructor that close to me.   

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I'm thrilled, honestly - I was fully prepared to white-knuckle it by myself &
let the chips fall - and I will, for my first one (or 2), if only because his next
class isn't til April '06 & I don't want to wait (one class just wrapped up
*yesterday*...but I don't think I could have raised $825 on such short notice)
- but nice to know I have expertise so close at hand (and he has hourly
consulting rates, too)!

[QUOTE=chmood] I'm thrilled, honestly - I was fully prepared to white-knuckle it by myself &
let the chips fall - and I will, for my first one (or 2), if only because his next
class isn't til April '06 & I don't want to wait (one class just wrapped up
*yesterday*...but I don't think I could have raised $825 on such short notice)
- but nice to know I have expertise so close at hand (and he has hourly
consulting rates, too)![/QUOTE]

Kent is one of the best teachers I know and a really nice guy. With him only being five miles away you are set!

Wow... I'm still amazed at the responses to this post. I'm going to make up some full notes, and then send out some emails and phone calls. I'm going to have a hard time waiting until April too, or next summer (!).

I'm an absolute newbie here on this forum (name is Ken Mitchell, Durham, NC). Someone on the UMGF (Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum) directed me here when I posted my question on that forum. And I'm just a beginner at all this guitar set-up business. At this point, I'm only scratching the surface, but to date I've buffed out a satin finish or two (Martin OM-15, Martin OMM), replaced a couple of sets of tuners, done set-ups on several guitars that I've bought (and sold) over the past 7-8 months, and just recently made a compensated saddle and cut a nut, both from blanks. They both turned out really nice - MUCH better than what came on the guitar in question (the new Alvarez all-mahogany acoustic, 'FJ-2005' or something like that... nice sounding guitar, but they definitely cut some corners here and there).

So far, I've bought a few files, measurement tools, blanks, spare parts, and other items, and really enjoy doing my own work, as opposed to going a week or more without an instrument. For the same amount of money I can do the work myself, and have more tools in my collection. I've been doing the same with my cars (80's BMWs) for a few years. And for both, there’s no way it would be possible without forums like this for trading info (and parts). I've got a long way to go with both endeavors, but maybe by the time I semi-retire, I can do both car and guitar work on the side – I’ve got a garage / workshop that’s 2/3 complete as I write!

For the luthier training, I know that I'm going to need to decide exactly what type of training I want to do first. The big question seems to be ‘Do I want to learn to build from scratch, or from a kit?’ The kit approach might be less hectic for a two-week period, but then I’d lose out on all the wood selection, shaping, etc. Hmmm….

In any case, the information you all have offered has been extremely valuable! I’m glad it’s been beneficial to others as well, but it’s been especially informative for me!

Ken