Making a Guitar

Do you need a life to learn to build a guitar?. No, masters of old times used to spend their whole lives to become a master in their craft, but now under appropriate guidance you can get the concentrated knowledge and get optimal results much quicker.

Little or no woodworking experience is necessary, just patience and an open mind. We have taught people of all ages, of all levels of experience, and all have emerged surprised and delighted with the instrument they've taken home. The evaluations from my past tutorial students on this page speak for themselves.

You won't become a master guitar builder just after this course. Learning the process is more important than the first results. Don't try for perfection at first time . You have to develop yourself as a long-distance runner, not as a one-time sprinter. Perfection will come with perseverance. Try to be as diligent and thoughtful as you can, keep notes of your mistakes so that when you come up to the same point on your next project you can skirt it.

LANGUAGE: English

DIPLOMA:

COURSE CURRICULUM : Assembling the guitar from dimensioned materials. Extensive discussions on guitar acoustics, history, design and technology are included.

During the 2 week session, you will create a completed, strung up -but not lacquered- guitar in two weeks from dimensioned and partly-shaped materials furnished by me (or obtained elsewhere by you). You can then take the completed --but unfinished, "in the white," instrument home to finish or have it professionally finished at an extra charge.

PROGRAM:

TEACHING FORMAT: 2 week Session, one to one: You will be working under my direct supervision, in my shop, solo: no other students at the same time; and follow my instructions and movements, as you watch me work on a guitar I'm making for my own shop -- while you follow along on your own guitar in a step by step fashion. We can both work on a classic, steel string, cuatro or requinto guitar: it's your choice. No one else in my studio but you and me

DEDICACIÓN: 8 hours per day

DURACIÓN: 2 weeks

COSTS:

TUITION : 2 week Session, one to one: $5000

MATERIALS: Not Included.

LODGING: Not Included.

VEHICLE: Not Included.

LOCATION:

My shop is located in Western Massachusetts, in the small city of Northampton, which is a half hour's drive from Springfield, Massachusetts, (the state's third largest city) and one hour's drive North on I-91 from Hartford, Connecticut.

Northampton is a beautiful New England college town (Smith College, with Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and UMass nearby) with great restaurants, a lively nightlife and a lot of top live-music acts coming through town; it has been awarded the title of "best small town for the arts in America" for two years running.