Learning To Build Steel String Acoustic Guitars
Local Classes Available
Sonoma County is a hub for builders of stringed instruments, or 'Luthiers', and as a result, there are a number of local luthiers that offer classes on how to build guitars. A favorite of mine is Luthier's School International located in Sebastopol, California, where I took the two week Hands-on Acoustic Guitar-Building class with Harry Fleishman. This was a very fun class!
Creating The Guitar Body covers the following:
- Gluing The Back And Adding Bracing
- Bending The Sides
- The Back And Sides Assembled
- Creating The Sound-board And Voicing the Guitar
- Assembling The Body
Creating The Guitar Neck continues through the remaining steps:
- Building The Neck From A 3/4 Inch Thick Board
- Attaching The Neck To The Body
- Finishing the Guitar
More Lutherie Schools and Supplies
One of the most popular stringed instrument wood and tool supply stores, Luthiers Mercantile International, is located at the North end of Sonoma County in Healdsburg. Probably the best selection of exotic hard-woods for building instruments under a single roof.
Another favorite that covers a broad spectrum of tools, jigs, and supplies is Stewart-MacDonald, located in Athens, Ohio. I have made many purchases with Stewart-MacDonald and appreciate their great customer service.
Recognizing that there are a whole bunch of Lutherie Schools out there, for a partial list, check-out the Reference page of the Stewart-MacDonald site that includes a decent listing of Lutherie Schools.
