Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello all. First, allow me to introduce myself, then I'll get to my question. I'm a freelance computer tech in NYC who is fast approaching my 35th birthday and am wholly sick of being a computer tech. I'm just tired of dealing with people who haven't the foggiest idea how to use their computers on the most basic level and then don't understand why they keep needing to call me and others of my profession. Then they get insulted when I suggest they pick up a copy or "Windows XP for Dummies" (or "Mac OS X for Dummies", as the case may be). Also, I make very little money. The in-home computer help field is too competitive, at least here in NYC. It seems every computer-savvy college kid in the city is doing the same. Corporate tech support jobs are hard to come by for me because most have farmed tech support out overseas and those who haven't want to hire people with degrees. I don't have one.

About 6 months ago I got myself an old 1986 MIJ Strat to help me quit smoking and to relieve stress. I've found that I enjoy tinkering with it as much as I enjoy actually playing it. Since I haven't got a snowball's chance in Hades of starting a successful career as a rock star, especially at my age, I've decided that I'd like to become a luthier. I have several designs in my head for solid-body guitars and archtops, including the electronics, that I'd like to see come to life. I've always liked and been naturally good at working with my hands (I was a jeweler before I became a computer tech, and before that I worked mostly in factories) and I think I could be quite happy spending the rest of my life making guitars for some USA based company like Rickenbacker, PRS, or Washburn. Either that or repairing/restoring guitars at a shop.

Now, I can google for luthier schools as well as anyone else, of course, but I was wondering if anyone here can recommend one based on their own experience or the experience of someone they know; or tell me what ones to avoid.

What I'm looking for in a school:

1) Teachers who don't assume that all their students have a lot of first-hand experience with a wide variety of guitar types.

2) Relatively small class sizes, under 20 students or so, so that everyone has time to ask questions.

3) Hands-on instruction and assistance in building acoustics, archtops, solid-bodies, and semi-hollows, from scratch, with the opportunity to build multiple examples of each and total freedom in my choice of shapes, materials, and construction types (bolt-on, neck-thru, and dovetail). I don't want to be just putting strat-clone bodies and necks together from Allparts and installing the electronics and hardware. I could do that now.

4) Total instruction in all aspects of guitar restoration and repair, including fret dressing/refretting, wood refinishing, repairing damaged wood, nut shaping, setup, everything.

5) Must be in the USA, or possibly Canada. Does not have to be in or near NY, I can relocate temporarily to go to school, but going overseas is outside of my budget (especially with exchange rates being what they are).

6) I'd prefer all-day, full-time classes over evening classes; especially if I have to relocate.

7) A total tuition of $10,000 or less (I'd like to be able to save up enough money before my 36th birthday). I realize that a school that provides an actual degree would cost more, but I figure if I can provide examples of my work it would help me get an apprenticeship somewhere and then I could save up money to go back and get a degree if necessary.


Any recommendations?

Thank you for your time.

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The Prince of Dorkness

Sentry,

Welcome to the forum. Let me start by saying that I sympathize with your professional position and wish you the best. It is also my experience that those who are unhappy in one profession or situation usually are unhappy in another profession or situation as well. Make certain that you really want to be a luthier as it can be a tough road in life. Just like everything there are pros and cons.
Please see my responses below. I must say though that I am biased towards Red Rocks Community College in Colorado.

Sentry welcome to the OLF!

Were you successful in quitting smoking?

Robbie's advice is very good and will serve you very well.

There is also the Gallop School of Lutherie here in beautiful sunny, balmy Michigan......

I think that you will find that most of the jobs with the large guitar manufactures are not jobs that require a Luthier. They are repetitive in nature and although a background in lutherie would be a plus I suspect, but don't know for sure, that many of their employees are home grown.

Again welcome to the forum.

All my life I've taken whatever job suited. I didn't work in factories because I liked it, I worked in them because they were the jobs available. I worked as a jeweler because I have a talent for working with my hands and it paid well, but I don't actually like jewelry at all (or the toxic dust from the polishing station). I became a network admin for a NYC public high school because I'm good with computers and it offered health insurance and good hours. I quit in a rage when my requests for more updated computers for student use was denied while friends of the head of the tech department got brand new, state-of-the-art laptops to take home with them for their own personal use at taxpayer expense.

I have, in a short time, developed a deep and abiding love of guitars of all types. I love working with my hands. I love music. I love creating beautiful things (graphic arts is among my numerous hobbies and I am, if I say so myself, pretty good). Being a luthier would incorporate all of these things, so I'd like to become one. I don't particularly want to be rich, but I want to have a job that pays the bills and doesn't make me hate Mondays. After talking with some of the guitar techs at the local repair shops, I am 99.9% certain that being a luthier would be a job I'd really enjoy, especially repairing old guitars and having access to equipment to create my own designs. I'm only sorry I didn't think of it 17 years ago.



Red Rocks looks interesting indeed, thanks for the info! I could wish that the class times were longer, I tend to learn fast, but the price is more than fair and a certification would be helpful in finding an apprenticeship.




Well.. yes and no. I quit for several months, but my dog, who'd been my best friend for the past 17 years, died this past Friday. Saturday morning I bought a pack of cigarettes. I will try not to buy another. Keeping one's mind and both hands busy playing guitar is good for both quitting smoking and dealing with grief.



Yes, I've got their site, as well as others, bookmarked as possible choices. I'm extremely interested in their master's program, but it's way beyond my budget. The journeyman program is still in my list of possibilities, though.



Yes, I'm more than familiar with assembly line work and I'm sure that's how most guitars are made. When I said I'd like to work for a manufacturer I meant specifically in their custom shop or service and repair department. However, before I've even found a school is a little early for me to be making any concrete decisions about what type of work I want to do and for whom.



Thank you.

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The Prince of Dorkness

As Hesh said, a lot of big companies train their own.. I'm sure the school experience would help but I've spent some time in some production shops and every stage is broken down. You start in the sanding room and after a year or two you will have made it to the other end of the assembly line.. At that point your next move is probably into the custom shop or off on your own.

Another option is going to a repair school like www.fretwork.com.. (I'm not recommending him, just a somewhat local school I know of) After that you could go out on your own or go to work at a local guitar store/shop.

Most of the companies have career pages on their websites.. Wouldn't be a bad gig. It's definately not a big money profession but I've worked tech support so I'm well aware of the realities there.. When they opened our town's first big call center they were phasing out our US counterparts.. They were already shifting into India when I threw in the towel after just under a year.

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