Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi guys.

I'm new to the forums here. I found the forums through the outside links section of the lutherie wikipedia page.

I live in Honolulu, and am looking to become a luthier, preferably of solid-body instruments, specializing in basses (as I am a bass player first and foremost and it is my personal passion), and was wondering if any members of this forum happen to be Honolulu luthiers who'd be willing to take on an apprentice.

I have some experience with building and finishing, having put together a couple kits, and built a couple franken-basses (currently working on a project based on a Peavey Fury body and a generic P style neck), and this is gonna be my first time actually winding my own pickups too. I would like, however, to learn how to build a through-neck style based on some of my own body designs and how to work with veneers.

Anywho.

Hi, and if you need an apprentice, let me know!

-J

Aloha! Haole here, big fan of taropatch.net, aka slackkeymike. Brother Iz and Jake (My Guitar Gently Weeps on Uke) are heros of mine. Beamer, Kane, Kaapana... love 'em. You have reached the right location.

Building has caused me to take a lot of time off from taropatch, but back soon.

Hey, do you have a Monkey Pod tree in your back yard?

Mike

Hiya Mike.

Afraid I have no trees in what passes for my back yard - I live in Navy housing.

I'm personally not a huge fan of slack key, and as such, haven't seen taropatch, though I checked it out cause of your post. I play mostly mood metal and some other random stuff. Not a big fan of the roots movement, island music, or any of that stuff. Not that I dislike it or anything, just doesn't inspire me.

Right now, I am hoping to get someone to take me under their wing. Looked into MI's guitar crafting program and such, but I can't relocate yet, and don't have a lot of money for classes. Last couple techs I've spoken to didn't want an assistant or anything, and the ukelele shop fired me before my first day, one of the shop managers had a nephew or something and all that.

I got a couple numbers from some people, half tempted to go beg the violin luthier to take me in, but if that doesn't work out, I guess Craigslist will be my next move.

Anywho. Hoping for some luck here.

-J

Welcome to the forum James!

I wish you luck on finding a luthier to work with. If you can't find one, don't get discouraged. Just keep building and ask for help when you need it. There are a lot of generous builders on this forum.

Steve

Well, being that you are in Hawaii, spend some time scouting for Monkey Pod and Koa. You should be able to find that cheaper there. If you find one down on the street after a storm, do like they do here in Alabama when folks find a road kill deer... throw it in your truck.

Mike

welcome....You'll get more help/info. than you can digest here.
Kent Bailey

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