Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi,I have recently decided to try and become a luthier.I've been a guitarist for over 13 years but I've always felt something missing..I have learned that I'm missing the ability to adjust and repair my own instruments with the knowledge of a true lithier and I am also missing the ability to supplement my needs with a hand built guitars that are not only cheaper than retail but are more suited for my needs.I know this is a long road.I expect to spend all my time acquiring knowledge and practice on the subject.I am here to gain advice on the subject.

If anybody has any recommendations on books that would help me in my journey I would greatly appreciate any suggestions,also if anybody knows or has been to any schools they can recommend to a beginner I'd be elated.

Of course I have done the Google search and I have read on many schools in the u.s. .I've also read the testimonials of many schools and they all say they are the best at what they do... :/ .I'm just looking for the schools and books that will help me gain as much knowledge as possible on being a guitar luthier.

Again I appreciate any help.Ty

Others may disagree but I have found Cumpiano's book very helpful.

That's "guitar making"?

There's one problem with what you said, you assume it to be cheaper to build your own guitars. If that's a major reason why you want to learn how to build them, you're in it for the wrong reasons, and you would also be wrong. If you are serious though, I recommend going through build threads on this forum, read them all the way through and try to get an idea of what the work is really like. After that I would consider schooling.

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

Ok thank you,I appreciate you taking the time to help.I guess I assumed building was cheaper but if that were true it would be my last reason to become a luthier.for me it's more about knowing everything I can about guitars and being able to apply that when building/buying.knowing woods,shapes,bracing,scale,and whatever else I may be missing(witch is probably a lot).I would also be learning it as an art form.I'm always drawing crazy guitars in my art books wondering if they would actually work if brought to life.if not they would be a learning exercise lol.

Anyways I probably sound like an idiot so I'll stop talking and take ur advice.thank you again

Well, what kind of guitars would you like to start learning more about?

I would like to start with steel string acoustic.

There are also a ton of useful videos on youtube that detail many of the particulars of guitar construction. Many done by members here.

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Mike Lindstrom

Kinkade's book was a good start for me. The resulting guitar even looked and sounded like one.....

I have just completed my first build, and have both the
Cumpiano http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guitarmaking-Tradition-Technology-Construction-Steel-string/dp/0811806405/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374222547&sr=8-2&keywords=luthier,

and Kinkade http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Own-Acoustic-Guitar/dp/0634054635/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374222589&sr=8-3&keywords=luthier books

I also found the Liutaio Mottola website really helpful http://www.liutaiomottola.com/

Last but not least this forum is probably the best source of information.

Good luck on your journey, I can guarantee it will be a fun one...

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

This forum all the way! I learnt pretty much everything I know about guitar making from here and the ANZLF. If you have any questions, use the search function and you can find almost anything you need to know. OTOH, if you like people telling you what to do, buying a book will probably be easier.

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

I find just about any book on guitar making, musical instruments, woodworking, wood, trees or acoustics to be useful. Reasearch and make! Ask questions and listen. Make mistakes and re-do. etc. etc.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

Along with the archives and build threads here, there's also the Luthier Community at luthiercom.org. The luthier bench section has documented builds.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Pat beat me to it! A good source for documented builds, for sure. You may also find some unique approaches to the process.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Not sure what woodworking you've done in the past. I had almost no experience when I decided i wanted to make a classical. So I started by just building a heavy woodworking bench, just to get some of the basics down and get comfortable with some of the tools. It was from an old woodworking magazine think it was titles "Workbench in a weekend." Simple torsion box design, very heavy, pine and ply construction and a very neat idea for the dog and end vice. I used the Natelson and Cumpiano book, but read many others for as much information as I could. The only other advice I can offer is take your time, when you get frustrated (and you will) put down what your working on and walk away for the day.

Any way, that’s my two cents, take it or leave it.

Nate

I'd invest in Robbie O'Brien's Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course. He covers every step in detail, and you get to watch him do it. Robbie's a good teacher.

As far as books go, Trevor Gore's Book, "Build," is very well done, has tons of pics, and uses simple but effective methods. It would be a great compliment to Robbie's course.

Robbie also has a lot of Youtube videos under Luthier Tips du Jour.

I've only built a few, but I'd say after you've done some reading & have a basic idea of what needs to happen, build one.

IMO you learn the most while building. Chances are that you'll make mistakes along the way so don't get too hung up on trying to make the first one cosmetically perfect.

Lastly, I do feel that you can build one for less than buying assuming you have the tools and consider your time free. All the ones I've built have come in way below $500.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Cumpiano's book is where I started. I also eventually bought the Kinkade book but do not find it all that good. It just isn't detailed enough in how he accomplishes certain tasks. I would save $ on Kinkade and buy a good video tutorial and go through all the you tube videos you have time for. Obviously you found this forum so you must realize this to be a huge wealth of knowledge with fellow luthiers that are extremely willing to pass down valuable information. A background in woodworking is very helpful but not necessary. You def need to figure out what you need for tools, and without woodworking background you could be starting from scratch. You will have some $ wrapped up in getting tooled and jigged up to get started. That is the beauty of the Cumpiano book and methodology is that he gets you going and building with a very limited collection of hand tools. But if you have some power tools (bandsaw, tablesaw, planer, etc.) it certainly will make some of your life easier. My only power tool is a bandsaw so I consider myself darn close to being a neander woodworker but this in no way changes the outcome of what you produce for pieces. Whether made with power of handtools they still can be a complete failure or a work of extremely functional art.

Good luck and stick with it.

+1 on Cumpiano's book, and Bob Benedetto's book is also very good, even if you're not building archtops. There's quite a few techniques he uses that I've found useful, even though I've never(yet) built an archtop.

edit: I'd been playing for 35 years when I started building 13 years ago. 95% of what I know about guitars I've learned in the last 10 years.

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A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon

Thank you all so much! This has been extremely helpful.and once I save the money I will be well on my way to getting a work area set up but till then it's read read read YouTube YouTube YouTube.for some reason I didn't think to look there.

Im so happy to find a strong and friendly community here.thank you again.I'm sure I'll be back with a billion more questions