Guitar Making and Repair Course (880 hours - 5 months) Upcoming classes      Spring, 2008 February 11, 2008 - June 27, 2008 Fall 2008 August 28, 2008 - January 30, 2009   Spring 2009 February 9, 2009 - June 26, 2009

The Guitar Making and Repair Course consists of practical and theoretical training in acoustic and electric guitar construction and repair. The course runs for five months, 880 hours of class time. We meet Monday through Friday, 8AM to 6PM, with one hour for lunch, and two additional short breaks. Students attend lectures and demonstrations on every phase of building, as they construct one acoustic and one electric guitar or bass. Printed handouts accompany most lectures; these, along with the students' own notes, will give the student a complete handbook on guitar construction. Weekly quizzes and quarterly tests also allow the staff to monitor the students' understanding of the material, and provide additional help when needed.

Each student has their own workspace. Four or five students comprise a workgroup, with its own set of specialized lutherie tools, provided by R-V. This eliminates the need for students to make a major investment in special tools, although they are required to provide their own personal toolkit. (A list of required tools is provided before the start of class. You may also contact us with any questions.) Two workgroups are assigned one instructor as a pit boss/advisor. This fosters close supervision of all students, and prevents anyone from "falling through the cracks."

Students may choose from two steel string acoustic body styles: dreadnaught or OM, using the school's templates, patterns, and molds. They will design their own headstocks, bridges, rosettes, and inlay patterns, subject to instructor approval. The electric guitar or bass will be a solid body, flat top instrument, in the students' choice of set neck or bolt-on configuration. Templates of traditional body styles are available, or the student may design their own, subject to approval. 

The finest air-dried woods are made available for the students' instruments. They may choose from mahogany, rosewood, ebony, maple, walnut, spruce, cedar, redwood, koa  and other woods. We use no pre-made wood parts. Machine heads, bridges, pickups, and other guitar accessories are obtained from Schaller, Grover, EMG, Seymour Duncan, Sperzel, Hipshot, and other leading manufacturers. Both guitars receive a clear nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Clear finishes, translucent colors, and sunbursts are offered for the electric instruments.

Both project instruments are built within four months of the course. A third instrument may be started in the second month, depending on the students' progress and satisfactory completion of the core requirements.

In addition to guitar construction, sessions are given in: milling and wood selection, guitar design, tool use and maintenance, scale and template derivation, guitar repair, finishing (lacquer, oil, stain, sunburst, and re-finishing), guitar electronics, pickup design and construction, tremolo installation, care and preservation of stringed instruments, and related subjects.

Five weeks of the course are devoted to specialized training in guitar repair and the 'start-up' aspects of establishing a lutherie business. The repair course will include special guest lectures from industry professionals, graduates and faculty. Students will have an opportunity to do extensive work on their own instruments as well as instruments provided by the school, for the purpose of refining repair techniques and skills.

Becoming a Professional

During the course, students participate in identifying and searching for a job in guitar making and/or repair. Students receive assistance in writing a resume and cover letter, and can select prospective employers from lists compiled by the school. Graduates of the Roberto-Venn School work for almost every major guitar manufacturer, as well as smaller custom shops, in the United States and around the world.

Sessions in small business management are also given, to prepare graduates for operating their own lutherie shops or for work in existing music stores. Road touring "tech" work is also covered.

We cannot guarantee job placement, but we are confident that graduates of the school have the basic skills necessary for seeking entry level positions.

 

Graduate Certificate          Student work is evaluated throughout the course and graded on a percentile as well as a letter grade basis. A "Luthier Certificate" is awarded to each student who completes their project instruments and meets all minimum requirements for graduation. The Roberto-Venn School is an accredited member of ACCSCT (Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology).