Course Descriptions |
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Contemporary Guitar Making See instructor BIO on the "Meet Our Team" page
CONTEMPORARY
GUITAR MAKING
is a window on guitar making's dynamic new reality. Tod OVERVIEW IS
THIS FOR YOU? SHOP
SETUP AND PRODUCTION CONSTRUCTION
METHODS
The
craft of guitar making is a rich collection of methods,
techniques and skills that can take a lifetime to acquire and refine on
one's own. Because few of us have a lifetime to put it all together,
ASL offers this intensive two-week opportunity to construct a
fine quality guitar while learning the guitar making methods used by
today's most creative and successful luthiers.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
During this intensive two-week course you'll select the materials, create the parts, construct, trim, sand, seal, set up and play the instrument of your choice. You'll learn how to build any size instrument without specialized molds or other forms. ASL has plans and patterns for all standard guitar models. WHAT YOU'LL BUILD Classical WHEN
YOU GET HOME
Professional Workshops Occasionally weekend workshops may be added to the teaching schedule. These one and two-day workshops are focused on topics and methods important for the creation of professional, performance-quality guitars.
CONTACT US:
US Mail:
American School of Lutherie Phone: (503) 292-2307 |
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ay’s
high quality guitar making is based on an accurate grasp of the
acoustical behavior of the instrument
and
a working knowledge of the most effective means of the craft. Armed
with these two things, a growing number of world class luthiers are able
to systematically optimize important qualities of their guitars, and to
build enough of them to both advance steadily in their craft and
make a comfortable living. CONTEMPORARY GUITAR MAKING invites you
to share the understanding and the techniques that make this possible. 
onstration
seminar's study topics range from nuts-and-bolts skills to fundamental
theory and
principles, with an emphasis always on their direct application to state-of-the-art guitar making. Every aspect
of the guitar's function, design and construction - both steel string
and classical - is demonstrated on actual work in progress and explained in detail. CONTEMPORARY
GUITAR MAKING examines the guitar's acoustical, structural, and aesthetic
design factors as well as materials, construction methods, voicing,
tooling, shop design, marketing, and other topics critical to the practice
of lutherie in today's world. 
For the beginning
guitar maker, this unique seminar is the best possible introduction
to the field - a strong foundation for working ultimately at an accomplished
professional level. This course will take years off your learning curve
by starting you off right at the top, ready to work with a clear awareness
of the state of the art. Although it's not required, some familiarity
with tools and materials is useful, as this program is not a general introduction
to the art and craft of woodworking.
For the more experienced
guitar maker, this seminar will dramatically broaden your frame of
reference. It is an opportunity to review your own
approach to the craft in a new creative light; a chance to further refine
the quality and direction of your work and to resolve the guitar building
problems that remain for you. 
The
creation of a guitar begins with design work and pattern making.
The logic and thoroughness of this process are rewarded
throughout the building of the instrument. You'll
learn simple procedures that will produce an integrated design and a
complete set of working patterns in just a
few hours. 
Working efficiently is important to anyone who
values his or her time. There's more than one way to set up an efficient
workshop, but there's only one best way for you to do it without
compromising either the quality of your work or your enjoyment of it.
We'll discuss tooling up and organizing the one-person shop for smooth
productivity, with an emphasis on economy and appropriate means. 
Fundamentally, there are two basic ways to build guitars: free-form
on an open work board, for prototyping and other custom work, and
fixed-form, using solid molds and other specialized devices,
for efficiently reproducing your standardized designs. Familiarity
with both ways is essential for creative, efficient lutherie. We'll
examine a
variety of
approaches
to every construction process, from traditional hand methods to up-to-date
time-saving production techniques. You'll
learn
ways of guitar building designed to maximize
the
quality of your work while minimizing your time and effort. All of
these methods are
presented in the context of a logical, integrated approach to the craft. 
You'll
learn a logical, integrated approach to the craft of guitar making - a
synthesis of the most accurate and effective techniques in use today, some
as old as forever and some as new as tomorrow. These methods are the
route to optimizing the quality, efficiency and creativity of your work.
They're the logical place to start as a beginning luthier, and they're
essential for any luthier's achievement of today's high level
guitar-making standards.
influential
1960’s pattern. Both designs are examples of the classical guitar at
its best, and each provides a solid foundation for any work that follows.
Some contemporary design features, such as graphite neck reinforcement and
a slightly radiused fingerboard, can be incorporated into these
instruments. Advanced students may choose to build a modern style
instrument, incorporating features like alternative bracing schemes, rigid
rims and full spherical soundboard and back.
Making
a guitar here
means
nothing if you can't do it again on your own.
Your work space at ASL is a model of
compact efficiency which is designed, along with the time-saving jigs and
fixtures that you'll use here, to be easily reproduced by you at home.
You'll return home with a clear understanding of what's needed to build
your next guitar.