The Guild of American Luthiers is a non-profit educational membership organization, formed in 1972 to advance the craft of string instrument making and repair (lutherie), through a free exchange of information.

 

 

 

Schools, Classes, and Individual Instruction
Compiled by Cyndy Burton
Updated 2004  

Please contact us with additions and corrections. E-mail: cb(at)luth.org or call 503-233-0836.

 

On-line Instruction

Charles A. Hoffman; choffman@hoffmanguitars.com
Flattop guitar construction, comprehensive

Hans Johannson; hansi@centrum.is
Violin making with descriptions, photos, drawings, and movie clips; comprehensive

Martin Koch; martin.koch@buildyourguitar.com
Electric guitar building in German and English; abundant links, resources

Kathy Matsushita; kmatsu@jps.net
Flattop guitar/kit construction information and more

Al McWhorter; sprucehouseukuleles@comcast.net
Uke building

Mike Nelson; mike.nelson@camcon.co.uk
Mandolin building

Musical Instrument Makers Forum (MIMF)
On-line instrument making courses (fee required) and discussion groups

Neil Ostberg; nostberg@verizon.net
Classical guitar making in the style of Antonio Torres, replicating La Suprema 1864, plans included

Shel Sax
Classical guitar, with photos and verbal descriptions of each step

David Schramm; ddschramm@attbi.com
Classical guitar, Segovia's 1937 Hauser using GAL Plan #33, limited enrollment; interactive

The Violinmakers School Stradivari of Cremona
Violin making in 45 photos

webmaster@guitarbuild.virtualave.net
Electric guitar or bass construction, message board

Steve Smith
Mandolin and archtop building

Instruction inside U.S. and Canada

American School of Lutherie, Charles Fox
Portland, OR;
Classroom and hands-on professional training for luthiers of all levels.

Augusta Heritage Center
Davis & Elkins College, Elkins, WV 26241
800-624-3157 x1209; 304-637-1209
augusta@augustaheritage.com
Summer, intensive week-long classes in fiddle and bow repair, mountain dulcimer construction, instrument repair

Dan Biasca
Mt. Hood Community College Continuing Education Program and The Northwest Woodworking Studio
Portland, OR 503-891-0484; danbiasca@msn.com
Summer class: Part 1: June 16 & 17, Part 2: July 14 & 15, Part 3: August 18 & 19 (www.northwestwoodworking.com)
Ongoing, 1 night/wk for acoustic guitar construction

Terry Michael Borman, Borman Violins
1221 E. Rodgers Dr.
Fayetteville, AR, 72701
479-935-9483;terryborman@bormanviolins.com
6-day intensives in violin setup, varnish, violin making. Prior experience required.

Bow Making School of America
See Violin Making School of America

Burghardt Luthiery, Géza Burghardt
Granville Island Studio
1645 Duranleau St., Vancouver, BC, V6H 3S3 Canada
ph/fax 604-683-1135
Individual instruction, occasional apprentice; guitars, violin family; repair and construction

Brian Burns
18000 George's Lane
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
707-961-1064; burnsguitar@yahoo.com; www.lessonsinlutherie.com
Individual, hands-on instruction in classical and flamenco guitar making

Fred Carlson, Beyond the Trees
2026 Back Ranch Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-423-9264; wildsols@beyondthetrees.com
Guitar design, experimental instruments; private consultation, workshops, possible apprenticeship

Alan Carruth
51 Camel Hump Rd., Newport, NH 03773
603-863-7064; alcarruth@aol.com
Ongoing monthly weekend sessions; guitars, violin family, folk instrument construction; individualized

Chicago School of Violin Making
3636 Oakton St., Skokie, IL 60076
847-673-9545; fax 847-673-9546
info@csvm.org
3 1/2 years, violin family construction and repair

The Chimneys Violin Maker's Apprenticeship Program
614 Lerew Rd., Boiling Springs, PA 17007
717-258-3203; fax 717-258-3201
edwardcampbell@sprintmail.com
3 or 4 years, violin family construction and repair;
1–4 week intensives in Tucson, AZ in April/May

Eugene Clark
415 S. 118th St., Tacoma, WA 98444
253-548-8376; eldeberkeley@yahoo.com
Day sessions, private tutoring guitar making, French polishing

Colorado School of Lutherie, Edward Victor Dick
Arvada, Colorado
evd303@msn.com
3hr./wk. for 22 weeks guitar construction

James Condino, The Cascade School of Lutherie
Portland, Oregon
503-233-3647; secondfret@hotmail.com
Individual instruction and short courses in mandolin, flattop guitar, archtop guitar, and double bass construction.

William Cumpiano
8 Easthampton Rd., Easthampton, MA 01027
413-585-1596 (AM); 413-586-3730 (PM)
william@cumpiano.com
2-week sessions 4- or 5x/yr., individual, one-on-one tutorials in guitar construction; on-line updates to his book, comprehensive website information

The Curbow School of Lutherie
P.O. Box 309
Morganton, GA 30560
706-374-2873; fax 706-374-4247
Simon@Curbow.com
Guitar design and construction

Custom Guitar Building School, Robert Lee
Rock 'n' Roll Guitar Building School
P.O.Box 1976, Martinez, CA 94553
925-812-2589; rocknrollgtrbldr@aol.com
2-week electric guitar or bass building

Sergei de Jonge School of Lutherie
56 Ramsay Rd., Chelsea, Quebec, J9B 2J1 Canada
815-827-4911; info@dejongelutherie.com
5-week sessions 4x/yr., classical and flattop guitar construction and French polishing

Ecole Nationale de Lutherie
299 3rd Avenue, Quebec City, PQ, G1L 2V7 Canada
418-647-0567; fax 418-647-4880
bleonard@metierdart.com
3-years violin family making and maintenance

Jeffrey Elliott and Cyndy Burton
2812 SE 37th Ave., Portland, OR 97202
503-233-0836; cb"at"luth.org
Private consultation guitar making, French polishing

European Lutherie School, Sasha Radicic
5216 Chippewa, St. Louis, MO 63109
314-832-4515; Radicic-guitars@msn.com
Hourly, weekly, monthly, to 1-year classes available; guitar construction and repair; French polishing

Everett Guitars
1903 Sandlewood Lane, Chamblee, GA 30341
770-454-6618; everett@mindspring.com
1- and 2-day weekend intensives, steel string guitar making

Frank Finocchio, Finocchio Guitars
20 S. Maple St., Easton, PA 18042
610-258-5154; frank@finocchioguitar.com
1-week intensives, 4x/yr. in classical, flattop, or archtop guitar, occasional repair class

Harry Fleishman, Luthiers School International
1533 Welter Ct.
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-823-3537; guitars@sbcglobal.net
2-week, weekend, and 1–2 day seminars: small group hands-on guitar building; also inlay, electronics, and repair

Fretworks, Miles Jones
4027 4th St. SE, Calgary, AB, T2G 2W4 Canada
403-243-5839; 888-fretworks
miles@fretwork.com
Short- and long-term comprehensive guitar repair and construction; specialty hand tool, jig, and fixture building

Bryan Galloup's School of Guitar Building and Repair
10840 Northland Dr., Big Rapids, MI 49307
231-796-5611; 800-278-0089; fax 231-796-3837
bryan@galloupguitars.com
2- and 6-month courses in acoustic and electric guitar repair and construction

Gitana Stringed Instruments and Luthier's Workshop, Thomas Knatt
83 Riverside Ave., Concord, MA 01742
978- 287-0464 or 877-588-4437 (toll free)
877-luthier; tknatt@ziplink.net
1x/wk. guitar construction; 1-month apprenticeships;
9-day summer sessions; monthly 2-day weekend seminars

Paul Hart Violins
36 W. Main St., Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
435-462-0301; paulhart@cut.net
3–4 year, violin family construction

Kenny Hill, Hill Guitar Company
5905 Hwy. 9, Felton, CA 95018
800-262-8858; fax 831-335-3602
classes@hillguitar.com
10-day intensives, 2 or 3x/year, hands-on classical guitar building; all levels

Michael Hornick (see Planet Bluegrass)

Anthony J. Huvard
P.O. Box 130, Sandston, VA 23150
fax 804-737-2312; ahuvard@cybozone.com
1- and 2-year private apprenticeships; on-line apprenticeship; on-site consulting (your location)

Indiana University School of Music
Violin Making and Repair Program/Thomas Sparks
Bloomington, IN 47405
812-855-7998; thsparks@indiana.edu
2 years, includes music theory and playing

Drew Johnston
P.O. Box 6297, Kennewick, WA 99336
509-734-1227; uudrew@mac.com
14-hour-home-study video guitar-building course

Leeds Guitarmakers’ School, Ivon Schmukler
8 Easthampton Rd., Northhampton, MA 01060
413-582-0034; ivon@leedsguitar.com
1-day to 16-week classes; one-on-one tutorials in flattop, archtop, and classical construction, repair, finishing

Luthiers International Guitar Repair and Building School
John Marshall
2357 Stene Dr., Lilburn, GA 30047
888-4588-4437
2-, 4-, and 8-week courses in repair; also electric guitar construction

Maine Guitarmakers' School
60 Spring lane Rockport, ME 04856
207-594-0032
Individual and class instruction

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Violin Repair Sessions
375 Church St., N. Adams, MA 01247
413-662-5543; fax 413-662-5104; lll@mcla.edu
4, 1-week summer sessions in violin setup and repair with Hans Nebel

Midwest Guitar Repair and Building School
Mike Boggeman
731 Dale Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119
877-453-8119; midwestguitar@aol.com
1-month to 1-year guitar construction; apprenticeships in guitar construction and repair; individual instruction

Minnesota State College Southeast Technical
Red Wing Campus
308 Pioneer Rd., Red Wing, MN 55066
651-385-6300; 800-657-4849; fax 651-385-6377
dvincent@southeastmn.edu
9-month guitar building and repair; 9-month violin repair; 2-month mandolin, violin, or archtop guitar building

National String Workshop, String Repair Clinic
University of Wisconsin Ä Madison
720 Lowell Center, 610 Langdon St.
Madison, WI 53703
608-265-5629; 608-263-6670; fax 608-262-1694
cbowles@dcs.wisc.edu
7-day sessions, summer, violin family and bow repair

The New World School of Violin Making, Brian Derber
6970 Red Lake Dr. HC1-119 A
Presque Isle, WI 54557
715-686-7732
3–3 1/2 years violin family; Wisconsin Board certified

Brad Nickerson
70R N Liberty St.
Asheville, NC 28801
nickersonguitars@hotmail.com
Individual instruction in building steel string archtop, flattop, and hollow and semi-hollow electric guitars.

North Bennet Street School
39 North Bennet St., Boston, MA 02113
617-227-0155; fax 617-227-9292
nbss@nbss.org
3-year program and short workshops, violins, bows, construction and repair

Northampton Community College
Martin Guitar Design Workshop
Bethlehem, PA
610-861-4553 or 877-543-0998; fax 610-861-5551
etruscott@northampton.edu
5-day summer guitar-design workshop with Martin staff and archtop maker, Dale Unger

Oregon State University, OSU/MU Craft Center
John Bigelow
10 Memorial Union East, Corvallis, OR 97331
541-737-2937; craft.center@mu.orst.edu
3-month 1x/week guitar construction

Planet Bluegrass
500 W. Main, Lyons, CO 80540
800-624-2422; fax 303-823-0849
planet@bluegrass.com
4-day A-style mandolin building with M. Hornick

Joseph Regh
36 Sherwood Heights, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
ph/fax 845-297-2521; reghj@aol.com
2-week bow-making course by individual arrangement

Red Rocks School of Woodworking & Lutherie
13300 W. 6th Ave., Lakewood, CO 80228
303-914-6514; Rand.Richards@rrcc.edu
1-day/week, classical, steel string, and electric guitars; mandolin; possible community college certificate/degree.

Renton Technical College
Musical Instrument Repair Technician Program
3000 NE 4th St., Renton, WA 98056
425-235-2453
Part-time classes in string repair; full-time program (1 year) in brass and woodwind repair

Ribbecke Guitars
P.O. Box 2215, Healdsburg, CA 95448
ph/fax 707-433-3778; tom@ribbecke.com
7-day intensive course, archtop guitar construction and limited private instruction

George Rizsanyi, Rizsanyi Guitars
R.R. 2, New Germany, 3330 Hwy. 10
Pinehurst, NS, B0R 1E0 Canada
902-527-0614; rizsanyiguitars@hotmail.com
Acoustic guitar construction, one day to one year length classes

Roberto Venn School of Luthiery
4011 S. 16th St., Phoenix, AZ 85040
602-243-1179; fax 602-304-1175
mail@roberto-venn.com
5 months, guitar making and repair

Bruce Roper, Chicago Luthiers Workshop (www.chicagoluthiers.com) (live link)
Chicago, Illinois
773-528-2426; bsotnw@sbcglobal.net
10-week guitar making class, flexible schedule

Sergé Guitars, Sergé Michaud
50 Ave. Boutin sud, Breakeyville, PQ, G0S 1E3 Canada
418-832-6080; smichaud@sympatico.ca
7-week, acoustic, classic, archtop guitar building seminars; individual instruction

Ervin Somogyi
516 52nd St., Oakland, CA 94609; ph/fax 510-534-4445
esomogyi@aol.com
Individual consultation on guitar construction and repair and 1x/yr. intermediate-level hands-on guitar making class

Daniel Stickel
1321 Railspur Alley, Granville Island
Vancouver, B.C., V6H 4G9 Canada
604-833-8514; enquiries@danielstickel.com
Individual one-on-one instruction in flamenco, steel string, and classical guitar making

Summit School of Guitar Building and Repairs
Sigmund Johannessen/Mike Jarvis
240 Goodyear Rd., Qualicum, BC, V9K 2A3 Canada
250-757-8807; 888-901-9903 (toll free)
luthiersintl@bcsupernet.com
1-day to 1-year courses, 1 or 2 students

Timeless Instruments' School of Luthiery, David Freeman
Box 51, Tugaske, SK, S0H 4B0 Canada
888-884-2753 (toll free); david@timelessinstruments.com
7-week, 4x/yr. hands-on, acoustic and resophonic guitar, and harp design and construction; housing included

Uku'le'le school, HA NA LIMA 'IA
718 Puuhale Rd., Honolulu, HI 96819
ph/fax 808-847-1541; ukeman@hanalima.com
1x/wk for 10 weeks, uke building

Vermont Instruments, George Morris
P.O. Box 115, Post Mills, VT 05058
802-333-4308; georgem@sover.net
2-week, 4x/yr., beginning, intermediate, and advanced guitar making

Violin and Bow Making and Restoration Institute
College of the Redwoods
Community Education
605 K St. Eureka, CA 95501
Contact: ginevra-blake@redwoods.edu or call 707-269-4000
Week long workshops in violin or bow making and restoration taught by Boyd Poulsen or Steve Lohmann and Lynn Hannings. Winter and summer sessions are one week long, with 2-3 weeks offered in each discipline

Violin Craftsmanship Institute
University of New Hampshire Continuing Education
24 Rosemary Lane, Durham, NH 03824
603-862-1088; fax 603-862-1495
learn.dce@unh.edu
1-week sessions (summer) on violin- and bow-making and repair led by internationally renowned craftsmen

Violin Making School of America
Bow Making School of America
308 E. 200 S., Salt Lake City, UT 84111
801-364-3651; 800-801-3651; fax 801-364-3652
info@prierviolins.com
3 years, violin family construction and repair

David Webber, Webber Guitars
1385 A Crown Street
North Vancouver, BC, V7J 1G4 Canada
ph/fax 604-980-0315; David@axion.net
Employer of guitar builders and apprentices

Wells Forest Academy
P.O. Box 95, Wells, BC, V0K 2R0 Canada
250-994-2365; info@wellsforest.org
Summer short courses in various stringed instruments

White River Artisans School
2519 Denton Ferry Rd., Cotter, AR 72626
870-430-5437; fax 870-430-5912
artisans94@centurytel.net
1-week classes in bow making and bow repair

Bob Zatzman Guitar Repair
8024 Germantown Ave.(rear), Philadelphia, PA 19118
215-247-5010
Apprenticeships by private arrangement

Instruction outside U.S. and Canada

Anniesland College, Musical Instrument Technology
19 Hatfield Dr., Glasgow, G12 OYE UK
44-141-357-6077; fax 44-141-357-6557
reception@anniesland.ac.uk
1–2 year violin and guitar repair and construction

Chris Horton
Goa, India
+91-9823565117; +91-832-2497370
jungleguitars@yahoo.co.uk
15-20 day classes in classical and steel string guitar construction

London Metropolitan University (formerly Guildhall)
Sir John Cass Department of Art & Design
41–71 Commercial Rd., London, E1 1LA UK
44-20-7320-1844; fax 44-20-7320-1830
armitage@lgu.ac.uk
2–3 years violin family, guitars, early strings, early keyboard, making and repair

Manchester College of Arts and Technology
Ashley Lane, Moston, Manchester, M9 4WU UK
44-161-953-5995 ext. 4240
david_lim@mancat.ac.uk
2- or 3-year part-time courses on steel string and classical guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, mandola, cittern, others

Merton College Musical Instrument Workshop
Morden Park, London Rd.
Morden, Surrey, SM4 5QX UK
44-181-408-6478; fax 44-181-408-6666
info@merton.ac.uk
2–3 years violin family and guitar making and repair; also part-time day and evening short courses

Newark and Sherwood College
Friary Rd., Newark, Notts, NG24 1PB UK
44-1636-680-680; fax 44-1636-680-681
JGray@newark.ac.uk
3 years violin family making and repair; 2 years classic guitar making

Fabio Ragghianti
via Fornace,10
55045 Pietrasanta, Italy
39-0584-796050; 39-3337-493252
raguitars@libero.it
Weekend minicourses on fretting, neck carving , bracing, French polishing, and so on in lovely Tuscany, Italy

Romanillos Guitar Making, José and Liam Romanillos
Siguenza, Spain; 44-1747-822-906
leeman@freeola.com
2- wk. August, Spanish guitar construction

Michael Sanden
Otto Salomons vag 16, 448 92 Floda, Sweden
46-302 303 71 fax 46-302 303 71
www.sandenguitars.com
15-days; make steel string or classical guitar

Gary Southwell, Southwell Guitars
10 Chaucer Ct. Workshops
Chaucer St., Nottingham, NG1 5LP UK
gary@southwellguitars.com
1-week summer, classical guitar making

Totnes School of Guitarmaking
Collins Rd., Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5PJ UK
44-1803-865-255; fax 44-1803-864-649
info@totnesschoolofguitarmaking.co.uk
12-week courses 3x/yr., all guitars and related instruments

David Van Edwards
6 Whitwell Rd.
Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 4HB England
44-1603-629-899; lutes@vanedwards.co.uk
Weekly, summer school, cd-rom; various early stringed instruments including
lutes, viols, guitars

West Dean Musical Instrument Workshop
West Dean College
West Dean, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0QZ UK
44-1243-818-219; fax 44-1243-818-291
diplomas@westdean.org.uk
3 1-year programs, early bowed instruments