New forumite with a question

[dchi8566]

Hi
I've been playing guitar for awhile now and feel its time to build one. The guitar building bug has struck.
I don't have the skills or tools to go it alone though and am thinking about taking a course.

I was wondering if anyone had any building experience with Gerard Gilet's guitar building school. I've emailed the team there and they seem quite supportive but costly.

Any ideas / advice?

Thanks in advance
Dan

[sebastiaan56]

Hi Dan and Welcome,

I was very impressed with Gerard when I met him and in the little time I spent there his students were doing nice work.

but costly

....everything in lutherie is costly, except the ANZLF

[graham mcdonald]

I visit Gerard's factory regularly on Saturday's when I am up in Sydney, and I have always been impressed by the standard if the work being done by the students. Gerard is always available for advice and guidance. I don't know what he charges or how it is calculated, but the advantage of access to the advice, the machinery, the jigs and the tools has to be factored in.

I don't know what else is available in Sydney, and you have to consider what it would cost to set up a workshop with the necessary bits to build one guitar. What you would get out of Gerard's Saturdays is a methodology for building guitars which will serve you well for following instruments, whether built at Gerard's factory or in your own workshop. There are people who attend the Saturday classes who have made several instruments, figuring it is just easier to do it there rather than setting up themselves.

cheers

graham

[Allen]

Welcome to the forum Dan.

No advice on classes. I did it on my own, by the seat of my pants. Reading every book I could get my hands on, several times until I had a pretty good handle on the steps required. Everyone has slightly different takes on how to go about building, but you'll soon get the gist of what needs to be done.

Don't forget to be reading the forums, and asking lots of questions.

If you're workshop isn't set up, then a course may be very inexpensive when you factor in all the little things that will be required to build an instrument. Don't fool yourself. Building a guitar is a giant money sucking enterprise that never ends consuming huge amounts of cash and time. But I still love it, and wouldn't ever want to give it up.

I do think that Robbie O'Brians DVD on building a steel string guitar, and I presume the classical one as well, though I don't have it, could walk almost anyone through the entire process, and you'd end up with an instrument that sounded like a guitar, and you'd be proud of. It's available at LMI, and well worth the money.

Another thing to check out is your local library. Mine has almost every book on building guitars, and were a great reference to me without having to drop a small fortune on books.

[kiwigeo]

Guitar courses are expensive but having someone teach you stuff that would take years to pick up by yourself comes at a price.

I did Paddy Burgin and Dave Freemans course over in Wellington, New Zealand and enjoyed it. They follow the Jim Williams method (Spanish method) so you dont have to deal with neck joints. The course runs every few years.

[Kim]

Having never done a course I don't have to much to say except g'day Dan, welcome to the ANZLF

Cheers

Kim

[dchi8566]

Hi guys
thanks for all the advice. From what I'm hearing, most agree that this tuition at Gilet is probably the most cost effective way to build.

I've emailed Gilet and am waiting for a reply on start dates etc. From what I understand you pay for tuition and materials. I'm getting ahead of myself dreaming of the wood combo's etc.

anyway, will update you on what happens and when.

Always Keen for advice / ideas.

Dan

[matthew]

Always Keen for advice / ideas.

A nice farmyard animal avatar will get you big points here.

And when you send the bottles, wrap them up so they don't clink; we don't want everyone to know.

[Mark McLean]

Hi Dan, and welcome to the ANZLF. Like Graham, I have dropped into Gerard's workshop quite often to buy wood or gear - but I have not done his course. I did enquire about it at one point but couldn't manage to commit the saturdays on a regular basis, so I have been pottering around by myself making guitar shaped firewood, and then some instruments, at home. I understand that he pretty much charges by the hour for the times that you come for the tuition and supervised use of his shop. Also charges for the material. I estimated that the first instrument would probably cost me around the same as if I got Gerard to make one for me. So you don't do this in order to get a cheap guitar. But the satisfaction of making your own is priceless.

I have no doubt that you will get great instruction. Gerard is a good guy and a very experienced luthier. He is very generous with his time. Every time I drop in there it seems to turn into an impromptu tutorial and I have got into the habit of taking a notebook and questions every time.

I agree with the comments of all of the others. Taking up instrument building is addictive, and costs as much as some drug habits. You'll love it. Start worrying that you are into it too deep if you find yourself beating Martin to online wood sales.
Mark

[PHANTOM]

Hi Dan, welcome mate I'm only fairly new here my self and dont have a lot of experience I have just started my second guitar. The only thing that I do have any experience with is the question you're asking. My opinion [and I'm not saying that counts for much] is that when I started on this adventure I asked myself the same thing. Should I do a course or just suck it and see? The way I came to my answer was that when I added the cost of the course say around $3000 plus the accomadation for the week and a bit it ran for and time of work it was well on its way towards a total of $4500 to $5000 I thought about it for a while and decided that that adds up to a hell of a lot of wood and a hell of a lot of the gear I would need to build my first guitar. So in the end i took the same approach as Allen and read shit loads of books and had a go. I cant say my first one is a masterpiece but I am very happy with it. My second one has been a lot easier so far as I have already made all of the jigs and moulds that I need. The sound of my first guitar has pointed me in the direction I want to go with my second. Another factor is that all the tools I bought to make my first guitar are still just in the shed so I can go out and work on it whenever I feel the urge. Not trying to steer you away from the corse just my opinion. Another factor is I'm a tight arse when it comes to giving other people money, however I have been known to spend quite a lot on my hobbies, I just couldn't justify the course.

[Tom West]

Dan: Lots of good advice posted for you from the other folks. My advice ," Forget about it". Unless you want to be consumed by this evil obsession, have wood all over the place, miss bill payments because you spent the money on supplies, have your people think your strange because the only time you come out of the workshop is for meals, etc etc....! It sort of like the potatoe chip commerial. Bet you can't build JUST ONE. On a more serious note , can,t comment on this course,but if you want to start a hobby that gives lots of satisfaction and keeps you thinking go for it and enjoy. Good luck with your plans. Tom.

[vandenboom]

I was watching Kent Everett's DVD on guitar voicing a while ago and he made the comment that while a lot of people these days dabble in this, many of them only make one guitar, and many never finish their first project. I was a bit surprised by that.
I guess it depends a bit on your current wood working skills, whether you think you might want to make more than one, and the satisfaction you get from learning stuff yourself over a period of time.
If you are going to make more than one and you are not in a hurry, you can make a good start on tools for $3k.
I started 4 years ago and had "chunky patio furniture" woodwork skills. I joined a local woodwork/boxmaking group for 4 months where I learned to use a router and a couple of tools. I bought of a couple of books and made my first guitar entirely out of wood I had lying around at home (except for fingerboard) - cedar skirting, mountain ash draw fronts. I just love the personal learning process and its ongoing nature and prefer this approach to the class approach.
But I'm glad I haven't tried to keep track of what I have spent over the past 4 years!!
Frank