Schools, Classes & Individual Instruction

Lutherie Schools Inside USA

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

ARC Guitar
Al Calderone
308 Railroad Ave
Winters CA 95694
530-902-8920; alcalderone@yahoo.com
Complete, professional luthier training for all levels. Open 6 days a week, flexible schedule. Courses offered include 2 week intensive one on one guitar building from scratch or up to 4 months completion for local students at one full day per week. Other courses include teaching all phases of guitar repair, finish work, vintage stringed instrument restoration and guitar electronics. Apprenticeships offered to competent alumni.

Augusta Heritage Center of Davis and Elkins College
Elkins, WV 26241
2 week summer course - constructing a parlor guitar

Dan Biasca
Portland, OR
503-891-0484; danbiasca@msn.com

JS Bogdanovich Guitars
82 Sean Dr.
Swannanoa, NC 28778
828-398-8704; john@jsbguitars.com
Classes will consist of two day sessions which will take place on Friday and Saturday when offered, and will cover some aspect of the building process. Classes will be demonstration only, therefore photography will be permitted during the presentation

Terry Michael Borman, Borman Violins
1221 E. Rodgers Dr.
Fayetteville, AR, 72701
479-935-9483; terry@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

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

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 Luthiers Workshop
Chicago, Illinois
773-528-2426; bsotnw@sbcglobal.net
10-week guitar making class, flexible schedule

Chicago School of Guitar Making
1240 N. Homan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60651
773-489-4830; Specimen Products
Courses in guitar building, guitar repair, and tube amp building

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

Colorado School of Lutherie, Edward Victor Dick
Denver, Colorado
info@coloradoschooloflutherie.com
3hr./wk. for 22 weeks guitar construction

James Condino
Asheville, North Carolina
828-450-5440; secondfret@hotmail.com
Individual instruction and short courses in mandolin, flattop guitar, archtop guitar, and double bass construction

Cornish+: Cornish College of the Arts
1000 Lenora St., Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 726-5148; plus@cornish.edu
Beginning to intermediate level luthier courses that include free lab and shop time for projects. Multigenerational options are available for friends and family for students interested in hands-on courses and workshops in luthier skills and woodworking.

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

de Houtwinkel Guitars and Ukuleles
Logan, UT
dehoutwinkelshop@gmail.com
One-on-one instrument building classes for acoustic guitars, and ukuleles. Flexible schedule, and beginner friendly

Eastern School of Fretted Instrument Repair
3352 Route 9 South, Freehold, NJ 07728
732-866-9024; info@repairguitarschool.com
5 month, 30 hours a week, comprehensive guitar and fretted instrument repair training

Jeffrey Elliott and Cyndy Burton
2812 SE 37th Ave., Portland, OR 97202
503-233-0836; jeff@elliottguitars.com
Private consultation guitar making, French polishing; and small group two-day intensives

Fretted Strings
Harrison Phipps
231 G Street, Studio 27
Davis, CA 95616
530-304-1886; repair@frettedstrings.com
Ongoing classes in guitar and ukulele building and repair

Galloup 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

Bob Gramann
122 Laurel Avenue
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
(540) 898-0611; bob@bobgramann.com

Guitar Repair Business Starter
Virginia USA
401-585-0236; guitarrepairbusiness.net@gmail.com

Haight Guitars
One Week, One Guitar
Scottsdale, AZ
haightguitars.com
Offering private consultation on guitar building and repair

Hamm-tone School of Guitar Building & Repair, N. Jeremy Hamm
Winnipeg, Manitoba
204-894-3834; jeremyhammtone@gmail.com
5 week acoustic guitar building class
3 week electric guitar building class
2 & 5 day repair classes

Ted Harlan School of Woodworking
930 Mason Ave.
Louisville, KY 40204
502-291-7851; air5mjp@gmail.com
Instruction in acoustic & electric guitar, violin, & dulcimer construction. Year round group classes meet weekly for three hour sessions. M-F evenings & Saturday mornings. 1 on 1 Classes available. Contact for rates and schedule.

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

Hart’s Guitars and Lutherie School
hartsguitars@gmail.com
Avondale Estates, Atlanta, GA
Classes offered in guitar building, ukulele, and Cigar box guitars.

Hawkins Guitar Luthier School, Brian Hawkins
located in Virginia Beach, VA
(757) 214-2278; support@hawkinsguitar.com
www.facebook.com/hawkinsguitar; twitter.com/hawkinsguitar
20 day intense, one on one course. Build a acoustic guitar from scratch

Heritage Luthier School
8 South Chestnut Street
Beacon, NY 12508
(845) 309-5917; bulerias81@gmail.com
Two-week intensive workshops for an accelerated learning experience or you can opt for our self-paced course to master the craft at your own rhythm. Instruments to choose from include Classical/flamenco guitar, oud, electric guitars and basses, Puerto Rican cuatro, Cuban/Puerto Rican tres, mandolin, and more.

Marlee Guitar Company
Mike Conklin
303 N. 4th St.
Cheney, WA 99004
406-533-9435; mike@marleeguitars.com
14-week, Saturday, 1 on 1 steel string guitar building tutorial; or 7-month, 1 weekend per month.

Martin Guitar Foundation Luthier Lab at Northampton Community College
Bethlehem, PA
610-332-8665
fablab@northampton.edu
The Martin Guitar Foundation Luthier Lab at NCC is a 16-week (800 hour) certification program designed to provide top-of-the-line education to enhance your guitar-building skills and business development. The program includes seven (7) stringed instrument builds. Additionally, you will earn the Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship Certificate and OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Training.

MI Guitar Craft Academy Nashville
5000 Harding Pl., Nashville, TN 37211
615-333-9423; revism@mi.edu
MI’s Guitar Craft program offers comprehensive training in the design, construction, and maintenance of electric and acoustic guitars.

Minnesota State College Southeast
308 Pioneer Road
Red Wing, MN 55066
1-800-657-4849; bboedigheimer@southeastmn.edu; dvincent@southestmn.edu
9-month full-time guitar repair and building course, 9-month full-time violin repair; optional electric design & construction & archtop instrument building (mandolin, guitar or violin) courses

Nazareth Guitar Institute
14 South Broad STreet
Nazareth, PA 18064
(570) 856-1324; dale@AmericanArchtop.com
Fully equipped studio and workshop offers many group workshops or a one-on-one dream building workshop.

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
150 North Bennet St., Boston, MA 02109
617-227-0155; admissions@nbss.edu
3-year, full-time program in violin making & repair. Financial aid & veterans’ benefits available

O’Brien Guitars, Robert O'Brien
robert@obrienguitars.com
Hands on individual or two person classical or steel string classes

Planet Bluegrass, Michael Hornick
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

Red Rocks School of Woodworking & Lutherie
13300 W. 6th Ave., Lakewood, CO 80228
303-914-6514; Jeremy Cox; jeremy.cox@rrcc.edu
1-day/week, classical, steel string, and electric guitars; mandolin; lutherie certificates are available

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

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

Eric Schaefer Guitars
166 Tulpehocken St.
Bernville, PA
610-639-2777; eric@ericschaeferguitars.com
9 day course where you build your own flattop acoustic out of exotic tonewoods. 2 students to a class

SF Guitarworks
Geoff Luttrell (instructor)
323 Potrero Ave., San Francisco, CA 94103
415-865-5424; info@sfguitarworks.com
Seperate courses covering, Bone Nut Making, Custom Electric Guitar Building, Effects Pedal Building, Guitar Electronics Repair & Upgrade, Fret Leveling, Refretting, and Guitar Setup & Maintenance

Spencer Acoustics, Randy Spencer
Garland, TX
214-537-7178; info@spenceracoustics.com
www.facebook.com/Spencer-Acoustics-344128985716156/
Build every part of the guitar from scratch! NO KITS ALLOWED! Classes are once a week for 3hours (take more classes each week if you wish, $40 per class). Work at your own pace. One on one instruction. Daytime class times are from 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Monday thru Saturday. Evening class times M-F are 6pm-9pm

Ukulele Builders Camp
Casey's Guitars
July 27-28, 2024
Beavercreek, OR
Camp, eat & drink, build beautiful tenor ukuleles from Pacific Northwest woods.

Utah School of Guitar Making
Director & Luthier: Justin Leslie MA, BA
Mapleton, UT
(385) 685-8011; USGMguitars@gmail.com
www.Facebook.com/utahschoolofguitarmaking
USGM offers both local and national students an opportunity to build a custom mastergrade guitar in an affordable and timely manner. Our school is designed and equipped to offer aggressive builds in 7-10 days without compromising any quality, steps, or playability

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 Craftsmanship Institute
University of New Hampshire Professional Development & Training Room G50
11 Garrison Avenue, Durham, NH 03824
603-862-7380; fax 603-862-7381
professional.development@unh.edu
Live online program and year-round courses led by internationally renowned craftsmen on violin building, maintenance, and repair, bow rehiring, and bow making and repair

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

Wald Guitars School of Guitar Building and Repair
1200 Butterworth Ct. Stevensville, MD 21666
914-844-0264; aaronwald55@aol.com
Acoustic and Archtop Guitar Building Courses

Wells School of Lutherie
Daytona Beach, FL
781-361-1471; sylvan@wellsguitars.com
One on one instruction for 8 straight days. At the end of the course the student takes home with him the guitar he made!