5-Week Acoustic Guitar Building Course
- Michael Whitney
- Dec 18, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 15
Build your very own Acoustic Guitar!
Thank you for your interest in our five-week Acoustic Guitar Building Course. If you have the desire to build your very own acoustic guitar from the ground-up, this five-week, on-site course will give you an amazing one-on-one, hands-on experience to build and enjoy a guitar that you’ve made by hand.
This course is a perfect introduction to guitar building for either the hobbyist or aspiring luthier.
Michael Whitney | Luthier, Instructor
What can I Expect from your 5-Week Acoustic Guitar Building Course?
Students taking this course will gain the required knowledge and skills to build their very own acoustic guitar from the ground up.
This course is an immersive ‘deep dive’ into acoustic guitar building and students will have the option of building a Parlour, OO, OOO, OM, or dreadnought steel string guitar.
During time in my shop, students will use my existing templates and jigs as well as all of the required power and hand tools to complete their acoustic guitar.
Little-to-no experience with power- or hand-tools? No problem. I take a ground-up approach with all of my students and build upon more basic tasks to foster the confidence and skills they will need in order to move forward with any shop task during both the course and moving forward in their own shop.
Upon completion of the course, students will have gained the required skills to continue building on their own or simply enjoy the guitar they have made (however, once the guitar building fire is lit, it’s a tough one to extinguish!).
Course Snapshot
Below is a loose walk-thru of what to expect during the first of the five-week acoustic guitar building course.
WEEK 1
Meet-and-greet; shop tour; shop safety & etiquette; parts & construction overview; milling and prepping stock; joining the soundboard; joining the back plate.
Bending sides and binding; thickness sanding plates and sides; rosette trench and rosette; neck and tail-block construction
Assembly of the rim; installing kerfed liners, pre-profiling the rim; final profiling the rim.
Bracing the soundboard.
Bracing the back plate
Closing up the soundbox.
The goal of the five-week acoustic guitar building course is to teach students how to build an acoustic guitar from scratch using our shop templates and tools. If you wish to take a deeper dive into guitar design theory, mold making, finishing and building more than one guitar, we encourage you to consider one of our other guitar building courses.
Student Spotlight
ROD SCOTT, COEUR D'ALENE IDAHO USA
I recently returned from taking one of Michael’s acoustic guitar building courses. I spent 20 intensive days milling the parts, joining, setup, and finishing. I now have an impressive OM for my collection. Michael is patient, easy to work with, and very knowledgeable. I enjoyed the course and learned a lot! I highly recommend Whitney Guitars and Michael! -Rod Scott, Idaho USA
5-Week Electric Guitar Building Course Details
Certificate Program Yes |
Course Type On-site; hands-on; one-on-one. |
Style 'OOO', OM, or Dreadnought |
SOUNDBOARD Sitka Spruce, Engelmann Spruce, or Cedar |
Body Wood Mahogany, Rosewood or Walnut. |
Neck Wood Mahogany |
Nut Bone or Corian |
Fretboard Ebony or Rosewood |
Finish French Polish - *Time permitting (*Add-on - Emtech Water-based Lacquer) |
Course Duration 5-Weeks |
Hours 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
Deposit $600 (includes $100 registration fee) |
We ask that you review our School Policies before registering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What course dates are available?
As we are a working shop, much of our calendar year is reserved for custom guitar commissions. With only a portion of the year being allocated to teaching, course dates vary from year-to-year. Be sure to view our specific courses for the next available dates.
Please not that we operate on a first-come-first-serve basis and recommend that those interested register as far in advance as possible. Requested course dates will be taken into consideration but are not guaranteed. Registrants may submit their course deposit to secure their spot in our calendar. All courses require a $600 deposit which includes a $100 non-refundable administration fee. Please see our ‘Registration and Payment Policies‘ before applying.
How do I submit my deposit?
If you are interested in studying at our school, the first step is to register for a given course. Successful registrants will be able to submit their deposit at that time.
NOTE: The remainder of the course fee is due on the first day of class. A payment schedule for our longer 3-month, 6-month and 1-year courses will be considered and arranged via our admin department on a case-by-case basis. Please see our ‘Registration and Payment Policies‘ for more information or contact our admin department directly to discuss additional payment plan options.
Do you provide accommodations?
Unfortunately, we do not currently offer accommodations. However, most of our students stay at local AirBnBs. The Okanagan valley is a tourist mecca boasting endless wine-tasting, stunning scenery and tons of outdoor activities. You’ll definitely love the quaint town of Summerland and the surrounding area.
Can I go on a wait-list for your next course?
Yes. Students wanting to pre-register are encouraged to do so as far in advance as possible.
If you have questions about coming course availability, feel free to contact the school to discuss.
Do I need to bring anything with me for the course?
As you’ll be in a working shop, hearing protection, safety glasses, a dust-mask, and appropriate footwear is recommended. If you’d like a specific list of items, please contact our admin department.
Notebooks, binders and pens / pencils are recommended as well.
Some students like to work with their own lutherie tools. If you have a small kit you’d like to bring, that is encouraged, although not necessary.
Do I get to apply finish to my guitar?
Within the scope of this course, the focus is on guitar building and assembly. During this tight window, most students are able to apply one-three coats of a hand-rubbed finish to their instruments.
Additionally, students are free to apply finish to their guitar at their own shop or pay me a fee to finish the instrument (i.e. high-gloss lacquer) and ship it to them when complete.
Do I require my own hardware? What is included?
All woods and hardware are included in the course cost. We only use quality-made parts and tonewoods. NOTE: We do not offset course fees for student-purchased parts.
I still have questions. Can you help?
Of course. For all other inquiries, feel check our ‘General FAQs‘ or free to email our admin department.
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