Guitar Tech / Luthier apprenticeship

Disniekie

hi guys..

I wanted to ask some advice, i really have a big interest in guitar tech and luthier work. Ive been a full time MUSICIAN for about 8 years now and I've completed my higher diploma in contemporary music, i would really like to further myself in more a technical side of music, setting up guitars doing repairs and hope fully being able to build my own instruments some day.

I just wanted to ask if anyone could help me to start in this direction, even if it would be an unpaid apprenticeship?
Or just help me out with a contact or two

Thanks for your time

Gearhead

Where u @?

Disniekie

I stay in Jhb, Rosebank area

Gearhead

Have you tried asking Andy McGibbon? And Nando at Music Connection?
I could borrow you a couple of books but do not have time or knowledge to teach :-[

Disniekie

i will definitely give them a try, ?
thanks so much for the info?

Could i possibly just get some book titles from you?

Shaun-Scott

Hi Guys

I am interested in doing the same thing, I also stay in Johannesburg (Randburg)

I went to Andy McGibbon's a few years ago and he wasn't taking on any apprentices at the time
I also spoke to Nando at Music Connection and he couldn't help me either
☹

I am also interested in some Book Titles if you have any?

If anyone else can help us few aspiring to become guitar technicians, I think we would all appreciate it

Thanks

Shaun-Scott

http://www.guitarforum.co.za/classifieds/?sa=view;id=2996

Shibbibilybob

In Cape Town we have an acoustic guitar company called Casimi Guitars. The guys who run that used to work at Mark Mainguard Guitars and have about 15years experience between them.
They run an acoustic guitar building course that I am currently doing now. Though it is rather expensive, it is incredibly worth while.

Are you interested in acoustic or electric guitars primarily? I can point you in the right direction for acoustic stuff;

firstly, check out www.lmii.com and the video tips bit. There is a whole lot of useful stuff on lmii and the website will be a constant reference point for you.

As for books. I have only read two myself.
I can give a giant thumbs up to Guitarmaking: http://www.amazon.com/Guitarmaking-Tradition-Technology-Construction-Steel-String/dp/0811806405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374678939&sr=8-1&keywords=guitarmaking

Engineering the Guitar: http://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Guitar-Richard-Mark-French/dp/0387743685/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374678965&sr=1-1&keywords=engineering+the+guitar is a book I find to be incredibly informative.
It is really rather mathematical though. It may not help you to build guitars, but it certainly helped me ton understand the relationship between certain parts of the guitar and how they could effect the string vibration and ultimately the tone produced.

here is a list of the books that LMI stock on acoustics: https://www.lmii.com/products/media-gifts-more/books/books-acoustic
and on electrics: https://www.lmii.com/products/media-gifts-more/books/books-electric

And finally, the beginners page on lmi: https://www.lmii.com/luthier-101

That should be a great place to start.

Attila

I've seen Murray Khun offers some kind of tutorship. I would go with Shibb's reading and Gears offer, get some reading material and then experiment on a few cheapies to hone your skills.

I see the dude in Kalaymi has is selling some strat and tele necks and bodies again made by Dr parts. +- 1400 bucks for a set.

Or Blackbeard www.blackbeardsden.com for DIY a kit to get the feeling for working with semi finished guits

Wizard

Shibbibilybob wrote: Engineering the Guitar: http://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Guitar-Richard-Mark-French/dp/0387743685/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374678965&sr=1-1&keywords=engineering+the+guitar is a book I find to be incredibly informative.
It is really rather mathematical though. It may not help you to build guitars, but it certainly helped me ton understand the relationship between certain parts of the guitar and how they could effect the string vibration and ultimately the tone produced.

And how is that bad? ?

Read an online excerpt. I want that book.
Thanked.

EDIT: Bought! ?

Tokai-SA

I'll speak to the best of the best today, let's see what he says, maybe he's looking for an appy. ?

Shibbibilybob

Wizard wrote:
Shibbibilybob wrote: Engineering the Guitar: http://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Guitar-Richard-Mark-French/dp/0387743685/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374678965&sr=1-1&keywords=engineering+the+guitar is a book I find to be incredibly informative.
It is really rather mathematical though. It may not help you to build guitars, but it certainly helped me ton understand the relationship between certain parts of the guitar and how they could effect the string vibration and ultimately the tone produced.
And how is that bad? ?

Read an online excerpt. I want that book.
Thanked.

EDIT: Bought! ?

Hahaha it's not bad at all, just of limited use. Only so many people are interested in approximating the transfer function of their chosen top with two degrees of freedom ?
As a bit of an aside, I am reading this at the moment

http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0452288525

and it is incredibly interesting. Somehow I think it has helped me understand the guitar and tone a bit better. The first few chapters deal with the fundamentals of sound, not so much from a physics and acoustics perspective (I did physics at university, I know allllllll about wave theory) but from a psychological one...kinda links the gap of how we translate these vibrations into messages with meaning. Plus, it's not pseudo-science at all. Any study or material he references is peer-review and likely available if you have the right subscriptions or buy the right journal.

Malkav

Along with all the tips here I would receommend spending an excessive amount of time on this site: http://www.projectguitar.com/

And on this one as well, even if you don't want to make ergonomic guitars there are some good lessons to be learned regarding construction: http://buildingtheergonomicguitar.com/

Psean

Tokai SA wrote: I'll speak to the best of the best today, let's see what he says, maybe he's looking for an appy. ?

Grant?
That would be a huge win ?

MikeM

Psean wrote: Grant?

As someone who's tested out most others, I think it can only be him.

Shaun-Scott

Thanks for all the help guys

Thanks Tokai SA
?

Shaun-Scott

Shibbibilybob

Almost identical post, 3 hours later?
Is your browser playing up? ?

Did you manage to hook something up?

Shaun-Scott

No not yet, but I appreciate all of the help I am getting from this forum

Malkav

Another little piece of assistance - Here's the link to the guitar building part of another Forum I frequent, sometimes they're home builds, sometimes they're documented builds by proffesional luthiers, but trust me if you drudge through tons of it you will find a lot of useful tips, advice and information.

Also just because it's a sevenstring forum doesn't mean that all the builds are 7 string related, well that and building a seven or 8 string guitar is almost identical to building a 6 in most ways except the components are more of a pain in the ass to find ?

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/luthiery-modifications-customizations/