Class Info

Build Your Own Custom Guitar – Hands-On Luthier Classes

For those passionate about crafting a guitar from start to finish, our hands-on luthier classes offer an immersive experience in traditional guitar building. These classes are limited to two students at a time, ensuring personalized instruction and a deep understanding of the process. Unlike kit builds, each guitar is crafted from raw materials using the same methods applied in professional custom builds.

Throughout the course, students gain valuable knowledge about wood behavior, environmental factors, and how to shape materials to create an instrument that sings. Training covers a variety of hand tools—including hand planes, chisels, spokeshaves, and card scrapers—as well as exposure to power tools such as the band saw, table saw, chop saw, planer, jointer, drum sander, and drill press.

Class Details

  • Location: Conducted in a fully equipped workshop in Louisville, KY.

  • Tools & Materials: All tools and materials are provided, though students may bring their own if preferred.

  • Experience Required: None—each technique is taught step by step.

The Process

Students start with blank stock and progress through every stage of building an acoustic guitar:
✔️ Jointing the plates for the top and back
✔️ Bending the sides
✔️ Gluing and carving the braces for tonal balance
✔️ Attaching the top and back to the sides
✔️ Routing and applying binding and purfling
✔️ Joining, carving, and shaping the neck
✔️ Personalizing the headstock
✔️ Finishing, polishing, and final setup for playability

Class Duration & Cost

  • Time Commitment: Approximately 43-47 sessions (3 hours each), typically completed over the course of a year.

  • Cost: $25/hour for instruction and tool use, plus material costs of approximately $750+.

  • Total Estimated Investment: Around $4,125, paid in monthly increments throughout the class.

What Students Gain

Upon completion, students walk away with more than just a handcrafted, high-end guitar bearing their own name on the headstock. They gain:
-A deeper appreciation for guitar construction
-The confidence to adjust or set up their own guitars
-Hands-on woodworking and hand-tool skills applicable to future projects

And perhaps, along the way, a newfound love for woodworking and lutherie will take root—just as it has for so many others.