Build a Quality Stringed Instrument

 

Every musician has the dream of crafting their own instrument. With the right guidance and a little time, this dream is achievable. Guidance is available from many sources. Some people need little more than a reference book; others need one-on-one instruction. On these pages you will find information that will assist people on both ends on the spectrum, as well as those in between.

This list is not comprehensive. It is meant to get you started in your search for reference material. The retail outlets listed are just a few examples of where one can buy or rent the items.

Meetings

New England Luthiers - The main conduit for the exchange information is our monthly meeting. The meetings are open to everyone; from builders to repairmen, from experienced to the novice, from the knowledgeable to the curious. At every meeting, builders bring their projects, in various stages of completion, to share with others in the group. Some projects are traditional instruments, some are period pieces from centuries past, and some are purely experimental. Some are prototypes, some are final designs. All of them are interesting and inspiring.

The Guild Luthiers subgroup of The Guild of New Hampshire Woodworking – Our sister organization to the north. Meetings focus on various aspects of guitar making.

Books

1. GUITARMAKING: Tradition and Technology by William R. Cumpiano and Jonathan D. Natelson. This outstanding book provides step-by-step instructions on how to build an acoustic steel string or classical guitar. This book is regarded by many as the benchmark by which all other instrument building books are judged. Buy
2. Making an Archtop Guitar by Robert Benedetto. Robert Benedetto is known for his beautiful archtop guitars. This book will take you through each step in the process of building your our archtop guitar. Buy
3. Constructing a 5-String Banjo by Roger Siminoff. Five string banjos have long been a home made instrument. Roger shows you how to build and finish a 5 string resonator banjo with a sunburst finish. This book includes full scale drawings to assist you in the building process. Buy
4. Constructing a Bluegrass Mandolin by Roger Siminoff. Roger’s book provides instructions to build an F-style archtop mandolin. The book comes with full scale drawings for a F4 archtop mandolin. Other drawings are available on his website. Buy
5. Make Your Own Electric Guitar by Melvin Hiscock. Learn how to build a bolt-on-neck electric guitar, a through-the-body neck guitar, and an electric bass guitar. This book contains good instructions for designing your own electronics. Buy
6. The Responsive Guitar by Ervin Somogyi

DVDs

These DVDs are available for purchase. They are also available for rent from Smartflix.

1. Archtop Guitar Design & Construction with Robert Benedetto. A companion DVD set to his book. Buy or rent
2. How to Build a Carved-Top Mandolin with Don MacRostie. Don MacRostie is the owner of Red Diamond Mandolins. He is also a member of the Stewart McDonald staff. This DVD takes you through the process of building a mandolin from a Stewart McDonald kit. Don often expands his explanation and shows how to build a mandolin from scratch. Buy or rent
3. Dan Erlewine Repair Series. Dan Erlewine has developed a series of DVDs that take you through many aspects of electric and acoustic guitar repair. Topics covered are guitar and bass setup, re-fretting a guitar, acoustic guitar neck reset, nut making, bridge repairs and violin setup. Buy or rent

Formal Instruction

Below is a list of classes available in New England. Click on the link for more information.

Build a Guitar with Alan Carruth
Build a Guitar with Richard Hallion
Guitar Repair Tutorials with Harry Becker
Making A Guitar With William Cumpiano
North Bennett Street School
The Luthier's Workshop
University of New Hampshire

 

 

Learn to build and repair stringed instruments with the masters.