Guitar Luthier Course

Lesson 1 • Tonewood Selection and Properties

Examines acoustic and structural properties of common tonewoods. Students learn to match wood species to guitar type and tonal goals.

Lesson 2 • Guitar Anatomy and Terminology

Covers all structural components of acoustic and electric guitars using correct trade vocabulary. Establishes shared language used throughout the entire course.

Lesson 3 • Workshop Setup and Safety

Establishes a safe, organised lutherie workspace with proper ventilation and tool storage. Directly enables safe execution of all subsequent hands-on chapters.

Lesson 4 • Power Tools for Guitar Building

Covers safe operation of band saws, drill presses, and routers essential to lutherie. Students learn setup, feed rate, and bit selection for each machine.

Lesson 1 • Closing the Body

Guides students through gluing the soundboard and back to the assembled sides in correct sequence. A properly closed body is structurally sound and ready for binding.

Lesson 2 • Kerfing, Linings, and Side Assembly

Installs kerfed linings to create gluing surfaces between sides, top, and back. This section bridges bent sides into a rigid, dimensionally accurate body frame.

Lesson 3 • Soundboard Bracing Patterns

Teaches X-brace, ladder, and fan bracing layouts and their acoustic effects. Students carve and fit braces to the soundboard before closing the body.

Lesson 4 • Bending Sides to Shape

Covers heat-bending guitar sides using a bending iron and forms to achieve accurate body curves. Proper bending prevents cracking and ensures tight mould fit.

Lesson 1 • Bending and Installing Binding

Teaches bending plastic and wood binding strips and securing them with tape and glue. Students achieve seamless mitered joints at the heel and tail.

Lesson 2 • Routing Binding Channels

Covers setup and use of a binding router jig to cut precise ledges around the body perimeter. Accurate channel depth prevents gaps and ensures flush binding installation.

Lesson 3 • Soundhole Rosette Design and Inlay

Guides students through routing a rosette channel and inlaying wood, abalone, or fibre rosette rings. The rosette reinforces the soundhole and defines the guitar's visual identity.

Lesson 1 • Neck Taper and Heel Shaping

Establishes correct width taper from nut to body join and carves the heel block to match the body. Accurate taper directly affects playability and neck joint fit.

Lesson 2 • Neck Blank Preparation

Covers selecting, orienting, and dimensioning a neck blank for structural integrity and playability. Proper grain orientation prevents warping under string tension.

Lesson 3 • Headstock Shaping and Volute

Teaches cutting headstock outlines, drilling tuner holes, and carving the volute transition. The volute adds strength at the most vulnerable neck break point.

Lesson 4 • Neck Profile Carving

Teaches rasping, spokeshaving, and sanding the back of the neck to a target profile such as C, V, or D shapes. Profile consistency along the full length is the key skill.

Lesson 1 • Fretboard Slotting and Tapering

Covers calculating fret spacing using scale length formulas and cutting slots with a miter box or CNC. Accurate slots are the foundation of intonation across the entire neck.

Lesson 2 • Fret Installation Techniques

Covers pressing and hammering fretwire into slots, ensuring full seating and tight tang grip. Proper installation prevents fret sprout and buzzing after finishing.

Lesson 3 • Inlay Installation

Guides students through routing inlay cavities and setting position markers in shell, wood, or synthetic materials. Clean inlay work requires precise routing and tight-fitting pieces.

Lesson 4 • Radiusing the Fretboard

Teaches sanding the fretboard face to a consistent cylindrical or compound radius using radius blocks. Radius affects playability and must match the intended bridge saddle radius.

Lesson 1 • Nut Slotting and Action Setup

Covers fitting, shaping, and slotting the nut to achieve correct string height at the first fret. Nut slot depth directly affects open-string playability and intonation.

Lesson 2 • Neck Joint Methods Compared

Analyses dovetail, bolt-on, and Spanish heel joints for structural performance and repairability. Understanding trade-offs guides joint selection for each guitar type.

Lesson 3 • Gluing the Neck to the Body

Guides students through applying glue, clamping, and verifying alignment during open time. A well-executed glue-up is permanent and must be correct before the glue sets.

Lesson 4 • Setting Neck Angle and Alignment

Teaches using a straightedge and string simulation to dial in neck pitch and lateral alignment. Correct neck angle determines achievable action height and saddle compensation.

Lesson 1 • Pore Filling Techniques

Covers oil-based, water-based, and pumice pore fillers for open-grain woods like mahogany and rosewood. Filled pores are essential for a flat, glassy finish surface.

Lesson 2 • Buffing and Final Polishing

Covers wet sanding cured topcoats and machine buffing to achieve a high-gloss or satin sheen. Final polish quality defines the perceived craftsmanship of the finished instrument.

Lesson 3 • Sealer Coats and Sanding

Applies sealer to lock in pore filler and create a uniform base for topcoats. Proper sealer sanding prevents witness lines and ensures topcoat adhesion.

Lesson 4 • Topcoat Application Methods

Teaches spraying nitrocellulose lacquer, polyurethane, and hand-applied oil finishes with correct technique. Each finish type requires specific application and cure conditions.

Lesson 1 • Bridge Fitting and Gluing

Teaches locating, fitting, and gluing the bridge to the soundboard with correct placement for intonation. Bridge position is calculated from scale length and must be exact.

Lesson 2 • Quality Inspection and Documentation

Applies a systematic checklist to inspect structural integrity, finish quality, and playability before delivery. Documentation creates a build record for warranty and future repairs.

Lesson 3 • Action and Intonation Setup

Covers measuring and adjusting string action at the nut and saddle, then setting intonation at the bridge. Correct setup transforms a built guitar into a playable instrument.

Lesson 4 • String Installation and Tensioning

Guides students through stringing the guitar correctly and bringing it to pitch safely. Proper string winding affects tuning stability and string life.