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i need advise , what ya think guys ?

Jean-Frédéric

Jean-Frédéric

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 11, 2004
Messages
307
Location
LavaL ( can you say it backward ? ) Quebec, Canada
Aight so I wanna build guitars and bass

there are some option like going to colege for 3 years in luthiering (maybe I made a word here , but you know what a luthier is )

or woodcraft which will teach me how to make furniture but give me the knowledge about woods' props. and how to finish it and cut it well ....

my question goes to the luthier at EBMM ....

if a guy knows how to work the wood , would a luthier shop hire him ?

thanks
 
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Jean-Frédéric said:
Aight so I wanna build guitars and bass

there are some option like going to colege for 3 years in luthiering (maybe I made a word here , but you know what a luthier is )

or woodcraft which will teach me how to make furniture but give me the knowledge about woods' props. and how to finish it and cut it well ....

my question goes to the luthier at EBMM ....

if a guy knows how to work the wood , would a luthier shop hire him ?

thanks
Click to expand...


ARe you now the best musician you can be andDo you have the passion and the vision of a craftsman???

if I was in your shoes I'd approach the best guitar luthier/repairperson I could find in my neighbourhood (ie. Mike Kinal)and ask him if he would"hire" me on as a volunteer sawdust sweeper...:)

if I lived near SLO, I'd volunteer to polish the buttons on Beth's computer:Dand hope she'd introduce me to BPandthe EBMM lumberjacks:)

First you must think in terms of "what you have besides your personal charisma to offer a respectedand qualifiedluthier/builder (the better the better;))who may need an apprentice and consider taking you under his wing;)


just mhos for some ideas ... good luck!!!in your pursuit:)

/PL
 
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Woodcraft, if it's this one, will teach you more about tools & machinery than about wood. You will probably learn about joinery and general finishing, but only a little of it would be applicable to lutherie.

I'd recommend that you scour around your local area for a luthier's club. While the focus of many of these groups is toward acoustic instruments, there will be techniques that you could apply to electrics. Community colleges are another good resource.

Another GREAT place to learn is Guitar Reranch, where you can read all about the methods use to refinish and finish guitars and basses.

Good luck!

Ken...
 
I'd say look for a short class. There are a number of them every summer. The Crucible, in Oakland, CA. had a 2 weekend instrument building class with Rick Turner. The students built either a campfire mandolin or a ukulele. Spanish style construction, so bending sides, etc. I'll post some photos.

What was great about it for me was that you got to work through all of the steps in a short period of time with a master luthier. And Rick was very open to answering questions on just about any instrument.

It's worth getting your hands on some wood and seeing if you like it before you take a full course. There are also a number of good books out there. Have you done much woodworking?

jw
 
Best musician I can be, hell no , If I would I wouldn't need a to get a job as luthier ;) i'd play gigs instead of struggeling with many bands :P

I do have a craftsman vision tho , for the past 18 years I've been drawing ( started at 3 yrs old .. I'm 21 ) , making scultures , writing songs , analysing all i see , and I tired of being told what I want for an instruments , and can't afford to get someone to do it , and I wanna do it , I just got into getting old guitars and giving them a seccond life with new parts.

I'm into making electrical bass and guitar (not Acoustic for now ) , playing with woods props . Woodcraft ( by wich I mean Ebenisterie ... french word , I don't have my french to english dictionary with me ) would teach me how to work the wood , cuting it , and bend it , and finish right ?

oh and yeah at I applied at some luthier , even offered myself for free .... even tho I need to make money , and right now no one has space for apprentice in those I knew and asked . so I wonder is knowledge woodcraft can teach me would help getting in a luthier shop , cause I'd be good with wood machinerie and would be able to make butt-kicking cuts, finish or bending .... no ??

plus I live in Laval , montreal suburbs ...

the SIMM will be in montreal this week I have 2 days where I'll go down there talk with the luthier
 
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Montreal has some very talented companies and builders there. Maybe ask them if you could be an apprentice there while you learn?
 
Jean-Frédéric said:
Aight so I wanna build guitars and bass

there are some option like going to colege for 3 years in luthiering (maybe I made a word here , but you know what a luthier is )

or woodcraft which will teach me how to make furniture but give me the knowledge about woods' props. and how to finish it and cut it well ....

my question goes to the luthier at EBMM ....

if a guy knows how to work the wood , would a luthier shop hire him ?

thanks
Click to expand...

Hey Jean Frederic, don' pay no attention to me cuz I'm brain damaged .. but imho, you are showing here on the EBMMForum that you have passion .. my friendlysuggestion to you is to research the histories of the most respected instrument builders in themodern era and do your own version of what worked for them... what I'm talking about is the kind of stuff that was inside the back cover of old BassPlayer mags.... of course I still stick to my earlier opinion but with all due respect, I really must defer to our ownBP, who is one ofPlanet EARTH's most sage sources of information that could help you ...

if musical instruments have anything in common with motorcycles:confused: once you get further involved in :hands-on and Ear-to-it"ways)(build your first banjo:D), your mentor can help throw some light on your trail as you discover the pathways of yourjourney and if you keep your mind,eyes and ears open, the secrets you search for ie.(wood, materials, instrument design, construction) will be revealed to you (it's a cosmic thing);)

As always, I wish you every success and much Good Luck
/PL

ps

move to North Vancouver or Hamilton if not SLO
 
I agree BP is THE man in info as far as we all know
I dunno if you've heard of MF , but man that guy rocks , I hate his bass models tho , but the calm he shows , is amazin'

I 've been told that times to times he takes aprentice, so I applied few times , he told me he's making the shop bigger , and I'm entending to get a spot when the new part will be operational. I told him I'd work for free or could help on building the new room ...

I ordered the parts I needed to fix and old 1970 Aria Ibanez 1970Les Paul Special copy through him , and he told me what would need to be done , and I've done it at home and all, came back , he checked it and the only thing that needs work now would be to change de fret board and frets or something like that , he was verry calm and helpful , I have must respect for the man. I really hope I could get in as an apprentice there . :)

I think it 's silly to ask what I should do , concidering I know what I "think" I should do

basically get my certificate in woodcrafting would be a good thing to have , could work anything with wood , and my passion being Bass and Guitars , I could shape them the way I want ( body, necks, tops ) , I know how basic soldering . by then I should have manage to get in MF as an aprentice , and then see what's going on

but it's just me and my dad where talking , and I knew that there are some "college program" in luthering, but I really don't wanna take those extra classes , I want the knowledge I need and want only for once. I'll ask question about philosophy or literature later when I'll finally be doing something I like for a living. but going there would teach me how to really set up a guitar too , but takin' 3 years , while there's a lot of books on how to set up a guitar , so what I would need to really being teached at would be the machinery to work the wood the way I want, so I don't have to order from compagnies I'd get what I want .

I guess asking my question was answering it myself ,

i just know what I have to do , it's just a matter of doing it right this time ...

oh well , thanks tho , I mean those who 've read or gave a point of view and If I have a question on setting up and neither a luthier tels me or books , I'll ask you guys, together we have the biggest bass and guitar databank holding together ! BP get ready to be asked a lots of question in 2008 or 2009 :P
 
Salut JF,

Michel is a really cool guy, everytime i went to see him he was always very nice and calm, so good luck getting a spot at that shop.

Good luck pursuing this passion :)
 
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