Becoming a Luthier

[AidanC]

Hello, I am wondering if there are any luthiers who have got advice on becoming a luthier. I have worked at the Gibson factory in Montana and am looking to get into making/repairing boutique guitars. I have been reaching out to most of the smaller companies seeing if they would take someone with little experience, so far I haven't had much luck. I am interested in going to school/paying for some experience but I currently just don't have the money. I am trying to find someone that would let me work with them while getting paid very little until I get the experience needed to be able to work on my own. Let me know what ya'll think.
Thanks

[RP]

Virginia has a Folklife Apprenticeship https://www.virginiafolklife.org/apprenticeships/ program where an apprentice can work with a master in his/her field. No, it doesn't pay much, but it does pay something. Jayne worked with her father Wayne Henderson under this arrangement https://www.virginiafolklife.org/sig...yne-henderson/.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by AidanC

Hello, I am wondering if there are any luthiers who have got advice on becoming a luthier. I have worked at the Gibson factory in Montana and am looking to get into making/repairing boutique guitars. I have been reaching out to most of the smaller companies seeing if they would take someone with little experience, so far I haven't had much luck. I am interested in going to school/paying for some experience but I currently just don't have the money. I am trying to find someone that would let me work with them while getting paid very little until I get the experience needed to be able to work on my own. Let me know what ya'll think.
Thanks

You might want to listen to the many interviews with small shop luthiers that are part of Jason Verlinde's Fretboard Journal podcast series. (It's free...)
At least you'll better understand why there are so few opportunities for informal apprenticeships.

[birdsong]

You might want to also post this in the Build and Repair subforum. Go to th “Main” page and scan down the list of options. It’s the last one before the “For sale” section.

[RP]

Originally Posted by birdsong

You might want to also post this in the Build and Repair subforum. Go to th “Main” page and scan down the list of options. It’s the last one before the “For sale” section.

Or Custom Shop...

[BigTim]

I enjoy doing little things to guitars and such myself. I was wanting to do the same thing as you are wanting to do but I have kind of put it aside for now.

If you do have experience and know how to repair/set up or some other tech stuff...file frets, make bone nuts and saddles......kind of the bread and butter stuff........Then why don't you see if you can get some extra cash flow coming in by advertising for yourself and see what happens.

What do you have to lose?

You may be surprised at how much people may need done in your area.

I would try that and see how that does.

I used to do some work for a small local shop myself and also a few other places. Then I do still have a few clients who use me to do their regular set up stuff....etc.

See what happens.

[rllink]

List of schools from Stew Mac page. Actually, if you just search Lutherie schools near me you can probably find one. Seriously, there is a lot of information on the internet if you search.

https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-id...-schools-list/

Here's an online course.
https://theartoflutherie.com/luthier-school/

[printer2]

What is keeping you from learning on your own? I am dropping off some speakers to a guy that advertises for junk, broken guitars here. Also showing off a guitar you built yourself will get more interest than going in with nothing. This was an experiment in how cheap a person can build a guitar. Not the high point in building though,

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=496685

The point is to show you have initiative, better to show your second one though. Go to the Build and Repair section and people can give you more specific help.