The Chicago School of Guitar Making - Advanced Guitar Repair Workshop

This course consists of two consecutive weekend days. The next open seminar runs Saturday & Sunday, September 26 -27, 2009. Class meets each day from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. *NOTE: Only 4 spaces remain open in this seminar.

This is the ideal seminar for anyone working as a guitar technician, roadie, music store employee, touring musician or for anyone interested in working on instruments and amplifiers. A Certificate of Completion will be awarded to all students who complete the course as well as handouts covering the topics discussed. Enrollment is limited to 8 students.

The seminar instructor is Ian Schneller, owner/luthier of Specimen Guitar Shop. All classes are held at Specimen located at 1240 N. Homan Ave. in Chicago, Illinois. Click here for a map.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This seminar presents a variety of more advanced guitar repair techniques for the student desiring to go beyond basic skills and concepts. It is the perfect follow-up to the Guitar & Bass Setup and Maintenance Course.

The seminar will be divided into part lecture, part demonstration, and part hands-on training. Over the duration of the two days students will watch several demonstrations and then execute specific procedures on their own instruments with the assistance of the instructor. Enrollment will be limited to 8 students per workshop.

The selected repair procedures covered in this seminar are among some of the more elusive topics in the guitar repair field. Procedures covered include:

Headstock and Crack Repair
Lecture and demonstrations covering basic and complex/splined gluing techniques for headstock, body cracks, and other fractures. Students will learn about various glues and how to use them properly.

Bridge Location / Repair
Lecture and demonstrations covering the location and reattachment of a flattop acoustic bridge. Instructor will demonstrate the proper use of a drill press, belt sanders, and a variety of hand tools used in the procedure.

Making a Bone Nut and Saddle
Lecture and demonstrations covering the making and installing of a proper bone nut and saddle.

Modifications
Lecture and demonstrations covering body routing for pickups and battery compartments. Students will learn how to make a pickguard, install hardware, and fabricate an aluminum jack plate to replace a cracked pickguard.

The methods presented in this seminar are those used by Ian Schneller who, over the past 20+ years, has repaired thousands of instruments. In this course, Ian will share proprietary techniques and reference traditional methods all with a strong emphasis on quality and craftsmanship. The aspiring luthier will find this seminar indispensable.