- In August 2005, Specimen Guitar Shop opened The Chicago School of Guitar Making. We are the only school in Chicago where you can learn guitar repair and building from a professional luthier. We are also the only school teaching the craft of tube amplifier building. And in April of 2009, we added our new Hi-Fi Stereo Tube Amplifier Building class.
- The school is located in our spacious guitar shop
and outfitted with individual workbenches
custom-made for the students. We have a
fully-equipped wood and metal shop, and a wealth
of tools and supplies available for student use.
All courses are taught by Specimen owner / luthier
Ian Schneller who has 20+ years of experience
building and repairing stringed instruments and
tube amplifiers.
Below are links to pages with information about each of the courses we offer. You can click here to see our current class schedule.
- SCHOOL CURRICULUM
GUITAR REPAIR CLASSES:- We currently offer four courses covering different aspects of guitar repair:
- Guitar & Bass Setup and Maintenance
- Fret Work
- Guitar & Bass Electronics
- Advanced Guitar Repair
- These courses are part of our foundation curriculum and are structured to teach students the essentials of guitar repair and design. All of our foundation courses provide a good groundwork for anybody interested building their own custom guitar. Students ready to embark on this adventure can enroll in our Guitar Design & Theory and Constructive Techniques Workshops.
- GUITAR DESIGN AND BUILDING CLASSES:
Our Guitar Design & Theory and Constructive Techniques Workshops teach students how to design and build their own instrument entirely from scratch using raw materials. Click here to see our Student Gallery showcasing past students with their finished instruments. And, for those interested in customizing their instruments, we have an Inlay and Engraving Techniques for Musical Instruments Workshop where students can customize and embellish their instruments using mother-of-pearl and other materials. - TUBE AMPLIFIER BUILDING CLASSES:
We also have a Tube Amp Building Workshop as part of our curriculum. In this course students build their own tube amplifier based on Fender's revered line of Tweed Amplifiers and Marshall's 18-watt line. Students interested can take this workshop as a weekly course or as a weekend seminar. For those interested in home stereo building, we are now offering Hi-Fi Stereo Tube Amplifier Building classes.
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WEEKEND SEMINARS
We offer several different weekend seminar versions of our guitar and amplifier courses. These seminars are ideal for those who have schedule conflicts with our weekly classes or are not in close proximity to the Chicagoland area. Click on the links below for a course description and registration information: -
WEEKEND SEMINARS:
Guitar & Bass Setup and Electronics
Fretting Workshop
AMP CAMP - Tube Amp Building Weekend Seminar
Guitar Design & Theory
Constructive Techniques - Enrollment
is Now Open!
Below are links to pages where you can find out more about the courses we are currently offering, including details about the topics covered, the schedule, cost, and how to register.
- Payment for the courses can be made through this web site via Paypal or you can complete a registration form and mail it to us along with a personal check. You can also pay in person at our shop where we accept VISA, MC, and American Express, check or cash.
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To receive prompt notification when any new courses are offered, please sign up for our email newsletter.
Go here to view the school schedule for a complete listing of the classes we offer including both full and open sessions.
Please email Specimen Guitar Shop or call 773.489.4830 with any questions you may have about the school.
