The Chicago School of Guitar Making

Fretting Workshop

This course consists of five 3-hour classes. The next open session runs Tuesday evenings, June 3 - July 1, 2008. Class meets from 6:30 - 9:30 pm. *NOTE: Only 4 spaces remain open in this session.*

The course 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 workshop will be a comprehensive presentation and demonstration of the techniques required to execute a professional quality re-fret on a guitar, bass, or other fretted instrument. This course will be divided into part lecture, part demonstration, and part hands-on training. Over the duration of the five classes, students will watch a complete re-fret and then execute the process on their own instrument under the assistance of the instructor. Enrollment will be limited to 8 students per workshop.

The methods presented in this course are those used by Ian Schneller who, over the past 20+ years, has re-fretted hundreds of instruments. In this course, Ian will share proprietary techniques that have made his fret work renown for its quality and craftsmanship. Useful handout materials will also be provided.

The Fretting Workshop will address fret work for different instruments, playing styles, and the pros and cons of various tools and hardware. Other topics include:

instrument assessment
nut and fret removal
fretboard and slot preparation
binding considerations
fret selection
fret cleaning
fret rolling
fret measuring and cutting
fret installing and gluing
fretboard clean-up
fret leveling
fret beveling
fret crowning and polishing
nut re-installation (or making a new nut)

Workshop Materials and Supplies; The school will provide each student with their own individual workstation and have tools available for use. Students may also purchase a personal set of rudimentary tools selected by the instructor. Click here to learn more about the tools and how to purchase them. The school can also provide an instrument to any student who does not wish to re-fret their own.; Fee: $485 for Workshop / $185 for optional Tool Kit; Go here to register for the Fretting Workshop.; Go here to view the school schedule for a complete listing of the classes we offer including both full and open sessions.; Back