Bone Nut & Saddle Making Course
Please call 773.489.4830 or email info@specimenproducts.com to discuss details and make arrangements for your commission.
Early Registration Discounts Are Subject to Expiration. Enroll Now.
A bone nut and saddle will upgrade the tone and clarity of your guitar, bass or any stringed instrument! Even the most casually made instrument can benefit immensely from a hand cut nut and saddle. The results are truly stunning!
Students will learn to carve a bone nut and saddle for their instrument, with the guidance of an experienced luthier.
Make no mistake – hand carving a nut and saddle from a pieces of bone is a highly valuable skill for any guitar technician, and a necessity for the guitar builder. Cutting pieces of bone by hand into beautiful finished parts is a vanishing art. In this workshop you will learn that skill and keep the art of luthiery alive for future generations.
This course is also a part of our Guitar Technician Program
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Materials
Students are encouraged to bring an instrument to work on in this course.
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Class
Class size is limited to 8 students.
Course is taught in a professional guitar service shop equipped with 8 individual workbenches stocked with specialized tools necessary for the course work. -
Fee
Course fee includes instruction, reference guide, use of a workbench and all shop supplies.
Please note that all registrations are final and non-refundable.
In the event that a student cannot attend a class, written notice must be given in advance to receive a credit to be used on another tuition.
Valid credit may be transferred to another course date, or to another student, if so desired. -
Workshop Safety
While we make every effort to keep the CSGM workshop clean it can be dusty and at times noisy. We recommend hearing, respiratory, and eye protection be used when working in the shop. We have this safety equipment available for use or purchase when in class and it is the students responsibility to exercise diligent use of these safety measures.
Students will have the opportunity to learn how to expertly cut a bone nut and a bone saddle.
Topics include:
- The correct use of specialty files.
- How to properly fit any style of nut.
- Methods for polishing bone to a marble-like finish.
- The correct method for laying out string spacing for any neck.
- Material selection – distinguishing between real bone and imitation.
- Era-correct shaping styles for matching the aesthetic of vintage replacements.
- Tooling for the home workshop.
Excellent specialized tools are provided for your use during the class.
The tools include:
- High Quality Nut Slotting Files
- Nut Shaping File
- Nut and Saddle Vise
- Specialty String Spacing Ruler
- .010 Gauged Saw
- An Assortment of Polishing Compounds and Abrasives
Ian Schneller
In 2005 Ian Schneller created the Chicago School of Guitar Making, establishing the area’s only school of luthiery. He created the school’s entire curricula and currently teaches all classes. Since its inception, Ian has given hundreds of courses and workshops, tutored more than 2000 students, and trained dozens of interns and apprentices. Ian is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, MFA, and the Memphis Academy of Arts, BA. Ian has taught Sculpture at SAIC, Penland, and various institutions around the country.
Jonah Penningroth
Jonah Penningroth has been the service department manager and chief technician at Specimen Products since 2023, and a teacher at Chicago School of Guitar Making since 2024. They currently teach the Fretting course and the Bone Nut & Saddle Making course during the Guitar Technician Program. Their main focus as a luthier is on preserving longevity and putting the artist first.
