Fretting Course
Original price was: $600.$550Current price is: $550.
Take this class alongside our Bone Nut & Saddle Making Course
Learn to execute a professional quality re-fret on your own guitar, bass or other fretted instrument in this hands-on workshop.
This skill is a must for the guitar builder or guitar repair technician.
This workshop is ideal for the musician or roadie, or anyone interested in working on stringed instruments.
Students are encouraged to bring their own instruments to re-fret.
If the student is unable to bring their own instrument to re-fret please contact us in advance to arrange for the school to provide one for use during this course.
Installing a new Nut is important when Fretting, check out our: Bone Nut & Saddle Making Course.
This course is also part of our Guitar Technician Program.
-
Classroom
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.
-
Schedules
Courses are offered with a varying number of completion hours.
Longer courses offer more hands-on time with guidance from the instructor.
Shorter courses are perfect for those who prefer to work on their own at home. -
Fee
Course fee includes instruction, reference materials, use of a workbench and all shop supplies necessary.
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.
-
Materials
Students are encouraged to bring their own instrument to work on in this course.
-
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.
This hands-on training workshop presents comprehensive lecture/demonstrations of the techniques required to execute a professional quality re-fret on a guitar, bass or other fretted instrument.
This course will address all types of fret jobs, including bound and unbound boards, finished vs unfinished, different wood types, fret sizes, playing styles and the pros and cons of various tools.
Students will be guided through each step of a re-fret and will execute the process themselves on their own instrument with guidance from an experienced luthier.
* If the student is unable to bring their own instrument to re-fret please contact us in advance to arrange for the school to provide one for use during this course.
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)
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.
