Electric Guitar Class in February

Started by SMan, December 21, 2011, 06:24:22 PM

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I had a great time in my acoustic guitar building class last June with Charles Fox.  Because of how well that went I'll be taking an electric guitar building class on February 5th of next year.  Not sure yet if I am going with single coils or Humbuckers, shape, headstock, bridge, tremelo etc.  I am trying to be very open to my options.

What to build, what to build................ :winkin: :smile:
Steve ....aka the SMan

Quote from: SMan on December 21, 2011, 06:24:22 PM
I had a great time in my acoustic guitar building class last June with Charles Fox.  Because of how well that went I'll be taking an electric guitar building class on February 5th of next year.  Not sure yet if I am going with single coils or Humbuckers, shape, headstock, bridge, tremelo etc.  I am trying to be very open to my options.

What to build, what to build................ :winkin: :smile:


Those are some awesome looking guitars!   Congratulations and Best Wishes for your first electric!

Rick
LS-30
Butterscotch Bakersfield HB Rosewood
OO 05 Custom
P-03 All Koa
P-03 Sitka/Rosewood

Quote from: Miata13 on December 21, 2011, 08:28:43 PM
Those are some awesome looking guitars!   Congratulations and Best Wishes for your first electric!

Rick

Thanks Rick!!  :coffee :donut
Steve ....aka the SMan

I've only built 2 guitars and they we're custim orders and I have no idea were the pixs are as it was 30 years ago and even then they were rather pornographic in nature.Both were neck thru's using Carvin necks and had really nice airbrush work and were setup to be MIDI plus HBer's.I have assembled 50 or so strat's and tele's over the years.I say think of what you'd want to own/play in an electric.Lots of pencil's and paper will be needed.Go thru as many pix as you can find.I know no real help but what can I do.
A REPAIRPERSON,Barefoot Rob gone to a better place
OM03PA.98 L10 Koa
Favorite saying
 OB LA DE OB LA DA,LIFE GOES ON---BRA,It is what it is,You just gotta deal it,
One By One The Penguins Steal My Sanity, Keith and Barefoot Rob on youtube
Still unclrob
#19
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Well the time has come.  I am driving to Oregon tomorrow morning for class.  If there is interest I can post pictures of the build when I return.  The only complicating factor is I had a nasty fall two weeks ago due to ice on my concrete steps and broke my tailbone along with badly bruising my back and kidneys.  Pretty painful.  I am starting to feel better and think I should be able to make it through.  I am looking forward to this.  Charles Fox is a real nice guy.  Friendly, humble, and very supportive.  :thumb
Steve ....aka the SMan

Sman sorry to hear about your fall.Take your time driving so you don't agravate anything.Also get a nice stool to sit on.Have fun and YES we/I want pix that was just the sillest question I've ever read  :wink: .Go for the P90's or maybe figure out a way to cut for P90's then when Matthew come's out with his mini HBer's you can swap them out.Gibson did it back in the 70's the LP Pro had P90's and the LP Deluxe had the mini's or vice-a-versa,any way you could swap out the two as the hole was cut for the P90 and the mini's had a pickup mounting rig that looked like it was an altered P90.HAVE FUN!!!!!! :nana_guitar
A REPAIRPERSON,Barefoot Rob gone to a better place
OM03PA.98 L10 Koa
Favorite saying
 OB LA DE OB LA DA,LIFE GOES ON---BRA,It is what it is,You just gotta deal it,
One By One The Penguins Steal My Sanity, Keith and Barefoot Rob on youtube
Still unclrob
#19
12 people ignoring me,so cool
rpjguitarworks
Call PM me I may be able to help

That sounds like a lot of fun, and great "therapy." Maybe for a vacation in the next few years I should sign up for such a class. My two brothers have done a lot more woodworking than I have (and they have the tools to prove it!); one of them has built an electric and a couple acoustics (one was a kit from Stew Mac), but he never finished those two - only finished the electric. Maybe he and I should do the class together...
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Quote from: unclrob on February 03, 2012, 11:52:38 PM
Sman sorry to hear about your fall.Take your time driving so you don't agravate anything.Have fun and YES we/I want pix that was just the sillest question I've ever read  :wink: .

:+1:
Larrivee Electrics - My Dream then and Now!!!!!<br /><br />Forum IV     00-03MT       #4      (Treasured)

I've already picked and had the parts shipped to the school.  Going with the Parsons Humbuckers (Alnico 2 and 5) from Stew Mac.  Although I don't usually like gold hardware I chose it for the build.  Should look nice.  I came up with all kind of designs but will see what happens once I get to class. (Hopefully worthy of posting.  :winkin:)

Mikeymac-

I would recommend Charles' class to anyone whether they have woodworking experience or not.  His explanation and the fact he only has 4 students at a time allows him the time to give a lot of one on one training.   The acoustic I built in his class came out great.  (I still haven't put a finish on it)  Two of the people in the class had no woodworking experience and their guitars came out great.  His shop, in the basement of his home, is well organized and equipped.  The jigs he has come up with for different processes are ingenious.  They really help to speed the process and provide repeatable results.

Film at 11 (in a few weeks)
Steve ....aka the SMan

Quote from: SMan on February 04, 2012, 09:34:51 AM
Film at 11 (in a few weeks)

We'll be watching with popcorn!

What does his class cost? With or without materials? Is it a higher price to build an acoustic?
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Quote from: Mikeymac on February 04, 2012, 11:24:45 AM
We'll be watching with popcorn!

What does his class cost? With or without materials? Is it a higher price to build an acoustic?

The acoustic class is 2 weeks $3500 and the electric class is 1 week $2500.  Usually 12 hour days.  Add $4-$500 for materials.  Check out his site.

http://www.americanschooloflutherie.com/

Steve ....aka the SMan

Film at Eleven that's funny because back in the 80's a friend and I started a company called that.We came into your home and cooked a gourmet dinner up to 6 people,served the whole work's.When people asked about the name we told them that we had video rights  :wink: :wink: nod,nod......
A REPAIRPERSON,Barefoot Rob gone to a better place
OM03PA.98 L10 Koa
Favorite saying
 OB LA DE OB LA DA,LIFE GOES ON---BRA,It is what it is,You just gotta deal it,
One By One The Penguins Steal My Sanity, Keith and Barefoot Rob on youtube
Still unclrob
#19
12 people ignoring me,so cool
rpjguitarworks
Call PM me I may be able to help

Thanks for that info, sman...I've GOT to do this someday. It would be a very fulfilling project for me personally, and would probably also be addictive; I'd love to be able to build some instruments after retirement.
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Quote from: Mikeymac on February 04, 2012, 04:36:46 PM
Thanks for that info, sman...I've GOT to do this someday. It would be a very fulfilling project for me personally, and would probably also be addictive; I'd love to be able to build some instruments after retirement.

Glad to share.   :thumb  I really learned alot in the acoustic class and am sure the electric class will be good too.  I only have a few electrics and really don't know that much about them.


Btw I just checked into my Motel in Oregon and they put me in the same room I was in when I took the acoustic class last June. 
Steve ....aka the SMan

Rev maybe there a another career choice out there for you after you take the class's,mmmm maybe a tech :wink:.You won't get rich but its a very satisfying vocation.This would work for you too Sman :whistling:
A REPAIRPERSON,Barefoot Rob gone to a better place
OM03PA.98 L10 Koa
Favorite saying
 OB LA DE OB LA DA,LIFE GOES ON---BRA,It is what it is,You just gotta deal it,
One By One The Penguins Steal My Sanity, Keith and Barefoot Rob on youtube
Still unclrob
#19
12 people ignoring me,so cool
rpjguitarworks
Call PM me I may be able to help

I am certainly no "Tech" but had done basic setups for friends and have decent knowledge of acoustics and can do a variety of repairs.  I am getting close to retirement and want something to keep my mind and body active.  A life full of carpentry, injuries, and medical issues has led me to this.  I look forward to building a few guitars and maybe repairing some.  I certainly won't be in it for the money.   :laughin:
Steve ....aka the SMan

Sman only the bad one's are in it for the money so you have a head start. :cheers
A REPAIRPERSON,Barefoot Rob gone to a better place
OM03PA.98 L10 Koa
Favorite saying
 OB LA DE OB LA DA,LIFE GOES ON---BRA,It is what it is,You just gotta deal it,
One By One The Penguins Steal My Sanity, Keith and Barefoot Rob on youtube
Still unclrob
#19
12 people ignoring me,so cool
rpjguitarworks
Call PM me I may be able to help

Quote from: SMan on February 05, 2012, 09:01:38 AM
I am certainly no "Tech" but had done basic setups for friends and have decent knowledge of acoustics and can do a variety of repairs.  I am getting close to retirement and want something to keep my mind and body active.  A life full of carpentry, injuries, and medical issues has led me to this.  I look forward to building a few guitars and maybe repairing some.  I certainly won't be in it for the money.   :laughin:

sman,

You sound like a friend of mine - a life of carpentry has worn out his elbows and knees (and back somewhat); he's close to 60 and has pretty much stopped building houses and doing remodeling jobs.

His hobby was always building historic muskets and etching pictures onto the horns that hold the powder. So he does the gunstocks and puts the whole thing together. He's had a couple of high-end clients - one being a major author who has written a book on revolutionary and civil war guns. So his hobby has become his second career - and with the help of the internet (and traveling to some major shows around the country), he's doing this from a little town of 800 in eastern Nebraska.

I'm like you - I've done some basic set-ups for people, and fixed a number of guitars for the guys in my sons' bands, plus building my Warmoths and taking care of my own set-ups. So I'm part way there. I haven't done a lot of woodworking, but I was an art major in college, so this kind of stuff is in my blood...someday, unclrob!
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Wait Rev you were an art major in college,ah thats funny because when I went to college at first I wanted to be a commercial artist,then after an incident I switched to art education but found out that that there would be no jobs for art teachers in the NY school system until 1980.I graduated in 1977.Anyway thats very wierd an art major.Ya it does get in your blood and it will drive you crazy and turn you into a raving loon when you see someone's work who should not be allowed to touch a toothpick yet they call them selve's a pro tech.But worth it all when you see a smile come across a players face when you hand them back there child.
A REPAIRPERSON,Barefoot Rob gone to a better place
OM03PA.98 L10 Koa
Favorite saying
 OB LA DE OB LA DA,LIFE GOES ON---BRA,It is what it is,You just gotta deal it,
One By One The Penguins Steal My Sanity, Keith and Barefoot Rob on youtube
Still unclrob
#19
12 people ignoring me,so cool
rpjguitarworks
Call PM me I may be able to help

First day went great.  Good group of 4 students.  One a female dentist that is very talented.  Most all build decisions made.  Lots learned.  MDF patterns made for everyone's guitars.  (My back has me up at 2:30am.) Will have a completed body by tonight.  :smile:
Steve ....aka the SMan

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