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Level 1 Electric Build

No woodworking experience is required for this course. Limited to a maximum of four students (minimum number of two), this course provides the opportunity to build your own Tele-style, Strat-style, or LP jr-style guitar. Just some of the steps and skills you will learn:

Headstock design and shaping (bandsaw, oscillating sander)
Complete fret dress (fret leveling, crowning, polishing)
Custom bone nut (shaping, slotting)
Neck shaping to desired profile
Neck angle fit and adjustment. Neck/Body fit and attachment
Bridge placement and installation
Electronics: proper soldering of pickups, switches, controls, jack. Proper grounding techniques
Final setup/action/intonation

Topics discussed in detail:

Overall guitar design (paradigms)
Scale length significance
Intonation
Tonewoods in context of sound and finishing

All materials and tools will be supplied in order to complete your guitar. The body and neck supplied for this course are CNC machined production level components. The bodies are typically 3 piece and the necks one (or 2) piece. The pots, switches, and controls are upgraded from production level. The pickups are production grade pickups that can be upgraded as desired for and additional cost. Upon completion of the course, your guitar will be fully playable and ready for the finish (of your choice) to be applied. Several different finishing techniques and materials will be discussed but are not included in this course.

*Upgrades available for this course

Custom figured maple top $250 (you actually complete this step with instruction)
Custom handcrafted maple pickguard $130
Pore filling (to prepare for finish) $75

Course Price: $725 (without upgrades). A 50% ($363) nonrefundable deposit is due on booking. Should you cancel your booking, I will try to fit you into a future (similar) course.

Level 2 Electric or Acoustic Build

No woodworking experience is required for this course. Limited to a maximum of two students, this course provides the opportunity to build a premium Tele-style, Strat-style, or LP jr-style guitar (single or double cutaway). Some of the skills and steps you will learn include:

Headstock design and shaping (bandsaw, oscillating sander)
Complete fret dress (fret leveling, crowning, polishing)
Custom bone nut (shaping, slotting)
Neck shaping to desired profile
Neck angle fit and adjustment. Neck/Body fit and attachment
Bridge placement and installation
Electronics: proper soldering of pickups, switches, controls, jack. Proper grounding techniques
Final setup/action/intonation

*Also included:

Choice of fretboard wood
Flame maple cap (if desired)
Custom binding on body included
Premium pots, switches, wiring
Premium tonewoods on all parts. CNC machined to order.
Upgraded tuners
Upgraded pickups

Topics discussed in detail:

Overall guitar design (paradigms)
Scale length significance
Tonewoods in context of sound and finishing

All materials and tools will be supplied in order to complete your guitar. The body and neck supplied for this course are premium tonewoods (your choice) with a 2 piece body and 1 piece neck. The pots, switches and controls are premium grade. The pickups included are upgraded from production grade or you are welcome to supply your own. Upon completion of the course, your guitar will be a thing of beauty awaiting a finish of your choice. We can discuss the best type of finish to suit your needs, but a finish is not included in the price of this course.

*Upgrades available for this course:

Custom design your own premium tonewood pickguard, control cover, truss cover $175
Pore filling (to prepare for finish) $75

Course Price Level 2 Electric $1575 (without upgrades). A 50% ($788) nonrefundable deposit is due on booking. Should you cancel your booking, I will try to fit you into a future (similar) course.

Course Price Acoustic Build $3250 (without upgrades). A 50% ($1,625) nonrefundable deposit is due on booking. Should you cancel your booking, I will try to fit you into a future (similar) course.

Level 3 Custom Electric Build

Woodworking experience for this course is not required but helpful. Limited to one person, this course is for the discriminating individual who wishes to build an heirloom quality instrument. The instrument will be designed from scratch and a total collaboration with the customer's input/participation during every step of the creative and construction process. The time required for this process is largely variable and dependent on the choices made by the customer.

Base price: $3,950 (Final price dependent on customer choices). A 50% deposit is due upon booking.