Thinking of enrolling in the Guitar Repair & Building Program?

This is updated information from a blog post originally appearing August 2009.

If you are thinking of enrolling in the Guitar Repair & Building Program there are some helpful tidbits of information that should give you a great start in the process and hopefully increase the success rate for all new students.  No matter how hard we all try there are potential pitfalls that can arise for students.


Here is critical information for anyone thinking of coming to the Guitar Repair & Building program:

#1 - Don't wait to apply to the college and get the wheels in motion. The admissions office will generally start the waiting list process by mid-February. If someone procrastinates they could very well not be able to get in for the following fall.  Starting the process early will allow you time to fill out the necessary paperwork, apply for financial aid etc.  Also realize that applying to the college is not the same as registering for the program.  You must go through orientation & register for classes to obtain a spot in the program.


#2 - Don't wait to register!!!  Each registration day begins with an orientation session required for every student at the college.  There are 4 registrations for incoming guitar students. Get to the first registration you possibly can and do not arrive late. The program is usually full by the end of the July registration.

#3 - You will receive the first two tool lists at orientation. The hand tools are your assignments for the Intro to Tools class. There is no way the college can loan you tools to prepare in class (flatten, grind and sharpen). If you wait until the last registration day in August you only have a few days to order your tools. By then the vendors may be out of stock on those tools because so many other people have ordered theirs. If you don't have the necessary tools on the first day your ability to pass that class is severely reduced.

#4 - The Intro to Tools class is a prerequisite for nearly every class in the guitar program. If you don't pass that you can't continue in the program. (see #3) This class runs the first 4 weeks of the semester. Basically 1 day = 1 week of a normal 16 week semester long course. If you start 2 days late without your tools you will not be able to pass the class. Or should we say, no one has ever done it in the past.

#5 - Each class is a stepping stone to the next. Intro to Tools is required for the repair courses offered in the fall. The fall courses are required for the spring semester courses, so if a student for some reason doesn't make it through the other fall courses they are unable to come back to build a guitar in the spring semester.

#6 - Our program is a full-time commitment for 9 months. We don't have a way to offer part-time enrollment or picking and choosing only certain courses.

Check out the college website today to become a student at Southeast Technical College!!

http://www.southeastmn.edu/become_a_student/index.aspx

Win a Handmade Vincent Guitar!

We are raffling a guitar built by David Vincent in class using it for demos during our Acoustic Guitar Construction class, finish applied by Matt Hannafin, Proceeds go to the Roger Benedict Memorial Scholarship Fund for String Instrument Repair Students.

Mahogany Back and Sides, Sitka Spruce top, Sloped D, 12 fret body, bracing and scale length design from a 1930’s era Gibson Roy Smeck

Raffle Tickets are $5 Drawing held Oct. 3^rd Red Wing

For tickets contact David Vincent, MN. State College-SE Tech, 308 Pioneer Rd. Red Wing MN, 55066

Make checks out to MSC-ST Foundation

For more information about the Roger Benedict Memorial Scholarship please visit the college website here:  Roger Benedict Scholarship

...and to wrap it all up.

It's the last week of the 2nd semester and I really cannot state enough, it really does go fast! For the past two weeks mostly everyone in the 2nd year program has gotten their guitar sprayed or is just finishing up spraying their instruments--some of those who used UV polyester or 2k polyurethane have already buffed their guitar!

I can honestly say I've just sat in the room next to the spray booth (where we all hang our guitars) and stared at all the interesting designs. There has been a multitude of colors flying around, literally.

As you can see, there really is a large variety of guitar being built and sprayed. The bass on the left is actually the second instrument that a student has made this semester. The second from the left has been buffed out and is about to get the bridge on. The next guitar has been level sanded and is soon to be buffed, and the last guitar is all sanded out and is about to receive some color (possibly a black to blue sunburst?).

On the right here is a baritone acoustic that had just been sprayed. Yes, that bridge IS in the correct spot--this is a fan-fret guitar.

To the left is my guitar, after I sprayed a sunburst and several coats of reduced lacquer. This was taken just before I started level sanding to prep for more coats of lacquer.

This last picture is an archtop guitar built by a student, coated with 2k polyurethane. This was made in archtop class, and is amoung a few others being built. Last week, for the first time in the history of the school, an archtop guitar was buffed and strung-up during class. What's more amazing, is there will certainly be a few more ready in time for the guitar show this upcoming tuesday, May 10th. A couple mandolins and possibly a violin or two will also be ready for the show--which is no easy feat.

All in all, a very productive and exciting first second year program...Let me try that again. All things considered, it was a very productive and learned opening second year program. Some things went smooth and better than expected, while others were rough and will be refined for the next class. However, the information we learned through those difficulties *cough* UV Polyester *cough*, helped us to learn things we wouldn't have if they hadn't happened.

Luke P

...And the Spraying Begins

We are just over the halfway point of the second semester, and the instruments are really looking fine. As I'm sure I mentioned in my last post, the progress of all these instruments is all over the place. Most people are done, or getting close to being done with the instrument bodies and are working to finish their necks. Currently, there are two students in the process of spraying finish and more getting ready!

Our group as a whole seems to be cutting and installing inlays with a lot of enthusiasm. Pearl and abalone birds, roses, and trees are really taking shape on headstocks and fingerboards. It is cool to see the instruments get a refined look to them just by adding a bit of pearl.

In archtop class, things are just as spread out. Some guitars are getting close to being sprayed, which seems to be way ahead of the game for this early in the year, while we violin builders prepare to start the carve of the scroll! I can honestly say I have learned to use my hand tools 100% more efficiently after this class--which is great!

The CNC machine is often running, along with the constant hum of the router; these projects are really going fast!

Getting close to Valentine's Day--Did I mention we love our instruments?

In room 401, guitars are starting to take shape for the second year students. This semester, we have a wide array of guitars being built, from a neck-thru electric to a baritone acoustic guitar.

The electric guitars seem to be all over the place as far as how complete each is. A student building a "SG" style guitar just finished gluing on the neck to the body, while a couple others are just starting the neck. This all seems to depend on how simple or extreme the design is. A common theme among carved top builders seems to be carving the top on the CNC machine. One text run has been done so far, and it turned out great!

On the other hand, the acoustic builders seem to be in pretty close pace with each other. Most have been starting to glue on kerfing, some even gluing the box together. It is amazing to see how large (baritone) or how small (ukulele) some instruments are!

Regardless of the type, all instruments are being constructed carefully and with a well thought-out plan.

Luke

Spring Semester 2011

It's week two of the first spring semester in the Guitar Development and Production program. Our current classes include Advanced Guitar Construction, Advanced Inlay and Archtop (in which we continue the instrument we started last semester).

In our Advanced Guitar Construction classes, we are building the instruments that we previously made templates and molds for in CAD/CNC class last November and December. We have 16 weeks to complete the instrument we designed and are graded according to our weekly progress and the overall build. This class focuses on building a guitar from the ground up, while paying close attention to how much time each step will take and consequently, the whole process.

In our new Inlay class, we will all be aiming our sights on completing a number custom inlay projects both by hand and on the CNC machine. This two credit class will be a great door opener to the intricate world of inlays.

Things are being picked up where they were left off before our winter break. A lot of the guitar and mandolin builders have the final arches done with f-holes in and are getting ready to glue the box together. Those who are constructing an instrument with margins (violins/a few mandolins) are mostly finishing up final top arches--after having scraped down purfling.

-Luke

The Final Day of the First Semester!

Well it's the last day of the first semester at Southeast Technical and everyone is getting ready for a well--deserved break--whether or not people give working on guitars a break is up in the air....

For the past few weeks the second year students have been hard at work finishing up projects to turn in and finish this week. Whether trying to quick string-up an acoustic or buff out a finish repair in Adv. Repair, or finish an arch or put in purfling in Archtop, things have been getting down to the wire.

In CAD/CNC, we have cut out all necessary templates, bending molds, and outside molds. To finish up the class we all have been working on a "second project", which could be anything from a 3-d model of a carved-top to a blueprint of a six-string neck-thru bass.

To say room 317 is busy on Wednesday nights would be an understatment. We've all been hard at work trying to buff out eight project boards to an EXTREME shine with absolutely no scratches--and stuff is flyin'!

To wrap it up, this first semester of the very first year of Guitar Development and Production has been full of new and exciting work. We've gone from being "cnc-illiterate" to being able to cut out a fully functional fingerboard with a 16" radius and the correct slot depths. Let's not forget about a UV finish that can be sprayed and buffed the same day it the wood was prep-sanded! Just three weeks and we're on to the final semester to create some nice instruments!

Luke