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Luthierie school?
- Thread starter yuujin
- Start date
sadly i dont really have the space nor the tools to do so.
ive fixed up a parts bass before.
im electronically trained, so electronics are not a problem for me.
ive rewired basses and installed pickups and preamps.
but i have no chance to build a bass from scratch.
id really love to apprentice with someone thats willing to guide me.
ive fixed up a parts bass before.
im electronically trained, so electronics are not a problem for me.
ive rewired basses and installed pickups and preamps.
but i have no chance to build a bass from scratch.
id really love to apprentice with someone thats willing to guide me.
I have the same problem, and I am in LA. There is a Musicians Institute Lutherie class here but I dont have the time or $ to do it full time.
What I did was to sign up for adult woodworking classes at a local high school. Then I spent 6 weeks learning safety and techniques for the tools, different saws, drills, routers etc. Now my "special project" is to finish an Acacia bass I bought the body blank for. It still needed body and neck shaping, hardware, pickup routing, fretting and fingerboard etc. I am learning many things about bass construction from this and the Hitchkock book on how to build an electric guitar.
Once I finish this one I plan to build one from scratch, indeed I already have bought the wood and some of the hardware, but it takes some time to learn many small details so I don't rush, one mistake messes up a whole bass.
On the negative side it is a shop with high school students goofing off on the tools in the day so not great maintenance on the tools - you sometimes need to figure out the best way to do something by measuring and drawing it out several times.
Good luck, and say hi if you come to Los Angeles.
Michael
What I did was to sign up for adult woodworking classes at a local high school. Then I spent 6 weeks learning safety and techniques for the tools, different saws, drills, routers etc. Now my "special project" is to finish an Acacia bass I bought the body blank for. It still needed body and neck shaping, hardware, pickup routing, fretting and fingerboard etc. I am learning many things about bass construction from this and the Hitchkock book on how to build an electric guitar.
Once I finish this one I plan to build one from scratch, indeed I already have bought the wood and some of the hardware, but it takes some time to learn many small details so I don't rush, one mistake messes up a whole bass.
On the negative side it is a shop with high school students goofing off on the tools in the day so not great maintenance on the tools - you sometimes need to figure out the best way to do something by measuring and drawing it out several times.
Good luck, and say hi if you come to Los Angeles.
Michael
I gained a huge chunk of knowledge from this book.
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdpr...Make+Your+Own+Electric+Guitar,+Melvyn+Hiscock
Also the website selling it http://www.lmii.com is filled with knowledge.
Figured wood is available if you pay the high price for individual pieces and have them shipped. For a first instrument using maple for the neck and almost anything for the body will give good results and be rather cheap if you mess it up. Save the fancy wood for bass #2.
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdpr...Make+Your+Own+Electric+Guitar,+Melvyn+Hiscock
Also the website selling it http://www.lmii.com is filled with knowledge.
Figured wood is available if you pay the high price for individual pieces and have them shipped. For a first instrument using maple for the neck and almost anything for the body will give good results and be rather cheap if you mess it up. Save the fancy wood for bass #2.
I recently graduated from Roberto Venn School of Luthiery (don't ask me why they spell "luthierie" wrong . . . ), which is a great way to get started if you have the money and can make it out to Arizona.
Otherwise, you might just try calling up any and all builders in Singapore to see if anyone needs an extra set of hands. Good luck!
Otherwise, you might just try calling up any and all builders in Singapore to see if anyone needs an extra set of hands. Good luck!
How did you like it? They list me as someone who hires their graduates which is a flat out lie. Makes me think they lie about other things.
Actually I think you can find nice wood in SE asia.
I was in China and they had lots of kinds. Look for local (Phillipines) Mahogany for body and neck, Black Acacia from Australia for tops (also Indian Rosewood), Cherry, Lacewood from Australia for figure, Macassar Ebony from Indonesia is gorgeous and great tone wood.
I was in China and they had lots of kinds. Look for local (Phillipines) Mahogany for body and neck, Black Acacia from Australia for tops (also Indian Rosewood), Cherry, Lacewood from Australia for figure, Macassar Ebony from Indonesia is gorgeous and great tone wood.
Cool.
There are no builders in Singapore as I know it.
Most of us do parts basses/guitars and none from scratch.
I thought about it for a hell long time and its something I really love to do.
I'd probably go to Canada to try for a luthierie school.
And start building basses in Singapore!
There are no builders in Singapore as I know it.
Most of us do parts basses/guitars and none from scratch.
I thought about it for a hell long time and its something I really love to do.
I'd probably go to Canada to try for a luthierie school.
And start building basses in Singapore!
Nice wood in other parts of Southeast Asia, yes. In Singapore, no. We're a small country that's only about 640 square kilometres (about 247 square miles), and we have no real natural resources other than manpower. I think that's why our government puts so much emphasis on education. Sure, we have rainforests, but they've mostly been converted to nature reserves by the government (not that I think we have any good wood there anyway).
Back to the OP's question.. Well, I think you MAY have to go overseas to learn from a school, as I don't think we have any here (like a previous post, I only heard of the one in Canada run by Lado).. But you might be able to find an experienced luthier somewhere in Singapore who could talk into letting you be his apprentice..? It's a long shot, but it could work. You won't get any certificates to show your competency though.
I don't mean that the wood grows in Singapore, just that is is available there. No wood grows in Shanghai but the builders there have access to lovely woods with great figure, and Asian woods were cheaper there than the stuff we see in the USA. I know because I went to the wholesale markets to buy wood for my apartment remodel.
I would wager there are similar markets or suppliers in Singapore, and that local woods are cheaper there as well.
I would wager there are similar markets or suppliers in Singapore, and that local woods are cheaper there as well.
one thing you can do is google luthurie schools, and take it from there. that's how I found about the one school "Galloup" from the michigan area. Also, check out www.stewmac.com, it is stringed instrument parts supplier that also supplies dvd's from a top expert luthier Dan Elerwine. He covers everything you need to know.
