So, you wanna be a luthier?
Are you ready to take the next step in your career?
Passionate about musical instruments and the people who play them?
Looking for a job where you can feel autonomous and creative, while always encountering fresh challenges?
Are you tired of having a wage ceiling imposed on you by a corporate boss?
Sick of sitting in front of a computer, reading a script, or following nonsensical procedures?
Do you feel like your efforts would be better spent elsewhere, helping people to make music and connect with each other?
If you were thinking "YES" while reading the above questions, this might be a path worth considering.
I'm opening up ONE space in my shop for an aspiring luthier.
Yep, just one.
I'm not looking to train a hobbyist.
This is true hands-on training, with a focus on real-world skills.
I'm offering to help you build skills that will put you on the path to a real job.
Possibly with me.
In my shop.
Those looking for a build-your-own-guitar course need not apply.
That being said, you'll be able to build your own guitar.
That's just not the point.
The focus of this training will be on instrument repair.
You will learn how various musical instruments work, the stress they're under, and how they break.
Then you'll learn how to fix them.
You'll learn hand-tool skills.
You'll learn inspection skills.
You'll learn machine tool skills.
You'll learn business and people skills.
You'll develop new problem solving skills.
Along the way, you'll learn everything from setups and wiring to structural repairs.
And eventually, you'll have a large enough skill toolkit that you could build whatever you want, if that's your deal.
"But Nate, isn't this information available on YouTube?"
Yep, a lot of it is.
It's scattered about, without a common thread or core philosophy linking it all together.
To make matters worse, anyone in the world can upload a video to YouTube.
How do you know if the information is correct?
I've been doing this work since 2011, in both guitar construction and instrument repair.
Not only can I teach you what to do, I can teach you what not to do.
And I think that's actually more helpful.
I'd also like to point out something I touched on earlier: a core philosophy.
You'll need one if you want to continue doing this work for a long time.
That might seem weird or woo-woo, but it's not.
You don't like your job because you don't have a good enough reason to do it.
You don't like your job because there's no solid philosophy.
You need a reason to continue moving forward.
We'll spend time on this, because it's important.
"Is this free?"
No.
Far from it, actually.
"My dad's friend built a guitar once, and he'll teach me for free."
Cool.
Go for it.
I've only built a few dozen.
I've only worked on a few thousand.
We're probably not a good fit.
"Couldn't I learn this at (insert school here)?"
Yeah, you could hear or read a lot of it at a school.
Maybe even a little bit more.
But will you learn it?
Any good lutherie school will recommend getting an apprenticeship afterward.
Any good lutherie school will recommend starting in someone else's shop.
Any good lutherie school will recommend learning on the job.
Maybe you've already read some books, watched some videos, or even taken a class.
I went to a lutherie school as well, and entered the real world of lutherie completely clueless.
My apprenticeship and subsequent work in high-volume repair shops gave me the real knowledge.
And just like me, you'll do your actual learning in the real world, dealing with real problems.
"How long does this training take?"
As far as the calendar goes, that's up to you.
I'm only concerned about the number of hours in the shop.
And if you're the right fit, you'll learn a lot of helpful stuff in 400 hours.
If you've got an open schedule, you could accomplish all of this in 2 or 3 months.
If you're pretty committed in other areas of your life, it'll take longer.
Think about what you can reasonably commit to.
You've got a lot of control in this.
That's a good thing.
"What opportunities does this training actually provide?"
Valid question.
If you're a good fit, you'll get a job offer.
From me.
If you see yourself living somewhere else, like the big city, I'll vouch for you.
I've got plenty of connections in the lutherie world at this point.
If this is your launchpad out of town, I'm on your team.
"How much does this training cost?"
Like my instrument repair services, this training is not fast.
Like my instrument repair services, this training is not cheap.
Your 400 hours of firsthand training in a real-world repair shop will cost $20,000.
"How do I apply?"
Send me an email.
Tell me a little about yourself.
Let me know whatever you think would be helpful.
Share some goals, experience, interests, etc.
Subject line: LONGTERM
I'm only taking on one person in 2024.
I reserve the right to deny anyone (and everyone) if the right fit isn't found.
Passionate about musical instruments and the people who play them?
Looking for a job where you can feel autonomous and creative, while always encountering fresh challenges?
Are you tired of having a wage ceiling imposed on you by a corporate boss?
Sick of sitting in front of a computer, reading a script, or following nonsensical procedures?
Do you feel like your efforts would be better spent elsewhere, helping people to make music and connect with each other?
If you were thinking "YES" while reading the above questions, this might be a path worth considering.
I'm opening up ONE space in my shop for an aspiring luthier.
Yep, just one.
I'm not looking to train a hobbyist.
This is true hands-on training, with a focus on real-world skills.
I'm offering to help you build skills that will put you on the path to a real job.
Possibly with me.
In my shop.
Those looking for a build-your-own-guitar course need not apply.
That being said, you'll be able to build your own guitar.
That's just not the point.
The focus of this training will be on instrument repair.
You will learn how various musical instruments work, the stress they're under, and how they break.
Then you'll learn how to fix them.
You'll learn hand-tool skills.
You'll learn inspection skills.
You'll learn machine tool skills.
You'll learn business and people skills.
You'll develop new problem solving skills.
Along the way, you'll learn everything from setups and wiring to structural repairs.
And eventually, you'll have a large enough skill toolkit that you could build whatever you want, if that's your deal.
"But Nate, isn't this information available on YouTube?"
Yep, a lot of it is.
It's scattered about, without a common thread or core philosophy linking it all together.
To make matters worse, anyone in the world can upload a video to YouTube.
How do you know if the information is correct?
I've been doing this work since 2011, in both guitar construction and instrument repair.
Not only can I teach you what to do, I can teach you what not to do.
And I think that's actually more helpful.
I'd also like to point out something I touched on earlier: a core philosophy.
You'll need one if you want to continue doing this work for a long time.
That might seem weird or woo-woo, but it's not.
You don't like your job because you don't have a good enough reason to do it.
You don't like your job because there's no solid philosophy.
You need a reason to continue moving forward.
We'll spend time on this, because it's important.
"Is this free?"
No.
Far from it, actually.
"My dad's friend built a guitar once, and he'll teach me for free."
Cool.
Go for it.
I've only built a few dozen.
I've only worked on a few thousand.
We're probably not a good fit.
"Couldn't I learn this at (insert school here)?"
Yeah, you could hear or read a lot of it at a school.
Maybe even a little bit more.
But will you learn it?
Any good lutherie school will recommend getting an apprenticeship afterward.
Any good lutherie school will recommend starting in someone else's shop.
Any good lutherie school will recommend learning on the job.
Maybe you've already read some books, watched some videos, or even taken a class.
I went to a lutherie school as well, and entered the real world of lutherie completely clueless.
My apprenticeship and subsequent work in high-volume repair shops gave me the real knowledge.
And just like me, you'll do your actual learning in the real world, dealing with real problems.
"How long does this training take?"
As far as the calendar goes, that's up to you.
I'm only concerned about the number of hours in the shop.
And if you're the right fit, you'll learn a lot of helpful stuff in 400 hours.
If you've got an open schedule, you could accomplish all of this in 2 or 3 months.
If you're pretty committed in other areas of your life, it'll take longer.
Think about what you can reasonably commit to.
You've got a lot of control in this.
That's a good thing.
"What opportunities does this training actually provide?"
Valid question.
If you're a good fit, you'll get a job offer.
From me.
If you see yourself living somewhere else, like the big city, I'll vouch for you.
I've got plenty of connections in the lutherie world at this point.
If this is your launchpad out of town, I'm on your team.
"How much does this training cost?"
Like my instrument repair services, this training is not fast.
Like my instrument repair services, this training is not cheap.
Your 400 hours of firsthand training in a real-world repair shop will cost $20,000.
"How do I apply?"
Send me an email.
Tell me a little about yourself.
Let me know whatever you think would be helpful.
Share some goals, experience, interests, etc.
Subject line: LONGTERM
I'm only taking on one person in 2024.
I reserve the right to deny anyone (and everyone) if the right fit isn't found.
