Making A Guitar With William Cumpiano

Learn to Build a Guitar with William Cumpiano

Little or no woodworking experience is necessary to create your first guitar—just patience and an open mind. I have taught people of all ages, of all levels of experience—and all have emerged surprised and delighted with the instrument they've taken home.

Teaching Format

2 week Session, one on one: During this one-on-one course, you will watch me work on a guitar I'm making for my own shop and you follow along on your own guitar in a step by step fashion. We can both work on a classic, steel string, cuatro or requinto guitar: it's your choice.

Course Curriculum

Assembling the guitar from dimensioned materials. Extensive discussions on guitar acoustics, history, design and technology are included.

During the 2 week session, you will create a completed, strung up—but not lacquered—guitar in two weeks from dimensioned and partly-shaped materials furnished by me (or obtained elsewhere by you). You can then take the completed "in the white" instrument home to finish or have it professionally finished at an extra charge.

Materials

I can supply the � materials for your instrument at an additional cost of $400 to $800 or more, depending on materials and fittings selected. You can bring your own case or purchase one from me at cost. During registration, I will send you a list of basic material costs and available tonewood, hardware and case upgrades.

Location

Instructor	William Cumpiano
Location	North Hampton, MA
Class size	individual
Style of Instrument	Acoustic nylon or steel string, cuatro or requinto guitar
Duration	2 weeks
Contact	website

My shop is located in Western Massachusetts, in the small city of Northampton, which is a half hour's drive from Springfield, Massachusetts, (the state's third largest city) and one hour's drive North on I-91 from Hartford, Connecticut.

Northampton is a beautiful New England college town (Smith College, with Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and UMass nearby). With great restaurants, a lively nightlife and a lot of top live-music acts coming through town; it has been awarded the title of "best small town for the arts in America" for two years running in John Villani’s book The 100 Best Art Towns in America