All Discussions Tagged 'getting' - FRETS.NET2024-03-29T06:02:58Zhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=getting&feed=yes&xn_auth=noNewbie luthiertag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-07-19:2177249:Topic:1487582015-07-19T00:53:45.225ZChristopher Lavertyhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/ChristopherLaverty
<p>Hello woodworkers, musicians, luthiers, and the like.<br></br><br></br>My name is Chris, and I'm an aspiring luthier. I've always loved music and guitars, but over the past few years I've come to realize that luthiery is something that I really want to do for a living. Though I've done a lot of research on the subject, I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about field or business of luthiery. I DO, however, know what I'm willing to give up to reach my goal. That said, there's no doubt in my…</p>
<p>Hello woodworkers, musicians, luthiers, and the like.<br/><br/>My name is Chris, and I'm an aspiring luthier. I've always loved music and guitars, but over the past few years I've come to realize that luthiery is something that I really want to do for a living. Though I've done a lot of research on the subject, I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about field or business of luthiery. I DO, however, know what I'm willing to give up to reach my goal. That said, there's no doubt in my mind that I'm meant to be a luthier. Whether I'll be any good is to be seen, but I have my goals set high and I'm willing to work hard for them.</p>
<p><br/>Now that my childish dreams are exposed, I'd like to ask for any advice from you old and/or you not-so-old pros in regards to getting myself started as luthier. As it stands now, I've got no experience under my belt. I've taken apart and put back together one of my guitars several times, but I know that that's not really any kind of feat. I'm currently working on finishing one of those cheap DIY guitar kits you can get on eBay, but since those are very pre-fabbed, I'm not really learning as much as I'd like from it (which is fine considering I just bought it to start practicing painting/lacquering anyway).<br/><br/>I want to find a place where I can really study and get feedback from professionals, but I currently can't afford a school and I live in an area sans any decent access to resources for luthiery. What are some options into which I can look?<br/><br/>There's only one luthier within a reasonable distance from where I live. I've thought about asking him if I could apprentice under him, but I'm not sure if it would be particularly couth to ask a working man to donate his time to an endeavor with little or no return. Is there any harm in asking? If not, how can I approach him in a respectful way and let him know that I'm willing to work in exchange for an education? What can/should I offer in return for his time? Should I get some more experience with building/repairing instruments before I ask, or can I just jump right in the deep end and go for it?<br/><br/></p>
<p>Thanks for whatever advice you guys have. Cheers!</p>