# where did you learn?



## High Skool Artist (Dec 1, 2007)

im thinking about going to summit colege in bc for luthier school, is there a luthier school a little closer to northernish ontario, where did you learn to be a luthier, at colege, university or aprenticeship?


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## Lowtones (Mar 21, 2006)

Trial & error


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Try www.dejongeguitars.com 

One of my favourite young builders did Sergei's course and does a fantastic job.

Peace, Mooh.


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## guitarmaker (Feb 25, 2008)

*Luthiers,where did you learn?*

I have been making and repairing guitars [archtops,solids,semi -hollow,etc.] for thirty one years.Until the end of Febuary '08,I taught guitar-making at a college near Montreal. I am thinking about setting up my own school and it will probably be located in southern Ontario.I have not decided on the exact location yet.
I am self-taught as there were not that many schools when I started and it was more or less the blind leading the blind.
Cheers
Guitarmaker


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

dejonge has an excellent reputation.. i know one person who studied with him, and he certainly knows what he's talking about.

lado is an excellent craftsman with real old-world skills, and that's hard to find today. his guitar designs don't appeal to me, but they are definitely well constructed.. $12,000 dollars though.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Lowtones said:


> Trial & error


Hey, thats where I went too! WHat year you graduate? :smile:

AJC

PS growing up in a wood shop didnt hurt my skills, but hands on is the ONLY way to learn. Buy a book, start cutting wood and make something. Then make it again, better. Eventually you figure out what works and what doesnt - for you.

Or, spend a ton of money and go to school, if you have that opportunity. But, building a (one) guitar ina luthier school will not make you a luthier. You need to accumulate a lot of practice. Lots of practice makes perfect! 

AJC


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## radapaw (Jan 10, 2007)

I did the course with Sergei DeJonge. It was a fantastic experience for me, and really demystified things that I'd figured were just done with black magic and a dead chicken on the 3rd full moon after easter. 

He's worked with SO many great canadian luthiers too, :smilie_flagge17: (larrivee, manzer, laskin) so there is a lot to be learned when just munching away on Devora's fine cookin' too. To boot all his kids (and inlaws) build, so they have a lot to offer as far as helping students in little pinches, and in rolling their eyes back with a little smile when Sergei gets a little lost in luthier-dom. 

The stuff coming out of the shop is just crazy nice, and seriously humbling while banging your head against your first.


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## Lowtones (Mar 21, 2006)

Never under estimate the importance of a dead chicken on the third full moon after Easter.


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## Lab123 (May 27, 2007)

Lowtones said:


> Never under estimate the importance of a dead chicken on the third full moon after Easter.


Damn...I knew the secret was going to get out.........Now watch out for piles of dead chickens every third full moon after Easter


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