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Course Outlines

Effective date: November 13, 2024

(We update this list to add the newly filmed content every few weeks.)

 

Course Outline: Master's Guitar Repair Luthier Course

The Master's Guitar Repair Luthier Course has 3 Curriculum Modules.

*If you enroll into the Guitar Repair Technician Course, Module 3 is not included. 

MODULE 1- Core Curriculum teaches basic core repairs you will need to master in order to understand and begin the more advanced level of repairs. The curriculum in Section 1 is designed to give you a solid foundation to the repairs you would be doing on a day to day basis. You cannot do a flawless refret, if the end Setup is subpar. 

 

 MODULE 2- Business Section is an optional resource we added for students that want to take their Luthier career to the next level. Whether you want to open your own storefront or make a home workshop open to the public, we will guide you through all the steps to start your business. From filing a business formation / LLC to getting a resale license and vendor accounts. This section is packed with lessons to begin a repair shop or even a full music store. Since this is a bonus section, you will not have to complete the material to receive your certifications. You will not find any other Luthier School teaching the business side to Guitar Repair Lutherie.

 

In MODULE 3 (only included in the Master's Course)- Weekly Lessons  Here you will find the more advanced repair lessons. These are filmed in real time so you to see every second of the repair. No editing! This gives you a better understanding not only of the actual repair in real time, but also what it is like to be in a shop day to day. You can see exactly how much time it would take to do the repair on an experienced level. This will help when you begin to price out your repairs to your clients and also manage your turnaround timeframe for your clients. We also want to share with you things that may go wrong during a repair so you can learn how to trouble shoot issues. If we did a repair and edited out all of the real that could go wrong during a repair, you miss out on the unpredictability of Lutherie. And you don't learn all that you really could learn from a repair job. We want you to learn every part of Lutherie. The live lessons are posted to the student portal the next day so you can access them at any point and review as often as you like. You can even go back and look at lessons we filmed before you enrolled.We have hundreds of these lessons already in the library with more added every month. You never stop learning at Southeast Guitar Repair Academy!

 



MODULE 1: Core Curriculum Lessons

Preschool

  1. Sighting Necks
  2. Checking Braces
  3. Using Feeler Gauges
  4. Checking Electronics
  5. Barrett's "Ballpark Intonation"
  6. Scale Length & Contact Point
  7. Measuring
  8. DIY Cheater Box
  9. DIY Shop Bag

 Elementary

  1. Acoustic Restring
  2. Electric (Stratocaster) Restring
  3. Classical Restring
  4. Strap Button Installation

Middle School

  1. Classical Guitar Setup
  2. Electric (Gretsch) Guitar Setup
  3. Bass Guitar Setup
  4. Electric (Stratocaster) Guitar Setup
  5. Acoustic Guitar Setup
  6. Floyd Rose Style Guitar Setup
  7. Ukulele Setup
  8. Locking Tuners
  9. Banjo Setup
  10. Floyd Parts Explained
  11. Live Floyd Rose Setup
  12. Blocking A Trem

High School

  1. Hand Carved Bone Nut Bass Guitar
  2. Hand Carved Bone Nut Electric Guitar 
  3. Acoustic Hand Carved Bone Nut
  4. Acoustic Hand Carved Bone Saddle
  5. Compensated Bone Saddle
  6. 12 String Nut

 University

  1. Fret Dresses 

   2. Fret Soften

   3. Fall Off Fret Dress

 

 

 

MODULE 3: Weekly Lessons

Each week we film a repair in live time. Some repairs will last over a few weeks. We also have Q & A Sessions with the instructor each month. 

Current Lessons:

6-3-21 - Acoustic Pickguard Removal & Replacement

6-10-21- Using Your Measuring Tools

6-17-21- Brace Repair Acoustic Guitar

6-23-21- Testing Pickups

7-1-21- Hand Carved Bone Nut Fender Telecaster 

7-8-21 - Level Sand, Buff & Polish Finish (Headstock)

7-15-21 - Martin Binding Repair (Satin Finish guitar)

7-22-21 - Martin Refret Step 1 Removing Frets

7-26-21 - Martin Refret Step 2

8-4-21 - Martin Refret Step 3 Prepping Fret Wire

8-14-21 Hand Carved Heel Cap Martin Guitar

8-21-21 - Refret Step 4 Installing New Frets Part 1

8-21-21- Refret Step 4 Installing New Frets Part 2

8-26-21 Martin Refret Step 5 Fret Dress Part 1

8-26-21 Martin Refret Step 5 Fret Dress Part 2

9-2-21 Bridge Reset Step 1 Remove Bridge Part 1

9-2-21 Bridge Reset Step 1 Remove Bridge Part 2

9-3-21 Refret Martin Step 6 Bone Nut & Setup Part 1

9-3-21 Refret Martin Step 6 Bone Nut & Setup Part 2.

9-17-21 Q & A Session- Assessing A Guitar 

9-23-21 Bound Refret Step 1 Removing The Frets

9-29-21 Bound Refret Step 2 Plane Fingerboard & Cut/ Clean Fret Slots

10-8-21 Bound Refret Step 3 Nip The Tang/ Prep The Frets

10-8-21 Bound Refret Step 4 Installing New Frets

10-9-21 Bound Refret Step 5 Nip & Bevel The Frets

10-14-21 Humidification For Severe Structural Repair

10-21-21 Acoustic Pickup Install LR Baggs Anthem SL

10-28-21 Neck Heel Separation on a Martin Guitar. 

11-3-21 Neck Break Completely Separated Step 1

11-11-21 Maple Unbound Refret Step 1 Removing Frets

11-18-21 Maple Unbound Refret Step 2 Level the fingerboard, Raise the grain, stain for finish prep.

11-23-21 Maple Refret Step 3 Prepping & Pre- Finishing 

12-3-21 Bridge Doctor Install

12-9-21 Maple Refret Step 4 Cutting & prepping fret slots

12-16-21 Maple Refret Step 5 Installing the frets Ruberband Technique

12-17-21 Martin Binding Wood Glue Technique

12-21-21 Martin Binding Splicing in Missing Piece of Binding

12-30-21 Repotting Vintage Pickups

1-6-22 Headstock Break- Touchup Crack Prep

1-14-22 Bridge Reset- Clean & Prep for Bridge Attachment 

1-21-22 Bridge Reset- Dry Clamp & Final Glue Attachment

1-27-22 Maple Refret Step 6- Nip & Bevel the Edges

2-3-22 Prepping Touched Up Headstock Crack for finish Work

2-11-22 Headstock Break Staining & Color Spray


2-18-22 Pickup Install Electric Guitar

2-24-22 Crack Repair Acoustic Guitar Step 1

3-4-22 Crack Repair Acoustic Guitar Step 2 Installing Cleat

3-11-22 Bridge Shave

3-17-22 Heat Treat Part 1

3-17-22 Heat Treat Part 2

3-24-22 Maple Refret Step 7 Level Sanding Finish

3-31-22 Bridge Reset Standard Bridge

4-8-22 Maple Refret Step Step 9 Leveling & Buffing Lacquer Edge

4-14-22 Shielding A Cavity

4-21-22 Maple Refret Step 10  Final Touches

4-21-22 Make Your Own Shop Bags

4-28-22 Lifting Inlay Repair

5-3-22 Pickup Leads Explained

5-5-22 Checking in a Client's  Acoustic Guitar 

5-12-22 Fret Soften / Fret Sprouts

5-20-22 Safety

5-27-22 Tele Bridge Options

5-27-22 Checking in an Electric or Bass Guitar

6-1-22 Pickup Leads

6-3-22 Soldering Techniques

6-15-22 Neck Heel Seperation Technique

6-17-22 Rewrap Banjo Head Part 1

6-22-22 Locking Tuners

6-24-22 Rewrap Banjo Head Part 2 

7-1-22 Headstock Break Martin Step 1

7-1-22 Luthier Tip- Tuners

7-13-22 Neck Pitch/ Shims

7-14-22 Neck Reset Part 1

7-22-22 Testing Pot Values with Multimeter

7-27-22 Martin Binding Super Glue Technique Part 1

7-27-22 Martin Binding Technique Part 2

7-27-22 Neck Reset Step 2 Part 1

7-27-2 Neck Reset Step 2 Part 2

8-2-22 Plate Saver Install F Hole Guitar

8-5-22 Super Glue Cleanup Buff & Polish (Not for Satin / Matte guitars)

8-9-2 Headstock Break Martin Part 2

8-12-22 Neck Reset Step 3

8-18-22 Martin Serial Number Plate 

8-31-22 Trus Rod Washer & Plug Replacement

9-6-22 Dowel Holes under bridge

9-13-22 Martin Badge Plate Reinstall

9-20-22 Neck Reset Step 4

9-22-22 Fall Off Fret Dress

9-22-22 Check Electric, Fender Warranty Replace Pot & Volume Pot

9-25-22 Block the Trem

9-27-22 Brace Repair Using Properly sized Dowel

9-30-22 Acoustic Center Back Strip Re-Install

10-7-22 Acoustic Belly Ache

10-7-22 Inner workings of a Potentiometer 

10-13-22 Brush On Lacquer Touch-Up

10-14-22 Removing Bridge Studs with Leverage

10-22-22 Extreme Fingerboard Cleanup

10-29-22 Acoustic Broken Bridge Repair

11-2-22 Mindy shares the POS System we use

11-10-22 3 Corner File Tip

11-12-22 GluBost Touchup Repair

11-17-22 K&K Pickup Install on a Guitarlele

11-23-22 Ukulele Setup & Loose Battery Secured

12-2-22 Martin Headstock Break Step 3

12-10-22 Re-securing an End Pin Jack

12-17-22 Acoustic Pickup Install Fishman Matrix Infinity Style

12-22-22 Floyd Rose Explained

12-28-22 Finished Martin Headstock Break Play Test

12-30-22 Scuff Sanding the Back of the Neck for Speed

1-6-23 Full EMG Rewire

1-17-23 Floyd Rose Setup Part 1

1-19-23 Floyd Rose Setup Part 2

1-19-23 Floyd Rose Setup Part 3

1-27-23 Banjo Setup

2-1-23 Repairing an Acoustic Bass Bridge Crack Part 1

2-9-23 Repairing an Acoustic Bass Bridge Crack Part 2

2-21-23 Polishing Frets

2-22-23 Acoustic Bass Setup

2-28-23 Modifying your Crowning File

3-4-23 Checking in and assessing 2 client guitars

3-10-23 Martin Refret Step 1 Scoring & removing the nut & removing the frets

3-18-23 Martin Refret Step 2 Planing fingerboard & cutting fret slots

3-23-23 A tip on wire for rewires

3-24-23 Martin Refret Step 3 Prepping the fretwire & installing the frets

3-30-23 Martin Refret Step 4 Nip & Bevel the edges

3-30-23 What is the education & Career path for a luthier

3-30-23 Soldering jack & techniques

4-6-23 Closer Look at Classical Strings

4-13-23 Refret Step 5

4-22-23 Telecaster Full Rewire

4-28-23 Stratocaster Full Rewire

5-5-23 Using the Fret Kisser Tool

5-5-23 Binding Tip

5-13-23 Drilling Out A Neck Heel For Bolt On Neck

5-17-23 Ripped Off Bridge Reset

5-24-34 Heat Treatment Acoustic Bridge

5-31-23 Fingerboard Binding Repair

6-10-23 Dot Inlay Installation

6-15-23 Battery Terminal Rewire

6-21-23 Tuner Repair

6-29-23 Installation & Removal of a Humbucker Cover

7-6-23 String Tree Installation

7-8-23 Magnet Trick Tracing Cavity

7-13-23 Classical Bone Saddle when you have no existing saddle to use

7-22-23 Doweling Holes

7-28-23 Soldering in Pickups to 3 way toggle switch 

8-3-23 High Speed buff on electric guitar

8-11-23 3 Way Switch Replacement

8-17-23 String Spacing for a 12 String guitar nut

8-18-23 Steaming out Divots in raw wood

8-24-23 Neck Reset Final Step

9-1-23 Deepen a Pickup Route

9-7-23 Ovation Crack Reverse Clamp

9-14-23 Bass Thumbrest Install

9-15-23 Using a Centering Rule

9-21-23 Routing Templates & Placement

9-28-23 Route for a Pickup

10-5-23 Rewire Volume Pot on a Grounding Plate (Les Paul)

10-12-23 Wiring in a Push Pull for a Coil Tap

10-18-23 Modify Martin Pickguard (New model, warranty issue)

10-28-23 Pattern Sanding

11-2-23 Neck Relief Tip

11-11-23 Side Dot Install

11-16-23 Abrasive Chord

11-21-23 Brace Repair F Hole Guitar

11-28-23 String Tree Bar Install

12-9-23 Advanced Refret Technique

12-15-23 Double Check Setup System

12-28-23 Refinish Tips Headstock Break

12-30-23 Fret Dress Technique Slow Motion

1-2-24 Slotting a Tunematic Bridge

1-9-24 Gibson Trus Rod Rescue

1-23-24 Creating Your Own Shop Tools

1-26-24 End Pin Jack / End Pin Strap Button Install Ream

1-30-24 Dowel Tuner Screw Holes

2-8-24 Checking In A Guitar Shipped To Us & Calling Client

2-15-24 Martin SC13 Setup Tips

2-23-24 Soldering Tips- Phase

2-24-24 Soldering Tips- Switch Middle Dead

2-27-24 Lifting Frets

3-8-24 Hollowbody Output Jack Rewire

3-16-24 Mandolin Setup

3-29-24 Deepen Bridge Saddle Slot

4-12-24 Les Paul Pickguard & Bracket Install

4-19-24 Tool Maintenance- Band Saw

4-27-24 Fender Tremelo System

5-3-24 Martin Binding Technique

5-14-24 Cutting Compensation Into Saddle

5-15-24 Run Bridge Ground In Hollowbody Guitar

5-16-24 Bigsby Install

5-22-24 Banjo 5th String Nut

5-29-24 Tool Modification Fret Puller

6-7-24 Wiring Diagnostics Check Electric On A Bad Wiring Job

6-12-24 Dropped Guitar Side Sheet Crack

6-18-24 Trus Rod Warning

6-28-24 Broken Trus Rod Replacement Step 1 Remove Fingerboard

7-12-24 Broken Trus Rod Replacement Step 2

7-13-24 Scale Length Measuring

7-17-24 Vintage Pot Covers Seized

8-2-24 String Options Discussed & A New Online Tool

8-14-24 Tuner & Ferule Tips

8-31-24 Measuring For Banjo Head

9-3-24 Headstock Break Finish Tips

9-12-24 Make Your Own Humidifiers

9-20-24 Broken Trus Rod Replacement Step 3 

10-4-24 Tooling Up Your Shop Q & A

10-28-24 Dowel Bridge Studs to Install New Tunematic bridge / bridge ground

11-6-24  Placement / Position of Tunematic bridge step 2

11-6-26 Drill for bridge studs

11-12-24 Install Banjo Spikes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Future Lessons will be updated to this Outline List as we advance. 

We will cover:

-Bridge Resets

-Refrets

-Neck Resets

-Electronics Diagnostics

-Rewires (pickup installs, custom wiring jobs, etc)

-Heat Treatments

-Neck Breaks

-Binding Repairs

-Cracks

-Brace Repairs

-Routing

-Rebuilding A Fretboard

-Binding Repairs

And so much more!

 

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