how does one become a luthier?
this is a serious question. i'm tempted to put #askingforafriend but no, i'm really asking for yours truly.
@Iuckyduck I'm not one but have been around enough repair/set-up stores & prepped guitars for live play (different sets for different songs etc) and most people's advice tends to be to go to the music repair store's "how to set up/repair/make your ____ instrument better!" days.
Then network, do some work for small-ish but known musicians, get experienced with more than 6 strings/basses, and make sure you have a workshop space & keep training/attending lessons when you can afford them :)
@Iuckyduck If you can somehow get into being the person who looks after/cleans/re-strings a bands (small/medium/big, whatever) guitars for a tour/section of a tour somewhere that's the single best source of 'oh jeez, this person know's what they're doing cuz they're doing it for people who need their equipment ready @ all times!' n'all, but that depends on your networking/links to venues & bands & friends etc :)
@Iuckyduck It's v. expensive at first if you wanna properly go for it, and you really do need to get down your basic cleaning wood & metal/wiring/knowledge of woodworking/own up to your own flaws with basic DIY, but it's v. learnable and fun after a few years. I only fix my own stuff these days but it cuts down the upkeep costs of your own stringy pals by hundreds of dollars a year.
@OsirisSaline @Iuckyduck also, there's a lot of small businesses that make boutique pedals these days. not sure how saturated the market is, but there'll always be guitar players, you know?
@baerd @kara @OsirisSaline @djsundog thanks for the answers! i already googled my question but i'm getting more interesting and useful answers here. and nobody's trying to sell me anything, which is great!
@Iuckyduck well, the one person I know who is a luthier went to school in...uh, wanna say Arizona, for it
@Iuckyduck you write up a numbered list of your objections to the Church, and nail it to a cathedral door. Oh, that’s “how do I become Luther.”
Sorry... the really cheap shot was irresistible...
@Iuckyduck Oh I deffo assumed you wanted to learn to make violins until I read the thread haha
@bgcarlisle i was curious about how people get into making wooden string instruments. yep, violins are in, definitely!
@Iuckyduck Sometimes local luthiers have "apprenticeship" style programs, that might be worth looking around for. I almost did one when I was younger but then realised I'm really not handy and if I made any instruments they'd probably fall apart.
@Iuckyduck
I believe the luthiers I know began as shop assistants, then apprentices. So I would say lots of time and practice with a mentor.
On the topic of violins you may wish to read:
The violin explained : components, mechanism, and sound by Sir James Beament, as it explains how the violin works acoustically and how the different parts contribute to the whole. It's published by Oxford University Press.
Most of the hobbyists I know started by making cigar box guitars, violins, ukuleles and didley bows. Some amazing work, despite being made of junk.
@Iuckyduck the two people I know who describe themselves as luthiers are both self-taught experimentally, as in they started taking guitars apart and putting them back together for repairs