Things to do · Arts and crafts
Build your own guitar on a course
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On a guitar-making course you shape every part of the instrument yourself, from choosing the wood to fitting the nut and putting on the strings. The work is mostly done with hand tools, and you go home with a guitar you can play.
ModerateOver £500 / $650MonthsIndoorsWith othersUK and US
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What it's really like
At the Totnes School of Guitarmaking in Devon, students spend twelve weeks making every part of one instrument, working mainly with hand tools and small power tools where they help. The last two weeks are given over to finishing. The school says that even students who have barely held a chisel before usually manage the tools without great difficulty.
West Dean College in West Sussex takes a different approach, with nine-day courses in small groups, plus starting-or-finishing courses taught mostly one to one. The college reckons a guitar takes about 100 hours and may need more than two courses, so many students carry on at home between visits. On its starting-or-finishing course you might sharpen tools, make moulds and prepare the tonewood, or, at the other end, French polish the body, cut a bone nut and saddle and string it up. West Dean marks some instruments, including the ukulele, as simpler first projects.
In the US, the Guild of American Luthiers keeps a directory of schools. It ranges from eight-day courses in which you build a flat-top acoustic, to a two-week summer course building a parlor (small-bodied) guitar at the Augusta Heritage Center in West Virginia, to full-time programmes lasting months. The John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina runs instrument-making classes covering everything from an Appalachian dulcimer to a Telecaster-style electric guitar.
Ways in and what they cost
| Provider | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Totnes School of Guitarmaking, Devon | Twelve weeks full time, one instrument built; intakes in January, May and September | £6,100 tuition (September 2026 to May 2027 intakes), plus materials budgeted at £495 |
| West Dean College, West Sussex | Nine-day courses in small groups, plus starting-or-finishing courses taught mostly one to one; a guitar may take more than two courses | Course fee not shown on the page; guide timber cost £285 for a classical guitar or £310 for an acoustic, with strings, machine heads and finishes extra |
| Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, Phoenix, Arizona | Five months full time (880 hours); at least two guitars, an acoustic and an electric guitar or bass | $12,950 (spring 2027); students bring their own tools |
Totnes estimates lodging with a local family at about £180 a week if you need somewhere to stay. Roberto-Venn runs a three-day tool-use seminar just before the semester begins for students with little or no woodworking experience.
How to start
- Decide how much time you have: a full-time course of several months, or a run of nine-day courses that you can spread out.
- Contact the school before booking, say what woodworking you have done, and ask which instrument suits a first build; some schools steer beginners to a ukulele or a simpler guitar.
- Ask what the materials will cost on top of the fee, and which hand tools you are expected to bring.
Where to go
- Totnes School of Guitarmaking: dates and fees (Devon) UK
- West Dean College: guitars, starting or finishing projects (West Sussex) UK
- Guild of American Luthiers: lutherie schools and classes in the USA US
- John C. Campbell Folk School: instrument making classes (North Carolina) US
- Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery: guitar making and repair course (Arizona) US
We opened these links on 12 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Questions people ask
How long does it take to build a guitar on a course?
Totnes builds one instrument in a twelve-week full-time course. West Dean says a guitar takes about 100 hours and may need more than two of its nine-day courses.
Do I need woodworking experience to build a guitar?
Not necessarily. The Totnes school says students who have barely used a chisel usually cope well, and West Dean asks you to contact the college before booking if you are starting a new instrument or are new to these courses.
How much does a guitar making course cost?
As last listed, Totnes charged £6,100 for twelve weeks plus about £495 for materials, and Roberto-Venn in Arizona charged $12,950 for five months. West Dean lists timber for a guitar at £285 to £310.
Is a ukulele easier to build than a guitar?
West Dean marks the ukulele as one of its simpler first instruments, with a guide timber cost of £110.
Where this comes from: Totnes School of Guitarmaking, Dates and fees; Totnes School of Guitarmaking, Course details; West Dean College, Musical instrument making – classical or steel strung acoustic guitars; West Dean College, Guitars: starting or finishing projects; Guild of American Luthiers, Schools, classes and individual instruction (USA); John C. Campbell Folk School, Instrument making; Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, Guitar making and repair course. Opened 12 November 2026.
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