Event Organizer: Specimen Products
Organizer Email: info@specimenproducts.com
Event Phone: 773.489.4830
Event Status: Upcoming
Categories: Guitar Building
Dates and Times:
- January 16 & 17
January 16, 2016 - January 17, 2016
11:00 am - 5:00 pm - March 7, 8 & 9
March 7, 2016 - March 9, 2016
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Available Tickets:
Event Venue: CHICAGO SCHOOL OF GUITAR MAKING
Description: [C]ompleting this workshop will prepare students for the exciting prospect of starting the actual construction of an original design for an electric guitar. The student's main goal in the Guitar Design & Theory workshop is to produce a functional blueprint of an original instrument design. This blueprint will contain all the relevant design parameters needed to construct the instrument in its entirety.
This workshop welcomes both traditionalist and experimentalist. Whether you choose to design a reproduction of a traditional electric guitar or chart new territory, the emphasis will be on designing a supremely-functional and long-lasting instrument of beauty. No drawing skills required.
Schedule
Weekly session from 7pm - 9:30 pm, on the same evening each week, over 3 consecutive weeks.
Weekend course Saturday & Sunday 10 am-5 pm.
Enrollment
Enrollment is limited to 8 students.
Fee
$425 weeknights. $495 weekend session. An early registration discount may apply. Tuition includes lecture/demonstrations, instruction and all class materials.
Registration
Enroll online on this page with a credit card or paypal, or by phone: 773.489.4830, or with a check mailed to us or in person. You will receive a registration confirmation email once we receive payment.
Accommodations
Click Here for a list of nearby places to stay during seminars, along with transportation information.
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WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
In this workshop students create their own functional blueprint on pre-formatted blanks. The drafting techniques explored use traditional pencil and paper on a drafting board.
This workshop is formatted to be part lecture, part demonstration and part hands-on work. In addition to providing a demonstration of drawing a full-scale blueprint, this workshop also includes in-depth lectures intending to educate the student to expertly manipulate every required variable of stringed instrument design.
Lecture topics include:
- design tradition and historic examples
- originality
- aesthetics
- proportion and balance
- ergonomics
- neck pitch, attachment and geometry
- headstock and body design
- truss rod systems and installation
- selecting appropriate materials and hardware
- electronic circuits and control layouts
- carving
- finishing
Workshop Materials and Supplies
A variety of blueprint blanks with different scale lengths will be available for maximum diversity. Blueprints are pre-formatted with various scale lengths for guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele or other types of stringed instruments. Each student will receive full-scale blueprint blanks to work with and drafting tools/materials to use in class. Students will enjoy working at specially-designed drafting workbenches. Useful handout materials will also be provided.
Recommended Pre-requisites
Previous experience is not mandatory, however we strongly recommended that students have completed our Setup & Maintenance Course prior to enrollment in this workshop.
Instructor
Ian Schneller Ian is Chief Instructor of Chicago School of Guitar Making, Chief Amp and Instrument Repairs Specialist at Specimen and owner of Specimen Products, Inc. Ian is also a faculty member of the Sculpture Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
STUDENT GALLERY
See photos from previous sessions of our guitar building workshop and our
Student Gallery showcasing students with their finished masterpieces.
How to Register
You can register for any of our classes on-line, by phone, through the mail, or in person. We will send you a confirmation email of your registration once we receive payment.
Register Online
Make your selection of the class dates you wish to attend (and the type of kit if applicable) in
Available Dates column on the upper right of this page and click
ENROLL NOW > Enter the required information and then proceed to pay by clicking the Paypal button where you can pay with either Paypal or a Credit Card.
NOTE: It is NOT necessary to have a Paypal account to use their service:
Registration by Phone: 773.489.4830
If you prefer registering by phone with your credit card:
Please call us at 773.489.4830 and we will complete your registration over the phone. We will send you a confirmation via email, or by snail mail if you prefer.
Register by MAIL with a CHECK
You must first contact us to register to pay by check in the mail.
Please call us at 773.489.4830 to reserve your space in the class. Please print out the registration form and mail it to:
Specimen Products
1240 N. Homan Ave
Chicago, IL 60651 We will email or snail mail your enrollment confirmation upon receipt of your mail-in registration form/payment.
Register in Person
You can come in to the shop during business hours and enroll using cash, your credit card, or a personal check. We’re open Monday through Friday 12 – 7 pm, Saturday 12-5 pm. We are closed on Sundays.
Map our location. Please call us at
773.489.4830 to let us know that you wish to register, so that we can save your space.
