Anybody here in the guitar trade?

[MetalHeadMat]

And by that I mean fixing or putting together guitars, or hell, even building them from scratch. I'm 16 and this maybe one of the choices I'd love to get into.

There's a music store around here, and I'm going to ask if the technician can give me an apprenticeship there or something.

Mainly what I want to ask is how did you guys get your start, and also do you like what you do?

[MetalHeadMat]

Cmon anyone?

[guitarbumb]

I do alot of pickup installs and setups for people but thats about it when it comes to the guitar trade, Howd i get started word of mouth really been doing it on my guitars forever, then istalled some pickups and did a set up on a friends and he liked it and told some other people and so on..
i have no real training in it or anything just a background in electronics and lots of practice and experience with my own guitars.

[MetalHeadMat]

Thanks for the first response my man, that's mainly half of what I was talking about, how did you get started, like did you buy a crap guitar, crap or nice pickup and try installing it with "Pickup Installing For Dummies"?

[AK47]

With building guitars there is one thing they cant teach and thats talent. There is a guy here who taught himself how to make neck thru guitars and they look better than 90% of the guitars on the market. I think his username is Metalhead82 or something I will go find the thread.

I would find someone like a luthier nearby who is willing to teach you. If you are not good at designing new bodies thats fine just learn how to make traditional stuff first and you will always find work.

[Rsmacker]

Ooooh, I doubt anyone round here fixes or builds guitars, what gave you that idea?

If I can give you a serious piece of advice, it would be: Pick another career!

Trust me, there's not much of a career in fixing guitars. The bloke in the music shop might teach you a few tricks, but he won't show you everything he knows - you would then be in competition for his job. It's not a black art fixing guitars, any monkey can do it once he knows the basics, and if he can't figure it out, he comes on here and asks someone. Not much hope of a glittering career, really, is there? You might be able to keep your head above water, but you will be lucky. Depends on how ambitious and clever you are in life in general. Some people might be able to survive on a few repairs a week, me personally, I like buying Jaguars, so I need something more serious!

If you are talking about building guitars from lumps of wood, forget about the dicksplash in the music store, you need to find a proper luthier. If you are shite hot at woodwork, you might be in with a chance of getting an apprenticeship with him. I would imagine that few youngsters see that through and become luthiers themselves, that really is a skill, an art, and a passion. Not very rock 'n' roll, definitely in the blood.
Even knocking out superstrats for a small firm would mean knowing what you are doing with CNC machines or painting etc., and I'd imagine openings don't come around every day in that business. See if there are any luthiers or small manufacturers in your area and ask what qualifications they require, can't do any harm.

Go and hang out at the music store, drink the bloke's coffee, sweep the floor and nip to the pasty shop for him at lunch time. Don't tell him you want to make a career of it (that competition thing again), just make yourself useful.
That's what I did, many years ago, and it was my way into the business.......but I wouldn't have been able to survive if I'd just stuck to repairing guitars. I did learn some interesting tricks, a few trade secrets, made a few contacts. It saved me a few quid over the years, and I never had to buy my own beer for fixing mates' guitars.

Go and pick up some tips and tricks, have a laugh, and enjoy messing about with your own guitars, or do repairs for your mates. Meanwhile, study for a proper job, and you'll always enjoy picking up guitars. It's different when you see a guitar and think about how you are supposed to pay your mortgage from it. The fun goes right out of it!

[ManInTheBox6]

Do it for yourself, hobby. Buy guitars that are in rough shape and go from there!!! Upgrades, paint, set ups, ect. Can't do worse than what you started with. Do lots of research, tons of information here!!!! Example of some of my work, http://s554.photobucket.com/albums/j...albumview=grid

[AK47]

+1 on pick another career.

Anyways here is the guy here that makes some bad ass guitars.

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84728

[guitarbumb]

Thanks for the first response my man, that's mainly half of what I was talking about, how did you get started, like did you buy a crap guitar, crap or nice pickup and try installing it with "Pickup Installing For Dummies"?

As i mentioned i have a background in electronics so i just stareted with replacing pickups and as i got more interested started expanding trying new things crazy wireing schemes and what not finding out what works and what doesnt.

As for the actuall building of guitars ide get a cheapie that means nothing to you and practice on that or just scrap bits of wood if you want to practice your routing, sanding, shaping and painting.

[guitarbumb]

as a side note i still have a day job repairs are only a hobbie of mine, also check out some local luthiers in your area some offer courses on how to build guitars (for a fee ofcourse) but at the end of them you get a guitar designed and built by you if thats what your after.

[MetalHeadMat]

as a side note i still have a day job repairs are only a hobbie of mine, also check out some local luthiers in your area some offer courses on how to build guitars (for a fee ofcourse) but at the end of them you get a guitar designed and built by you if thats what your after.

What I was thnking of doing in the summer is just saving up a bunch of money, buy some parts from Warmoth, then put it all together.


As for choose another career I honestly don't know what else I would like to do, I'm afraid I'm going to be stuck in some dead end job getting nowhere in my life.

[guitarbumb]

What I was thnking of doing in the summer is just saving up a bunch of money, buy some parts from Warmoth, then put it all together.


As for choose another career I honestly don't know what else I would like to do, I'm afraid I'm going to be stuck in some dead end job getting nowhere in my life.

i assume most people on here like myself are in a job like that and living out our rockstar/luthier dreams on weekends and afterwork hours hoping to oneday get a shot at doing it for a living but for the time being the bills have to get paid.

[MetalHeadMat]

Well what do you do?

[guitarbumb]

Im a service technician, fixing note and coin counters and other money counting things, and as i said i do set ups and pickup installs for cheaper then the guitar shops are doing them in my spare time i also play in several bands. My life is entirely focused on guitar and music all my spare time and money go into them its a passion/ obsession some people dont get it others share it, you just have to ask yourself are you comitted enough to put the hard yards in and keep at doing what you want while working that dead end job or abandon your dreams and just accept what youve got.

[MetalHeadMat]

I know what you mean. I honestly don't know what I should do. It's unfortunately not like in the Sims where you can go to a newspaper and easily get a job
By the way, in metal shop we have this thing that makes little dollar sized metal coin things, it works in the pop machines, does a pop machine measure the weight of the money or something?