This is a week long instrument building experience that is centered around the weissenborn style instrument. You will work along side me to build your own weiss. This course is centered around the weissenborn instrument, but the techniques covered during this week can also be applied to any acoustic instrument construction. Things such as; choosing the right pieces of wood, bracing, tap tuning, side bending, rosettes/bindings and basic finishing techniques are all integral parts of any acoustic instrument construction. I’ve built over 150 weissenborns and I’m excited to be able to teach people this wonderful craft.

I'm also thinking of offering this class in 2 long weekend sessions instead of the 6 day straight workshop. This may work better for most folks. So let me know if this would work better for you and I'll try and set up schedules with the other 2 people. My schedule is very flexible so let me know what timeframes you have in Sept/Oct and I'll make it work.

Lodging is included in the price and Spouses are welcome.

Here’s a tentative construction schedule:

Day 1- Wood Choice. Rosette cutting. Side bending. Cutting the headstock/tail blocks and kerfing. Cutting out braces. Gluing the sides to the blocks. Gluing Kerfing.

Day 2- Glue up day. Gluing the braces to the top and back. Chiseling and scalloping the top and back braces. Tap tuning the top. Sanding and finishing the top

Day 3 – Gluing top and back to the sides. Choose binding and bend binding. Rout the channels for the binding. Glue binding. Gap filling (if any).

Day 4- Sand smooth. Spray 3 coats of shellac. Meanwhile Begin fretboards /headplates /bridges. Light sand shellac. If possible Spray the first 2 coats of lacquer.

Day 5- Sand. Spray 3 coats of satin lacquer while finishing the fretboards/headplates /bridges. Glue headplate and fretboard. Shellac headplate while gluing on the bridge. Spray satin lacquer on the headplate.

Day 6- String up day. Install tuning machines, bridge pins. Make and slot the bone nut. String up, tune up and ENJOY.

This will be an intense week of learning and gratifying work. You will be doing most of the work, I’ll be building one right along side. So I’ll be able to demonstrate the upcoming task. I will use the main (dangerous tools) such as the big bandsaw, the planer and the thickness sander. I like to tell students that there is no experience required and this is true for the most part. Of course the more experience the better. However, if you can hold and use a chisel and use sandpaper then I think you’ll be fine.