International course in Spanish guitar making
One of the very few available ways to learn the art of guitar making from start to finish in Spain. They are highly intensive one month courses held in the workshop of Stephen Hill, one of Europe’s top makers with 25 years of guitar making experience, (see more about Stephen and his life as a maker) and 15 years of teaching. Stephen has worked with apprentices and students who have become guitar makers themselves. Read more on their experiences. see some photos of the courses.
Stephen’s style of making has evolved greatly since 1985 when he first started making guitars.
Stephen comments:
My first instrument was a 6 course lute made from a kit on the kitchen table, bending the staves using a steam box connected to a kettle. The second instrument was a classical guitar that was made in about 5 different locations and as many countries as I travelled around Europe, working in Italy and Germany.
I bent the sides over a wood burning stove pipe, bare chested and sweating away for hours. Luckily m skills and knowledge have improved since those early heady days!
Finally settling in the UK after a tour of Spain, I spent about 6 years working in isolation developing my ideas and experiences and this has helped me develop a sense of style and uniqueness in my guitars. I also spent time in some spanish workshops that helped me to understand why we do processes in a certain way.
My approach is of simplicity and fluency, making use of simple jigs to give more control in the working of components. I use power tools; sanders, routers, bandsaws, drill presses as they save time but there comes a point where the human hand has to make contact with the timber, adding a human 'vibration' to the molecules. This I believe helps form part of the identity and quality of the guitar and sets it apart from mass production.
Timber selection is very important and wood should be well dried and stable, having gone through some seasons and climate changes to reach stability. I have stocks of dry timber that my students use, perhaps one notch down from the master grade timbers I use but great still with plenty of quality and tonal possibilities.
The guitars we make are to my pattern and internal design but we also follow the spanish tradition quite closely. However there is always room for a few personal ideas!
Finally, I would say that making a guitar can be a life changing event for some, highly challenging, needing commitment and perseverence but in the end, a wonderfully rewarding experience and often , a great deal of fun!
The dates for the guitar making courses to be held in 2010 are set:
Thursday 23 September to 22 October - one last place available
We will also run a course in May 2011. Please enquire
September-Friday 22 October- FULL
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