Folk Futures - Instrument Making with Rob Spiece

Class Description:

Over six days, we’ll build a unique dulcimer or tenor guitar from the ground up. Starting with raw materials, we’ll glue up neck blanks and book-match tops – steam bend sides and make all the parts necessary for a beautiful and functional folk instrument.

While we’ll be working in a similar design framework, each instrument will be unique based on material selection and detailing.

I’ve been a musician since I was a teenage punk and a furniture maker for the past twenty years. Over the past year I’ve had enormous fun sticking those two disciplines together – borrowing from each to make some weird little stringed instruments. Over this week, I’ll share what I’ve learned.

This course is open to all skill levels, though a basic understanding of woodworking principles will allow you to get more from this class. If you are brand new to woodworking, I’d highly recommend joining us for Woodworking FUNdamentals or Foundations of Furniture Making. We’ll be starting these instruments with pre-milled materials and I want to be sure students understand the process of producing accurately milled parts. We won’t have time to explore this process in depth during the week.

Listed Cost ( $ 1500 )
All costs are included in this payment. Tuition, materials, daily lunches, snacks & drinks, and Eventbrite fees.

There will be some specialized tooling required to participate in this class. Specialty clamps, a saw for cutting fret slots, and files for dressing frets. Altogether, expect this tool kit to cost around $100.