DO I REALLY NEED TO SPEND 80 GRAND ON TOOLS?

There are many opinions out there as to what tools you need in order to begin your journey as a luthier (a luthier is someone who builds and repairs stringed instruments). As with any trade, the right tools for the job are necessary to be productive and accurate. Great tools are needed to be an efficient and productive luthier; however, as you will see in this article, it also takes commitment and the ability to improvise. A new luthier can get started on a minimal budget. In fact, most have started their careers with a handful of tools and a lot of ingenuity.

After finding repair to be more satisfying and rewarding, I shifted my career from building to repair in 1996- which makes me a recovering luthier. While I still build a few guitars every year, my main focus is on vintage restoration and repair. So why is a recovering luthier writing this article? Any successful luthier will tell you that in order to be a great builder, you have to be a great repairman. In fact, most independent builders still do repair work to pay the bills between orders. To broaden the perspective on this subject, I called three old friends of mine to get their perspective on what it takes to get started as a luthier.

Tom Ribbecke www.ribbecke.com
Tom has been in the industry since 1972. I had the pleasure of working with him on the Kiso/Ribbecke project. He builds very fine archtops and acoustic basses. He has a great new project called the Halfling (half archtop, half flattop) guitar. Tom had some great advice for those daring souls aspiring to become luthiers:
1. Run! Run as fast as you can! (If you choose to ignore this advice, it's your own fault.)
2. Examine the concept of the word "commitment". You must have an unyielding commitment to excellence. You must never settle for less.
3. There is a Japanese saying- "Perfection is evil; the pursuit of perfection is Godly." Know when to stop and look at the overall project instead of getting hung up on one little detail.
4. "Learn to love this industry." If you don't love something, you'll never truly be committed to it. You need to study it, develop it and always be striving to improve it.
Tom says that his most valuable tool is his brain. You have to be inventive and willing to take a risk. In fact, he has some unique tools and jigs that he has designed for making his own style of tailpieces. It aligns the strings perfectly to the guitar keeping them geometrically correct, yet another reason why his guitars aren't just good; they're excellent.
For a new luthier, Tom recommends an investment of about $3000 for tools and materials. You can buy a kit guitar for anywhere from $325 to $850, all you have to do is put it together. I have included a list of tools and sources at the end of this article as well as a list of resources to buy them.

Michael Lewis
Michael has been in the industry since 1981. Back in early 1990's, Michael was an invaluable source of knowledge and experience for guys like me in the Sacramento Valley Luthier's Guild (SVLG) in Northern California. He builds mandolins, archtop and flattop guitars. I learned several valuable lessons from Michael, like how a dovetail neck joint works, how much to charge for my work and the best way to remember what you know is to teach it to someone else. Here is his advice for a new luthier. 1. "You gotta love it---if your not totally enthused, go find something else to do."
2. Surf the web for luthier resources and tools.
Michael told me his most valuable tool is, " My memory- if I can find it." He uses his measuring tools and bandsaw the most. His strangest tool is a contour gauge that he uses to replicate arches and curves when carving a top, neck or a back. His love for the craft is clearly reflected in the quality of his instruments. Like many other successful luthiers, he makes many of his own jigs and tools.
To get started, Michael recommends checking yard sales, flea markets and estate sales. There is no substitute for training and experience. Joining a luthier's guild is also a great way to learn new techniques.

Lance McCollum
Lance has been a professional luthier since 1994. I knew Lance back in the early 90s when I had my shop in Auburn, California. He was always eager to learn. He is what I call an aggressive innovator. In other words, if you tell him he can't do something, he will rebelliously find a way to do it and make it work perfectly. He was a blast at our Sacramento Valley Luthier's Guild meetings. Lance builds custom flattops. He has some great advice as well:
1. "Learn how to do repairs." This will give you consistent work, a steady clientele and an opportunity to tell your customers, "Oh yeah, I built this."
2. Learn from everyone and every job you do.
Lance's most valuable tools are his chisels, belt sander and buffer. He has a few strange custom saws that he uses for cutting abalone sheets into strips. Lance has developed an incredible bracing system that gives his guitars an excellent dynamic quality. He also recommends that you check the yard sales, flea markets and estate sales for the more common tools and suggests that you'll need to spend $2,000 to $3,000 to get started.

Speaking of tools, here are some suggestions:
Band saw
Drill press
Belt Sander
Air Compressor
HVLP Spray Guns
Air Brush
Palm Sander
Buffer
Chisels & Knives
6-Piece Screwdriver Set
6-Piece Miniature Needle File Set
Precision Scale (Rule)
14-Piece Hex Key Set
10-Piece Nut File Set
String Winder
Cordless Drill
Wire Cutters
Polish Cloth
Fret Files (half round)
Fret Leveling Bar
Straight Edges
Fretting Hammer
Large Flush Cut Dykes
Small Flush Cut Dykes
Fret-Bending Tool
Bag of Buckshot
Hemostats
Alligator Clips
Shop Vac (with brush attachment)
Toothbrush
Soldering Iron
Nut Drivers
X-Acto Knives
Magnifying Lamp
Bi-Fold Mirror
Rope Light
Bridge & Brace Clamps
C-Clamps
Bar Clamps
Vise
Drill and Bits
Guitar Tuner
Humidifier
Safety Glasses

Most of these tools can be found in used condition for little money. The specialty tools for fretwork should be purchased new from a trustworthy source. I recommend the following:
www.stewmac.com (Stewart MacDonald)
www.lmii.com (Luthier's Mercantile)
www.alliedlutherie.com (Allied Lutherie)

The general consensus from those of us "nearly making a living at it" is to:
1. Love it or leave it.
2. Learn from those who can.
3. Be inventive and creative.
4. Learn how to do repairs.
If you are serious about a career in the lutherie arts, there are schools on building like The Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery http://www.roberto-venn.com/ and The American School of Lutherie http://www.americanschooloflutherie.com/. These schools will give you an excellent foundation to get started. I also recommend that you join a luthier's guild. Check out these guilds: www.svlg.com (Sacramento Valley Luthier's Guild)
www.luth.org (Guild of American Luthiers)
www.guitarmaker.org (Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans)

For a detailed series of books checkout my FAQ book series: Acoustic Guitar Care & Setup, Bass Guitar Care & Setup, Classical Guitar Care & Setup, and Electric Guitar Care & Setup published by Mel Bay Publications. In these books I teach my trade secrets on guitar setup and repair with highly detailed photographs and diagrams. If you're looking for hands-on training, a series of classes on guitar repair are available at the Guitar Services Workshop in Nashville Tennessee. We begin where many schools end. We teach guitar repair from a customer service perspective to train for real- life situations. The workshops include hands-on training, tools, a book, a certificate and a reference. We have provided training for music store employees, manufacturers, distributors and independent builders who want to learn more about their craft. For more information, check our website for details at www.guitarservices.com.

Best of luck in your lutherie pursuits,
John LeVan

Copyright 2005 John M. LeVan All Rights Reserved
115 17th Ave South * Nashville, TN 37203
Phone 615.251.8884 * guitarservices@aol.com