Are you ready to create, design, and build the electric guitar (or bass) of your dreams?

Learn about the ancient art of guitar making, designing and building the instrument you always dreamt of.

I have put together a hands-on, intensive course on guitar making, in order to make that dream into a reality.

Come to a historic lutherie workshop in Berlin for five days, and head back home on Sunday with your own, new guitar in a case :)

This is how it works (all guitars presented were built during my previous workshops):

Phase 1 – DESIGN

You start as soon as you want, drawing sketches of the instrument you would love to build.

Then, with my help, you will refine your concept: The shape, the ergonomics, the materials, the aesthetics, and the style of a unique electric guitar or bass.

This usually takes six or seven (remote, one-on-one, 45-minute) sessions via Skype, Zoom, or WhatsApp. It doesn’t matter where you live (we will speak in English, Spanish, or Italian).

This process results in the complete blueprint and specifications of your own electric guitar. We will define each detail, even your logo!

Phase 2: CONSTRUCTION

You will travel to Berlin — the coolest city in Europe. With my guidance you will build the instrument you designed, while learning about the tools, the techniques, and you will acquire the knowledge to make your next guitar by yourself.

We will only have five days to complete the instrument, so we will work with focus and resolve:

• Day 1: Presentation of the designs. Speech about safety (short, but vital). Cutting and routing the guitar’s body.
• Day 2: Neck making, body sanding.
• Day 3: Putting everything together. More sanding and deciding fininshing options.
• Day 4: Montage and electronics
• Day 5: Test, setup and final touches.

Due to the time constraints, we will avoid certain techniques that demand years to be mastered and days to be implemented. This means: No binding; No tremolos (except tremolos that don’t need routing, like a Bigsby or a Duesenberg LP trem); No carved tops (ergonomic bevels are perfect, though); No semi-acoustic bodies; No jazz guitars, No crazy electronics, unless you are experienced. You will build a beautiful and unique, but straightforward solid-body electric guitar or bass, without unnecessary adornments and complications.

Finishing: The finishing process is not included in this workshop. For that, you will have two options.

1) To send the guitar to a professional finishing service (not included in the cost). I can recommend some that charge fair prices (I am not commercially associated to them, nor I receive any financial compensation from my recommendation).

2) To finish the guitar yourself back at home, using either Tru-Oil (this is my recommended option). I will teach you the process, of course, which will result in a high value, handmade finish.

 Requirements  / Experience:

No previous lutherie or woodworking experience is needed. Ideally, you could read my two books on the subject, of which you get a free copy when you sign up for the course.

However, there is one crucial requirement:  The process has been designed to be safe, but you agree to strictly follow my indications in regard to safety. We want you to travel back home with a beautiful guitar and all your fingers and eyes attached to where they belong, okay?

The workshop:

We will work in an authentic and historic lutherie workshop (see pictures below), located inside the famous Spandau Citadel, a fortress built in the 1500’s and one of the best conserved in the world.

This enchanting place is managed by Klang-Holz e.V, an organization dedicated to the restoration and conservsation of old musical instruments, They also partner with schools to introduce children to the art of building and playing musical instruments. As a non-profit, they are driven by a passion for music and the commitment to enriching lives through its timeless magic.

Arriving there: Reaching the closest station is easy from any part of the city, either by train or subway (about 20 minutes from Berlin Central Station). From there, it is two stops by subway, or a 15 minutes walk, an ideal opportunity to breath in the fresh air before the work starts.

These are some pictures of the place:

Hours:

We will work from Wednesday to Sunday, from 2pm to 7pm.

• This leaves you all mornings free, so you can have a relaxed breakfast and enjoy the city attractions (recommended: the Berlin Musikinstrumenten Museum).
• This minimizes the days off you might need from work, for example allowing you (if you prefer) to travel on the same day of the seminar and saving a hotel night.

After a full afternoon working on your guitar, you will be ready for a warm shower, a juicy dinner, and a well deserved night sleep — you will need it, I promise!

 Fee:

NEW:  For the first few applicants, instead of 2,490 EUR, the fee will be 1,990 EUR (as long as you see this offer here, it’s on!)

The fee already includes the German Value Added Tax. (If you come from outside the EU, the proportional tax will be discounted from your fee.)

The fee includes:

• The electronics. Pots, caps, switches, wire, jack, solder, and everything else. You take home a complete soldering station as a gift, for your next project.
• An apron, the luthier’s uniform of choice. Afterwards, you will take home as a memento.
• Refreshments: There will be fresh coffee, tea, cold sodas, and something tasty to nibble.
• Tools: the workshop has all necessary tools and machines, of course, but you will take home a couple of them as a compliment from me, for your next guitar.

Not included in the cost: 

• The tonewood: The fretboard, the neck blank, and the body blank. Selecting the ideal wood for your instrument is part of the design phase, of course.
• The pickups and the hardware (bridge and tuning machines). You can reuse parts from an old project or guitar, or buy used, or buy new, or whatever you prefer. However, these elements are a central part of the design, so I will advise you in this matter, of course.

Payment:

The payment can be made in two installments, if you so desire (EUR 995,00 before the beginning of each phase).

Important – By paying the fee, you abide by these conditions:

• The first part of the course (the design) is non-refundable.
• The second part of the course (the construction), however can be refunded if, by cause of force-majeure (health problems, unforeseen travel restrictions, etc.), you can’t come to Berlin.

Payment methods: Bank transfer or PayPal.

What do you get from this course?

You go back home with:

• A unique guitar or bass, designed and built by yourself—your own instrument to show to the world.
• The knowledge you need to build your next instrument, acquired under the guidance of a professional luthier, author, and expert teacher.
• A highly personalized collaboration. The maximum of participants is only three people, so I can follow your project closely.
• An unforgettable experience in one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

… and all that, at the price of a regular guitar (i.e. your regular Fender or Gibson), bought over-the-counter at some music shop (yawn!)

Things you must organize yourself:

• Travel and transportation. You must arrange your way to, from, and within Berlin. (I can give you some advice regarding weekly passes, etc.)
• Lodging. You must book your lodging according to your preferences: hotel, hostel, Airbnb, a friend’s sofa, etc. (I can help you choose a place among your shortlist of options – Pro tip: consider ease of access to the”S Spandau” station).
• Meals.  Refreshments during the course are on me, though.
• Touristic attractions. I will do my best to satisfy every guitar-related question you might have, but I must defer touristic guidance to the specialists :)

 The next steps:

1) Contact me at info@lospennato.com, and let me know that you are interested in participating (no obligations at all). You will be added to the waiting list. When the first payment is made, you are confirmed as a participant. Please remember that I can only accommodate a limited number of participants (only three people per course) in order to closely follow everyone’s work.

2) We will plan a few designs session via Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, etc. Usually 5 or 6 sessions are enough, but we can meet as many times as necessary for you to complete your design (this is a key phase of being able to build a guitar in one week).

Again, I wait for your message, questions, etc. at info@lospennato.com.

There are only very limited places, so please contact me soon.

See you in Berlin!