FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Which course is right for me?

CONTEMPORARY GUITAR MAKING and HANDS-ON GUITAR MAKING make up the ASL Core Program.  The five-day seminar conveys the intellectual framework of the craft through lecture, demonstration and lively dialogue.  The two-week workshop teaches the practical manual aspects of the craft through the step-by-step building of an instrument. The two classes are complementary, with no overlap, but neither is a pre-requisite for the other.   SETUP, MAINTENANCE BASIC REPAIR is a focused workshops for luthiers who have already begun to build.

We're happy to discuss the program with you personally and help determine the right course for you.

Is the school in Portland or Healdsburg, CA?

In 2002 we moved our shop and school from Healdsburg, CA to Portland, OR where all courses are held.

Will I be 'certified' after studying at ASL?

Lutherie is not a trade governed by a certifying association, and ASL's intensive short-term courses should not be confused with full time vocational training.  We're happy to provide you with a letter attesting to attendance/completion of your course time here, but it would be misleading to suggest that after attending a single short-term course you will have become a 'luthier' and that your employment prospects will have soared.  Except for a limited number of small production shop or factory jobs (which isn't a bad place to start), the vast majority of folks in this craft are individuals who either build and market instruments on their own or who work at the craft purely for its considerable pleasures and satisfaction.

Do you offer financial aid, GI Bill approval, etc?

ASL is a small private school with neither a financial aid program nor the accreditation needed to meet the requirements of most government programs.  We have occasionally been approved by vocational education agencies in states without local guitar making programs.

Can you send me a brochure?

Sorry, we do not have printed materials to mail.  All available information on classes, schedules and registration is posted on this web site. 

What about travel and accommodations?

Portland (airport code PDX) is a city with great public transportation and accommodations of every kind.  The Best Western, a half mile from our workshop, offers a special ASL room rate of $89 per night if staying 6 nights or more, and $99 per night night if less than 6 nights, including breakfast.