6 Day Acoustic Guitar Building Course

Build a Guitar in 6 days?! The secret is to work efficiently. Learn Robert’s techniques on how to do that in this course. This course offers tips and tricks for beginners to advanced luthiers and is guaranteed to make you a better luthier.

Buy Now $437.00 140 Lessons 26:22:07

About This Course

Welcome to the Robert O’Brien Online 6 Day Acoustic Guitar Building Course. In this course Robert, not only shows how he has updated and adapted his guitar building methods over the years but he also stresses the importance of working efficiently while building. In his original Acoustic guitar building course he teaches how to build and finish a guitar organizing each topic by chapter and lesson. For example: Chapter 1 - The sides, Chapter 2 – The Soundport etc. In this course he has it organized by days and all the steps accomplished on those days, culminating in a completely finished and playable guitar by the morning of Day 6. This means he may start by thicknessing and bending a side, then jump to joining the top and back, doing a scarf joint, making blocks, bending the second side etc. and all of this before lunch of Day one!

He also does that in the presence of students. This allows the viewer to see and hear Robert address questions and issues that may not arise in a regular style instructional video course with just the instructor teaching. The interaction between Robert and his students allows the viewer to see steps done by Robert as well as his students while he is teaching. Watch as he adapts his teaching style to meet the necessities of each student and their abilities, helping them become efficient in each step of the guitar building process. This is much more than a how to build a guitar course. If you want just that, I recommend getting my original Online Acoustic Guitar Building course. Now, if you want to learn more tips and tricks on building and my most up to date techniques, yes, I have changed my methods somewhat since the original course, as well as how to work efficiently, then this course is for you.

Learn about shop layout and workflow and how that can shave hours and even days off the time needed to build a guitar. Learn how few tools and jigs Robert actually uses while building.

When you purchase the course you also become eligible to join Robert’s invitation only private chat group. Here he offers advice and support as you build. There is a wealth of information available to you for free and over 15 years worth of searchable archives!

If you have ever wanted to learn how to build your own high end steel string acoustic guitar and do it efficiently using Robert’s most up to date techniques, then Robert’s Online 6 Day Acoustic Guitar Building Course is a must!

Please read the FAQ page before beginning. To begin, just register/login and purchase the video lessons.

It has never been easier to learn the art of guitar building.

Happy Building!

Students who have taken Robert O’Brien’s in-house 6-day acoustic guitar building course are eligible for a 25% off discount. Please contact us to claim this offer.

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I just wanted to say that the new 6-day acoustic guitar building course is excellent. As a videographer and a person who has been married to a teacher for 31 years, this course works perfect for visual learners like me :) Well done ! Chris in Canada
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I’ve built 22 guitars (mix of Taylor, Gibson J-185, and Martin OM), and starting on 23/24…I build in pairs typically. I build in accordance with your video acoustic course, which I still go over many, many times. What a great course! Skip
Great job on your teaching video. The audio and video quality are excellent and the course seems to be easy to follow. Barry
Warning: This online course may be addictive! (posting for, um, a friend) Peter
Robbie’s courses are excellent and well worth the investment, I have “both” of his steel string classes and both are great. To compliment the course the Voicing class is also excellent for getting the best out of the build. Bruce in Canada
I purchased your 6-day Acoustic Guitar Course earlier this year and watched it through. Thank you so much for offering these courses and youtube videos! Mark
I have been working with the Steel String course video closely as I progress through the steps and wanted to say that they are fabulous. A great investment for any aspiring Luthier. I fell like we are still working together in your basement every time I need to review something. I just need to get some of that acoustic coffee and get Heather to bring in some nice pastries once in awhile. Chris
I just purchased your 6 Day Acoustic Guitar course and am excited to see how you possibly get a guitar built in that time frame! Thank you for what I am sure will be exceptional educational material for the builds in my future. Randall
I am really excited to be taking your course! I'm excited about how you focus on efficiency. Your approach is different and more practical than most other teachers! Dave
I signed up for Robbie’s 6 day build (this May) and since I’d bought the 6 day videos as he recommended (and it has a full French polish section) I finished that guitar simply from watching the video and it turned out great. Pat
I sure enjoy referencing the new 6 day on line class as I move to each step. It's a great resource. Greg
You might want to look at Robbie O'Brien's on line guitar course. It is very detailed and allows you access to another really good forum with a massive amount of information and lots of really helpful people Jim
I really like the online classes that Robbie O'Brien offers. I have watched (on his forum for students) as many first timers without wood working experience have built their first. The classes are not inexpensive, but I found they are worthwhile. He is great teacher, having taught Lutherie in a community college, the classes are nearly real time. He also offer one week build a guitar classes from his home shop. John
I recently purchased your online 6 Day Acoustic Guitar Building and French Polishing courses. They are fun and the lessons are very clear and complete and I have been enjoying them very much. Peter
I'm very excited about this. It will be extremely useful to learn how to reduce my build time which is currently snail paced! David in Australia
Just recently I treated myself to your "build guitar in 6 days" course. It is awesome! I started going straight through... then I jumped around a little bit... My impression: fantastic! I'm going to return to the start, and I'll watch every video. With approx 8 videos watched so far, I've learned much! The pace is excellent. I appreciate your humor, and your attention to safety. Manus
Just wanted you to know, with the aid of your video's I have built 6 guitars. They have turned out quite good. Thank you for that. Patrick
I just wanted to say that the new 6-day acoustic guitar building course is excellent. As a videographer and a person who has been married to a teacher for 31 years, this course works perfect for visual learners like me :) Well done ! Chris in Canada
Thanks so much for putting out your 6 day build course, I bought it as soon as it came out and am loving it. Remi
Robbie, As a guitar tech getting into lutherie. The first thing I invested in was your steel string/classical course material. After watching you work, I powered up perfectly with 1st class instructions. Saved a bundle, I'm sure. Thanks! Rick
Even just the chapter overview adds quite a lot of value on top of what you’ve already posted on Social media. Thanks for all the excellent content you’ve produced. Eric
  There is one more statement I just got to say, I think having a student involved in the process and in the video really  make this course as the best video course that you ever put out. Again thanks for producing this course.  Eric
So far I just went through 5 lessons and really like the course.  The lessons are very detailed and informative and you just have a good nature attitude in explaining each procedure and it is not boring.  Thanks for making this course and looking forward to the classical guitar 6 day course.  Eric
That is an incredible amount of work for the first day. WOW!!
The 6 day course is amazing by the way, the sound and picture are great. Brad
I’m glad you have this course available. The six days I was with you was one of my most memorable experiences. Steve
Robbies teaching is Amazing! I have purchased 3 of his online courses in the past year or so, I cannot recommend Him enough. Scott
Randy Johnson here, you taught me how to French Polish and how to voice a guitar top back in June of 2020. I'm so stoked to see the 6-day building vid available! Thanks again for helping me make a dream come true!! Randy
Thanks for releasing the 6 day build video. Having used your acoustic guitar build class previously, I love seeing the efficiency you build with and am greatly benefiting from it. Jeremy
Chapter 1 • Day 1
7:52:14
Lesson 1: How to thickness the sides 1:56
Lesson 2: Safety planer setup 9:32
Lesson 3: Cutting sides to width 10:20
Lesson 4: Thicknessing sides with the safety planer 8:04
Lesson 5: Thicknessing the back with the safety planer 8:53
Lesson 6: Thicknessing with a scraper 2:45
Lesson 7: Thicknessing with a drum sander 5:47
Lesson 8: Side layout 5:57
Lesson 9: Pre-tapering the sides 6:43
Lesson 10: Bending a side and bindings 22:32
Lesson 11: Making the end block 15:03
Lesson 12: Making the heel block 4:16
Lesson 13: Sanding and sealing the heel block 4:15
Lesson 14: Bending the other side 16:30
Lesson 15: Joining the soundboard 15:05
Lesson 16: Joining the back 26:54
Lesson 17: Scarf joint on the neck 16:23
Lesson 18: Slotting the fretboard 11:28
Lesson 19: Tapering the fretboard 8:22
Lesson 20: Cutting sides to length 7:36
Lesson 21: Gluing blocks to the sides 12:22
Lesson 22: Roughing out braces 27:05
Lesson 23: Radiusing the rims 27:53
Lesson 24: Installing kerfing 24:13
Lesson 25: Preparing soundboard for the rosette 18:17
Lesson 26: Installing the rosette 37:46
Lesson 27: Thicknessing peghead 13:14
Lesson 28: Scale layout 12:51
Lesson 29: The truss rod slot 5:21
Lesson 30: Gluing veneers and blocks 11:13
Lesson 31: Final thicknessing of back 8:46
Lesson 32: Back reinforcement strip 5:35
Lesson 33: The end wedge 21:39
Lesson 34: Sanding rosette flush 2:47
Lesson 35: Thicknessing the top 10:10
Lesson 36: Cutting out the soundhole 6:49
Lesson 37: Cutting top to shape 4:11
Lesson 38: Scraping end wedge 2:32
Lesson 39: Driving the bus (again) 9:08
Lesson 40: End of day summary 2:01
Chapter 2 • Day 2
7:39:21
Lesson 1: Bracing discussion 11:09
Lesson 2: Marking bracing pattern on top 4:32
Lesson 3: Radiusing braces 10:40
Lesson 4: X brace lap joint 15:42
Lesson 5: 1st glue stage 12:49
Lesson 6: Upper transverse brace and tongue depressor 8:57
Lesson 7: Bridge patch and other braces 5:20
Lesson 8: 2nd glue stage 5:07
Lesson 9: Radisuing back braces 5:47
Lesson 10: Planing reinforcement strip 7:09
Lesson 11: Cutting back to shape 2:23
Lesson 12: 3rd glue stage 8:48
Lesson 13: Fitting braces to back 9:25
Lesson 14: Tapering brace ends 5:32
Lesson 15: Gluing back braces 4:59
Lesson 16: Voicing discussion 9:41
Lesson 17: Voicing - Part 1 4:10
Lesson 18: Voicing - Part 2 6:07
Lesson 19: Voicing - Part 3 9:07
Lesson 20: Voicing - Part 4 9:10
Lesson 21: Voicing - Part 5 5:31
Lesson 22: Voicing - Part 6 15:42
Lesson 23: Fitting top to rims 10:35
Lesson 24: Shaping back braces 4:46
Lesson 25: Fitting back to rims 15:17
Lesson 26: Closing the box 10:28
Lesson 27: Flush trimming back and top 9:53
Lesson 28: Binding cutter setup 11:31
Lesson 29: Cutting binding channels 21:25
Lesson 30: Channel cleanup 5:39
Lesson 31: Prepping bindings 6:41
Lesson 32: Installing top bindings 21:14
Lesson 33: Installing back bindings 28:41
Lesson 34: Cutting veneers at nut 5:49
Lesson 35: The volute 4:14
Lesson 36: Peghead shape 4:56
Lesson 37: Tuner holes 6:43
Lesson 38: Neck prep 15:37
Lesson 39: Body prep 14:10
Lesson 40: Body mortise cavity 14:23
Lesson 41: Neck tenon 20:54
Lesson 42: Setting the neck 24:16
Lesson 43: Attaching the fretboard 15:56
Lesson 44: The heel cap 8:26
Chapter 3 • Day 3
5:10:49
Lesson 1: Scraping bindings 14:54
Lesson 2: Scraping side bindings 7:23
Lesson 3: Neck carving step 1 21:26
Lesson 4: Neck carving step 2 11:14
Lesson 5: Neck carving step 3 52:57
Lesson 6: Leveling and radiusing the fretboard 19:57
Lesson 7: Fret markers 10:29
Lesson 8: Side markers 7:28
Lesson 9: Prepping for frets 4:39
Lesson 10: Installing frets 10:41
Lesson 11: Fretwork 15:45
Lesson 12: Sanding the neck 9:33
Lesson 13: Sanding the body 36:02
Lesson 14: Pore filling the neck 12:47
Lesson 15: Masking bridge location 12:37
Lesson 16: Mixing shellac 3:45
Lesson 17: Sealing the soundboard 15:42
Lesson 18: Fixing a dent 4:09
Lesson 19: First polishing session on top 20:47
Lesson 20: First epoxy pore fill 18:34
Chapter 4 • Day 4
2:16:23
Lesson 1: Sanding epoxy pore fill 8:03
Lesson 2: Leveling the finish 5:10
Lesson 3: Second polishing session on top 31:20
Lesson 4: Bridge thickness 6:54
Lesson 5: Rough bridge shape 12:58
Lesson 6: Third polishing session on top 16:33
Lesson 7: Slotting and final shaping of bridge 18:56
Lesson 8: Spiriting off 12:44
Lesson 9: Second epxoy pore fill 11:32
Lesson 10: Sanding second epoxy pore fill 12:13
Chapter 5 • Day 5
1:01:43
Lesson 1: Attaching the bridge 16:03
Lesson 2: Sealing the side 4:43
Lesson 3: Removing the bridge clamp 3:30
Lesson 4: Polishing the sides 7:21
Lesson 5: Polishing the neck and back 14:56
Lesson 6: Leveling and more polish on sides 6:13
Lesson 7: Leveling and more polish on back and neck 8:57
Chapter 6 • Day 6
2:21:37
Lesson 1: Cleaning the fretboard 10:57
Lesson 2: Fitting and shaping the nut 16:08
Lesson 3: Slotting the nut 4:05
Lesson 4: Oiling the fretboard 2:54
Lesson 5: Bridge pin holes 22:10
Lesson 6: The saddle 10:46
Lesson 7: Installing tuners 8:07
Lesson 8: The label 8:14
Lesson 9: Strings 9:08
Lesson 10: Neck relief 6:17
Lesson 11: Action at the nut 13:24
Lesson 12: Action at the 12th fret 1:28
Lesson 13: Intonation 5:41
Lesson 14: Test drive 11:59
Lesson 15: Conclusion 6:46
Lesson 16: Final thoughts 3:33