Gypsy Jazz Guitar Building
Who doesn’t love the sound of a Gypsy Jazz Guitar? Learn how to build this very popular instrument with Michael Whitney of Whitney Guitars and Lutherie School.
Buy Now $435.00 171 Lessons 26:14:14
About This Course
Welcome to the Online Gypsy Jazz Guitar Building Course. In this course, Luthier, Michael Whitney, shows how to build a Grande Bouche model Gypsy Jazz Guitar in the Selmer-Maccafferi style. Michael guides you through each step of the building process in very detailed and thorough lessons that encompass everything from tools, jigs and materials to setting up the finished guitar. A set of professionally drawn plans as well as a detailed tool list comes free with the course. Michael has established himself as a leader in Lutherie Instruction with his guitar building school and now this Gypsy Jazz Guitar Online Course. This course is a must for those wanting to learn more about how to build a Gypsy Jazz Guitar.
Please read the FAQ page before beginning. To begin just register/login and purchase the video lessons. After purchasing, you can watch the lessons through this page and download your included PDF in the downloads section. Happy Building!
This looks like a great course. Started watching it last night Rob
Feedback
×I bought this course and am in the process of building my first Gypsy Jazz guitar. This is an excellent resource! Easy to follow and clearly explained! Daniel
Fantastic course! Michael gives very detailed, easy to follow instructions. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Michael. Bill
I have anxiously been waiting for this course for a while. Thanks for putting it together Dan
This looks like a great course. Started watching it last night Rob
Chapter 1 • History, Materials, Jigs, Tools, Shop Safety
Lesson 1:
History of the gypsy jazz guitar
2:35
Lesson 2:
Molds Templates and Jigs
16:45
Lesson 3:
More about the body mold
4:46
Lesson 4:
More about the headstock template
4:08
Lesson 5:
Materials
6:55
Lesson 6:
Shop Safety
6:30
Chapter 2 • Veneering
Lesson 1:
Veneer overview
12:56
Lesson 2:
Prepping the back veneers
9:59
Lesson 3:
Prepping the side veneers
8:05
Lesson 4:
Truing up veneers
6:03
Lesson 5:
Stitching the veneers
11:20
Lesson 6:
Cleaning up the joint
5:52
Lesson 7:
Vacuum prep overview
3:04
Lesson 8:
Epoxying the back plate
14:43
Lesson 9:
Epoxying side veneers overview
7:03
Lesson 10:
Epoxying side veneers
12:45
Lesson 11:
Veneering conclusion
1:40
Chapter 3 • Constructing the Soundboard
Lesson 1:
Constructing the soundboard - intro
2:46
Lesson 2:
Joining the soundboard
17:39
Lesson 3:
Thicknessing the soundboard
4:03
Lesson 4:
Cutting the rosette channel
20:45
Lesson 5:
The rosette overview
4:12
Lesson 6:
Cutting the rosette veneers
11:23
Lesson 7:
Installing and leveling rosette
8:22
Lesson 8:
Pliage overview
6:20
Lesson 9:
Bracing layout
15:48
Lesson 10:
Adding the pliage
10:20
Chapter 4 • The Back
Lesson 1:
The Back - intro
1:00
Lesson 2:
Back plate prep
2:37
Lesson 3:
Back brace layout
2:56
Lesson 4:
Back brace overview
4:06
Lesson 5:
Making Back braces
18:39
Lesson 6:
Gluing back braces
7:12
Lesson 7:
Shaping the back braces
19:16
Lesson 8:
Cutting braces to length
5:47
Lesson 9:
Final comments about the back
1:20
Chapter 5 • Soundboard Bracing
Lesson 1:
Intro
2:49
Lesson 2:
Finger braces
9:43
Lesson 3:
Refining the brace radius
4:12
Lesson 4:
The marriage strip and vertical braces
11:41
Lesson 5:
Gluing the marriage strip
5:37
Lesson 6:
Gluing the lower transverse brace
3:49
Lesson 7:
Gluing the vertical braces
6:54
Lesson 8:
Trimming the finger braces
2:39
Lesson 9:
Notching the braces
17:48
Lesson 10:
Gluing the lower braces
6:08
Lesson 11:
Gluing the upper braces
3:45
Lesson 12:
Brace height
7:20
Lesson 13:
Brace profile
7:57
Lesson 14:
Brace taper
9:12
Lesson 15:
Brace length
10:34
Lesson 16:
Truss rod access
2:02
Chapter 6 • The Rims
Lesson 1:
The rims intro
0:55
Lesson 2:
Trimming the sides
8:44
Lesson 3:
Neck and tail block overview
5:43
Lesson 4:
Neck block
7:05
Lesson 5:
Tail block
8:47
Lesson 6:
Side profile explanation
3:31
Lesson 7:
Side dimensions
9:33
Lesson 8:
Neck block final shaping
7:48
Lesson 9:
Gluing the neck block
10:44
Lesson 10:
Gluing the tail block
4:02
Lesson 11:
Making the liners
5:02
Lesson 12:
Installing the liners tail block
12:49
Lesson 13:
Shaping the sides
18:07
Lesson 14:
Preparing to notch the liners
12:24
Lesson 15:
Notching the liners
9:01
Chapter 7 • Closing the Box
Lesson 1:
Fitting the back
3:50
Lesson 2:
Gluing the back
8:17
Lesson 3:
Notching the top liners
5:20
Lesson 4:
Fitting the soundboard
5:20
Lesson 5:
Pre check bridge height
7:58
Lesson 6:
Gluing the soundboard
5:20
Lesson 7:
Flush trimming
9:54
Lesson 8:
Binding and neck angle prep
5:20
Lesson 9:
Fine tuning soundboard
7:24
Chapter 8 • Bindings
Lesson 1:
Binding channels
12:32
Lesson 2:
Purfling channels
5:17
Lesson 3:
Prepping the channels
8:51
Lesson 4:
The end graft
13:28
Lesson 5:
The end graft channel
16:52
Lesson 6:
Neck to body channel
4:06
Lesson 7:
Bending the bindings overview
6:21
Lesson 8:
Bending the bindings
26:10
Lesson 9:
Bending the cutaway bindings
8:42
Lesson 10:
Bending the purflings
14:32
Lesson 11:
Installing the purflings
21:41
Lesson 12:
Fitting the end graft
12:49
Lesson 13:
Installing bindings
21:33
Lesson 14:
Installing bindings cont
16:10
Lesson 15:
Scraping the bindings
12:05
Lesson 16:
The body mortise overview
6:12
Lesson 17:
Cutting the mortise cavity
15:51
Chapter 9 • The Fingerboard
Lesson 1:
The fingerboard overview
6:24
Lesson 2:
Slotting the fingerboard
13:29
Lesson 3:
Fret dots layout
9:47
Lesson 4:
Installing Fret dots
5:01
Lesson 5:
Radiusing the fingerboard
9:22
Lesson 6:
Trimming and tapering
9:32
Chapter 10 • The Neck
Lesson 1:
Overview
4:16
Lesson 2:
Squaring the neck blank
5:27
Lesson 3:
Scarf joint - layout and cut
7:00
Lesson 4:
Thinning the headstock
3:32
Lesson 5:
Prepping the scarf joint
6:02
Lesson 6:
Gluing the scarf joint
6:27
Lesson 7:
Cleaning up the scarf joint
2:46
Lesson 8:
Neck block layout
9:59
Lesson 9:
The truss rod slot
16:01
Lesson 10:
Neck block glue up
11:05
Lesson 11:
Headstock veneer overview
4:37
Lesson 12:
Layout
11:00
Lesson 13:
Truss rod slot filler strip
4:53
Lesson 14:
Gluing headstock veneer
15:12
Lesson 15:
Laying out the headstock and fingerboard
8:35
Lesson 16:
Cutting out the headstock
10:09
Lesson 17:
Routing the slots
6:08
Lesson 18:
Routing the string ramps
8:57
Lesson 19:
Neck taper
15:46
Lesson 20:
Rough cutting the heel
2:07
Lesson 21:
Cutting the volute
12:35
Lesson 22:
Cutting the heel block angle
14:56
Lesson 23:
Cutting the tenon
11:04
Lesson 24:
Tenon hardware holes
15:21
Lesson 25:
Trimming the neck overview
6:12
Lesson 26:
Trimming the heel
7:09
Lesson 27:
Finessing the heel to the body
6:59
Lesson 28:
Cutting the truss rod relief
7:12
Lesson 29:
Fingerboard extension shape
6:58
Lesson 30:
Gluing the fingerboard
12:49
Lesson 31:
Trimming the neck
7:56
Lesson 32:
Nut shelf
29:29
Lesson 33:
Neck carving overview
4:21
Lesson 34:
Facet layout
23:26
Lesson 35:
Neck carving
23:23
Lesson 36:
Neck carving (cont.)
17:02
Lesson 37:
Tuner holes
22:38
Lesson 38:
Side dots
13:36
Lesson 39:
Prepping for frets
10:40
Lesson 40:
Prepping the fretwire
4:39
Lesson 41:
Installing the frets
13:01
Lesson 42:
Dressing the frets
18:02
Lesson 43:
Attaching the neck
6:12
Chapter 11 • The Bridge
Lesson 1:
Bridge overview
4:05
Lesson 2:
Bottom profile
7:09
Lesson 3:
V Slot
16:23
Lesson 4:
Radius
6:14
Lesson 5:
End Radii
4:34
Lesson 6:
Laying out compensation
25:50
Lesson 7:
Moustache ends
14:20
Chapter 12 • Hardware
Lesson 1:
Tuning machines
7:22
Lesson 2:
Tailpiece
6:06
Chapter 13 • Nut and Frets
Lesson 1:
Fitting the nut
12:01
Lesson 2:
String spacing at the nut
3:57
Lesson 3:
Nut slotting and shaping
16:57
Lesson 4:
Leveling the frets
12:16
Lesson 5:
Fret crowning
9:14
Lesson 6:
Fret end dress
7:13
Lesson 7:
Polishing frets
3:09
Lesson 8:
Final fret cleanup
2:33
Lesson 9:
Waxing the fingerboard
4:56
Chapter 14 • Fitting and Slotting the Bridge
Lesson 1:
Fitting the bridge
12:21
Lesson 2:
Slotting the bridge
9:07
Lesson 3:
Slotting the bridge (cont)
8:26
Chapter 15 • Final Setup
Lesson 1:
Addressing the zero fret
2:53
Lesson 2:
Positioning the bridge
12:33
Lesson 3:
Setting neck relief
5:57
Lesson 4:
Slotting the bridge
6:04
Chapter 16 • Final Bridge Details
Lesson 1:
Ebonizing the bridge
14:13
Lesson 2:
Attaching moustache ends
6:25
Conclusion
2:58