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

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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!

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This looks like a great course. Started watching it last night Rob
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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
41:39
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
1:33:30 $49.50 Buy Chapter
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
1:41:38
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
1:02:53
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
1:52:10
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
2:04:15
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
58:43
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
3:43:12
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
53:35
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
7:35:39
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
1:18:35
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
13:28
Lesson 1: Tuning machines 7:22
Lesson 2: Tailpiece 6:06
Chapter 13 • Nut and Frets
1:12:16
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
29:54
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
27:27
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
23:36
Lesson 1: Ebonizing the bridge 14:13
Lesson 2: Attaching moustache ends 6:25
Conclusion 2:58