Design and build the acoustic guitar of your dreams! Spend up to nine very full days in beautiful Central Florida (bring the family – Disney World is only an hour away!) with Master Luthier Sylvan Wells at the Wells Workshop and learn the principles of how to build a really fine acoustic guitar in a very unique teaching format. Sylvan has been teaching aspiring luthiers for over 20 years. Come to the class and get 20 years of experience in up to nine days!
Will Renshaw, was a terrific student from Kentucky. He came to learn but left many great memories of the time he and Sylvan had throughout the building process. He recently sent him a very well written “endorsement” and told Sylvan he could use it in any way he saw fit. To see what Will thought of the course (without any edits) just click here. To see his specific pictorial odyssey, click here.
Recently, Sylvan received copies of photographs of the instrument that Will took home with him and painted himself. The guitar is essentially a 000 style instrument but Will took it to another level. See for yourself here. About a year later, Will sent Sylvan photos of his first, totally on his own, finished guitar. It is truly a work of art. See it here.
For pictures of prior students building their instruments go here. For photos of the workshop go here. For photos of many different students click here. One of Sylvan’s very first students, Keith Lisle, recently sent him some photos of his latest work, one of which he sold to the family of “Judge Judy”. He is making “killer” guitars! See some of them here.
Sylvan conducted a course with a very young student, Jacob Brandt and was quite apprehensive about trying to teach him the art of guitarmaking. What a pleasant suprise! He has graciously allowed us to post photographs of his odyssey in learning how to build, and building, his wonderful dreadnaught guitar. See them here.
There are 17 pages of photographs which a recent student took and allowed me to post here. Take a look, we think you will be amazed at how much you can learn in just eight days!
June 1, 2016. Here are 90 photographs taken by Ben Van Scyoc detailing the building of his round shouldered dreadnaught. Ben did most of the work and did a GREAT job! See them here.
October, 2019. I just finished a course with a terrific student who sent me a hand written note a week or so after the course’s conclusion. To say the least, I was more than emotionally touched at the sentiments of his note. If you are thinking about taking this course sometime in the future I urge you to read the note. I think he captured perfectly what I try to do with all of the students who pass through my door. Read it here.
Call now to reserve your slot in the 2025-26 schedule!
The Teaching Format / ONE ON ONE
You and Sylvan will build your guitar. He will explain a process to you and then the two of you will do it. You will follow and assist him step by step through the entire process of building your instrument. You choose the basic guitar style and the two of you will build it together. All aspects of the construction will be covered including design, construction, setup, jigs, fixtures and general shop practice and safety. It will just be you and Sylvan – no other students or other distractions! Get the answers to all of your building questions and build a great instrument at the same time! At the end of the course you will actually take home the instrument the two of you made together. You will also take home the Course notebook which contains articles on all aspects of guitarmaking and an extensive outline of what you learned, why and how you did each step, when you did it, and all the photos and notes you can make during the period.
Course Length and Costs
The One on One Course is up to nine very long and full days in length. The course is designed so that you only have to take a week and a weekend off from work-start on Saturday and end the following Sunday (or choose the days you wish). Sylvan can fit your available time in his building schedule to accomodate your busy life. Just call him at 781-361-1471 or e-mail him at sylvan@wellsguitars.com to arrange scheduling. The one on one course is up to nine very full days of intensive instruction in building a basic acoustic instrument, resulting in a guitar “in the white” to take home. It will be completely constructed and playable, sealed with shellac, but not painted with lacquer. Sylvan encourages you to finish the instrument yourself and, to further that end, provide you with step by step instructions in finishing the instrument in either a water based or nitrocellulose lacquer. The course includes approximately eight or nine full days of one-on-one instruction in the Workshop and includes all written materials, including a step by step instruction manual which you will follow in building your guitar. The tuition is $5,000.00. A deposit of $1,000.00 is required to reserve the dates you have chosen. The tuition includes the course and all of the materials (no electronics, pickups or case) used in making your instrument. After eight-nine intensive days, you will leave with a world class instrument you constructed and the knowledge and written materials necessary to continue making instruments at home should you so desire. Call today (781-361-1471) to guarantee your place in the coming year. Slots fill up fast!
COME BUILD THE GUITAR OF YOUR DREAMS!
Shorter and More Specific Courses
Sylvan has had many requests from individuals who might want to learn a specific aspect of guitar instruction, but are not interested in the full guitar building course, whether or not they could receive instruction for less than the full nine day course. For instance, the individual might want to learn how to properly set up a guitar, or perhaps they wish to learn about how to make jigs and fixtures, etc. or, experienced guitarmakers may want to learn some specific aspect of how Sylvan does something , i.e. fretting, neck joint etc.
As a result of those requests Sylvan is making himself available for whatever aspect of guitar making and repairing you wish to pursue. Nothing is secret or hidden. Anything you want to learn he will teach. All you have to do is ask! The cost of the one-on-one instruction is $750 per day. Group rates can be discussed for more than one student at a time. For more information just call him at 781-361-1471 or e-mail him at sylvan@wellsguitars.com to arrange scheduling and to discuss what it is you want to learn! Greatly improve your skills this year!