mandolin lutherie apprenticeships

[benjammin5000]

Hello everyone. I am new to the list today. I am currently living in Madison, WI, and I have been searching for apprenticeships with a willing mandolin luthier pretty much anywhere. I have good experience in a shop, and I will do what it takes to get started. Does anyone here know of any luthiers taking on apprentices anywhere? How about schools? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank folks!

[sunburst]

Do you know about Red Wing? It might be called something else now, seems like I saw something...
Anyway it's in Red Wing (or is it Redwing?) Minisota, and it is a technical school with a lutherie program. There's also Roberto Venn, somewhere in the desert, I think.

It will probably be easier to find an apprenticeship with a guitar builder. That's OK, though, because what you should hope to gain from and apprenticeship is basic knowledge of the aspects of lutherie, and general shop experience. The basics are mostly the same regardless of what you're building. When you get into guitar vs mando, you're into the specifics, and by then, you'll be thinking for yourself pretty well.

[Michael Lewis]

There is so much great information available now as opposed to 20 years ago, that you can easily learn on your own if you have the drive and committment. Devour this web site, MIMF, frets.com, and other lutherie forums, read the "trade" publications like American Lutherie and Guitarmaker, stay up with the supply catalogs like Stew/Mac, Intl. Violin, LMII, etc. Go to the events like GAL Convention this summer, bluegrass festivals where makers exhibit, IBMA, and search your area for a group of luthiers that get together from time to time. You must immerse yourself in the world of lutherie and especially mandolins. Get to know the wood suppliers, they know wood and can give you a great perspective on that subject. Study the "wood" books by Hoadley and others, and look up the properties of wood on the internet, as there are some wonderful sites supported by governments and universities that have done vast ammounts of research. Also, just jump in with both feet and find out if you can swim or will sink. If you swim you are on your way, but if you sink you just need more help like Minnesota Southeast Technical College in Redwing, like John Hamlett mentioned previously. If you want to make a living at this you will have to devote your life to it, but if you want to make it a hobby you can do as much or as little as you like. The least expensive approach is to start as a hobby, and when you have gained customers and a reputation you can quit your day job and hang out your shingle as a luthier.

You would do well to contact the Small Business Development Center near you for general guidance in the business world. This is a VERY neccessary aspect of making a living by running your own business. There are a lot of hats to wear and you have to wear them all. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif