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Background

The Leeds Guitarmakers' School is a world-class academy of fretted instrument technology in Northampton, Massachusetts. The curriculum includes instruction in guitar construction, repair, restoration, evaluation, conservation, history, and acoustics. From the school's beginnings in 1995, our emphasis has been on hands-on instruction in construction and design of steel-string flat-top, arch-top, and classical guitars.. We offer two- and three-week basic intensive classes, a fifteen-week comprehensive course and one-on-one tutorials as well as one-day technical workshops designed and taught by nationally recognized guitarmakers and technicians. Our classes are kept small to allow for a no more than four-to-one student to teacher ratio. For the most part the ratio is three students to one teacher. The staff is expanding course offerings to produce a comprehensive craft and career oriented curriculum. Our faculty is made up of nationally recognized professionals in the craft, the theory, the design, the marketing, the evaluation, the appraisal, the acoustics, the electronics, and the large- and small-scale production of guitars. Ivon Schmukler Director Leeds Guitarmakers' School Click here to ask a question

The Instructors

Ivon Schmukler began repairing guitars in 1965, was one of the first CF Martin-approved independent repairmen, and, in 1972, began making individually-hand-crafted steel-string guitars. He is one of the leading restorers of vintage Martin guitars. He has taught woodworking at the State University of New York Downstate Medical School in Brooklyn, New York. Brad Nickerson has been building guitars since 1983. His reputation is international, his arch top guitars owned by leading musicians and collectors in the United States and Europe. His instruments are also sold in some of the most prestigious guitars stores in the country. One of Nickerson's guitars is currently on exhibition at the Smithsonian as part of the exhibit of the Blue Guitar Collection of instruments commissioned by Scott Chinnery. Ed Diehl has been playing Jazz guitar on the highest level since the late 1950s with some of the great jazz legends. His expertise in playing has driven his pursuit of the art of setting up guitars. Over the years Ed worked for Dan Armstrong, Matt Umanov, the Folklore Center in New York City and is much sought after for his fret work by professional guitarists. He is currently living in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he does repairs, teaches improvisation, lectures on the Beat era and plays Jazz in various venues on the East Coast. Steve Warshaw has been building guitars since 1972. He began his career with the Martin Company and later studied instrument restoration techniques with Donald Warnock at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. He currently is a design consultant for the industry and builds and restores guitars in New Hampshire. Alan Chapman has been building guitars professionally since 1973. He is a n experienced woodworking instructor with a broad understanding of small shop production techniques. His instruments are played by world-famous recitalists and students in North America and Europe. Chapman's work is influenced by a combination of scientific discipline and a thorough understanding of the history of classical guitar design, producing a range of instruments from traditional fan braced guitars to cutting-edge graphite reenforced lattice braced guitars. At the Leeds Guitarmakers' School, Chapman teaches tutorials in advanced classical guitar construction in both traditional and lattice braced designs, test-bed methodology for experimenting with bracing and soundboard design, design and production of rosettes and classes in small shop production and toolcraft.