Students from all over the world come to Red Wing to learn how to repair, design, and build guitars.
Major Details
Students in the first-year Guitar Repair & Building program have the option to design and build an electric guitar as part of their program.
Most of the coursework in the 18-credit Electric Guitar Building certificate is part of the Guitar Repair and Building program, including electric guitar set up and fretwork.
No previous woodworking experience or musical ability is required, but successful students are detail-oriented, highly motivated, and have the ability to sit at a workbench and stay focused on their work all day.
Design and build your own electric guitar
You will have the opportunity to build a highly personalized instrument. In Electric Guitar Design, you will plan and blueprint an electric guitar or bass using a bolt-on neck design. In the construction class, you will make templates and build a complete instrument to your own specifications -- choosing the exact tone woods, neck dimension, headstock shape, binding, finish, and other elements that you want.
Materials for the guitar build cost $450 or more, but it not necessary to spend more than the minimum to build a very high quality, excellent sounding instrument! At the end of the year, the electric instruments are displayed at the annual Student Guitar Show.
Our graduates are in high demand, working in music stores, independent repair shops, and instrument manufacturers. Many go on to our second year diploma, Guitar Development and Production.
Apply now for admission to Southeast
For more information, visit www.redwingmusicrepair.org
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Download the Program Plan
Courses
1) 1000 level (minimum) General Education courses required unless specified.
GTRB1405
Guitar Overview
This course covers the identification of guitar parts and materials, adhesives, and abrasives, set up and adjustments diagnosis, some history of the instruments, and a quick overview of other fretted instruments.(Concurrent enrollment in GTRB 1410 and GTRB 1415) (2 credit: 2 lecture/0 lab)
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2 cr
GTRB1412
Electric Guitar Work
This course covers routine maintenance, adjustments and repair work common to electric guitars. Cleaning and care for wood, metal and finish components will be discussed as well as making truss rod, string height and intonation adjustments. Other factors to optimize instrument playability will also studied, measured and evaluated. (Corequisites: GTRB 1400, GTRB 1405, GTRB 1416, GTRB 1425) (3 credits: 1 lecture/2 lab)
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3 cr
GTRB1417
Electric Guitar Design
In this course the student will plan and blueprint an electric guitar or bass using a bolt-on neck design. (Prerequisite: GTRB 1400 and concurrent enrollment in GTRB 1414, GTRB 1415, GTRB 1425) (1 credit: 1 lect/0 lab)
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1 cr
GTRB1418
Electric Guitar Construction
In this course the student will design, blueprint, make templates and build an electric guitar. (Prerequisite GTRB 1400, GTRB 1405, GTRB 1412, GTRB 1416, GTRB 1425, and concurrent enrollment in GTRB 1450) (4 credits: 1 lecture/3 lab)
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4 cr
GTRB1425
Fretwork
This course covers fretting techniques used in guitar repair and building. Students will prepare and radius a fingerboard, prepare and install frets. Fret leveling, crowning and polishing is also studied to complete a fret job. (Prerequisites: GTRB 1400 and concurrent enrollment in GTRB 1414, GTRB 1410, and GTRB 1415) (3 credits: 1 lecture/2 lab)
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3 cr
GTRB1450
Introduction to Finishing
This course covers finish touch-up techniques including burn-ins, padding, brushing and graining techniques. Finish application techniques covered will include: hand applied color, hand applied finishes, sunbursts, french padding as well as sprayed nitrocellulose lacquer & shellac. Color theory and color matching will also be practiced. (Prerequisite: GTRB1400) (Concurrent enrollment in GTRB1441 and GTRB1445) (4 credits: 1 lecture/3 lab)
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4 cr
Total Credits Required for this Major: 17 Credits
Estimated Costs for this Major
| Approximate Tuition/Fees: | $4,004 |
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| Minimum Tool Cost: | $425 |
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| Books/Supplies: | $30 |
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| Estimated Total: | $4,459 |
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Career Opportunities
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Music Stores
- Repair Shops
- Guitar Makers
- Entrepreneurial Opportunities
Career Information
Use the MN DEED Career and Education Explorer Data Tool to learn about wages, job growth, and much more in this career field.
Outcomes
Program graduates will be able to:
- Diagnose, adjust, and repair, set ups, action, and intonation.
- Identify and understand parts and materials, and their use and characteristics.
- Safely and accurately use hand and power tools.
- Design and build a string instrument.
- Diagnose, estimate costs, and perform most guitar repairs.
- Perform finishing processes and touch up.
- Use the math, communications, and computer skills needed in lutherie.
Highlights
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Unique in length and comprehensiveness in the United States
- Additional career for musicians and teachers
- No previous musical or woodworking experience necessary
Instructors
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Brian Boedigheimer
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Brian Boedigheimer earned a diploma in Guitar Repair and Construction from Red Wing Technical College (now MSC Southeast) in 1994. He then provided service for music stores throughout the St. Croix Valley and built electric guitars for the Benedict Guitar Company. He returned to teach at MSC Southeast in 2001, and in 2003, he studied Wood Finishing Technology at Dakota County Technical College. Now with more than 20 years' experience as an instructor, he teaches full-time in the Guitar Repair and Building Program and designs and builds his own line of instruments, specializing in semi-hollow body electrics and exquisite finish work. For more about Brian, see www.bbmade.com.
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Timothy Reede
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Tim Reede enrolled in the Guitar Repair and Building program at MSC Southeast in 2004. He then embarked upon a career making high-end custom instruments, ranging from historic designs to guitars with modern features. He has pushed instrument design to a new level by adding elements that improve comfort and increase sound quality, such as beveled arm rests, fan frets, demi-cutaways, and side sound ports. His work has been featured in guitar shows, museums, and books. He began teaching at MSC Southeast in 2015. For more about Tim, see www.reedeguitars.com.
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Benjamin Williams
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Benjamin Williams graduated from Guitar Repair and Building in 2001. He worked in string instrument repair and building for many years, then returned to the college for the second-year Guitar Development and Production diploma in 2012. He gained a year of experience working at Weber Mandolins in Montana before returning to Minnesota to continue designing and making his own instruments. He builds flattop and archtop guitars, mandolins, and every size of ukulele and has a special interest in using reclaimed and domestic woods for his builds. He joined the faculty at MSC Southeast in 2019.
Other Majors in the Guitar Repair & Building program